Anyone else get some today...?

[Long duc dong]

54L holy smokes.
Thats like 2 boards in one

Yeah, it's got some volume alright.

I got in a session this am north of the HB pier.

It was about stomach high and a bit bumpy, so nothing to write home about. This is supposed to be a board for the soft days.

I absolutely had a blast on it, although I'm definitely still figuring it out.

A few observations:

1) That nose really planes nicely. You want to be a bit far up on it when paddling into waves, a bit further up than I originally thought. When I moved a bit forward it felt like it really started planing. It takes an extra paddle or two compared to a funshape with similar volume, but catches waves WAAAY more easily than my everyday board.

2) It accelerates much more quickly than a funboard of similar volume. However, it also loses speed more quickly. I have a 6'8" funshape which has the same volume, 54 liters. The funshape paddles a bit easier, although not a ton. When you get up the funshape glides and trims more easily. This new board is squirty, it accelerates and glides in gutless surf, but you have to rock it and pump it a bit more to get it going, it will get going and then slow down in situations where a funshape would continue to glide and trim.

That being said, you really don't have to pump it aggressively, light pumps will make it really glide, you just have to work it a bit more than a funshape. It feels like it accelerates more quickly than a funshape, which may be feel and just an illusion, but that it also decelerates more quickly, which I think is accurate.

3) The same way you want to be forward in paddling, you want to ride it with a forward stance. From what I could tell, when you are a bit more forward in your stance it engages the flat, front section of the board, and you get some speed with just a light pump. To turn it you stand back on the tail, but honestly I didn't do much turning, just gliding through soft sections and floating off soft lips.

It's a great board for a soft HB day, where you want to stay in it through the mushy sections and get to the inside.

I'm sure some of what I said was wrong, but those are just early observations. It took me a couple of waves to start liking it, but I'm already pumped to ride it again. There is nothing on the horizon swell wise, so this might be a good opportunity to get a feel for the board.

I think a chest high, soft pointbreak with good shape would be ideal for this thing.

Soul Skier,

That looks like an awesome trip. I imagine worth the hassle, although I would guess it takes quite a bit to get there. That wave looks like it has some juice!

[Xover]

The last few shots are of a Bento Box I just picked up from Solid Surfboards in Ocean Beach. It's a mini-Simmons and it's a boat. It's 6'2" but it's got 54 liters of volume, 22.5 wide and 3 inches thick. It should be lots of fun in soft surf. Without much swell on the horizon I might take it out for a quick one tomorrow.

As others have said, Jesus LDD that's a LOT of foam. I think my 6'-0 mini simmons is only like 40L.

[Long duc dong]

As others have said, Jesus LDD that's a LOT of foam. I think my 6'-0 mini simmons is only like 40L.

It definitely is.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of a small board that I would take out instead of a funshape. This board pretty much packs the foam of one of my small wave funshapes, which is 6'8", into something more compact. It's easier to use and turn, although so far it doesn't really like to turn. It's still much more responsive than a funshape, and almost as easy to paddle. Some days when I'm on a funshape I've wished I had something shorter, but that paddled just as easily into soft stuff.

[subtle plague]

I've stated before. I really like my heavens door. Surfs like a shortboard at 45l @5.10
But if the waves get around shoulder high and have some shape I begin to slide out on the fat rails.
6.2 would have been your ammount of volume.

Which brings me to the question: how do you sit on anything wider than 23? I mean I'm not a reference since I'm very inflexible, but I can barely spread my legs that far

[Long duc dong]

I've stated before. I really like my heavens door. Surfs like a shortboard at 45l @5.10
But if the waves get around shoulder high and have some shape I begin to slide out on the fat rails.
6.2 would have been your ammount of volume.

Which brings me to the question: how do you sit on anything wider than 23? I mean I'm not a reference since I'm very inflexible, but I can barely spread my legs that far

That's a good question!

I don't think I've ever surfed anything wider than 23 inches.

I can see the point about sliding out in anything steep. This is definitely not a board for steep waves.

I've had a few more days on it, and I'm really loving it for the conditions it was made for. It's much more responsive than a fun shape, and with the little fins it is loose, skittery and fun in small surf.

One area where it really shines is when it's 2-3+ in a spot like Huntington, where the tide is high but you've found an inside bar. Sometimes on a funshape it's easy to pearl in conditions like that, but this board just fits into the shape of the wave more easily, if that makes sense. I'm really glad I picked it up. Like I said, it paddles almost as well as my 6'8" funshape, but it's far more zippy and responsive. This board would also be REALLY fun on a soft, shoulder high pointbreak.

[SB]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GeTMPJ2B5VE

[fool]

Anyone have surf straps they like for throwing the board on top of the car? Looking for something with a bungee-like material so it's quicker than full length webbing.

This one looks promising, but open to mag input: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...AXQF6VTUB&th=1

Thanks in advance!

[altasnob]

Who is hitting Mavericks?

https://magicseaweed.com/Mavericks-H...rf-Report/162/

[jackstraw]

Mav's will be too messy for me. I like clean 50' faces

[TEXASS]

From the Day after Christmas I have been getting some great waves . A double overhead clean day at Sunset Cliffs San Diego before flying to Kauai . Four days of Head High to 4 Feet overhead at Hanalei Bay and then three more days of huge Sunset Cliffs . 2023 is getting off to a bang !

[fool]

Picture perfect at Steamers yesterday. SC says hi OTT.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[jackstraw]

^ Middle going off.

This dude...

[Ottime]

Uh-Oh. That is such a scary shot. Holding on to your board, or even being close to your board, as you are about to go over the falls. My shoulder dislocated just looking at that.

[SB]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Bu22-jsQs

[SB]

Buddy down in Mexico has been getting the goods. Peurto Escondido oar something like that.

[SB]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTPteoJZRcM

[Ottime]

I'm heading to Lombok for a week in May.

Any one been? Advice?

Where to surf? Where to stay? Where to eat?

Thinking of posting up in Kuta, but would love to hear what others think.

[SB]

I do not have any 411 for you but am looking forward to one of yor awesome TRs.

Maybe this helps

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C8WaM6...IHN1cmZpbmc%3D

Oar this

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOwVhZqvXY

[leftfield]

I'm heading to Lombok for a week in May.

Any one been? Advice?

Where to surf? Where to stay? Where to eat?

Thinking of posting up in Kuta, but would love to hear what others think.

Hey Ott, I've got a mate from NZ who owns https://manalombok.com/ in Kuta. Good accommodation, food even if you're not into yoga.

Most of the breaks we accessed by scooter. Usually went to Mawi but had a fun day at Gerapuk. DP wasn't really working but if you're down that way and a diver, the little gilis are worth a couple days.

Climb Rinjani at sunrise if you want to get away from the beach and enjoy a sufferfest.

[mcski]

The thought of spending any significant time in Kuta makes me throw up a little. Throw a dart at the map instead unless you enjoy the extreme end of tourist shitshows that have destroyed once cool places.

[subtle plague]

Kuta Lombok != kuta Bali.

That said. I've only surfed ekas. Inside is pretty boring, usually small and outside fickle snd shifty. The hotel there ( heavens planet thing)is (was?)owned by a racist shitbag and was full of old racist idiots. The view is great.

I'd not really consider the ekas breaks.

I've heard good things about mawi.

But the beginner peak/ a frame at grupuk is supposedly a massive shit Show with Hordes of dangerous beginners.

[Ottime]

Kuta Lombok is not Kuta Bali. Very different places.

I spent my first two nights there and surfed Tanjung A'an the first day. Small, windy and crowded. Actually hired a guide for that as I landed at 10:30 and wanted to be sure to get in the water. Did not hire that guide again. He said surf would be best at 1pm so I skipped lunch to surf. Should have waited until 4pm and surfed till sunset. Lower tide and less wind late. Guide gets no stars out of five.

Surfed Mawi the next two days. Still small. Crowded. First day I arrived to 20 in lineup and at one point that grew to 48. After lunch was much better with like 10-15. Next morning I got out early and was first in the water at 7:30am. Surfed until there were 19, at 10:30 and got out. Ate breakfast and went back to my home stay.

Booked two nights at Ekas Surf Resort and this place is pretty cool. 6 rooms, and a chill crew here. Surfed small Insides last night and today the swell finally hit. Chest high Inside was pretty fun this morning. Wave has a soft take off, but bowls nicely on the inside for some lip action.

Surfed Outsides after breakfast and that spot was well
Overhead and very powerful. Shifty made it work to sit in the take off zone but it was a blast on the step up.

Surfed Inside after lunch at a little overhead and that wave is super fucking fun at that size. Very easy take off but it lines up for 100 plus meters and the second have is just a fun, fast high performance wave.

Given the strong trade winds wish I had more time over here. Ekas and Mawi are the only two places blowing off shore except Desert Point. But tide is not low enough for there, even with the swel.

[subtle plague]

Heh. You Hit ekas right. When we were there it was mushy and weird and small. Good to hear.

And crowds are everywhere that's not very remote. I mean I had 10 people in the line up on the banyaks sometimes, especially at treasures ( though usual at the other spots was 3-7). And that's as hard to reach as they come. 6 years ago....

[Ottime]

I stayed an extra day in Ekas.

It was bigger on Sunday. Never ventured Outside. Inside was 1-2' OH. The left just turns into a drop to burger. A local was saying you can cut back into he whtewater a bunch and it will line up nicely on the iodide again. But that leads to a long long paddle back/

The right was a nice semi fast wall, that bowled up a bit after the first long section. So fast, down the line, and then some tight turns. It was still a bit challenging, as you really need to paddle into the wave and create some speed.

Next morning the swell dropped and I headed back out Outside. It was head hight to a hair OH, and so much fun. Still a hefty barrel and still a bit shifty, but you could actually duck dive the sets and make your way back out without having to paddle around the entire reef. Had a blast surfing with just 3 others from that same lodging as me. Eventually another boat showed up with a local and a dude fro the Canary Islands. And then every one left and it was just me for another hour. So many waves.

returned to Kuta, and long boarded Tanjung A'an in the morning before the winds picked up. I was able to rent a ice board for 50k. Then chilled at Warung Sunshine (my favorite on that beach), and then headed back to Surf Camp 79 to shower before biking over to Mawi for sunset session.

No real surf pics, but I did load pics fro the trip in my Singapore thread, if you are interested.

[jtran10]

Down here in SD for the next week+. Surfed in carlsbad sat and sun, pretty fun but wind is coming up early with this deep marine layer.

Scored a campsite at San Elijo for the next 2 nights so will be here in the van working/surfing/hanging. The sun is trying to come out right now on the coast for the first time since we got in Friday night.