Straight surf talk

The local was well patronised when I rocked up this morning and as I'm still enjoying the afterglow of recent sessions, I opted for flippers and went for a bodybash. I keep a pair in the wetty tub and probably break them out maybe once a week at this time of year.

Usually I find an empty closeout bank to bodybash but it's good to head out to crowded waves occasionally as it allows you to move between the crowd in wholly different way; you're not a threat so people are more willing to engage, which is great if that's what you're seeking, and today I was.

Chatted to a bloke I saw out there on Saturday morning when it was big. He was hanging inside and I asked how he went. "Good, though my board was way too small. I need a bigger one....but I love this thing," and with that he slipped off the rail and turned his boad over to show me. It was a modern twinny with a stabiliser, all fins glassed in, even the tiny rear fin. I haven't seen a set up lilke it for thirty years. The rear end had the classic twinny styling with sharp flyers and a swallow. A beautiful board but not ideal for double overhead point surf.

The other reason you're no threat when bodysurfing is that you're often looking for different waves than surfers. I sat on parts of the reef that offered a quick pitching closeout into shallow water or a long but fat running wall. I got a few of each, the last one a gentle peeling number that would excite no-one on a board save a bog learner, yet I worked it down the point till I could stop kicking and simply coasted with it's energy till it sped up near the channel where I straightened out and headed for the rocks feeling satisfied.

Sancho's been getting a few in the Ments on a twinnie - Surfline.
Stu did you see the large Fin Glen Casey uses in his Phil Meyers C bottom ?

On par with a good body womp cleanse your soul.

Went for a surf yesterday afternoon with a mate. Rocked up to my northern NSW local beach after a week on a fun left rip bowl in Hawaii. Tide was as low as I've seen it in recent memory. There were a few fat ones out the back, but what caught our eye was a scarily-hollow Shorey on the inside. There were only two other guys out, one, who I know, was ripping, his mate, my mate and I were just getting smashed and hoping for the best! Sketchy, but super fun

Went out for a surf at one of a certain state's better spots with just me, Snuffy, Herc, Turkey, Cooper and Andy M in the water. Good times. Great rock n roll.

Pssst only a fifth of that is true

I mean two thirds

Half?

Hey Udo,

I'm using the same fin as Glen in my ten channel. Lot of base in it and it appears to be going well, though I'm pretty fresh on singles and don't have anything to compare it too.

It's made by S.E.A and is fantastic quality.

Hey Stu is that fin Phil supplies with the board? they look to have a large base

Sea Eclipse Stu?

Surfed yesterday, went the full rubber head to toe for the first time this winter, even wore a vest under my 4/3. Well over did it. On the up side there were only 3 of us out on a small but fun wave.

Yeah fellas, Sea Eclipse. It's a lovely fin, finely foiled but as noted it has a large base.

I saw that Nick Carroll doesn't use his one in his ten channel because of the large area, he uses a fin that's just as deep but much narrower, the justification being that there's already enough bite from the channels.

I don't know, I don't feel like the board is too stiff, I'm riding it with the fin pushed foward in the fin box and the whole set up goes fantastic. I've got no need to change it. Maybe later I'll experiment but for now it's just what I want.

If you asked me a few years ago if I'd be riding a single fin in serious waves I would've scoffed, much as I scoffed when reading Dave Parmenter, Andrew Kidman et al wax lyrical about singlies....but, well, here I am, seeking the purest line etc etc.

Surf Eclipse ?
Yep the Wide base on Glenns is why i asked

Can't wait to pick mine up and get it wet!!!

Fuck, whoops...SURF Eclipse...sorry Shane!

What size you getting 50Y?

7'6" for this old fella

Nice. I keep getting told not to ride mine. "It's a piece of art. Hang it on a wall," they say but it goes so bloody good.

Lemme know how you go with yours.

The ten channel talk is almost rivalling the Desert Storm talk!

definitely will!! they are such a beautiful looking craft, but functional

"If you asked me a few years ago if I'd be riding a single fin in serious waves I would've scoffed, much as I scoffed when reading Dave Parmenter, Andrew Kidman et al wax lyrical about singlies....but, well, here I am, seeking the purest line etc etc."

Twinnies next?

Yep, at big Blax.

See ya there.

" I keep getting told not to ride mine. "It's a piece of art. Hang it on a wall," they say but it goes so bloody good."

Get a nice print of it then. Old crusty boards that have seen better days look better hung than pristine ones imo. Hang it once it's got some stories to tell.

Stu can you take Ryan Burch with you....a man that would charge big Blax on a twin or some weird assym craft.
Rush of the continuous rythym in the s.a. desert

Funny you mention Burch, hoping to have an IV with him next week. Stay tuned.

And I gotta agree LD. Old boards have got stories, and it's even better when the stories are your own.

Telepathic again Stuart.

Udo.exe

He knows all.

Still got the afterglow of a recent trip to NZ but nonetheless was pretty gutted missing the last east coast swell due to being laid low by a nasty bug.

So, first day during this week I felt like a human again, and there were definitely some leftovers to be had, and was super keen I of course had a meeting I couldn't dodge. And so it went, Skyped it in, one eye on the cam at the local and the mute button on. Tide peaked, started to drop. Wind's coming and swinging SW. Come on guys don't you know the tide's dropping I kept muttering to myself. There's no way you guys don't know the tide's dropping.

Meeting wrapped up, wax scratched, wettie on. Running down the street I live on, which I for no reason at all and the don't know'th time ponder the curiosity of it being named after a US battleship named after an US city named after an English city. Weird.

Past the school, across the park. Wind's up, swell's too south, tide's dropping. Did I mention the tide's dropping?

Come around the side of the surf club and get my first look and it's ... not too bad. Not many out either. Paddled out on my favourite bank up north end that to be fair was looking a little worse for wear from last weekends swell. Mostly shoulder high closeouts but once in awhile a section or two would hold up. The offshore was strong enough to be holding the waves up from breaking that fraction too long, but once in awhile...

Got my share of straight-handers, half chances and what was actually a really fun right in towards the rocks before the wind swung more SW, went up a notch, and began to hold the odd left a little more open. Snagged a likely looking left, dragged the hand on take off but picked too low a line and narrowly avoided the lip in the back of the head.

Couple of the crew were onto this wind shift quick smart, and to good effect too, so it took awhile before my next chance. It took it when it came, slightly bigger than the first but looked to have my name all over it. No hand drag this time just dropped, gunned it and grabbed rail. One section, two sections, seriously I'm gunna make this, come up spitting sand in knee deep water. Not exactly Deserts but man, how fun was that. Glanced back at the lineup longingly but the clock on the clubhouse wall was telling me times up. Off home to get the grom from school and get him to Spanish class.

Life's not bad eh?

Shit yeah braudilio that's what it's all about

Had a small wave session this arvo with only three groms in the water. A few fun runners, lots of straight-handers and colder than the water has been all winter. Curse you Craig for jinxing the water temp with a premature assertion of continuing warmth!

I grew up body surfing at Ocean Beach in SF (70s and 80s, before it became "OB"), and then body boarding. Sponged for YEARS. Always wanted to surf, but felt it put me in the path of sharks, which here means Pointers. Was scared. Finally started last year (late in life, but nothing i can do about that now). Now, i feel way too exposed and vulnerable on a sponge and safer on a board. It's flip-flopped for me. Anyways, and here is where i actually engage in straight surf talk (sorry!), i went out today, and it was too small, so i got the sponge and flips out of the trunk and tried it for the first time in a bit. Could not do it. Totally spooked the whole time and came in after 3 rides. Decent rides, but not enjoyed like i used to. I really hope this is just some phase.

Always figured that, from below, the BB looks like a torso and flippers the feet of a well-fed pinniped.

Gimme six foot of foam and glass reinforced plastic anyday.

regarding the Tadashi attack in ballina remember reading at the time that the pointer swam underneath a booger to get to Tadashi..........