Dave Collins is an accomplished paddler, in both whitewater and ocean setting. Here he shares with us a little bit about a Stand Up Paddling expedition he recently undertook….
I recently paddled my stand up board solo around Cape Scott, the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The 100 km. expedition took me four and a half days. The few people I met along the way seemed awed and perplexed: “What is the advantage of that?” asked a backpacker on the North Coast Trail. The question caused me to pause… “It´s challenging and fun… and the view is unbeatable.”
I have the right of way…theoretically
There are no obvious pragmatic advantages to SUP touring versus sea kayak touring. I went half the speed as I would have in a fast sea kayak. But, I had twice as much fun because: I saw more wildlife—whales, bears, otters, dolphins, sea lions—than I would have sitting in a kayak; my back didn´t hurt at the end of the trip; and I got to surf waves that wouldn´t have been surfable in a sea kayak.
Sea Lion Serenade
Ultimately, the challenge of paddling standing up with a loaded board proved the most rewarding aspect of the expedition. Self-contained, multi-day touring on a stand up board is yet another niche of this burgeoning phenomenon which is sure to take off soon. Here´s just a few of the most important things I discovered along the way which may be of help to others planning similar expeditions.
The Orca and the Tourists
The SUP Touring Set-Up
This was a highly experimental voyage; I had never tried to pack gear on an SUP before. I started by gluing six leash plugs (E-Z plugs) with marine epoxy along the top sides (just inside of where the deck starts to slant downward toward the rails) of the front third of my board. So that´s three plugs on each side of the board, leaving about two feet of free space from the front of the load to the tip of the board. I had to estimate all of this, and decided correctly that I would be standing one to two feet further back on the board when it was loaded compared to my normal stance on an unloaded board.
Yeah, it’s a load
And the paddling wasn’t always easy
The board I used was a Surftech 12´1” Laird. I recommend going as big as possible. I definitely could have used some extra flotation (I weigh 200 pounds and was carrying between 60-70 pounds of gear). The extra weight causes the board to float lower, making is more unstable and slower. This takes some getting used to—therein the extra challenge.
Getting the load in the right place is critical
I carried everything I would have carried on a sea kayak expedition minus several superfluous items. Weight is a much bigger issue, so the lighter the better. I stuffed three main dry bags into one big dry bag which has backpack straps on it. This is for two reasons: 1) to extra insure dryness of my gear because the load on the board is constantly exposed to the water; 2) in case I had to walk out, I had a backpack.
Then I lashed the load down with thin nylon cord. Cam straps or bungee cords would have been better, but the eyelets on the leash plugs are too small to allow for them. I did use small bungee cords to secure some of the more accessible gear on top of the main load, and these I attached to the nylon cord, and/or to the straps of the main dry bag. The marine chart and compass go on last, on top of the load, so that you can see them easily and are able to navigate from a prone position.
The Breakdown Paddle
About 200 meters offshore, on a forward stroke, I hear a slight cracking noise, but convince myself that I did not just hear a cracking noise. About halfway across bumpy Blackfish Sound, dividing Cracroft Point and Hanson Island, I feel exposed as I take another forward stroke… crack followed by snap… and there I am, bobbing south now, holding two useless pieces of carbon fiber in my two hands. My initial reaction of, “!?$*, that was a $300 paddle!” rolls off of me like the water off my deck as I realize the blessing of the break: I now get to use my break-down Werner Spanker (the broken paddle was not a Werner!).
This happened to me on the overnight pre-expedition trip I took around the Johnstone Strait area, and it really was a blessing in disguise. Not only because I got to use my Werner, but also because it left me with only a breakdown sea kayak paddle that I fortunately found in the back of my truck. Otherwise, I would not have thought to bring a sea kayak paddle along as a breakdown.
Up close and personal with Mr. Whale (or is it ms?)
And why bring an extra sea kayak paddle? Because trying to paddle standing up in a significant headwind is useless! You won´t make any progress, so you´ll just have to sit out the headwind. With a sea kayak paddle, though, you can sit down on the board, paddle it like a kayak, and move forward. This works especially well with a loaded board because you can place your feet against the load, giving leverage, just as if it were a bulkhead. As well, I sometimes paddled the board in a kneeling position to give my back a rest.
The added benefit of carrying a sea kayak paddle is that it also allows you to switch positions, use different muscles, and give your legs a rest, as well as your mind—when you´re paddling standing up there is no room for daydreaming. On future expeditions I will carry two breakdowns—one a SUP paddle, and the other a sea kayak paddle. That way I´m covering all the bases in case of a broken paddle.
Camping
Navigation, Take Offs and Landings
Navigating on an SUP is really no different than in a sea kayak. I remained about the same distance from shore as I would have in a sea kayak—relative to the conditions and my comfort zone—and I navigated using a marine chart, compass and GPS.
Landing and taking off, however, can be a bit trickier. On an SUP you have to jump off the board first when landing and control the board by shortleashing it (grabbing the leash at the very base). Conversely, when taking off, you have to wade out into the water a bit before mounting the SUP. Here also it´s best to control the board from the rear, making sure to have a hand on the base of the leash so that it doesn´t get away from you. Launching in surf, it helps to weight the back of the board before a wave hits it so that the board will ride over the wash. It´s also especially important to find sandy take offs and landings where you can slide the board because you don´t have the luxury of picking it up and dragging it by a bow or stern grab loop as you do with a sea kayak.
The Surf Zone
Paddling into the surf zone—finally!—and there´s no one in the lineup. I´m not looking to surf any big waves with a loaded board, though. I wait for a big set to pass and power in to the beach behind the last set wave. Unloaded, the board feels like balsa. I am skipping across the water now and waiting for a set to arrive. As well, I feel even more stable than usual because I have gotten so used to paddling a more unstable loaded board.
The first roller picks me up as I dig in with some deep forward strokes, and I slice a rudder with my paddle as I head left down the line on an overhead wave. Getting lower and picking up speed I rocket toward the end of the wall, and toward the beginning of an epiphany—there is no better way to travel than this.
I’ve noticed SUP articles in the international press for years, but not in U.S. National press. That’s no surprise, the U.S. press is stunningly provincial (the standard media joke about this is the headline “New York Man Killed In Paris Nuclear Holocaust”) and they are stunningly slow to follow anything that isn’t dead center mainstream. NASCAR vs. Formula 1 is a great example–one of the worlds most popular sporting events is rarely mentioned while NASCAR gets huge coverage.
I ordered a GPS training system to help me optimize my paddle workouts. After reading a thread on best GPS units on the Standup Zone I decided on the Garmin Forerunner 305. So far I’m very pleased. I tried it out today on the course I’ve been using to train for the Battle of the Paddle. Only problem is that I have no way of knowing if this is fast or slow. I suspect fairly slow. I have a month to work on the speed and now I have a good baseline. Here’s today’s workout.
I got the version with the heart rate monitor. I used to do my bicycle training with a heart rate monitor and it was very useful. Looks like I’m staying at about 85% of max for my age. My max heart rate is supposed to be 159 (you find max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220)
You can see that I stopped twice–one time when I realized I forgot to put my iPod earphones in (gotta have that music) and once when I hit a log and thought I might have lost my fin. It was just shoved to the end of the fin box, I pushed it back towards the front and it felt good again.
This Garmin 305 has lots of features, most of which I’ll never use. One that looks like it might be useful is the Virtual Partner. You can set up a course and pace and the watch shows you when you are on, ahead, or behind the pace. The Forerunner is really made for running or cycling, and I’ll probably use it with my bike. I think the GPS will also be handy for doing some long open water paddles. I’ll keep you posted as I play with this thing.
One good thing, it says I burned an extra 726 calories paddling. I guess I can have that beer.
This was originally posted in the Forum section in Tips and Tecniques, but I think it deserves to be on the front page. I pasted in both the poster’s and my responses. He makes some great points that I think are important to consider, albeit in a Dennis Miller persona that may rub you the wrong way.
Kliner:
the upcoming winter season fast approaching, the buzz on the north shore is not how this winter will compare with last winter or how big the waves are going to be but if a SUP guy will get killed or worse, kill someone in the line up. It seems alot of people are getting into SUPs; some with a surf background and many with little or no surf experience. The water is crowded enough with the surf schools and surf contests hogging the best spots during the best time of year (go somewhere else to sell your t-shirts and sport drinks… sorry different rant for a different day) without some SUP kook paddling out to the lineup. Too many of your SUP kooks (oops, I mean brethren) think if it looks like a surfboard and I ride it, I must be a surfer. Wrong. You’re a dude that is willing to shell out $1500-$2500 for a over-weight, over-priced, oxymoronic (come on, you got to admit “High Preformance SUP” is an oxymoron) symbol of the evil comercial surf industry (It was sad to see super waterman Dave Kalama doing a SUP instruction video aimed at middle America - that’s proof enough that the “MAN” is behind the whole SUP craze when Kalama sells out… expect Naish to sell out but not Kalama). There was a reason why standup paddling died out in the past – evolution (and the ire of the lineup).
So do us all a favor and SUP responsibly. Educate non-surfer SUP dudes. Work on your core muscles like a fat man on an ab lounger. Create a new economy and business model by making the “surf” culture accessible to every non-surfer and land locked american with a credit card. Paddle, paddle, paddle… just don’t paddle into the lineup at Chun’s.
Aloha
ps if you’re asking yourself “Where’s Chun’s?”, definitely, definitely stay out of the lineup. Any lineup.
PonoBill:
PonoBill said:
I think you’d be surprised how many SUP surfer’s agree with you, even given your ill-mannered approach. I know that I have no business in any serious lineup, or any crowded one. I drive past Ho’okipa every day on my way to surf, give it a longing look, and keep driving.
Part of the draw is that you don’t need to crowd the usual breaks–you can go further and surf places that no one bothers with. I’ve found places on the Oregon coast that are within sight of crowded breaks (or as crowded as that half-frozen water ever gets) that are not only empty, but fit my geezer skills a lot better. I expect this year in Maui that I’m going to find all kinds of new spots, because I now consider a five mile paddle to be a nice warm up.
All the same, don’t expect the good guys to take you seriously if all you do is rant.
Kliner:
Ill mannered approach? Rant… yes but ill mannered… come one, dude… a little humor about a topic that I don’t expect the “good guys” to take serious anyway…
As with other new water activities, self regulation and education will go along way… one just has to review the past history of other emerging water sports (e.g. jet skiis, windsurfing, kite boarding), the subsequent clash with existing, traditional water use activities, and the resulting regulation (depending on your water activity of choice – banning might be a more appropriate word) of water use activities at particular beaches… so if SUP dudes (& wahines) wish to continue to have access to all beaches and live in harmony with others, a good base of what is “pono” and what is not will go a long way for a sport that is experiencing exponential growth…
Aloha
ps I do SUP myself but only with a bag over my head and in the dark so no one sees me…
PonoBill:
You’re damned good writer. Take that bag off and write some articles for Ke Nalu. Or leave it on and help us spread the word that SUPers need to be pono, or at least strive for it.
I received this news release from Werner Paddles yesterday and asked for pictures. They look pretty interesting, the shapes are unusual, I wish the picture showed the shape from the side and back as well, but here’s what I have:
For Release: Trade: August 25, 2008
Werner Expands Stand Up Paddle Offerings
Werner Paddles has announced the introduction of two new Stand Up Paddles: The Werner Advantage and the Werner Carve. Both paddles will be available to ship beginning September 01, 2008.
As participation explodes in the Stand Up Paddle category, Werner is responding with new paddle designs that focus on the two aspects of the sport, touring and surfing. The new Werner Advantage
The Advantage is a Premium fiberglass laminate construction blade with a modified tear drop shape designed to optimize straight ahead efficiency for touring.
The new Werner Carve
The Carve consists of the same construction as the Advantage but the shape is smaller, longer and more slender, specifically designed for dynamic surfing and turning.
Both the Advantage and the Carve come with a fiberglass oval indexed shaft and ABS Palm-grip. Werner offers three shaft configurations. The 1-piece is the lightest weight option and is least expensive ($219).
The 2–piece is perfect for paddlers who travel with their paddle ($234). The Adjustable length telescopes with four settings, each 1.5 inches apart; perfect for those individuals who move between touring and surfing ($259).
“Stand Up Paddling is a real growth opportunity for surf and paddle sports dealers. We are excited to expand our Stand Up Paddle offerings to respond to the specific demands of the market,” says Jim Miller, Werner’s Marketing Manger.
Werner Paddles is the leading manufacturer of high quality kayak, canoe, and stand up paddles, operating near the banks of the Skykomish River in Sultan, WA. For more information call 800.275.3311 or visit us at www.wernerpaddles.com
It’s inevitable, some day you’ll paddle into a wave and not make it, and as you start your turn to paddle back out you suddenly realize you can’t see the horizon. Or you’re waiting for a wave and suddenly realize the head-high wave you thought was close is actually far away, and it’s not head high, and it’s already feathering
Uh oh.
Prevention
The best solution is to not get caught inside to begin with. There are a couple of things that can help a lot. First be aware of your situation all the time. If you’re paddling after a wave, is it likely to have a big brother right behind it? If you miss the wave you’re after, which way do you need to turn to have the best chance of making it over big brother. For that matter, if there’s no one going for that second wave, then a Mulligan may be in order. Even riding a wave into a closeout is better than going over the falls.
If the waves are stairstepping, or some of the sets are really big, consider starting farther out, or at least doing your time waiting for your turn out further where you’re less likely to be taken up by the “Clean Up Woman”. Face out to sea so you can see the big mommas coming early, and start paddling for the horizon sooner. Sure, it’s cool to be casual in the big waves, and I know you want to hang out with the guys and talk story, but if they’re sitting in a bad spot you might not want to get worked with them. Maybe they like it. Maybe they’re a lot faster than you.
Caught
So what are you going to do? You can sprint for the top and try to push over, but if you’re certain that you’re not going to make it over, paddling up the wave until it takes you over the falls backwards is a terrible idea. Lots of opportunity to be smacked by your board and a much worse thrashing than is necessary.
On a Sup board you have the advantage of being in position for an effective dive. Aim for the base of the wave and dive deep. Arch your back and time it right and you’ll pop out the back of the wave like an otter, though this otter is tied to a big board that’s turning into a speedboat on the other side of the wave. Catch a breath on the backside if you can, but don’t fight the sleigh ride. At least you’re not under the lip getting worked. It will all be over soon. If you have a chance, look at the next wave to get an idea of what’s coming. You might have as much as ten seconds before the next wave hits. That’s enough for three or four fast hard breaths. Doing this will hyperventilate you a little bit and give you more oxygen in your bloodstream. You can hold your breath longer and with more comfort.
If that didn’t work out, and now you’re bouncing around in ten feet of whitewater there’s really only a few things that can help you. First, stay calm. If you panic and try to swim against the currents, you’re hosed. You can’t do it. Tons of water are swirling you around and you’re trying to overcome them with a few pounds of muscle. Ain’t happening.
Pull yourself tight (arms in and crossed across your chest, knees bent, eyes open) and wait it out. A long hold down is thirty seconds. If you’ve been doing some hypoxic training you can hold your breath that long while you’re doing jumping jacks. If you haven’t done any training then you can still hold your breath that long if you’re sitting on the couch. So relax, be one with the currents, wait for the bubbles to begin floating upwards and follow them up. Pull yourself up your leash if you need to.
Watch for approaching boards as you break the surface. Get a big breath of delicious air right away–there might be another wave about to drop on you. Assess your situation. If you can hug the tail of your board the next wave might push you in a bit, but if it’s macking on your head, go back down to the blue room and try again.
Above all, stay calm. The more often you’ve done this, the calmer you’ll be. Hopefully all your surfing progression has been from small waves to bigger, and you’ve learned a lot along the way. If you’re relatively inexperienced and you’re in big waves, then all I can do is wish you well.
Over the next couple of weeks I plan a number of surfing how-to articles. I’m lining up interviews with some very experienced SUP surfers, aimed primarily at creating articles that help the intermediate SUP surfer take the next step. But first I’m going to revive some articles that appeared last winter in Ke Nalu that most readers haven’t seen–they were kind of buried in the archives. These aim at beginner SUP surfers and cover basic technique and some survival issues. The first in that series is Caught Inside, some fundamental words of advice on a situation we all face but beginners seem to encounter more than they should. I’ve added some preventative advice to the article.
I’m also working on a long article titled How to SUP surf, which covers everything a beginner should know before paddling out into anything more than ankle-biters.
SUP Distance How To Articles:
Interest in downwinders and distance paddling is growing fast, in fact it looks to be the fastest growing segment of SUP. The basics are obvious–get on a board, point it towards the horizon, and start paddling. But if you’re going to spend all that time paddling, it ought to deliver as much as it can. Choosing the right board, the right paddle, finding the right technique, learning to ride swells, setting up your board, choosing a fin and placing it properly–all can add greatly to the experience. We’re working on articles about the right equipment, proper paddling technique, weight placement, engaging the core and legs, and general preparation for distance paddling.
SUP racing:
It’s a whole different deal from just doing a downwinder. Race pace and paddling requires different training and techniques. I found that out first hand when I started working on my own pace. I thought the training I did for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge would prepare me for racing. NOT. If anything it made my stroke lazier. Cranking out thirty miles is mostly a matter of having the time to do it. If you want to travel ten miles in minimum time, that’s a whole different deal. We’ll cover racing technique, board choice and board prep, and talk to some of the best racers in the world.
Things sure have changed, used to be we’d get excited to find any SUP videos on Youtube, now we’re spoiled for choices. Bob has done his usual great job of digging up the coolest and the weirdest SUP videos.
Some folks haven’t noticed that there’s a menu built into the player that lets you browse through the other videos while a vide is playing. Just move your mouse cursor to the lower section of the screen and the menu comes up and scrolls with mouse movement. You need to click the arrows to see all the videos–there’s quite a few of them.
Enjoy. And if you find a video you think we should include, just tell us about it in the forum. You can even paste videos into the forum, it’s pretty smart software.Just click the button beow to zip to the forum topic associated with this article.
I was browsing through my email trying to find the addresses of the people I owe rash guards to (they’re coming, honest, the only bad news is that it turned out we only have XL and XXL left. If that’s way to big maybe you can use it as a board cover) and I came across some pictures submitted long ago by Robert Stehlik from Blue Planet Surf. He was at the board test and took some nice shots. One of them was a picture of registration, and a reminder of another person I owe some recognition to. James from Mule Transport Systems sent us two SUP mules to use in the board test. In the picture below you can see my own S.I.C. Ku Nalu with a mule attached. It was a lifesaver. We used it to carry all those heavy coolers and the tent from the parking lot to our set up area. We just stacked stuff on the board and rolled it on down to the beach.
After the test I started using one to take my SUP board to the beach behind my motorcycle–a Honda XR650. It worked great. I bungeed on a milk crate to carry all my junk, and stuffed the paddle into the nose bag. I’m sure James would cringe to hear this, but I hit 55 on occasion, with some crosswinds, and never had a wobble. A great way to get to the beach and then get your gear all the way to the waters edge without breaking a sweat.
When I first looked at the pictures I thought “I could build that for less than $99 bucks” but now that I’ve seen how well made and well thought out every element is, I’m certain that the Mule is a bargain. It all come apart and goes into an amazingly small bag. It’s easy to put on the the board and attach to your bicycle or motorcycle. The wheels track true and the board is well supported and reasonably well protected. Make sure you specify the SUP version if you’re buying it for a SUP board, the axle needs to be wider than the standard system.
Simply put, highly recommended, especially if you need to walk a ways to the beach and you’d like to carry some other stuff. We piled it on and the mule took it with no strain.
We all know that SUP is great exercise, but It takes more than one great exercise to get fit. There’s also diet, other aerobic activities, flexibility training and general muscle workouts. It’s often a battle against social pressure, time, and genetics to achieve the kind of results you’d like.
Me last winter, there’s about ten pounds more of me right now
I’m from a family of large people. Despite being 6’2” and 250 pounds I look like an average guy in family photos. I’ve battled weight and waistline my entire life, despite being an inordinately active person and generally watching what I eat. I don’t eat fast food, don’t eat junk, but I’m a little too fond of fine food, wine and beer. My greatest weakness is the evening. If there’s any goodies in the pantry late at night when I’m watching the tube, I’ll find them.
As I get older (61) I find I’m eating less and less and weighing more and more. I need to step up the exercise side of the equation but I also need to gain some flexibility before I freeze solid like a cigar store Indian. I believe step one has to be to loose some weight. I think my downward dogs, distance paddles, surf sessions and workouts will all come a little easier if there’s a less of me.
What I find it takes to be successful at losing weight and adding muscle is some outside pressure—something to reinforce your will when those Ginger Snaps are calling to you just before bed. Something to drive you to the gym when you’d really rather sleep another hour. I find both positive and negative pressure work well—the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
I’m proposing a training program here on Ke Nalu, and you can participate. Whether you’re looking to loose weight or just increase your physical capabilities for the demands of Stand Up Paddling and surfing, find your outside pressure here. Join me, Stoneaxe (Brother Bob), and anyone else on Ke Nalu that chooses to participate. We’ll use the forum topic attached to this post as our training and weight loss log. Set a goal, build a plan, and tell us all how you do. we’ll praise you when you hit your mark and give you grief when you don’t. Publicly tracking your performance should be a good way to apply both positive and negative pressure—and I know I need both. Perhaps you do too.
And then there’s the bet. If you fail to make your weekly goal two weeks in a row you have to post a video of yourself on youtube doing stupid tricks on your SUP board. If you fail to make your final goal you have to post a video of yourself wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra, playing a ukulele and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” in falsetto.
This is what Bob will look like
As I said on Stand Up Zone, I’d rather give myself liposuction with a box cutter and a bicycle pump than lose that bet.
Join in, use the form below to set and track your own goals. Just copy the form, click on the forum button below, REPLY to the thread and paste in your form. A little rules clarification–if your goal is two pounds per week and you lose three one week, you carry your one pound extra forward as a benefit–so you can get ahead. My plan is to start really strong and try to maintain. I know there will be slip-ups so I need to get ahead.
You can build any form you want, or you can copy and paste mine into your forum posts. I’m going to report weekly since that’s the deal Bob and I have for our weight bet. Note that once you have set up a forum post you can edit it at any time. I think I’m going to create weekly forum posts for myself and treat it as a weekly diary. You can do it any way you choose.
Here’s the sign up form:
Name (handle is fine)_______
Current weight _________
Weekly goal __________
Number of weeks _________
and here’s the tracking form:
Week: ___ Start Weight___ End Weight
Daily Goals—Exercise and eating
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
If any of you folks are experts on doing any aspect of this: weight loss, general training, paddling, etc. Please share your information. For that matter I’d love someone to do a monthly column on fitness for paddle surfing, or coach people on how to paddle or surf.
Netarts Oregon, just after dark: I’m stumbling down a steep and slippery trail in pitch blackness, holding a pan of blackberry cobbler in one hand, trying decide what to do with it when I fall…
Netarts is a little town on the Oregon coast that sounds like it’s spelled backwards. Straten–hmmm, that sounds a lot better. Diane picked me up from the airport after a typically screwed return (canceled flights and all that modern air travel irritation) from Boston and the Cape Cod Challenge. We dropped off my bags from that trip, tossed a different set into the truck and headed for the Starboard Dealer convention.
I had traded emails about accommodations with Declan Sacre and his wife Tracy from Trident Sports–Starboard’s North American distributor. I told them I’d arrive a little late. Now I was wandering in the dark, looking for Tracy so she could tell us where we were staying. I finally staggered back to the campfire where Diane had remained while I searched, listening to Ekolu Kalama and several other Starboard guests playing guitars and singing. They sounded fantastic. The cobbler was still intact. My jet lag and recent lack of sleep has me somewhere in a time zone around Greenland. Tracy was there and she steered us to our accommodations. I’m seeing double. Off to bed.
Starboard Conference headquarters
Next morning–a good breakfast refreshed what’s left of my mind. We gathered in the living room of one of the houses Trident rented. While the first day of presentations mostly concerned sailboards (a topic I still have a lot of personal interest in) there was a lot of attention paid to general marketing trends, focused mainly on ways to revive the abysmal windsurfing marketing and the synergy between SUP and windsurfing. Starboard has access to a substantial body of market research both from trade organizations and it’s own surveying efforts.
Svein Rassmussen, Starboard’s CEO, holds forth on the windsurfing market
It’s clear that windsurfing did not follow the typical adoption curve of most active sports. After reaching a very strong peak it declined precipitously leveling off at a much lower participation rate than similar sports. They typical boom/leveling cycle for active sports goes through a very fast growth period when the sport is “cool” and everyone knows about it, then declines to a maintenance level at perhaps 60 percent of the peak. Windsurfing declined to something like 20 percent of the peak participation. Starboard maintains that was because all manufacturers focused solely on the performance end of the market, abandoning longboards and the simple fun of being on a board in light wind in favor of sinker shortboards and high-performance sails that required careful selection and tuning to meet conditions. They are looking to SUP to rectify that problem! More on that later.
The second day was devoted to Stand Up Paddlesurfing and wavesailing using SUP boards. It’s clear that Starboard is investing heavily in SUP and considers it the next major active watersport. Their manufacturing plans bear that out. For 2008 they planned to build 2750 SUP boards and actually will deliver over 3000. That’s more than double their 2007 production. For 2009 they plan to build 6800 boards–again, more than double, and for 2010 they expect to build 14000. That’s three years of 100 percent growth from a single manufacturer. That’s an important trend given that Starboard is perhaps the most sophisticated SUP manufacturer in terms of understanding international distribution and demand.
A SUP Board with a centerboard! The SUPer is super versatile
I’ll talk about the crossover they expect between SUP and Windsurfing in another article, but this new board, or perhaps more like this modification of their best selling board, is the prime example. I think we all forget sometimes how versatile a SUP board can be. You can surf it, race it, paddle flatwater, sail it, camp with it, fish from it, run whitewater rapids, wake surf it, and take the kids and dog for a ride. There really isn’t anything like it in any sport I know of, and that factor alone should account for a great growth in SUP popularity–if it gets properly communicated. The showcase for the sport is the performance end–people surfing big waves–but the characteristics that can give this sport huge growth and maximize it’s sustained level after that growth is the mundane use: poling around on a river, fishing in a mountain lake, surfing little knee-high shorebreak that no prone surfer cares about. We’re going to make a special effort to continue coverage of those aspects in Ke Nalu.
Svein demonstrates the special no-leak centerboard gasket
A little about this SUPer board. It’s a 12′6 with a very sophisticated full centerboard. The channel under the centerboard has a special L-shaped design so water can’t push up thought it and add drag to the board. The centerboard can be easily removed or it can be left in place with just the control knob removed to ensure it doesn’t get in the way. With the centerboard down the board goes upwind wonderfully under sail. Kick it back a little and you have more stability and drive for reaches, and you can kick it up completely for downwind.
The centerboard is a full foil and is very flexible
The centerboard also adds stability for teaching students to balance a SUP board. With the centerboard down the 12′6″ has much more initial stability. I didn’t like the feel once the board is tipped–the centerboard makes recovery slow, but I’m very used to the way a 12′6″ feels, so it probably bothered me more than it would a newb. Starboard foresees this board being used extensively in training facilities, both to teach windsurfing and SUP–or BOTH!
Complete sail kit–all in one compact carry bag
Starboard also has several complete sail packages for it’s boards from Severne Sails. I assume Severne is a subsidiary of Starboard. These packages are brilliant bits of marketing–a complete kit of everything you need to stick a sail on a board: Mast, booms, sail, extension and base, all in one handy carrying case. They have a line intended for SUP sailing that would stand up to the rigors of wavesailing. They start at about $699 complete. But for most uses I would actually bypass that and get the sail kit they have created for their beginner windsurf boards. It’s also complete, and it’s not designed for serious wave use, but it uses ultralight kite cloth for the sail, a very light boom and mast, and costs $399 to $499. Perfect for playing around on a lake or river, and probably even some lightweight wavesailing. I loved the light weight, easy rigging and fine sailing characteristics. With a few inserts on the nose of a SUPer board you could bungee this to your board and head out, confident that if the wind came up you could go wherever you wanted and continue to play. The price point makes it a casual purchase. Unless you bought well-used equipment you couldn’t duplicate this setup for less than $1200.
We’ll cover the rest of Starboard new lineup, and their plan for continuous refinement in the next article.
Months of preparation, planning, and training. Hundreds of miles paddled getting our selves ready for a long day on Cape Cod Bay. Mike has been reminding us all to hydrate well and eat right. The mandatory carb loading pasta feast the night before. We were ready…….then Bill, Mike, and I finished off 5 bottles of wine along with some good cigars…….I don’t think that’s typical marathon preparation wisdom.
OMG!…..it’s time to get up already! Down a bottle of Gatorade and a handful of aspirin. Drive to the hotel to pick up Mike and Bill…Oh well…at least I don’t feel as bad as Mike looks….mint julep comes to mind. Bill makes me angry…he’s actually kind of chipper…I feel like smacking him.
6:00….Hey…we made it to the beach! It’s a start. Shawn and Jody are there already looking fit and very competent. I don’t think they drank any wine last night…..smart guys. Heavy fog….real heavy…where’s David, where’s the boat? Start making phone calls….OK…the boat’s on it’s way. Should be here in 20 minutes or so. I get David’s voicemail….I hope he got another plane last night after the 1st was cancelled. Mike is making funny noises. My head is swimming but I can tell I feel better than he does.
6:20…we wanted to launch at 6:30…..we call the boat again. Capt. Paul says he’s getting close….coming in slow because of the fog. David shows up looking like a Hollywood star…oh wait…that’s right he is! Who’s friggin idea was it to have all these young fit guys around?
6:40…We call again…GPS puts the boat 1000 yards off the beach….we can’t see a thing….Capt. says he can’t tell where the house sized boulders are that are out there just below the surface and doesn’t want to risk coming closer, I can’t blame him, it’s like a mine field out there. I’m beginning to think we should have launched from inside the harbor. It wouldn’t have mattered except that we have Jerry and Paul and a board for Bill on the boat. Looks like you guys will have to ferry that board in….start paddling.
6:50…We call the boat again….they say we should be able to see Jerry by now….nothing…..are you folks SURE you’re off Plymouth beach?
7:00….still nothing….wait!, what’s that coming out of the fog….looks like something from a Stephen King movie walking on water coming to eat the tourists. It’s Jerry, I feel like cheering and we haven’t even left yet. Still no sign of Paul though. We decide to paddle out to meet him halfway.
7:15….we’ve geared up…said good bye to friends and family that showed up to see us off and paddle out in search of Paul. Somehow this isn’t the start I was hoping for but at least we’re on the water……and Mike has stopped chumming.
The water is like glass, the fog pea soup, not a breath of wind, the only sound our paddles and boards on the water. We find Paul still a long way from shore. Finally we’re underway….look…there actually is a boat! We stop to talk for few and give instructions for signals.
Uh Oh!….my head isn’t cooperating at all. The fog is blending the sky into the sea and I have no horizon to help my balance. (If you’re interested you can read some of the background of why I need a horizon for balance here: http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org/Standup/standup.html )I fall for the 1st time…..this is going to be a long day!
I don’t think Bill was really running away from Jerry and his floaties…
On second thought….:)
The fog starts to lift about 4 miles offshore…..don’t look back….the cliffs at Plymouth still look close. Finally some horizon…but I think the damage is done….my head is taking lefts while the board is going straight….I get wet a lot. I don’t think my share of the 5 bottles of wine last night is helping either. I’m feeling bad about slowing us down but the guys are very cool about it. Making it seem like it was their idea to take a break when I was struggling. Thanks guys…:). I’m happy to see Mike looks like he’s feeling better. There’s actually some flesh tones showing through the green. Hehe…I just noticed that you two look like twins, sorry David…:)
Hhhmmm….I guess Bill and I did too….LOL
The fog is finally behind us
What happened to our forecast? As of Friday night we were supposed to have 10-14 kt tailwinds and calm seas. Instead we have maybe a 2-4 kt WNW and once we got out further into the bay 2 ft side swell from the north and confused chop. At least there isn’t a headwind.
Fast forward…..we take a break at the halfway point. Jody has picked up a mylar ballon that was floating 10 miles out….reminds us why we are doing this. Shawn and Jody are having no problem keeping up on their 10-6 Vec’s. A combination of Shawn’s shaping skills and the fact that they are the most fit amongst us no doubt. The boards look like they have motor’s when they want to make them move.
15 miles in. Everyone is making it look easy. I’m feeling awkward, old, and slow. My head is still swimming occasionally. I pull my hat back….having the brim in my field of vision is bugging me….I don’t usually wear a hat. 5 minutes later my head is clear…or close anyway. Can it be that simple? I know that vision and balance are closely tied together. I can only guess that having an artificial horizon of a hat brim moving around was causing me problems. I don’t think I’ll wear a hat on the water anymore. Maybe a bandana and a cutlass….I’ll be the 1st SUPirate.
20 miles….We’ve had Provincetown in sight for awhile. We also get leeward of Race Point and the water flattens nicely. The hardest part is behind us. Still 8 miles to go but no question of making it now. As we get closer the boat traffic gets heavier….Capt. Paul is like a pit bull mother with her puppy’s….any boat approaching us finds a 50’ sport fisher aimed at it….making it very obvious to stay clear.
We had to be quite a site to the folks on the beach at Race Point. 8 guys coming in from the open ocean walking on water. Just so long as they didn’t want any wine….I’d had my fill of wine for awhile.
I couldn’t believe how excited I was to make the last turn into the harbor. Folks on boats taking pictures. The Capt of one of the big whale watch boats getting ready to go out announced our arrival over the loudspeaker and the passengers lined the rails watching and waving as we went by. Family and friends were on the dock, there were boat horns blaring. It made me want to hold back a bit and savor the moment. WE MADE IT! Let the record show that Jerry Issel was the 1st man to paddle across Cape Cod Bay, Plymouth to Provincetown, shore to shore. The rest of us all landed within the minute.
It felt good to feel solid ground again. We had a great lunch at the Surf Club Restaurant (how appropriate) and then parted ways. It felt strange to break it up, like it should last longer somehow. The best thing about this whole experience is the great friends we’ve made. This is a great crew of guys and I’m proud to have shared this with all of you. I know we’ll all get on the water together again.
L to R: Shawn, Jody, Bob, Bill, David, Jerry, Mike, and Paul
Beyond the sense of accomplishment of making it across we raised money and awareness for a good cause. The final numbers aren’t in yet but I think it’s safe to say that we will have raised somewhere between $11,000 and $12,000 for the Ocean Conservancy and their International Coastal Cleanup. We also raised awareness of the sport itself and on a personal note I hope I’ve inspired some others that are facing health issues to try something different as therapy. Get out there and live…..this isn’t a dress rehearsal.
Start training for next year guys….
Aloha.
Photo Credits: From the water:
Lynn Wilson
From the dock/beach in Provincetown:
Betsy Brown
I’ve included the previous video by Lynn Wilson here as well. Thanks Lynn…awesome job.
You’re on your own for a couple of weeks. Tomorrow moring at 00:Dark:Thirty I’m headed for Boston to do Stoneaxe (Bob) and ECSUP’s (Mike) Cape Cod Challenge. I’ll be in Boston for five days, then back to Oregon and off immediately for Netarts Bay for the Starboard Dealer Meeting. The nice folks at Starboard were kind enough to let me beg my way in to their new gear introduction and general “play with the toys” fest.
I plan on coming back with lots of photos, viddeo, and a bunch of articles. Lots of interesting folks at both events. I might make an occasional post with my iPhone, but I don’t plan to lug a computer. I plan to be in the water. And I plan to eat most of the clams in the east coast.
On Monday, August 11, 2008, a group of 20 world-class skiers, surfers, mountain climbers, and disabled athletes will cross Lake Tahoe on stand-up paddle boards provided by Naish International to raise awareness and funding for service members suffering from traumatic brain injury, combat stress, and other war-related injuries. Participants include big-wave surf and tow surf pioneer Dave Kalama, Olympic gold medalist and world-champion skier Jonny Moseley, Olympic and top-tier U.S. downhill skier Daron Rahlves, Olympic snowboarder and X Games gold medalist Nate Holland, big-mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and Mark Wellman, the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan and Half Dome, and a recipient of a U.S. Senate Resolution Award. Most participants are novice paddlers, and the 22-mile paddle across Lake Tahoe will not be easy. These athletes recognize, however, that their effort pales in comparison to the challenges the victims of traumatic brain injury and other serious war-related injuries face every day.
Crossing leader Dave Kalama noted “What these veterans have to deal with makes surfing Jaws seem pretty tame. They’ve put their lives on the line for all of us and sacrificed so much. It’s time to step up and do whatever we can to help. This is not some publicity stunt or contrived event – it is the real deal, a rare opportunity to see action sports athletes humbled by what they’re having to do and for whom they are doing it. For me, it’s a great opportunity to give something back, and demonstrate that our commitment to the people and causes we are involved with is as intense as our commitment to our core sports.”
The Lake Tahoe Crossing will start at 7 a.m. on 11 August 2008 from a location to be determined on Lake Tahoe’s West shore area. The lead group is expected to complete the 22 mile trek roughly five hours later and end up at Lake Tahoe’s East or South Shore areas, depending on wind direction and water conditions. To learn more about the Tahoe Stand-Up Paddle Board Crossing 2008 and how you or your firm can support this worthy cause, please contact Dr. Robb Gaffney, 530-412-1325, robbgaffney@hotmail.com, or Rob Howard, 510-773-4701, rhoward@bikeskills.com.
Ke Nalu reader Bill Gasset sent a link to another local story on SUP, this one from Virginia Beach, VA. I wish I’d had a SUP board when I lived there during my stint in the navy back a lifetime or two ago. Here’s the link. http://hamptonroads.com/node/471881
At first glance, the two men seen out past the breakers and the surfers off of 45th Street seemed to be doing the impossible: walking on water.
A longer look during a morning surf session last week showed more. The men were standing on boards, propelling themselves with paddles, practicing a sport that’s creating a wave of interest in Virginia Beach this summer – Stand Up Paddle surfing.
The trend – called SUP, Beach Boy surfing and other names – is already hugely popular in California and Hawaii and began lapping at the Virginia Beach shoreline a few years ago.
This summer, enthusiasm swelled as surfers and other athletes began embracing it with the same excitement they give to reports of double overheads in October.
Translation: they’re getting stoked on SUP.
“I didn’t know there was anything left to do on the water that was this much fun,” said Rick Romano, a local artist and avid SUP surfer. “It’s fresh, it’s new and it’s very addictive.”
Romano first tried the sport three years ago after visiting legendary surfer Laird Hamilton’s home in Hawaii.
“I saw these boards in his garage and heard the great things he had to say about it and I knew I wanted to do it,” Romano remembered. “You couldn’t get boards here then, so I started paddling on an old windsurfer, lopped off the end of an old kayak paddle and went out like that all summer long. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Romano’s equipment has improved over the years. He now counts four “real” SUP boards in his quiver and has local access to the latest products. He cites Freedom Surf shop on Laskin Road and Surf & Adventure Co. in Sandbridge as the first area shops to carry SUP products and to promote the sport locally.
Gear consists of an epoxy board and a paddle, usually made of carbon. Boards average 11 feet, weigh about 20 pounds and are 30 inches wide with a turned up nose. Traction pads usually cover the surface. The average paddle is 80 inches and has a scooped end.
“It’s definitely an investment,” Freedom Surf owner Dave Shotton said of the $1,500 tag for board and paddle. “But once you’ve made that investment, you’re set. Three generations, from 8 to 80, can ride the same board.”
Shotton took up the sport when he bought Freedom Surf last year.
“We spotted the trend and knew it was coming, but if I was going to talk the talk, I knew I had to walk the walk,” said Shotton, who used to be surfboard sales rep. “I was hooked immediately.”
Shotton, 41, is one of SUP’s chief local proponents and part of a North End contingent that hits the waves nearly every morning and evening. He is also a witness to the popularity of the sport at the Beach. Since the beginning of the year, he has sold about 50 boards.
“There are so many benefits to it,” Shotton explained. “It’s a great core exercise, you can stay in the ocean longer, later in the year and on flat days, I’m still out, getting exercise, and enjoying the water.”
The learning curve is steep, comparable to snowboarding.
“It can take three hours or three days, but once you get it there’s no problem getting up and getting out,” Shotton said. “Right now it’s mainly surfers, but we know it’s going to expand.”
A ripple of SUP opinions
In town to host a surf camp last month, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver borrowed a board for a quick SUP surfing session. Weaver, who is a member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, gracefully dipped his paddle in the water, using it to traverse the board and carve turns in the small waves he rode to shore.
“It’s super fun to do and it opens up a whole new realm of wave riding,” the Santa Cruz resident said. “It’s just a great workout that gets people outside and gives them another way to interact with the ocean.”
Not everyone is riding the wave of support for the new sport. D.J. Joyner, 25, an employee of Freedom Surf, counts himself among the “haters,” those who find the big boards offensive. For D.J., and others, SUP boards have replaced longboards in the chain of “haterdom.”
“I consider them canoes; you can’t bring canoes into the lineup,” the Hilltop resident said. “They can catch absolutely everything and they do – they’re people who don’t know how to share. There might be a place for them, but it shouldn’t be near surfers.”
Sandbridge resident Bill Gassett stresses good surf etiquette to those who try out the boards multiplying in his backyard.
“This is such a positive sport that anyone can do – we don’t want bad behavior rippling through to cause negative attitudes,” said Gassett, 48, a retired Navy deep-sea diver. “Because this is not a fad, it’s something that will change a lot of people’s perspective on how they can enjoy the water and more people are doing it every day.”
The sport is evolving as it gains popularity. Boards are becoming more specialized – refined for conditions and uses, such as distance touring or racing. SUP surfing is showing up as a category in surf contests and other water events.
New terms are coined daily, such as “downwinding,” where a vehicle is dropped off miles away from a starting point and surfers make their way down the coast, running with the waves and the current.
“I’ve seen it grow exponentially this year,” Romano stated. “And I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Whoever embraces this sport now is going to be a frontrunner. It’s going to be fun to look back and say, “I remember the early days.’”
People are definitely catching on that SUP is great for inland lakes and rivers. Here’s an article from the Minneapolis Star about SUP in local lakes and a company that’s doing a good job of selling and publicizing SUP as a core workout and fun activity.
Stand-up paddling
Stand-up paddling melds a surf sport with a core-strengthening workout. No waves required.
Lake Calhoun is a choppy mess, little swells and whitecaps whipping up as windsurfers drift by in the breeze. I’m standing on the water, legs spread, feet solid on the deck of a surfboard.
Sunlight cuts through green water, seaweed gliding by beneath. My hands grip a paddle for propulsion, long reaches and pulls moving my upright frame through the wind, away from shore.
“You got it!” shouts Tara Krolczyk, owner of LakeSUP, a Minnetonka-based surfboard reseller. “As easy as standing on a sidewalk.”
It is a Wednesday evening in mid-July, and I’ve come to try a sport new to the Midwest. Stand-up paddle-surfing has roots in Hawaii, where the discipline was created decades ago as a means of flat-water transportation. Over the past three summers, stand-up paddling — SUP, for short — has sent waves through the surf industry.
“SUP is probably the fastest-growing current trend in surfing,” said Sean Smith, executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association in Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Smith attributes the sport’s popularity to its versatility. It can be done when there are good waves or no waves at all. It’s also great exercise, he said.
Further bolstering the sport, surf stars such as Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama have embraced SUP. ESPN recently reported that World Cup skier Julia Mancuso cross-trains standing up on a surfboard.
Hollywood types including Matt Damon, Jennifer Garner and Pierce Brosnan have been caught on camera SUPing, drawing populist fuel to the fire.
SUP scene in Minnesota
Krolczyk formed LakeSUP in May after a family vacation to Florida. A former professional dancer and Radio City Rockette, Krolczyk, 38, fell in love with SUP after just two hours on a rental board off Key Largo.
“It was an amazing core workout,” she said.
LakeSUP sells stand-up surfboards and paddles on its website (www.lakesup.com). Krolczyk runs free monthly demonstration clinics on area lakes and travels to give private lessons.
Related Content
Tara Krolczyk founded LakeSUP in May after spending a couple hours on a board in Key Largo, Fla.
I promised long ago that I’d do a tour of the Ding King’s, one of the most perfect surfer joints I’ve ever seen. Here it is. If you think you know of a better one, send me photos and a few words and I’ll post it.
The folks who did Blue Crush missed a great location: The Ding King’s joint. This place REEKS of surfing soul and creativity. I always grin as I turn in the driveway. And it’s REAL, there’s a lot of talent in this crusty looking place.
As always, you can click on the pictures for a larger version.
The funmobile looks right at home in front of Ding King’s
The Ding King does fibreglass repair of all kinds–fast and good but not cheap (you were expecting all three?). They also design and build very elegant stuff like the hollow standup board I bought from them, and gorgeous Hawaiian racing canoes. Mark’s knowledge and design approach turns out highly functional products with well known performance. For example, one of the new standup/longboard sailboards being produced by Starboard is based on Mark’s plug (Mark Rappahorst owns the place) .
I asked Mark once why they had built the giant “Edith Ann” chairs out front. He said “Ahh… I don’t know, we get a goofy idea, we just got to do it”
These chairs and table look normal size, but they’re about twice normal height. When you see the Ding King guys eating lunch out here they look like a bunch of little kids. That fits.
The surfboard chair with windsurfer boom rockers is comfortable, and so is the surfboard bench. Planters everywhere from everything: Toilets, canoes, amas, even an actual flowerpot
Mark, and a better view of the stick wave. Mark is usually kind of grey colored from fiberglass dust
Inside–it’s hard to know what to look at first. A lot going on in this place
Canoe molds and the top mold for the excellent Ku Nalu hollow standup board.
I love mine–it paddles great and sails even better. every time I see one without a mast track I think “you knucklehead!” You see these boards all over the place in Maui, which is amazing when you consider they’re made one at a time in this single mold. I waited six months for mine. Worth it.
Mark’s canoes are highly regarded–light and strong.
He also fixes a lot of the less robust ones from asia. Every time I go in the place I’m tempted to get a canoe–they’re beautiful. But I’m running out of room in the garage.
Before you start paddle surfing you need to assess your swimming skills and your ability to handle yourself and your board in surf. Any watersport is dangerous, and good swimming skills are a necessity, even if you only do standup on flat water and lakes.
Leash: Wear one. Even on a lake. When you fall you often give the board a kick that sends it zooming away. Then the substantial freeboard gives the wind something to push against and suddenly you’re all alone. In waves it’s even easier to be abandoned by your board. I had to swim in from the outer reef at Kanaha when my leash parted one morning last summer. It was after noon before I hit sand. Long morning.
It’s not just your safety that’s at stake though–you can kill or injure someone with one of these boards. A leash is not a cure all for that problem but it’s a start. More important though is the issue of where you practice. Don’t learn where there are other surfers. These are big boards and it’s easy for them to get out of control. You don’t need the best spot in the lineup, all you need is some sloppy waves to practice on. Don’t forget how long the board and leash are. If you get worked and are bouncing along in the whitewater your board can be 25 feet away from you. There’s no excuse for learning where there are people below you who can be hit by your board. When you do fall in, pretend that you don’t have a leash. Do what you can to control the board. DON’T grab the leash though–if it gets wrapped around your fingers while you’re in the wave they can easily be broken. It’s happened. It’s a good idea to have a grab handle on the back of the board. Handy on the front of the board for that matter. If you have a solid handle to hang onto then it’s much easier to keep your board away from people. The other big advantage is that you can get an occasional breath while you’re being bounced around–you’ll always be near the surface if you’re hanging onto the board.
While we’re talking about breathing and drowning, your paddle is actually a big help when you’re getting pushed down by a wave. Put it across your chest with the paddle blade above your head and the dihedral bent down. As you are pushed through the water the paddle will send you upwards. I’m not sure why this works, but every time I try it I’m amazed at how fast I pop up.
Lifejacket: It’s not unreasonable to wear a kayak-style lifejacket. The inflatable kind that are almost as narrow as a pair of suspenders are really handy. Some of the best big wave surfers in the world wear them today. Yes, you’ll look stupid, but you’ll be alive and stupid, not dead and cool.
Be aware of the wind and currents, you can easily be blown to sea by an offshore wind or find yourself fighting a powerful current. Start your learning experiences where there are lifeguards, and it’s highly recommended to have someone on the shore that’s paying attention to where you are and whether you are screaming or not.
Etiquette: Once you get good, remember that you have a huge advantage over other surfers–and DON’T take more advantage of it than you should. You can start into a wave long before standard surfers can, you can get back to the lineup much quicker, and you can catch waves even when you’re out of the slot. Don’t be a wave hog.
There’s a backlash starting of surfers being pissed off about SUP folks coming into their favorite spot and taking too many waves. Of course for some of the territorial knuckleheads that think they own the beach, and any wave you take is too many waves. But there’s two good reasons not to irritate fellow surfers
First of all, you don’t need their waves. A SUP surfer can surf almost anywhere. Waves that are too small for shortboarders are just fine for SUP. Long frequency, no shoulder waves give long and fulfilling rides. You can SUP surf in a ski boat wake. You can also travel long distances to get to outside breaks or breaks that aren’t easy to get to from shore. It’s fun and good exercise getting there, and you don’t have to dodge the grems.
Second, they were there first. No matter how stupidly they might assert their territory, you’re the new guy, even if you shortboarded that break for the last twenty years. Give them room
Ke Nalu is now more interactive and dynamic. Most articles are linked to topics in the forum, making it easier for you to join the conversation about any topic.
You can also write reviews of the board and paddles you use with the Shocase forms. Just hover over the Report tab and you can select the forms.
Join the forum discussion on this post
Me last winter, there’s about ten pounds more of me right now
