Beach Breaks can be Real Fun! But Sometimes...

Editor's note: I am happy to say that there will be a wider perspective at play here on paddlesurf.net. If you haven't noticed, there have been posts put up by writers other than me... JWall, Big Chad, MdJ and others who've contacted me with a desire to share the stoke... and that's great! Today's post is the first of what I hope will be many reports from the East Coast. I've asked Capt. Ron to come aboard as an East Coast contributor and I'm sure he'll unleash some of his crusty wisdom onto these internet pages- and some radically cool photos, just like the ones posted below. Check it out:

A beach break can make you start thinking maybe I should have stayed home and cut the grass or boy the garage sure does need cleaning out. Hurricane Bill Photos: New Smyrna Beach, Fl. Photos are by a good friend of mine Kem Mcnair during Hurricane Bill Swell.
Peace, Capt Ron

Did I remember to pay up my life insurance? This one might leave a mark... Click on this pic so you get a full view of whats going on. How much cussing would you do?



Maybe I should have washed the car today...



Yeah back in New York We always do off the lips in our 40ft P.O.S. Searay on 15ft breaking swells with the whole family on board. Unreal!!! Look at the guys in the forground duck diving for scale.



Where the boat is is Standup heaven when there is at least a 4ft swell running its 3/4 mile offshore and you can bring one all the way through. We call that spot Shark Shallows mostly because of all the sharks out there and its shallow. But be careful on a lunar out going tide you may end up 5 miles offshore.

Surf Check: Heat Wave.

We get heat waves here in Southern California. In San Diego, it's not so bad. We just open up all of the windows and doors, turn on the fans and move slow. If you reach the boiling point you pull the rip cord; grab the bike and bolt for the beach.

You want real summer heat? You look for that in August, on the floor of the San Fernando Valley, somewhere near Sutter and Winnetka. You'll find it. The Valley get's frickin' hot. Spend time in that devil's cauldron and you'll leave with your scrotum so sweaty and pliable that it'll span your thigh-gap like a diaphanous curtain of warm bubble gum. That's hot, sticky hot.

And if you find yourself stewing in that pit? There's nothing to do but head west. Run the canyons and blow out onto the Malibu coast. Take that instant temperature drop right in the face. Bring your board. You never know, you might get lucky and find yourself in the front row of a full on California summer classic: high pressure blue skies, south swell. Time it right and it'll be a weekday which means you're paddling out to Secos with just a couple of other guys in the water. There might even be a late summer south pushing some head high screamers across the Body rock and into the cove.

The heat's my compass. When it gets hot, I head for water- things tend to get much better from that point forward.

Fun little south swell in town

Jammed down to the beach and got a session in from 10am - 11am today. Fun little, southern hemisphere runners- mostly closing out but the water was warm (trunked it) and there were enough open sections to throw it up into the lip. Grabbed my little hour session and then jammed back to work. Not a bad way to go:



Photo: Play catch or smack the lip- your choice!

Stand up paddle surf lessons in sunny San Diego! Get off your behind and get paddling. Click here for more information!



Photo: Chilling after a marathon session... dog's life!

The Ultimate Stand Up Paddle Vehicle

Sprinter Van? Please- every lemming's got one. Turbo-diesel, 4x4 Sportmobile... gauche- and so 2002. Ferrari... are you serious?

Here's what I'd roll:



'76 Dodge Tradesman. Midnight black with electric blue pinstriping. Fender flares and mags.




Bubbled out tear drop window, custom roof rack, sunroof and best of all....




GET DOWN TONITE! Matching custom, one-off, airbrush on both sides with matching wheel cover spray (see first photo). Tell me there's an 8-track in that baby with a bed and shag carpet. And I bet there's even room in there for my 9'4". Other rides may have the flash but this cat's got SOUL... And what do you want to bet the owner's a goofy foot....yeah. GET DOWN TONITE!

Beach Shots

New south rolling into town. Here's a couple photos from the last one to get you revved up for what's knockin' on tomorrow's door. Check 'em:



Big Chad comin' around the corner...



and hitting the Eject button.



A flash of purple.



Wishful thinking.

New Stand Up Paddle Surf Lessons Page

Greetings new stand up paddlers! Contact me (john@paddlesurf.net) for a great private stand up paddle lesson. Read below for additional information and testimonials about my lessons- let's get out and learn to SUP!

Stand up paddle lessons are a great way to get started on the right foot, learn about the equipment and have fun. Here in San Diego, the water's warm and flat- perfect for taking your first strokes on a stand up board. Be sure to click here and scroll down to read testimonials from stoked clients. Check it out:



Private Stand Up Paddle Lessons in Sunny Beautiful San Diego! Email: john@paddlesurf.net or 619.213.6622



Meet your instructor: John Ashley



Let's get out and paddle! I feel like I've been a teacher my whole life. I've lived and worked on Catalina Island teaching students how to sail and windsurf and have progressed to teaching Advanced Placement Chemistry, Marine Science and Biology in my high school classroom. Although the subjects may have changed, one thing has remained constant- I'm dedicated to showing others how to have fun and learn at the same time.



For the last few years I've been putting eager students onto stand up paddle boards. It's been really satisfying watching students learn all of the basics necessary to paddle safely and successfully. I've spent hours dissecting paddling and board handling techniques and have successfully adapted them for instruction. Developing the techniques into a cohesive, intuitive lesson has been challenging, rewarding and fun. I hope you'll give me a chance to introduce you to stand up paddle surfing- I'm hopelessly hooked and I know you will be too. Click here for more information about the lessons and for testimonials from my clients.



Learn to stand up paddle surf with us here in beautiful San Diego! We specialize in private instruction. We are not a "Surf School" clone-farm latching onto the next thing to come along- we are dedicated stand up paddlers, stoked to share our passion with you.



Stop dreaming about it and do it! We're ready to get you on the water and paddling today.

Stand Up Paddle Surf Lesson 1 Flat Water Paddling: This lesson is our best, most comprehensive, stand up paddle lesson. Our goal is to provide you with the basic techniques needed to safely paddle a stand up board. You will leave the lesson with all the skills necessary to paddle with confidence and safety. The lesson will last 1.5 hours and is packed with information. The lesson fee is $100/paddler, all equipment except wetsuit (often not required) is provided.



In Lesson 1 you will learn correct stroke technique, how to turn the board using four different paddle techniques, foot placement and stance, and, importantly, how to self rescue. In addition we'll discuss board selection and paddle sizing. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have about stand up paddling and am always available as a stand up paddle information resource.


The entire lesson is conducted in calm, flat waters. It is important for new paddlers to begin in relatively tranquil conditions. These conditions allow us to focus on the important elements of board, paddle and stroke. As a beginner, you can never get enough flat water paddle time. The more you paddle the better you get!

A word of advice: If you choose to paddle with one of the many San Diego "surf schools" who've tacked stand up paddle onto their menu of offerings be sure to ask where your lesson will take place. You will get the most out of your lesson if it is NOT an open water/ocean paddling lesson. Your first lesson should absolutely be conducted on flat, protected waters. Spend your time learning the basic skills necessary to build a solid paddling foundation- don't waste your time and money just learning to balance on the board... insist on a flatwater lesson!

The fee for Lesson 1 is $100/person. The lesson lasts an hour and a half with the majority of this time spent on the water. All equipment except a wetsuit (only needed in the winter) is provided.

Email: john@paddlesurf.net or 619.213.6622 please send dates and times that you'd like to paddle, I'll check them against the Lesson Calender for availability and get you set to paddle.

Click here for testimonials.

Schneider SurfBoards: Stuki model wood lam... nice!

Here's a board my friend Stuki's been getting super stoked on. This one's a 10'0 x 30" x 4.25" wood laminated Schneider Surfboards nose rider.



The wood lamination thing is a trip. The guys who do it use a big plastic bag that covers the whole shaped blank. The bag is then sealed and attached to an evacuation pump. The whole contraption is a called a vacuum bag because you suck the air out of the plastic bag creating a "hole" in the atmosphere that's called a vacuum.



If you create a vacuum, the atmosphere will press against it (at about 16lbs per square inch!) equally from all sides, across the entire surface, creating a perfect, form fitting, compressive sleeve.



If you were going to use the vacuum bag to laminate a wood veneer onto a blank you'd place the veneer over the blank before evacuating the air from the bag. The atmospheric pressure pushing against the bag presses the veneer of wood onto the shaped foam core. The result is a foam core with a perfectly pressed wood veneer wrapped around it. Vacuum bags are such cool pieces of equipment. I frickin' love applied science.

Stuki should be back from his cross country paddle trip in the next couple of weeks... I'll try to squeeze a review out of him.

8'10 Joe Blair For Sale: In San Diego- snap it up!

I've paddled this one. Pretty unbelievable that it can float and paddle a big boy like me (235lbs). I didn't get a chance to surf it but it's got a nice feel to it and I think it's probably a nice surfing stand up board. Here's your chance to get into a shorter stand up relatively cheap- I think Eric (eghoffman@hotmail.com)is looking for something in the neighborhood of 800 bucks for it. The board's sound and at that price I think it's a good deal. Grab it!

So I got to thinking: Dream Quiver

How great would it be to have the funds to, all at once, order a complete quiver of stand up boards? Here's what mine would look like:

1. I'd order two replacement Stamps Vikings- that shape is my daily driver, bread and butter board. Both of the boards would be 9'4"s (I'd leave the other dimensions in the hands of the guy who knows best- the shaper) shaped as carbon copies of each other. Of course they'd have to be sprayed Mahi-style. I'd leave one down in Southern Baja at my friend Tim's resort- that board would be stored and ready for surgical surf strikes when the chubascos start whirling in the early Fall.

2. There would definitely be room for a nice, light, nose rider. The shape that you'd want to ride on those high tide, chest high days when the waves are a little bit full. I'd go for a 10' Ninja model with the new single bump/round tail; a larger version of the board that Farmer Dave was ripping on in the Mainland Mex video. This one would be the call when you felt like walking the nose and throwing down smooth turns. It's definitely be a fun one to have around and I could see it getting some solid use.



Photo: Spork's got a dream quiver all figured out- the details of his collection are a little sketchy. But one thing is for certain, there'll be a lot of noses in that rack.

3. For those big water, winter days I'd like to pick up a 12', relatively heavy Viking Reef Cruiser. This would be the board I'd chose for catching the big, outside rollers that come steaming through in the winter months. The key on this one would be to keep it pretty beefy. On waves with a lot of push and built in speed, a bigger, heavier board gets you in earlier and builds speed like a locomotive. All that inertia just powers through the chop and smooths out the ride when you get going really fast. I'd like to see the tail pretty foiled too- giving the thing some bite off the bottom.

4. Finally, I'd pick up one of those Grim Rippers. If you ever get a chance to see one in person, you'll want one too. They look too fun to pass up. I'd go with something in the 8'6" range and I'd definitely go with a quad set up. I think on shorter stand up boards the quad really starts to work- maybe on the shorter boards you can get your foot back over the fins to power them up properly. The shorter stand ups are whole different take on the stand up game- I think they may be particularly suited to the pop-up peak, take-off-and-jam conditions that we get down here on the beach breaks. In any event, I'd be stoked to pull one out now and then.

That's my dream quiver- what's yours?

Stamps 7'6" Grim Ripper

I try to just drive on by when I know I'm getting close. The place is like the Death Star though- the tractor beam is too powerful. And just like Darth, the dude inside can be wickedly cruel...

"You're going to want to see this little 7'6" I'm padding up right now". Are you kidding me? A simple Jedi mind-trick is all it takes to get me veering off the southbound 405 and down the Westminster offramp. Resist? Yeah right- my mind's too weak. And Stamps? Yoda called it, "The force is strong in this one." Check out this hot new stick:



Somebody in HB is going to be really happy, really soon.



I know for sure this one's 7'6" the other dimensions were something like 28.5" wide x 3.75" thick... I think.



Hand grips on every board and Monster Deck Grip up on the nose... check the size on this thing... this is a little carving tool!



Super clean... and curvy!



If big Luke Egan can rip quads on the short stand-o so can you!



The trade mark Stamps airbrush getting cleaned up and acrylic sealed. Sweet.

Back to the fun stuff: Bring back these days...

Not too much to surf lately. Wind's been on it, swells too west and lined up. Here's a flash back to a couple of late spring sessions- water was cold but the waves were clean. And really fun. Check it out:



Pinky on his standard issue 11'6" Isle stand up boards quad fin. Clean cruising.



I don't have much to say about these two shots- except, "Please send more!"



Ready to do this? Learn to stand up paddle surf in sunny San Diego, California! Call John at 619.213.6622 or email john@paddlesurf.net Need more information about me and the lessons? Click here.

The JWall Report: SUP-ROW!

Editors Note: I'm picking up contributors to the blog. This set of photos is the first in a series of now-and-then-posts from Jeff Wallis, we're calling it The JWall Report. If you're not familiar with JWall, he's the photog. who's been responsible for all the surf shots on BeachSURF (if you haven't clicked over, you should, lots of good stuff- some paddle surfing shots, some surfing lots of beach life mania). JWall's earned the right to be a contributor- here's his first post:

Ok this thread is titled SUP-ROW, Stand Up Paddler-Right Of Way! It seems that the stand up guys catch a bunch of flack on occassion for hogging waves and what not. So in their defense this 4 shot sequence (CLEARLY) shows that the SUP guy is already in the wave and surfing, while the Longboarder is trying to get into the wave and as a result causes the ENDO! I rest my case cuz the pics tell the entire story!

Lip Chuckin': Schwack!

Are you here for lessons? Click here!

Sometimes you just need to hit it.



This is what you don't want to see if you're ducking this wave- that's a big boy getting ready to ride the roof.



Land it and ride away. Easy, right?

Pedal to the metal

If at all possible, go fast.



Kiwi, front footed and driving.



The best thing about accumulating speed is scrubbing it off.

Meaty: Here's a couple more photos from the last swell...

Big Chad Report: Chad posted these up but didn't write captions so I'll fill 'em in... all photos from Kylie K. Check 'em out:


Kiwi, 9'6" Stu Kenson Zapper, late, pulled it. Rad.


John Tomolsoff: about to take it to the back of the head- just after he buckled his 9'0 Stamps Viking. Double ouch.


Big Chad streaking on his Viking... nice paddle position.

New Stamps 11'0": I'm getting that new board itch...

Lessons? Click here

Tom Ray Jr. over on the east coast just sent me those photos of a brand new 11'0" Stamps he just had shipped over. For the record, seeing all these new boards is killing me. I'm getting that itch, that little irritation that screams, "hide your wallet now!". That feeling that if I make the drive up to the Stamps board factory, I'm going to do something that will test the bounds of that thing that my wife calls, "trust".

Anyways, here's what Tom Ray had to say about his freshly ordered stick:

John, this is my 3rd board from Tim. 1st one was the 10’6” in the video of your brother's Viking getting glassed ( orange/green ). Got this one blown up to 11’0” to keep in Maryland at my buddy's place ( I am in Florida). I like the 10’6” a bunch and wanted something a little bit bigger due to the fact that normally its full suit time when I get up there. It'll be used for beach break conditions. Have not surfed it yet but got some paddling in on it and it for sure is a keeper. Can’t go wrong with a Stamps !!!!

Thanks, bro, you're KILLING me!



I think Stamps calls this style of paint job the Mahi-effect. As far as I'm concerned, it's so bitchin' it's a must have when you order one up from him- almost like a trademark of radicalness.



Really, really cool. I'd love to expand my quiver with one of these, maybe in a 10'0 and a fresh Vike- something in the 9'0 range... or possible a Grim Ripper.... or maybe the new winged round tail....or....or.... I've got problems.

Cranking Surf and a Happy Birthday Wish from Nici

Kind of a mixed bag today. Here's a couple of photos of it going off down here on the beach. And we've got a Birthday wish from Nici (Scroll Down!). Check it out:



The main event down here at ground zero.



Curiously empty.

Here's a birthday wish to a soon-to-be stand up paddler down here in San Diego:

Happy Birthday, Bear!! Here's to our California adventure. May it be the first of many in our new home. I love you!

Nici

Stand up paddle lessons in sunny San Diego! Let me know when you're ready to learn to stand up paddle! Email: john@paddlesurf.net or 619.213.6622

The KIWI Files

Lessons? Click here.

Kiwi snagged some good ones during the last swell on his Stu Kenson Zapper Quad.



Left hander in front of a terrestrial and amphibian peanut gallery. Handling.

Kiwi's a good example of a paddle surf ambassador. The guy's always moving around, never taking a wave from the same peak twice. If he grabs a bomb off the pier he'll paddle half way back, take a seat and watch a set or two roll through. During the peak of the last swell, the guy parked himself way off the main event and still snagged some good ones. Good behavior goes a long way too- I've seen short board surfers call him into waves. Give to get... that's a good way to be in the water- no matter what you're riding (lesson I learned from the comments in my last post).

Are you for stand up paddle? Call me for stand up paddle lessons in sunny San Diego! 619.213.6622 or john@paddlesurf.net For more info check this out.