Monday, December 22, 2014

"All the way to the stairs...

Photo shows Cove a low tide with sand from summer SW swells
My local break is known for its long, peeling winter waves which, with the right conditions, can offer leg-burning rides down almost the entire length of the point (see photo below). That is, of course, only if three or four of your "closest friends" don't drop in on you somewhere along the way. Like many California point breaks, the wave ends in a cove. At my break, there is stairway access to the Cove beach, and the goal becomes one of riding a wave until you get "...all the way to the stairs." The larger the swell, the further up the point you can take off and still make it to the stairs. Today was my turn. I was surfing my 7-3 Widget, with low expectations, jockeying between the shortboarders and the longboarders, and settling for leftovers. I caught a couple of fun ones, but nothing to write home about, you know, 2-3 turns and a close-out. Then a big set had everyone paddling for the horizon, myself included. After the 3-4 wave set passed, I found myself pretty much alone on the outside, lined-up with the public restroom and with lots of bobbing heads on the inside. Without much of a lull, a second set appeared, and at head-high, almost as large as the first. I paddled for the first wave, but missed...too far out. I let the second wave pass and was now in perfect position for the last wave. Three or four strokes, and I was up and riding.

To my pleasant surprise, everyone else had either been washed in or had caught one of the previous waves. Looking down the line, I had no one in front of me for a hundred yards. I put the Widget through its paces, making long, carving turns, dodging paddlers and  pumping through sections as necessary. While there was certainly no danger of me being mistaken for Kellly or Dane, I was surfing at my humble best, and enjoying every second. The Widget was flying down the wave, and it wasn't until I entered the cove that I realized how far I had come. By then, the wave was down to chest-high, but still lined up. My plan was to pump all the way to the stairs, but the wave took me past the stairs before closing out. After wading in and walking back up the point, I decided to call it a day. Always better to leave the water on a high, I always say. Later, using Google maps, I calculated the distance traveled  to be 1,650ft or over 500yds!!
Here's the board I was riding. The Widget Quad, 7'3"  15-1/2" x 22-3/4" x 16"  2-3/4" 52L. Low rocker for speed, quad fins for hold and bump-wing tail for qucik turning. The full outline offers plenty of paddling speed and gets the board up and planing. If you're ready to step-down from that longboard, don't waste your time with an oversized "fish". Get a Widget and watch your surfing performance progress to higher levels. The Widget is available form 7'0" to 8'0".

Sunday, December 21, 2014

As good as anywhere in the world...

Surfer's Point, Ventura, CA Late Fall, 2014
Photo by Matt Wyatt website

“Your local break often turns out to be your favorite break. No matter where you go, you remember those two or three days when your local break is as good as anywhere in the world. You live for that.” -Yvon Chouinard, Surfer’s Path Magazine, 12/04

Monday, December 15, 2014

Whooohooo!! Hope you're getting some...

It's been more than a year since we've had a run of swell like this. Its been pretty much HH or better since Thanksgiving. And, it looks like the WNW swells will continue through Xmas Day! Today was pretty much as good as it gets. Mild offshore breeze, waves 6'-8', glassy, well-shaped and relatively uncrowded. With waves peeling 150 yds or more down the point, the long paddle back up the point after each wave took its toll, and I was completely done after 2hr.

I surfed my 9-8 Nova with a 2+1 setup and scored some great waves. The Nova is the perfect longboard for these type of conditions. Its quick rail-to-rail, with a short turn-radius and plenty of speed. The dimensions of my Nova are 9-8 x 23" x 3-1/8" giving this 190lb "Grandpa" all the float he needs, without sacrificing performance. Younger/lighter surfers will find something suitable in the 9-0 to 9-6 range. Call/text/email me to chat about your new Nova.

            



Monday, December 1, 2014

Bennett's new Widget...

I met Bennett last summer, when he came out to California for a visit and some surf. He was looking for a board to replace his 7-10 CI M-13, which he considered too corky, He took my 7-3 Widget demo board for a test drive. Liking the performance of the 7-3, he went home and over the next few months we exchanged emails, nailing down his requirements. Two days before Thanksgiving, he was back in Ventura to pick his new board.




Final dimensions were 7'8" 15-1/4" x 22-3/4" x 15-7/8" 3" 60.6L. The board is eps/epoxy contruction, and with a triple-4oz bottom and double-4oz deck, the board is both light and strong.
Gloss & polish finish over resin-tint abstract and black pinline give this board the personal look of a true custom.