Summer salvation...

I'm calling this 10-0 Classic the "White Knight" because it's white and its going to save me from the summer-time dragons. Made of 2-lb EPS with a solid 4oz+4oz+4oz S-glass deck and 4oz+4oz S-cloth bottom, this board is light (only 17.5lbs!!) and strong.

This 10'0" Classic is 18" x 23-1/4" x 15-1/2"  3-1/4" 83.4L Blank was sealed with epoxy and micro-balloons, and then laminated with a whisper of white resin tint, giving the board a slightly opaque look. The board also sports the new "Thomas Patrick" logo on the rails, with little pointy pinline gizmos just to spice things up. 

Finally, I added my old, trusty red TA Velzy Noserider Fin. 

Took it out this weekend at Mondo's which is the acid test for small-wave, summertime LBs. Had no trouble paddling into weak, waist-high peelers, or making slalom turns through the surf-class foamies.  If, like me, you're tired of loosing set waves to SUPers on barges and groms on 9-6 logs, order up a 10-0 to 10-6 White Knight and slay those summer-time dragons.. 

A couple of Mini-Widgets join the loaner pool...

I try to keep at least one sample of every shape I do in stock, as a loaner. I realize that people like to "try before they buy", and this is especially true with alternative shapes like my Mini-Widget. So, here's a couple of "demos" for you to try if you're looking for an alternative to your shortboard.

The tall one is 5-10 x 23"-x2-3/4" 40.5L and was built for the bigger surfer up to 190lbs. The shorter one is 5-6 x 22-3/8" x 2-3/8" 30.4L and would be a good fit for someone less than 170lbs. Both boards are FCS 5-fin set-ups, with quad fins. Both boards are PE/PU construction, with 4oz E-cloth on the bottom and one 4oz E-cloth + 7.5oz Volan deck patch. Weight with fins is 9lbs and 8lb4oz respectively. You're invited to check one out for a couple of days. Call or email me for more info on loaners.

A Classic for Eddie...

Eddie from Santa Barbara picked up his new 9-6 Classic today.

Board's a beauty with light-grey resin tint bottom and rails, poppy-gold resin-tint tail-dip, and two-tone, black/orange deck pinline. Double, 1/8" Cedar stringers adds a real "classic" touch.

Eddie can't wait to recover from that broken-ankle....

Kingfish finds a new rider...

This Thomas patrick 7-8 Kingfish has been passed around some. I even owned it for a while. But now, it has a new owner...

Smile on his face tells the whole story. Surfboards have a way of "finding" their rightful owner...

T-Belly Gen2 X 2...

Here's a couple of T-Belly G2s

This one is going to Customer Daryl in Oregon

And this one has already seen some testing at my local point...

Pick up day for Brandon...

Brandon picked up this new 9-6 Nova today, with the magenta resin tint nose dip.

The Nova is my personal favorite LB shape. It turns well, has good speed and noserides with the best. If your looking for a good one-board quiver, you owe to yourself to check-out the Nova.

Another busy month for TPS. Four more LBs being glassed, and one new T-Belly G2 headed to Oregon. I have a 10-0 Classic done in EPS/Epoxy in the works. Just waiting for the blank...is my board ready yet? This will be followed by a 6-10 Widget and a couple of Mini-Widgets for shop demos. More to come...

New Logo...

I've been meaning to get this logo reproduced for over 18-mos, and finally got around to it.

You'll be seeing this new logo on stickers, t-shirts and boards, of course!

Talk with your shaper, surf with your shaper...

The better your shaper knows you and your surfing, the better the boards he shapes will work for you. It's that simple. Phil ( on the right, above) met me for a surf this morning at C St. He first called me about one of my used boardsback  in 2008. Over the past several years, we have had many conversations, and shared more than a few waves. And, we've collaborated on four different boards, each one custom fit for Phil's surfing style and ability. It's the relationships I build with my customers that keeps my surfboard shaping from becoming nothing but "millwork". Sharing the stoke is what it's about...

T-Belly Gen 2 Build...

This is the second post on the T-Belly G2 build. The blank was given a sealer coat of epoxy resin and cabosil. The sealer coat helps to fill in the tiny pock marks left in the EPS foam after shaping, helps to prevent air from escaping the core and causing delamination after glassing, and generally provides a good adhesive layer for the lamination. After sealing, the blank was air-sprayed a light grey color. At this point the blank weighs 2lbs 4oz. Since the blank is stringer-less, I decided to use a layer of "VectorNet" between the blank and the 6oz cloth on the bottom. VectorNet is Kevlar netting woven into some very fine nylon mesh.

I'm hoping that the netting will provide torsional strength without the stiffness that you  get with carbon fiber. Here's the VectorNet draped over the blank prior to trimming.

And now, trimmed, with a layer of 6oz E-cloth. Normally, I would use 4oz cloth, but the VectorNet causes ridges beneath the fine, 4oz cloth, which can lead to sand-throughs during the sanding process.

And, finally, laminated with epoxy resin and "pulled dry"...sexy, eh?

The deck will also get a layer of VectorNet, but only in the back half of the board where the rider will be. I'm hoping this lamination process will yield a board that is strong and resilient, but also has a little flex.

Summer is just around the corner....

A quick check of the local surf conditions confirms that Winter is over and that it's time to break out the small-wave gear. Here's a few ideas for maximizing your fun quotient in small waves.


         


                48" T-Belly

5-4 Mini-Widget, 5-fin set-up

5-1 Mini-Widget, 5-fin set-up.

7-3 Widget 5-Fin Set-up

7-8 Kingfish with Gephart Marine-ply  Keel Fins




And, of course an irreplaceable 9-6 Single-fin Classic

Summer orders are starting to build, but current wait time is only 6-weeks. Wait a minute, in 6 weeks it will be mid-June!? Better hurry!