Today I went down to the point for an early surf session hoping there might be waves.

When I got to the beach I saw there was a light west wind. Typically, when there is an early light west wind you can pretty much be assured that west wind won’t stay on the light side and in short order the surface condition can get choppy and not enjoyable for surfing.

However, I knew that the wind was most likely going to remain on the light side. I figured this because there is a nice weather site that is pretty good at forecasting what the local weather and wind conditions are going to be. Part of the forecast shows the anticipated wind conditions for each day by the hour. Having looked at the local weather forecast I got to see that the wind conditions were going to be pretty light all day.

So, ok on wind what about surf? That was the question. There has been a small south swell in the water for a few days but it is on the decline. South swells can sometimes have surprises and show a little surf without notice. The forecasting isn’t always spot on. So… take the chance and see if there might be a little pulse.

The surf was small for sure… If the sun was out ok but, the early morning overcast sky makes almost any surf more unattractive. Combine that with how inconsistent what little surf there was uninspiring. It became a no go.

There hasn’t been much surf and you really want to surf…..

Driving to and from the beach at 6 in the morning seems like a waist when you end up not going out.. It’s usually a back-and-forth decision. Should you go? Probably not but, what if there is a little bit of surf?  It would suck if you find out later there was a bit of surf and you missed it. Nah, I’ll just go and check it out. Then you don’t go out and, on the way, back you say, ‘geez what did I do that for???’

It’s another one of those situations…. Only a surfer knows the feeling.

D.R.

This morning at about 7:30 and overcast 

Later today when sunny 

As well today when sunny.

For me with the sun though the small lines even with a bit more wind on it look more inviting for some log board fun than the earlier overcast skys.

 

 The memories of a lost surf spot live on. If you’ve had good times at a surf spot those memories can live on for a long time, if not a life time.

When I worked at the Morey-Pope shop on Front street in Ventura my shaping bay was on the back side of the building that had a sliding door to the outside that was typically left open. From my shaping bay looking out the open door was a perfect view of the peak on the south east side of the pier. 

All day long while working I could see if there was surf, what the conditions were like and see guys ride the waves that were there. If I still worked in that old shaping bay the view would be there but the surf wouldn’t, because the spot doesn’t break anymore. Maybe every once in awhile it will have a ride able wave though hardly ever.

Just above the pier on the other side was the original “C” street break. That break which was right at the end of California street is no more either. Sure You may go to Ventura to surf “C” street but where you actually surf isn’t where the “C” street break was. What is now typically called The Cove or The Point or inside Point isn’t where “C” street was.

If you’re going to Ventura to surf you’ll get off the freeway at California Street.  So surfing Ventura has evolved into surfing “C” street.

There a a couple other spots that have been lost up the coast from Ventura about 10 minuets. A place Called Tanks and the more famous spot Stanley’s.   

I recently spent a few weeks on Hawaii Island in Hilo. While there I visited Orchid Land Surf Shop a couple times. https://www.orchidlandsurfshop.com    Stan Lawrence, the proprietor, has been a resident and surfer on the island for over 50 years. He’s recently published a book. Kalapana, Reflections of Lost Waves, Where he tells the stories of the surf spots on the island that had been lost from lava flows from the island volcano in 1990, some 12 to 18 different spots. Some called world class at that.

We’ve lost some surf spots in the Ventura. Thinking about what it’s like to see a dozen tropical location surf spots disappear after surfing them as part of your daily life for 20 years?

The saying ‘Only a surfer knows the feeling’. Only a surfer could know the heart break of seeing your favorite surf spot disappear right before you eyes.

One of the stories in his book Stan tells of surfing one of his favorite spots called Drainpipe. Sitting in the lineup and seeing a thousand foot fountain of lava erupting above Kalapana “sending a red and black wall of destruction toward us…. By the time we came in from the water , the slippers we had left near a tree had been burned up”.

There are some serious memories there. Take a deep breath and think about what that’s like.

D.R.

On my web site at the top of the surfboards page second paragraph reads…

All the events that transpired in the development and process of designing and making each of the different models I have give each board a unique story.  We all have a story to tell, and so do my surfboards

Several weeks ago I got to talking with a long time customer of mine about one of the boards he had put up for sale. It was first put at Wave Front Surf Shop then was at Ventura Surf Shop. I’m not sure if someone bought the board at Wave Front and shortly there after took the board to VSS to sell.

Well a guy, John, whom I’m familiar with bought the board from VSS and contacted me for some information about the board, which I’m always happy to provide.

When I was talking with Mike, the person I made the board for about the board, he told me the story of how we came up with the color for the board. So, I past that story on to John.

So this particular surfboard has been developing it’s own story. Memories from each person that has had the board.  When surfing, how the board was made, where the boards has been.

That’s the idea behind the paragraph on my web site.

This week I got an e-mail from someone inquiring about a board I made back in 1986. I honestly could not remember the board at all but because of the date on the board and the label I could determine where the board was shaped and tell Ryan, the person with the board, it’s place in my own storey of shaping that particular model. And that model’s significance in surfboard history from Morey-Pope. As it’s a reissued of one of the popular boards just before the surfboard evolution period.

I’m sure that board being as old as it is has a lot of stories to tell. One would be… where has it been all this time. Ryan said “I found it on the curb. Someone was throwing it away.” Ryan is planning to clean it and patch it up for his son and his son’s friend. So the board will live another day.

That board was made during a time when I subcontracted the laminating process. As well, that particular model is typically done with a tinted lamination. This 1986 one has a painted color job. It was also made before I had the Label for that model made. Have no recollection of who it was made for but for sure was a custom order. 

This brings to mind this blog post. https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2020/01/  And the story of another surfboard. Look at all the places it has been… stories for sure.

D.R.

Making surfboards over the years gives one the vantage point of seeing some of the various design applications that developed and became popular, coming in and out of vogue at various times.

One of those features is the Tail Block. An application to the tail of a long board that could add strength to the vulnerable corners of the square tail designed surfboard. As well, add not only strength but be an attractive element.

For the most part the first application of the tail block was wood. After shaping the board, we would cut back a small section of the tail and apply a piece of wood to the foam that replaced the part that was cut off and shape that wood piece feathering it seamlessly into the exact shape of the board. 

It could be a simple one piece of wood or layered pieces glued together. The sky was the limit on creativity.  All dependant on wherever the shaper/craftsman’s ideas and abilities took them.

I worked for a surfboard company that used High Density colored foam to add some strength and an eye-catching element to not only the tail but the nose. The tip of a nose is another area vulnerable to damage and the high-density foam was some added strength there.

A number of years ago I got the brainy idea of pouring a little colored resin left over from a colored board lamination into a small tray that was close to the size of a tail block. The tray would get a layered accumulation of the various colors over time. When the tray was full, I’d use the then solid piece of layered colored resin for a tail block. 

The Tail Block, it takes extra time to put a tail block on a board. You can’t be in a rush. It definitely adds an element of creative interest. A good reason to do it…. If you can.

D.R. 

What is it about shaping surfboards that you can’t see but want to?

The job is done behind closed doors. When someone asks if they could watch a guy shape a board why is the answer typically “no”? Is it because us shaper types don’t want people to see our secrets? “No”.  Couldn’t say there are any secrets to shaping a surfboard. After all you can be taught. There are private classes available. Not many but some.

Shaping is hard work physically and takes real concentration. Getting distracted is not what you want. Someone watching can be distracting….. so there it is.

There have been a few times when I said, “OK you can watch”. And then there is this….I Shaped a board at the Sacred Craft Show, now called The Board Room Show. My son used his phone to record a little of the process and posted it on You Tube. I guess you could say from the video hundreds of people have watched me shape at least for a couple minutes, aside from the folks at the event that could watch from start to finish. Possibly a fatiguing exercise.

Before shaping a surfboard it’s best to know the design aspects of the surfboard. Like deck, bottom, outline or plan shape, bottom rocker, deck curve, rail and rail profile, rail apex. board profile or foam distribution.

The finished surfboard you’d like to shape must be cut from a surfboard blank that is basically an oversized surfboard. And you’ve got to be able to get the board you want to shape cut from that blank…. Or you could say the board you want to shape must fit inside that oversized surfboard blank.

The above graphic is the cut view of a blank. The lower graphics are cut views of a few surfboard profiles.  A shaper needs to know if the surfboard profile they want to shape will fit inside the area of the blank.

Question… which board profile might fit inside the blank profile? Best to know before you get started otherwise you will have to modify design aspects of the board being shaped. And, will end up with something you didn’t intend…. Which of course sucks.

It doesn’t matter what size or kind of board you want to shape. Short, long, fish, mid length, alternative. The process and procedures are the same.

The saying “Know before you go” that applies to surfing applies to this as well I’d say.

Knowing where to start in the shaping process is not known to the beginner. Should you start milling the blank? Or maybe you should draw the outline and cut it first. Maybe mill the bottom and then draw the outline…. Does it matter?

Over time you can settle into a process routine and become comfortable with the craft. If shaping is something you’d like to do best to know that it will take plenty of time sweating through several boards.

Then again, if you can have a board cut by one of the cnc machine shops it would make your life in shaping a lot easier. Honestly, I don’t think going that route is anywhere near as fulfilling.

D.R. 

 

We are one month into winter where I am in the northern hemisphere. That means the ocean temperature is a bit cold in my neck of the woods. How cold you might ask?

Well, lets just say after living in the tropics where the water temps could be easily 80 degrees, maybe a couple ticks to a few ticks lower in the winter months…. That’s translates to a 20 to close to a 25 degree difference for where I’m surfing now. Depending on the time of year.

Do I need to say surfing in the warmer waters is way better? This may have been said before but, it’s been 14 years now since I left our Ventura in town home where the daytime temperatures don’t fluctuate too much. Winter months can and do get chilly. Maybe down to the upper 40’s at night and early morning at the peak of winter. Day time temps will typically be 60 + - or better. With the warmer months being 60’s 70’s and even 80 or so at times.

Now… I’m about 7 miles from the beach. The last couple of days there has been snow on the mountains inland and visible from here. Even visible from the beach in town. Right now as I’m writing it’s 52 at the beach and 7 miles inland it’s 56. At 7a.m. this morning it was 35 degrees where I am and about 48 the same time at the beach.

Did I say I don’t like cold water??? Well, I don’t like cold weather either. A few days ago, I was thinking I’d really like to get down to the beach in the morning and surf….. maybe. I’ll beef up the wet suit and it will be doable. When I got up and checked the temperature outside before I was to head out it was 32 degrees. Sure, it was warmer at the beach by maybe 8, 10 degrees but, at 32 I was not interested in even going outside let alone go surf.

I said to myself…. ‘I’m too old for this’.

Ok, I know… you’re only as old as you feel. Well, I know another thing. If I was in the tropics looking to go surf in the morning, I wouldn’t be feeling old at all. Even if it was the end of January. Now maybe too old if the surf was on the very large size. So, then you just go to another spot that’s not taking the swell as strong and surf there.

Got to love the tropics.

D.R.

 Four of a kind. Delivered to Core Surf in Florida some time ago.

Image nicked from. 

https://www.instagram.com/maclarensstories/

Thank you!