Sunday, October 31, 2010

The ToolBox

If you're going to do the job correctly, you need the right tool. Here's what I carry in the back of my truck- it's my surf tool box. Check it out:


A. Big ol' sombrero, a.k.a Lifeguard Hat. I've always got this with me- this one has a neoprene headband so it sucks down against your head and won't blow off (there is a chinstrap but that's like wearing a belt with suspenders). Nothing keeps you cooler than shading your peanut- keep it covered! 

B. Paddle Quiver: 75" Kialoa Methane, this is my go-to surfing paddle. Anything longer than 75 - 76" (I'm 5'10) feels way too long and cumbersome. I like the small blade it feels fast and clean. My back up surf paddle is a 76" Quickblade Kanaha with a 9" blade. The Quickblade is feather light and very strong. I carry two racing paddles: a 81" Kialoa Shaka Pu'u and a 83" Quickblade Elite racer with the 8.75" blade. The Shaka Pu'u has a much more comfortable shaft while the Quickblade seems to pull a little nicer- I haven't raced with the Quickblade yet but I've got a four miler coming up and I'll keep you posted.

C. Goody box: Basically this thing carries all the extras that I might need. I've got my fin bag in there (stocked full of fins from Future fins... thanks guys!), an extra longsleeved wetsuit jacket, a bunch of bungies, a gross towel and a couple of extra leashes.

Check back - we're gonna dig deeper into the ToolBox!

2 comments:

Capt Ron said...

John,
The back of your truck looks like my yard. You smuggling illegals under all that stuff?
Peace,
Ron

John Ashley said...

Yep, 18 year old Norwegian chicks without green cards... interested in helping them out?