The Four Day SUP Travel Spot: "Must Haves" For A Quick and Dirty Surf Trip

Straight up, here's what I think makes a stand up destination spot a good one for the four day surgical strike:

1. Driving time from airport to surfspot is no more than an hour. "Our" surf spot is a forty-five minute drive from the local airport. This is important because you want to be in the water that first day and you can score a nice two hour session if you jam through customs and car rental and get there quick. The biggest drag is getting off the plane, amping for a surf, only to sit in a car for another three hours- especially if you've only got three more days to work out your cutback.

2. Spot must be a point or reef. Points and reefs have a solid substrate producing a predictable wave- you don't have enough time to sit around waiting for a sand bar to set up properly- that could take days and that's time you don't have. Go with the known producers.

3. Spot has a wide open swell window. You don't want a spot that's as finicky as Paris Hilton in a library ("Oh my total god, they all have so many.... words... in them!)- you're looking for a swell vacuum. You want a spot that will inhale even the tiniest little depression out there and turn it into something do-able.

Photo: Proximity to the local pub might be a qualifying item for the ultimate spot- preferably close enough to walk/stumble to and from, at night, without a flashlight. And a ping pong table to settle disputes is also a plus.

4. Accommodations are clean and must have a private bathroom.You don't need a Four Seasons with chocolate truffles on the pillow and toilet paper swans on the commode but on the other hand... a functioning privy is high on my list of must haves. Especially if your gut gets invaded my a swarm of Mexican microorganisms that make your lower G.I. flow like the Ganges in high season. If that happens and your running for the throne every twenty minutes, you'll be happy you've got your own personal toilet.

5. In the tropics, must have A/C. Man, when it gets as dank as Rosie O'Donnell's armpit and the humidity reaches the triple digits in the middle of the night, A/C makes it bearable. There's a reason that electricity was invented- it's called air conditioning. Unless you like sticking to the sheets like your prom date in early June, seek out the spots that give you an A/C escape cave... and then proudly crank that thing to high all day- and all night!

6. Varied local eating options. Got to have options: Pizzas, sopes, tacos, spaghetti, arroz con pollo... bring it on. Why? Because I eat- vigorously.

Photo: Here's a couple that almost made the list: Must have excellent, fresh mango smoothies and free wi/fi internet access. 

7. Other surf spots within an hour's drive from the home break. Always nice to mix it up- and if a spot is only forty minutes or so away, it makes the early morning spot check a possibility.

8. Accommodations are walking distance to the home break. You might as well live the dream, right? Don't we all want to be able to stroll out onto the lanai, coffee cup in hand, in our boxers and check out a long left hand point break peeling off right in front of us? Being right there also puts you in the prime spot for the forty minute surf session. These little micro-sessions get you into the water when the surf-shifts are changing (you know, the dawn patrollers switching out with the yawn patrollers- that switch time gives you a forty minute window of solitary surfing- as long as you can act quickly), you'll also be able to enjoy a couple of cold ones, spot the glass off and get on it before everyone else has even waxed up.

9. Cold beer easily available. Do I really need to explain this?

Photo: Travel tip- bring Coolies for keeping things a couple more minutes cold in the tropics... thanks Emerald City!

10. International destination so you get to meet cool people like Slovanian surfers and Swedish sunbathers (!). Traveling is about meeting people and experiencing other cultures. If I had to travel thousands of miles just to hangout with a bunch of B and C grade pros from Orange County I'd just drive up to Lowers and wade out into the zoo. You want to get to a spot where the participants are a little bit more exotic- wouldn't you rather buy a round for a Columbian Women's Surf School than jockey with the San Clemente High School surf team?

The Big Question: Does such a surf spot exist? You tell me.... I promise I'll keep it on the hush/hush!

Packing for a stand up travel trip: Part III

Hey! I'm back. Here's a bunch more info about my travel rig, trying to finish this up to get to some trip photos... maybe even a little video clip.



6. 15' Thule straps with the rubber covered, cinch-cam. Stand up boards are trouble when it comes to racking them with standard soft racks. Our wide boards tend to eat up all the webbing- leaving nothing for the boards of your travel mates. The problem is compounded when you're traveling with more than one paddle board. Here's my solution: Skip the fancy soft racks and buy a pair of these. When you're ready to roll, just throw the boards directly onto the car's roof, stack the boards in two rows, run the straps over whole mess and completely through the windows, cinch 'em down and your in there. On this trip we transported four surf boards and my stand up without a problem.

Tip: I like the Thules because the ratchet cam seems a bit higher quality then what you'd find at, say, Walmart. Also, Thule's straps come with a cool rubber covering that keeps that metal cam from knocking a dent in the side of your car (or an incisor from your jaw) when somebody tosses that little metal wrecking ball over the pile of boards.

7. Lee Child novels: My surf trip reading list doesn't include nail biters like Anna Karenina or The Scarlet Letter. I need something a little more accessible. My "go to" choice? Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. In a nutshell: violence, intrigue, espionage, bad guys who've got it coming them and super cool fight sequences centered around elbow shots to the Adam's apple and ear drum busting head slaps. If you like it down and dirty and need to know why the first squeeze of the 9mm Steyr requires a fourteen pound pull, this is the series for you. Perfect surf trip reading.

8. Future Fins: My new infatuation? The Futures Gerry Lopez SUP thruster fin set. Get yourselves some of these, they do it all- especially in head high to overhead surf. I also never go anywhere without my G10 Scimitar 3/2/1s; if the surf gets small I pop these things in for an instant small wave speed gain. I'm a little conflicted with where I'm at with my middle fin when running the 3/2/1s so I usually bring the Futures 7" cutaway style center fin and a 6" FCS offering and switch them back and forth until I'm totally confused. Fin's will mess with your mind- find a couple of sets you like and play with them.

Tip: Be sure to bring an extra finbox screw and plate- these do get lost, stripped or broken, be sure you've got yourself covered.

9. Box of Kool-Aid individually packaged drink mix and a box of EmergenC individual drink mix packets: Staying hydrated is easier when it tastes good and the EmergenC keeps me in the vitamins (even if I'm really just peeing them away). I mix one Kool Aid packet and one EmergenC packet in my Nalgene bottle, stash it in the fridge and drink it throughout the day.

Tip: No, Vodka and EmergenC don't make a tasty cocktail.

10. Liquid Pepto-Bismol: Yes, the tablets are lighter, don't leak and work well. For me, though, nothing says I'm going to coat, soothe and relieve that stew of chorizo, jalapeno and horchata churning in your gut like a bottle of original pink. As soon as that thick sludge slides down your throat you know you're going to make it through the night... or your three and a half hour plane flight home. Believe me, don't leave home without this stuff.

11. Mosquito net: Light weight insurance against the longest, most miserable night of your life. I used mine on this trip and was snug, happy and extremely satisfied to see those sneaky little bastards bumping against it all night long. Hah.

Tip: Throw a shoe string or a short length of twine into your mozzie net's bag- you'll thank me when it comes time to hang that thing up.

12. Telescoping 8' fishing rod and reel set: All carbon, high quality travel rod. This thing's slick, made for legitimate fish handling and available at compactfishinggear.com I picked up the Mobistick, haven't used it yet but I'm excited to try it out.

About half way done with this stuff... Check back for more!

Mainland Mexico Paddle Surf Trip: My Gear...EXPOSED!!!

These next few posts are dedicated to the gearheads out there... those who love to anyalyze, re-analyze and over analyze equipment and its performance. I'm flying out of here tomorrow for ten days of surfing the left points and reefs of mainland Mexico. Here's a breakdown of my travel kit.

If you're a gear nut you're going to dig this- I give a play-by-play description of what I bring and why. If you're the kind of guy who jams it all into a duffel and sleeps in your board bag you'll be bored to tears. The best part of this whole deal? By the time you see this I'll be 30,000' in the air sinking in to my second beer... enjoy!



1. FCS Leashes: I'm not sponsored by these guys- in fact I pay full retail (well close to full retail- SurfHut, the local surf shop helps me out on equipment) so I've got no bias when I say that these are the BEST stand up leashes that I've used. Check out the yellowing one with the black core, it's survived two trips down to mainland- that's almost a month of continuous (three session a day) use.

That particular leash is battle tested. I've trusted it in double overhead surf where it's been stretched to twice it's length. I've treated it bad, it lives in the open bed of my truck- I just chuck it in the back after each surf. And still, like Old Yeller (pre-rabies) it's never let me down. I've used the others and have reached a verdict: FCS leashes win hands down.

Here's a tip: Buy a new leash before each trip, be sure to switch out your old leash string with new one that comes with your fresh leash- when it gets gnarly, you'll be happy- and so will your board.

2. Patagonia Paddler Trunks: These are basically the only trunks that I own- I've got five pairs of them. If you're like me, meaning you possess a basically square, Torso-Man physique, these are your trunks. They are the most comfortable, durable, best-fitting trunks I've ever had. The inseams are cut a little bit shorter than normal so you don't look like some gangster-vato with your trunks hanging down to mid-shin. The best part is that the trunks have a hanging inner polyester liner (no, it's not a mesh brief-type liner like the shorts you wore in fifth grade) that allows the shorts to slide over your upper leg when your moving around.

Hot tip: Buy the solid black or the dark blue patterned trunks- the dark colors hides guacamole stains, beer dribbles and fish blood. The light green ones look good (I've got a pair) but they get dirty fast and don't stand up to the trunks-as-a-napkin for all meals test. On my two week trip I brought just two pairs of these (and one pair of "go home" shorts but we'll deal with that later)... and wore them the whole time- they're that good.

3. Short sleeve button up shirts: In the tropics, tee-shirts turn into sweat soaked, clingy layers of cotton insulation. If you want to stay cool you need to take advantage of evaporative cooling- and for that function, shirtsleeves are the way to go. Standard wear for me is my white Guayabera- this one's a total crack up. Think more Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray's excellent King Pin character) than Don Johnson; it's got embroidered roses, white on white, running down the front of the thing. Cheesy? Completely. But totally comfortable and there's no better way to fade into the back ground than to sport one while chugging a Ballena at the taco stand.

Hot tip: Throw in a long sleeve version to keep the sun off your arms and the mozzies off your back.

Check back for more (I'm hoping to update from the road).

The Poke Wrap: It ain't sushi.

Recipe for the Poke Wrap: 1 tablespoon of down the line speed, 2 cups of slopey little shoulder, 1 pinch of a carbon fiber paddle, 1 cup of a nice, light round-tail, 9'4" stand up board... preferably caught that day.



Step 1. Get in one last pump before you fly out onto the shoulder, drift up the face and POKE your blade down into the lip.



Step 2. Transfer weight back and onto the tail and crank that sucker around.



Step 3. Let the fins catch and ride it out.



Step 4. Voila! The Poke Wrap...bon apetit!

The BEST I've seen: Atilla/Paddle Surf Hawaii Video Clip

I ran across this YouTube video on The Stand Up Zone. I was stoked. This is the kind of stand up surfing video that I've wanted to see: clean, smooth ripping... no gimmick turns, no flapping- just flowing and carving. The surfer, Atilla, is on a 9'3" Paddlesurf Hawaii ripper series stand up board- the guy is just killing it. Check it out:



I dig this guy's surfing. First of all, he makes average surf look good and his surfing makes you want to see what's going to happen next. In this little clip, Atilla gives us a primer on good, solid, stylish stand up surfing. And there are lessons to be learned. Here's a few we could all benefit from:

1. Variety: Repeating the same paddle-plant-snap turn get's old when you just do it over and over as you go down the line. It's boring. Here, as Atilla works the wave, he pulls every turn out of the bag: paddle to the inside, paddle to the outside, no paddle cutbacks, snaps, carves and controlled slides. His surfing is expressive not formulaic. Each session, force yourself to work on different types of turns- mix it up and you'll be tearing it up.

2. A quiet paddle is a good paddle. There are flat spots in waves that may call for a little paddle assist to power you through- Atilla even paddles his way through a couple dead zones. But what he doesn't do is repetitively shovel water through the entire wave. Notice that when a juicy little section pops up, his paddle stops moving? Atilla lets board, fin and body motion make speed on the wave- this is called surfing and watching a good surfer work the face of the wave, finding the speed line and flowing with it is mesmerizing. Don't distract from the act let the section develop and smooth your way through it.

3. Patience is a ripper's virtue. Watch Atilla as he sets a rail on a cutback (particularly the no-paddle-assist turns). You'll see that he waits for the board to carve completely around until he's wrapped it all the way into the whitewash. The ability to wait for a turn and follow it all the way through to completion makes his surfing look extraordinary. How many times have you seen turns aborted halfway or even a quarter of the way through? There is no faster way to develop a herky-jerky style than to chop your turns short. Waiting on the wrap will feel wrong at first, you'll think you've overextended yourself, but, trust me, no one thing makes the act of surfing look fuller and more robust than a fully committed and completed turn. Those full turns require patience- get some.

4. Less is more. Sometimes Atilla flows through a section without doing anything. Watch him. Up pops a section and with a simple pump off the bottom he'll do more with less and go straight through it! No top turn, no helicopter spin, just a clean line straight through. Taming your inner spaz takes maturity. At times, the act of surfing is just being there and letting it happen around you. You don't have to rip and tear the whole thing- the whole way. Taking it easy now and then builds that character that we call "flow" - the lateral linking and projecting that smooths out your surfing and gives it indescribeable visual appeal. It stems from the conscience decision to just let it happen- as they say... let it go.

Think I've got these elements wired? No way- but I know what I'm going to work on next time I paddle out. Do you?

Stand up paddle surf lessons in sunny San Diego! Give us a call (619.213.6622) or email john@paddlesurf.net and we'll get you started. Click here for more information. Do it NOW!

How To: Hit the lip on your forehand

Hitting the lip is super fun- especially when you've built up a bunch of speed and you see a little close out section coming at you; that little mushball is just asking to get smacked around! So hit it!

Here's how you do it:

1. Get some speed. Come off the bottom and project down the line- no bogwan bottom turns here! You've got to drive off the bottom by dropping your ass and getting some spring out of your legs- get those fins working for you... power 'em up! Stiff leg bottom turn are only cool if you're soul arching through the pit at Pipe- everyone else should loosen up and get JAMMING!

2. Take aim. Look for a little vertical section or an oncoming ball of whitewash coming toward you, now put the cross hairs on it and bounce off the bottom up towards it.



Smack the shitake out of that!

3. Hit it. As you see the lip approaching, bend your knees, release your inside rail and spring up, pushing your board up the face and into the lip. Yep, the timing and coordination of this part of the trick makes it the toughest part of the whole thing... this is where practice makes perfect. The bottom of your board should smack the lip with a satisfying slap. Schwack!

4. Redirect. Don't come off the bottom staring at the lip the whole way- if you do, you'll end up jamming up into the lip but you won't be able to complete the move by bringing the board back down. As you throw your board into the lip, you should already be turning your head back down. Look away from the lip to the trough of the wave, spot where you want to finish the turn. Look to where you want to go... this is a HUGE piece of good advice.



Land that lipper! Look to where you want to go, and you'll go there.

5. Arms. As you get better at this trick you'll want to work your arms into the equation, they'll help put more power and flow into the smack. Keep it simple, the quieter your upper body the better the move will look. As you come off the apex of the turn, try to push your back arm across your body. The move is like trying to reach across your own body, your forearm should cross in front of your chest. Remember, less is always more- try not to flail like a spastic chicken.

6. Legs. These boards are big- even the small ones, so the more muscle you can put into the turn the better. Don't be afraid to try to push through the turn with your back leg. If you hit it just right, you'll exit with more speed than you entered.



Push through the turn and exit with more speed than you entered with.

7. Timing is key- you want to hit the lip at just the moment that it detaches from the face of the wave. How do you learn to do this? Practice it everytime you go for a surf, watch videos of the good guys working 'em over. Not just SUP surfers either, watch the shortboard pros, pause, rewind and slow it all down. Dissect the motion. Visualize yourself doing it- then get out there and try it.

Good Luck!

Making a Go Pro Paddle Cam: The easy way

The paddle cam mount gives you the most options for snapping pictures or shooting video with the Go Pro camera. By putting your paddle in different positions, you can snap all kinds of photos from many different angles. Don't be surprised if a few of your photos blow your mind- especially when you get creative with where you move the camera and how you hold the paddle.



It's also the most convenient configuration for triggering the camera. Since the housing is only an arm's length away, starting the camera is simply a matter of reaching out and pushing the button- which is much nicer than having to jump off your board, swim to the front (or back) and start (and stop) your Go Pro. In this post I'll explain how I set up my paddle cam mount, hopefully you'll have as much fun with it as I have.



To make the paddle cam mount the quick and easy way, you'll need a couple of tools. First, if you don't have a pair of tin shears like this, go buy some. They're only a few bucks at Home Depot and you'll end up using them on all kinds of projects- they're in my top five list for favorite hand tools. Shears like these will make cutting the white, self-adhesive, Go Pro nose mount easy and safe. If you don't want to drop the bucks for shears you can probably use a sharp serrated knife but be careful, and don't let your wife see you cutting plastic with her good knife!



Next, you'll need two or three zip ties. While you're at Home Depot buying the shears, walk over to the electrical department and buy a bunch of zip ties- they've got a million uses. A good set of needle nose pliers will come in handy for snugging the ties up and for nipping off the tail once you've cinched them down.



Okay, the first thing you're going to do is mentally come to terms with the idea that you are going to destroy the white, self-adhesive, nose mount that came with your camera. Don't worry, you can always buy another one (Go Pro has replacement kits). Rest easy in knowing that, with a little practice, you'll be able to get better nose-type shots with your paddle cam then with that disk mount. Plus, it looks dumb on the front of your board and it'll probably fall off someday anyway.

Here's what you do: Take your shears and cut down along each side of the camera mount on the white disk. What you'll end up with is a thin strip (a little wider than the shaft of your paddle) with the self adhesive tape on one side and the mount on the other.



Next, make four notches in the modified white disk/strip. Each set of notches should be about an inch from each end of the disk/strip. The notches will anchor the zip ties to the disk/strip once you've snugged them around the shaft of your paddle.

Now peel the backing off the tape and stick the disk/strip to the shaft. I put my camera about four inches above the neck of the paddle on the powerface side of the blade. Slip two zip ties around the shaft and snug them up nice and tight- be sure that they are seated in the notches that you made in the disk/strip.

A couple of paddle cam tips:

1. If you're disk has lost some of its tackiness and starts slipping around you can stick some 3M VHB tape on the back of it and reapply it to the shaft of the paddle. You can buy the VHB tape at an auto parts store (I go to AutoZone), it's sold as "Moulding Tape" in the car body section.

2. I use a third zip tie to attach the camera's lanyard to the shaft of the paddle as a safety line.

3. Nope the camera doesn't interfere with paddling at all. As a matter of fact, after a while you don't even realize that it's there.

4. For Californians, get up early and shoot when the sun's coming up- you'll get much better shots with low angle light. This is the magic hour- good stuff happens early!

Now get out there and send me some good ones!

Stand up paddle surf lessons in San Diego. Come paddle with me in beautiful, flat water conditions. If you've been thinking about learning how to stand up paddle, now's the time to do it! Summer is right around the corner. Give me a call at 619.213.6622 or email me (john@paddlesurf.net) and I'll get you out and paddling. Click here for more information about lessons and for customer testimonials.