JC Surfers?

[fender_jag]

I still wear a 3/2 full or 2/1 spring depending on the air temp... I still don't see anyone trunking it yet. But we're not from SC.

By the way, I'm really looking into picking up a 8'0 Walden Magic as a fun, in-between all-arounder. I like the 9'0 longboard I have, but it's not tremendously maneuverable and it's a bit too much board in a steep beach break. I know yours is a 9'0, but are you still sold on the thing?

I sure am. My 9'0 turns well and can be ridden on (somewhat) steep takeoffs (just angle the board toward the shoulder or face right after you drop in, especially if the wave is pitching and about to close out). Granted, I would feel much more comfortable on my shortboard if the drop is relatively steep.

The 8'0 is probably a fun board, too. Not sure if it is noticeably more maneuverable than your current board. (Bear in mind that the 9'0 is great for those small summer days, which are right around the corner )

 

[dasleben]

I sure am. My 9'0 turns well and can be ridden on (somewhat) steep takeoffs (just angle the board toward the shoulder or face right after you drop in, especially if the wave is pitching and about to close out). Granted, I would feel much more comfortable on my shortboard if the drop is relatively steep.

The 8'0 is probably a fun board, too. Not sure if it is noticeably more maneuverable than your current board. (Bear in mind that the 9'0 is great for those small summer days, which are right around the corner )

Thanks! Honestly, I have better stuff I should probably spend my money on, so perhaps I'll hold off (though, it's tempting with the OT I picked up last month ). My 9'0 is perfectly fine, and I have lots of fun on it already. Only complaint about the epoxy construction is it doesn't cut through chop very well. It bounces off the chop a lot more than a PU board. But when it's glassy? Great fun.

 

[etflies]

Thanks! Honestly, I have better stuff I should probably spend my money on, so perhaps I'll hold off (though, it's tempting with the OT I picked up last month ). My 9'0 is perfectly fine, and I have lots of fun on it already. Only complaint about the epoxy construction is it doesn't cut through chop very well. It bounces off the chop a lot more than a PU board. But when it's glassy? Great fun.

Blasphemy.

 

[dasleben]

Blasphemy.

I'm trying to get out of debt, man!

 

[etflies]

I'm trying to get out of debt, man!

 

[dasleben]

@fender_jag, by the way, the 3/2 was a good choice this morning down here in San Diego. Brrr.

 

[fender_jag]

@fender_jag, by the way, the 3/2 was a good choice this morning down here in San Diego. Brrr.

Thanks for the heads up! It makes sense that we are a bit early for rash guards and board shorts.

 

[dasleben]

Alright, so after an annoying, choppy session yesterday on the ol' 9'0, I'm really, really thinking about picking up a good, 9'0+ PU board for the days that it's onshore and a bit blown out (which is most days after about 11am). The epoxy 9'0 is just way too light and bouncy for those conditions; paddle momentum is really hard to maintain, and I find myself having to compensate by taking a later drop (which is admittedly fun, and has improved my timing a hundred-fold). I surf 5-6 days a week, and my paddle strength is good---I think I'm being held back a lot by the board construction.

So, instead of going smaller, I might actually look for a little more volume and a bit more heft to cut through the junk better. I'm 6'0, 195 lbs with my wetsuit on... Is a 9'2-9'6 overkill for my needs?

 

[Adler]

Alright, so after an annoying, choppy session yesterday on the ol' 9'0, I'm really, really thinking about picking up a good, 9'0+ PU board for the days that it's onshore and a bit blown out (which is most days after about 11am). The epoxy 9'0 is just way too light and bouncy for those conditions; paddle momentum is really hard to maintain, and I find myself having to compensate by taking a later drop (which is admittedly fun, and has improved my timing a hundred-fold). I surf 5-6 days a week, and my paddle strength is good---I think I'm being held back a lot by the board construction.

So, instead of going smaller, I might actually look for a little more volume and a bit more heft to cut through the junk better. I'm 6'0, 195 lbs with my wetsuit on... Is a 9'2-9'6 overkill for my needs?

Get a SUP

 

[fender_jag]

Alright, so after an annoying, choppy session yesterday on the ol' 9'0, I'm really, really thinking about picking up a good, 9'0+ PU board for the days that it's onshore and a bit blown out (which is most days after about 11am). The epoxy 9'0 is just way too light and bouncy for those conditions; paddle momentum is really hard to maintain, and I find myself having to compensate by taking a later drop (which is admittedly fun, and has improved my timing a hundred-fold). I surf 5-6 days a week, and my paddle strength is good---I think I'm being held back a lot by the board construction.

So, instead of going smaller, I might actually look for a little more volume and a bit more heft to cut through the junk better. I'm 6'0, 195 lbs with my wetsuit on... Is a 9'2-9'6 overkill for my needs?

I think a 9'2 Walden Magic Model (Poly) would be a great board for you. A few weeks ago when I was out, there was a guy surfing a 9'6 Walden, and he was very pleased with it. The difference between the 9'2 and 9'6 is in the width and thickness (and the volume), but I would choose the 9'2 as it weighs less and might turn just a bit better. They are fast and stable boards, and you will be able to get set up for your drop without worrying about getting bounced, unless the surf is choppy/irregular. Either way, whichever board you choose, you will enjoy it.

Happy surfing!

 

[dasleben]

Get a SUP

You know, I always see those guys having the most fun... But I admit to having some reservations about going SUP myself because of how some of those guys act in the lineup! But, I would have enough sense to not paddle straight to the peak in a crowded lineup; there are plenty of places a SUP could have fun with away from everyone else.

I think a 9'2 Walden Magic Model (Poly) would be a great board for you. A few weeks ago when I was out, there was a guy surfing a 9'6 Walden, and he was very pleased with it. The difference between the 9'2 and 9'6 is in the width and thickness (and the volume), but I would choose the 9'2 as it weighs less and might turn just a bit better. They are fast and stable boards, and you will be able to get set up for your drop without worrying about getting bounced, unless the surf is choppy/irregular. Either way, whichever board you choose, you will enjoy it.

Happy surfing!

Thanks man! There's a GSI dealer right up the street from my house, so I may go talk to them this weekend.

 

[A Life Aloft]

Stop all of this damn talk of surfing already!!!! My left knee and lower back have not sufficiently healed yet and I am relegated to being a big hodad sitting in my beach chair in the water line on the sand and watching others surfing. I can't even go swimming yet. Ugh. Summer is coming right around the corner too. Hopefully I can be in the water sometime this Summer, sooner rather than later.

Seriously though, ride some good waves for me guys, and enjoy the hell outta yourselves. Hau`oli!!

 

[dasleben]

Stop all of this damn talk of surfing already!!!! My left knee and lower back have not sufficiently healed yet and I am relegated to being a big hodad sitting in my beach chair in the water line on the sand and watching others surfing. I can't even go swimming yet. Ugh. Summer is coming right around the corner too. Hopefully I can be in the water sometime this Summer, sooner rather than later.

Seriously though, ride some good waves for me guys, and enjoy the hell outta yourselves. Hau`oli!!

Recover quickly! I tweaked my knee on the wave that broke my board a couple weeks back, but thankfully I bounced back quick from that (sounds way more gnarly than it was... I just have crappy knees).

@fender_jag, as luck would have it, a juicy OT trip just came open that I snagged starting Tuesday. Once my car gets paid off, the new longboard should be soon to follow. I live about 25 minutes south of one of the best longboard waves on the west coast (San Onofre), so I may end up spending more time up there learning the longboard craft. I think that's the direction in surfing I feel the most pull.

 

[A Life Aloft]

San Onofre is really awesome and a terrific spot for long boards. There are different areas and different conditions/waves there. There's Old Man, The Point and Dog Patch. It would be great for you because the waves come rolling in very gently and they are long. The breaks are generally very easy and gentle too. It's worth a trip to Cardiff as well and up to Malibu. First Point in Malibu was made for long boards. You will love it! Cardiff is not as good as Onofre or Malibu, but still very enjoyable for long boards. As you progress, a trip to Rincon and County Line up in Ventura will be really fun for you too. They are both perfect for longboarding.

My knees are beyond crap. lol I let an issue go for several months with the left one and kept working and hoping it would get better. Not so much. But I am improving week by week with seeing the Orthopedist, getting a cortisone shot, going to PT twice a week for two hours at a shot, doing more pilates and I am on Mobic now for arthritis which has helped a lot. I am finally off pain meds for the last week or so but am keeping them on hand in case I need one at night to sleep. Made it a week now without one so far, just a motrin at night. PITA! Lots of ice and Lidocaine cream too. Going to get some new knee braces at some point soon. Looks like a fricking pharmacy in my den. My back got jacked up because of my knee and how badly I was walking and doing everything wrong. it's better too. Had some traction Friday. Just going to take time and me not screwing up or overdoing too quickly.

 

[dasleben]

San Onofre is really awesome and a terrific spot for long boards. There are different areas and different conditions/waves there. There's Old Man, The Point and Dog Patch. It would be great for you because the waves come rolling in very gently and they are long. The breaks are generally very easy and gentle too. It's worth a trip to Cardiff as well and up to Malibu. First Point in Malibu was made for long boards. You will love it! Cardiff is not as good as Onofre or Malibu, but still very enjoyable for long boards. As you progress, a trip to Rincon and County Line up in Ventura will be really fun for you too. They are both perfect for longboarding.

I spent most of my time in the last year surfing Cardiff, actually. Great place... I miss those waves, but I don't miss those crowds. San O... every time I go there it's, for the lack of a better word, magic. Just the vibe, the culture, and everything in between. Paradise and stoke.

Where I live (right on Tamarack in Carlsbad) is great for daily surfing, but the rides tend to be shorter. But, it is pretty fun to connect the sections all the way to the beach on a good wave, especially when you have to work for it with pumps and little cutbacks waiting for the inside to open up a bit. Throughout the short little closeouts, all it takes is the one good ride from the outside all the way to the beach to make it all worth it.

My knees are beyond crap. lol I let an issue go for several months with the left one and kept working and hoping it would get better. Not so much. But I am improving week by week with seeing the Orthopedist, getting a cortisone shot, going to PT twice a week for two hours at a shot, doing more pilates and I am on Mobic now for arthritis which has helped a lot. I am finally off pain meds for the last week or so but am keeping them on hand in case I need one at night to sleep. Made it a week now without one so far, just a motrin at night. PITA! Lots of ice and Lidocaine cream too. Going to get some new knee braces at some point soon. Looks like a fricking pharmacy in my den. My back got jacked up because of my knee and how badly I was walking and doing everything wrong. it's better too. Had some traction Friday. Just going to take time and me not screwing up or overdoing too quickly.

Man, you're falling apart over there! Heal up quick and get back in the water.

 

[fender_jag]

San Onofre is really awesome and a terrific spot for long boards. There are different areas and different conditions/waves there. There's Old Man, The Point and Dog Patch. It would be great for you because the waves come rolling in very gently and they are long. The breaks are generally very easy and gentle too. It's worth a trip to Cardiff as well and up to Malibu. First Point in Malibu was made for long boards. You will love it! Cardiff is not as good as Onofre or Malibu, but still very enjoyable for long boards. As you progress, a trip to Rincon and County Line up in Ventura will be really fun for you too. They are both perfect for longboarding.

My knees are beyond crap. lol I let an issue go for several months with the left one and kept working and hoping it would get better. Not so much. But I am improving week by week with seeing the Orthopedist, getting a cortisone shot, going to PT twice a week for two hours at a shot, doing more pilates and I am on Mobic now for arthritis which has helped a lot. I am finally off pain meds for the last week or so but am keeping them on hand in case I need one at night to sleep. Made it a week now without one so far, just a motrin at night. PITA! Lots of ice and Lidocaine cream too. Going to get some new knee braces at some point soon. Looks like a fricking pharmacy in my den. My back got jacked up because of my knee and how badly I was walking and doing everything wrong. it's better too. Had some traction Friday. Just going to take time and me not screwing up or overdoing too quickly.

Get better soon!

 

[fender_jag]

Recover quickly! I tweaked my knee on the wave that broke my board a couple weeks back, but thankfully I bounced back quick from that (sounds way more gnarly than it was... I just have crappy knees).

@fender_jag, as luck would have it, a juicy OT trip just came open that I snagged starting Tuesday. Once my car gets paid off, the new longboard should be soon to follow. I live about 25 minutes south of one of the best longboard waves on the west coast (San Onofre), so I may end up spending more time up there learning the longboard craft. I think that's the direction in surfing I feel the most pull.

Good to hear! Longboarding really is a lot of fun.

 

[dasleben]

So, before I run out and drop $1000 on a new longboard, I'm going to mess with the fins first. I currently run a 2+1 setup (7" center fin with a good amount of rake along with side bites), and am finding that the fins are breaking loose in steeper sections. That's especially true for steeper takeoffs where I can't drop straight in, so I turn down the face in the drop. If it's too steep, the fins release.

So, I'm looking at adding a bigger center fin to give me a bit more hold in the face, or maybe even going to a big single fin instead. Any suggestions?

 

[A Life Aloft]

Damn it to hell. There's been an oil spill today up at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara this morning. They have not named the entity who owns the pipe line that leaked (it's been shut off) but it started on land near the beach (at least that is the first report - it may well be coming from an oil rig) and made it's way to the shore and the ocean. CRAP!!!! Oil slick is currently some 4 miles wide. That will surely be expanding as I type. Pristine beach with palm trees and other native plants, abundant shore and marine life just everywhere, breeding grounds for many sea birds......just so depressing.

From this

to this (current first photos)

So very angry right now. Fire crews/Hazmat and Coast Guard on scene.

 

[dasleben]

Damn it to hell. There's been an oil spill today up at Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara this morning. They have not named the entity who owns the pipe that leaked (it's been shut off) but it started on land near the bear and made it's way to the shore and the ocean. CRAP!!!! Oil slick is currently some 300 feet wide and over a quarter miles long. That will surely be expanding as I type. Pristine beach with palm trees and other native plants, abundant shore and marine life just everywhere, breeding grounds for many sea birds......just so depressing.

From this

to this

Wow, that is awful.