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!