Paddle SURF shot of the day: Kiwi Krankin' it

Here's one more from last weekend's photo session. Kiwi cruised over and snagged a pretty meaty one. What you should know is that Manny is shooting with a wide angle lens in a water housing and that the lens is only effective at about three feet- so think about how close Kiwi is to Manny on this one. Given the fact that stand up paddle blades and fins are nice and scalpel sharp, you start to understand why Manny always wears a helmet when he's shooting. 

Kind of cool checking out the nastiness rumbling right behind him. Photo: www.mannyvphoto.com

Stand Up Paddle Lessons: I've been teaching folks how to get out and paddle for almost six years now. Every summer my calender starts getting booked with first-time and returning friends who all want to get out and learn how to stand up paddle safely and effectively. If you'd like to give it a shot click this link to my lesson and testimonial page and read about what I've been doing down here. I'm really happy with the lesson I've developed over those six years and the techniques that I've applied from my sixteen year teaching background. Sure you can find some kid who took a "certification class" and got a cool patch from one of the freshly minted qualifying agencies but it will take them years to ever figure out how to become an effective educator. Why wait? Let's get out and paddle now!

Paddle Board Surf Attack: Kiwi getting in to a fun one!

It pretty much all came together this weekend- sunshine, fun south swell in the water and Kiwi there on his paddleboard to snag a few- and, oh yeah, Manny Vargas there to snap it from water. Check this one out:

What would you do to that section just down the line?

Paddleboard Shaper: This is the guy who makes my boards, Part III

Listen closely, kids, about craftsmanship.

Custom Paddleboard/Custom Paint Job = Rad.

Check the spray on Jon Kinley's custom Infinity paddlesurf board- even matches his Vans. Nice work!

Order a custom board and you get to have it painted any way that you like...

And have it configured any way that you'd like- check out the absence of a screw type fin box in the middle- Jon's riding smaller fins as a thruster. Interesting!

San Diego's Premier SUP Race: To Benefit the Wounded Warrior Project

I was just sent this by my friends at Isle Surfboards. The guys are organizing and hosting a major race here in San Diego, September 22nd. The race will be called America's Finest Paddle Race and it's being held to benefit a truly noble cause, The Wounded Warrior Project. Since this is my home town and I'd love to meet all 153 of you who have become FOLLOWERS of this humble blog I am inviting you to join me for the race.

Click here for more information about the race.

Look for me at either the first buoy turn where I will be bringing up the tail end of the pack (to ensure that everybody is wearing SUP approved PFDs and that proper "Mast to Beam" right of way calls are being made at the turn around point) or at the beer garden where I will be hosting a seminar titled, "Fact or Phallus: My stando is smaller than yours which automatically makes me rad". If all else fails, bring a cup for a covert cocktail (not a red solo cup, duh!), tell me what your sign in name is as a FOLLOWER of the blog and I will personally mix up my infamous Kraken7 for you on the shores of Liberty Station.

I have information for any of you out there who might want to become involved as a sponsor for this event. Email me: john@paddlesurf.net and I'll hook you up.

Look forward to seeing you there and please do let me know if you are coming for the race: john@paddlesurf.net

Stand Up Paddle Racing: Smile, you've just become irrelevant!

Just got back from the premier, stand up paddle, lake race- the Tahoe Nalu and there is one giant take-away message for me and all of the SUP racing world: You don't matter anymore. Now just wait a minute. I can just hear all the crying and whining from all you 5% bodyfat, acai-eating, coconut water drinking, protein huffing, gluten free, serious athletes out there- don't get your compression leggings in a bunch. What I'm talking about will actually make you smile. You are irrelevant because, from what I witnessed first hand, it's the kids- and I'm talking the little, below grade 3 grommets out there that are going to really put this sport on the map. 

Stand Up Paddling's Future: It's looking bright.

Picture this: the big-show, ten mile race commences with certified racing superstars all blasting off into the big blue of lake Tahoe. You've got some of the nation's fastest stand up paddle racers out there- and one crazed Aussie paddler, Jamie Mitchell, who just happens to be a legend in the sport of prone paddle racing- a legitimate world celebrity among watermen; all of them churning away, leaving us behind, racing off to some distant, unseen buoy. Yawn. It didn't get exciting until the end of the race when Mitchell outsmarted the other guy (see what I mean?) and high legged it through the shallows like some hyperkinetic bronzed aussie lifeguard clubbie- taking the win. Again.

Contrast that to the below-8 grom race. The shore? Packed with soccer, er- I mean paddle, moms and dads all hooting and hollering like a Nascar mob storming the Budweiser tent. The crowd was three deep as the mini-paddlers fought it out for their one lap of glory. And this was no "fun" race either- these kids came to win, shaking and baking and showing some surprisingly enviable paddle form as they fought it out. You think you've got skills busting a buoy pivot turn on your stock racer? Try it when you're only four feet tall- and these kids were doing it! You want to talk about smiles? You want to talk about engagement? This was it! This was the excitement that I was looking for up there. 

Buoy pivot turn, smiling all the way.

And it also left me with one conclusion: Stand Up paddle in all of it's forms, surfing, racing, cruising, river, pool, mudhole, whatever- it is really here to stay. Because when you see kids paddling the way that I did and realize that they will grow up with stand up paddling, that surfing a stand up board may be their first taste of wave riding ever and thus seem as natural a way to ride a wave as coasting in on a boogie board, you realize that current biases toward our sport are doomed. It's not if stand up paddle will make it to the Olympics but when, it's not if stand up paddle surfers will carve out a place in the lineup but how far and in what new and fresh way will they push surfing's limits. 

And all of this means that we are irrelevant. We may have paved the way but we won't be the ones to develop stando to it's full potential. Except for Jamie Mitchell but he's a freak.

The nail that stands up...

You stand up, you stand out. No two ways about it, if you paddle out on a stando, you're going to cause controversy. There will be a buzz in the lineup and you will be at the epicenter of it. 

Yesterday I paddled out to surf a really good left freight training through our pier from the south. I guess little Miss Summer must have read yesterday's post and decided she'd hike her skirt up a little and see if she could win me back (it worked, I'm so fickle). Predictably, the spot was packed with every conceivable type of wave rider, old barnacle to bearded hand-plane hippy, all of us wanted a spot out there and even more, all of us were crazy to get a wave. 

Standing out among the giants.

It definitely wasn't harmonious. There were cut-off, cut-outs, hack-jobs and just plain thievery going down out there. The sponger riders were hovering on the inside like a horde of jackals at a Serengeti potluck, slurping up every little scrap of a wave and leaving nothing to the bodysurf vultures  hovering around the perimeter. It was like watching sailfish go through a sardine bait ball, where the only thing that drifts into the deep are scales; there was not a single wave that made it to the shore unmolested.

Desperation makes you do weird things and with a summer that's left me wave starved, I thought it made perfect sense to insert my flesh and foam into that swirling mosh pit of a take off spot. All the chimpanzee-like jibber-jabbering came to a halt as I did the worst thing a paddlesurfer can do at a crowded spot- I went straight through the crowd right to the top of the peak. Basically, I cut the line. Eyes swung up at me from way down below, boogy boarders stopped scrabbling and went into a hover mode, placidly kicking their fins like ducks waiting for a wad of wonder bread, the group collectively inhaled. And then it came, one loud clear heckle from the alpha male, the head hyena, "Hey, John, did you bring your dust pan with that broom?". Man, that shook loose a tirade of comments, some barely audible, some loud enough for even the sunburned Arizona heat-refugees on the pier to hear just fine. My favorite was a nice, clear, succinct, "Get the f$#k out of here!". It was like a perfect Hemingway sentence, nothing more, nothing less needed- just one clean thought. 

There's nothing like a well aimed vulgarity to clear the senses. And there was no hiding because like the Chinese say, "The nail that stands up gets hammered down". Your existence comes to one point, the way you react says a lot about who you really are, all of your trials and tribulations, the life lessons you've endured, how happy you are with your place in the cosmos. And man, it's all about to blow up on the world stage with that vicious, little wave riding mob, sitting front row.

I flipped around, paddled right up to the big dog, the alpha male and said loud and clear for everyone to hear, "Dave, when you say things like that to me, it really hurts my feelings.". Jaws dropped, eyes went wide, body board ducklings stopped kicking and another deep, collective inhale was taken. It was silent. WTF did he just say?

Which gave me just enough of a diversion to bag that little southern-hemi, pier sucker and ride straight to the beach. After all, if you are going to stand out, a little well-timed stand up never hurts.

Breaking up.

I'm done with you summer. What a liar you were. You came in all fired up and calling for endless south swell peelers and what did we get? One solid, albeit classic, south swell that lasted for what? Two days? You were a one shot wonder. Summer you are fired- I'm over you. Where's Fall? Now that's a season that understands my needs.

Photo: Mannyvphoto.com

How to stand up paddle surf: Bottom Turn II - projection.

If you've ever watched a good surfer in really bad conditions, you've probably been impressed with the speed they are able to make in what looks like mushy nothingness. These guys (and gals) have mastered the art of projecting out of their bottom turns and are using every little cup of a wave surface to bounce out of. If you learn how to load and unload your springs (legs) and push off of the bottom, you'll find your surfing improving significantly as you develop the ability to generate speed. And, as we all know, speed is life!

Want to see good projection? Check out Kelly Slater, look at the wave at about .49 and see how Slater zooms right by the guy ripping him off. The Snake muddles through a couple of turns, no projection. The 11x Champ, weighting and unweighting out of his turns, easily passes him by- lots of projection.

I'm assuming in this piece that you already know how to read a wave and make the decision to turn left or right on it. I'm also assuming that you've got the basics of actually redirecting the board figured out. I'm thinking that what you are looking for is a way to add some vitality to your riding- you want to go from slow cruiser to dynamic ripper, bouncing from section to section, carving with speed and flow. Sounds good right? Well, the key then is projection. 

The Basics: First, as you drop down a wave face, bend your knees so that you are compressing your body like a coiled spring. Your legs are going to pump like two pistons, firing in unison when you lay your board over off the bottom. Get those legs primed and ready to explode- the only way for them to do this is to have them bent. Straight legs can't pump. The second part takes a lot of practice, you've got to develop your timing and you've got to know your board and how it turns. Basically, in one fluid move, as you hit maximum velocity on your way down the face, simultaneously extend your legs and un-compress your body out of the turn. Imagine yourself jumping forward, pushing off the surface of the board. Your body, the spring, has uncoiled and you are unweighting yourself and the board- allowing it to bounce out of the turn. This is what we call projecting.

Basically, you are weighting (compressing as you drop in) and un-weighting (uncoiling off the bottom) the board through your bottom turn. If you've ever watched skaters or snowboarders in a half-pipe, you can see them doing the same thing; compacting their body as they drop down the half pipe then driving their legs and unweighting as they project up the opposite side. 

A couple of tips. Turn your head and look to where you want to go, your body will go where the eyes are looking- so look far down the line and you will get there. Work on your timing. The better you get at synchronizing the driving pistons of your legs with the smooth lean and swoop of your bottom turn, the smoother the turn will look and the more projection you'll get out of the bottom turn. 

And finally, if you're doing it right, your legs should be worn out at the end of a long ride. If they ain't burnin' chances are you're not projecting.

Paddle Surf Trip: Mainland Mexico... Wave Farm!

Okay, of the stand up paddle vids that I've made, this might be my favorite of all time. It's the cast of characters that gets it on this one. There's Farmer Dave, Tim Stamps, Big Chad, Mark Wraight, Matt Wilson- shoot even my brother Mike makes a cameo in it. Best of all is the vibe you get from the flick- I can feel the mainland's heat right now. Check it out:


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How to stand up paddle surf: Bottom Turn, an introduction.

The bottom turn is the most important turn in surfing. That single turn sets up the whole rest of the wave. The move not only redirects you down the line but, when done correctly, sling-shots you into the next section with enough speed to crank a turn, outrun a closeout section (and make the wave) or set up for the tube. As with most things in surfing, there a million variations and approaches to take when you're coming off the bottom, it all depends on what your intentions are and what groove you're looking for that day. Feeling a little pissed off? Sink that rail and jam it through. Got a little rhythm and flow going? Nothing like extending a little soul arch arc out of the flats. There is, despite all this variation, a common component that all bottom turns possess- projection. If you can spring out of the turn and project down the line, your bottom turn, regardless of it's use and intention will look clean and dynamic.

Rail down, fins in and eyes looking tens of yards down the line- projection, the key to bouncing off the bottom!

Snapped in half: Surf Eats SUP

I'll let Kiwi explain in his own words:

"Don't really know what happened. Paddling out,surfer coming right at me, double wave( wind swell) shoulder to head high, waiting for surfer to see me knowing wave is coming. Brace and try and paddle up BIG white wash. Feel board hit me in the chest. Knocks wind out of me. Come up and unnamed surfer says dude your board snapped. I look around and sure enough it's done. He keeps talking to me but all I'm trying to do is breathe. Make it in only to get a glancing wack from a stingray. Never caught a wave. Went home got the other board and went back out and caught a couple. Sunday north side. Super fun waves. Shit happens. Will order a new one when my shaper is done with the U S Open. Life is good!!!!"

They don't live forever...

This has nothing to do with stand up paddle- but it's gnarly!

As some of you know, I'm a new dirtbike moto rider. I suck, I'm boring but I'm safe. Sometimes, however, it's not about you- someday, your number just comes up. Check out this moto rally racer and what he runs into- or what runs into him on his way to the finish line.... gnarly!!!

Southern Baja Paddle Surf Video: Tubes, turns, dogs and sand surfing...

This is one of my favorite paddle surf vids. I made this one back in 2009 on a three week trip down to the southern tip. That's me on the lime green board and my good buddy Matt Wilson on the big red board. We got some great waves that trip. I had to run into Cabo to pick up a buddy at the airport on the day that it turned into tube riding perfection. Still, if you look closely at the opening clip you can see that I just about almost get into a nice little one.



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Tim Stamps: Custom SUP shaper in the Surfer's Journal

You know what's cool? Tim's paid his dues. He became a board maker the old school way, from grom to man; first sweeping the floor of a legendary shaper's shop (Rich Harbour, Seal Beach's Harbour Surf Boards), fixing dings, sanding boards, painting boards, and then finally getting to shape a few of his own. That's decades of experience. I'm honored and lucky to be on his boards- get this issue and read all about him- better yet, get on the horn and order one up before it becomes almost impossible. 

Excellent boards from a great guy. www.surfboardsbystamps.com

Fat Ass: Stand up paddle boards aren't made for the tube.

Stand up boards are wide. Even the narrowest ones (26" is a really narrow stand up board) are whales compared to modern surfboards. That's why it's so difficult to tube ride a stand up board. The wide tail and fat hips generate so much speed that our boards won't hang easily in the really steep, powerful cup that forms the opening of the tube. Time and again, when faced with a good barrel section, I've had to "hang out the laundry" (check out the photo to see what hanging out the laundry means!) to slow myself down to even get the smallest cover up. Barrel riding a stando is tough. I've come to the conclusion that it's more about anticipating the section, stalling a bottom turn to punch yourself into the hook, than simply pulling up and in as you fly down the line. And more often than not, if you're jamming down the line to make sections, you'll miss the tube. Unlike J-Lo, a stando's fat ass is sometimes a pain in one.

Photo: Manny Vargas, www.mannyvphoto.com

Stand Up Paddle Surfing: Southern Baja

Baja dreaming! My photog buddy Wally snapped this of me from two years ago. I love this photo, the color of the water, the fun little wave - stuff like this get's me itching to jam back down there right now. This winter, I've got three whole weeks- if I can pull together the gas money, the boards and my favorite people, I'm gonna charge it. I'm thinking a low budget surf mission: camp out on my land (I've got half a football field of desert a few miles up the road), sleep in the back of the truck- cook my own meals, buy my Pacificos in the returnable bottles.... like old times- all over again.

A fun, southern Baja runner... only 1200 miles away and worth every hour on the road!

San Diego: A great place to be a stand up paddler!

Tons of possibilities!

San Diego is a great place to be a stand up paddler- fun surf, lots of beach break, a few good reefbreaks and lots of excellent burritos to fuel it all. I love this place!

Stand Up Paddle Surfing: Beachbreak Tubes Part II

Lots of wind on it early this morning... another case of the blahs. Here's what it can look like around here when it all comes together. Check out Dr. John getting ready to paddle into a clean one:

This is what the Fall looks like around here... hopefully.

Stand up paddlesurfing: Beach break tubes....

Man, we've had a heck of a dry spell this last week. Hurts especially bad when you find a shot like this to remind you of just how good our little beach break can get.

Looks like I'm jousting or something...

Sometimes happiness is in your own backyard!

Poached this shot off a friend. I surfed down the beach from this spot for almost two hours with one other guy. I'm not sayin' where- but, damn, it was firing! Funny how I traveled all over the place this summer and ended up scoring the best surf right down the street from my house.

That's John T. trying to slow it all down for the barrel on his 8'4" stando... check out the right on that thing too!

Costa Rica: You like jungle, you like plants?

Cool flowers everywhere you look... nice and green during the rainy season.

Everywhere you look, things just want to grow!

Shapes, colors, flowers... the jungle let's everything grow.

A little bit of south starting to show!!!

You can feel it in the air... humid, thunderheads blowing up over the mountains to the East... some rain drops during a weirdly tropical mid-morning rain shower. Something's in the water too- there's more angle to the busted up little lines rolling through the pier and the foam has that pushed from TJ's sewer outfall look to it (yeah, gross I know but we surf it anyways... don't like it? Don't get in the water... viral crowd control). There will be waves- I'll be checking it at high tide this evening.

Costa Rica Stand Up Paddlesurf: A couple surf shots.

It's been a pretty dismal summer in San Diego. Our trip to Costa Rica was a nice break from the May Gray/June Gloom of our home break. Check out these surf shots from Costa Rica:

Get up, make yourself a cup of coffee and check the surf... hmmm, looks promising!

Half way through a plate of gallo pinto (basically the national dish of black beans, rice and maybe an egg on top with salsa Lizano...mmm) and it is really looking good out there...

So it's off to hook up with Steve, the owner of Coconut Harry's surf shop in Nosara. Steve's got a nice selection of stand up gear and he's a paddler so he'll point you in the right direction.

Here's all you need to know!

Wow- Just caught this on Paddle With A Purpose

Local surf creature, Spiderman, just sent me this:

This is Jodie Nelson's organization, you may remember her from her solo paddle from Catalina to Dana Point where she was partially guided by a whale. Check out her site here.

I'll be checking my calender to see if I can link up with the paddlers- you should check yours as well!

Get more info about this event here.

Costa Rica Stand Up Paddle: Just got home and am finally able to post photos!

I just got home from my Costa Rica stand up paddle surf trip. I had a little trouble posting photos from my ipad so I had to wait to do that until I got back here in San Diego. Here are a few, I've put them in chronological order and will post more in the next few days:

Costa Rica is a jaw dropper- everywhere you look there's something beautiful going on. This is from the northern part of Costa Rica, the Guanacaste. The beach is called Playa del Coco- there are good waves nearby but it's a mission to get to them. If you're into flatwater paddling, though, you just walked into a paddling heaven.

I'm a science guy- so that means I'm into plants, birds, reptiles- you know, National Geographic type of stuff. These flowers caught my attention, don't they look like brittle stars? This was my fifth (sixth?) trip to Costa Rica and it's pretty much standard that you will see something new each time you visit. 

This was home for a week. I know, it was a jaw dropper of a place to stay. We have some extremely nice friends who are semi-residing in Costa Rica and they invited us to come down, surf and see the arribada. The arribada is the mass arrival of sea turtles to lay eggs on the local beach. We missed the big invasion (it mostly happens during the wet months of September and October) but we did get out at night to see a mini-arribada. I watched a turtle land on the beach, crawl up the berm, dig out a hole and lay her eggs. That was something I'd always wanted to see and it answered a question I had about the egg laying process I'd had since I was a boy. Basically, how does a turtle dig such a symetrical, deep hole? Answer: The back flippers are basically flexible and have the bone structure of your hand, the momma turtle reaches down, scoops out sand and flings it off to the side. Amazing stuff.

Turtle tracks up the beach. I was excited to see this one track... little did I know what was waiting for me around the bend... (see next pic).

See all the tracks? There were hundreds of them up the beach! This was a small arribada, we were told that during the major events, there are so many turtles that you can't even walk on the beach without stepping on them. I also got a chance to touch a turtle egg. The eggs look like a slightly crushed ping pong ball and they are much tougher and flexible than chicken eggs.

This was our commute down to the beach, it's a real jungle walk. While we were there we saw: a howler monkey, an armadillo, a coati (google it), olive ridley turtles, iguana and a billion voracious mosquitos.

More photos to come!

Costa Rica Stand Up Paddling: Local Knowledge Means Hidden Treasure

Remember that point break we were checking out? We lucked out and got a chance to surf it yesterday. The spot is just about as perfect as it gets for stand up paddling; far from the crowds of prone surfers, long and fast. There were just three of us trading off waves until the place chewed through our gear and lumped us up enough to send us home with our tails between our legs.

We are fortunate to have friends who live in the area who knew we'd want to connect with Steve, the owner of Coconut Harry's surf shop. It soon became obvious to us that Coconut Harry's is THE shop to go to for rentals and surf information. Even better, Steve is a hardcore stand up paddler and, best of all, he's got his own perfect SUP surf spot. Steve is the kind of guy that stand up paddling needs more of- he's a courteous stand up paddler, understanding where and when stand up surfing fits in the lineup. We chatted for a few minutes about paddle surfing and before you know it, we were setting up a little excursion out to the point.

First of all, if you think you'll find this place- forget it. You'll need a guide. The spot is at the end of a maze of twisty dirt roads and the launch is a tiny little, jungle covered beach. Once we got there, I was kind of blown away. A quarter mile out and tucked into the lee of a little point is a reef/point setup with a right hand peeler that heaves up and wraps for about two or three hundred yards. We launched off the beach and made the paddle, it was one of those kind of places where it looks smaller than it really is. Once you're there, you realize that the wave packs a punch and being out on an open water reef, there's a lot of water moving around, it's definitely not a beginner spot.

It was a challenging wave with a jacking take-off section. It was large enough that we were dodging clean up waves that would surprise us by breaking outside of what we thought was clear water. Most of the best ones went unridden. It was just a matter of determining how much of it you really wanted to take on. Honestly, if I had a more robust set of cojones, I would have paddled farther up the point and snagged some of the double overhead wedges that were bulldogging through up there. As it was, I was happy enough swooping into the overhead walls that were charging down the line. Believe me, even at mid-point, the waves had enough grunt in them to kick your ass. And that place inflicted some damage, my leash snapped like a piece of peanut brittle. I made a fifty yard swim for it and knotted a bowline into the broken leash, hoping it would hold for the rest of the session.

Steve charged the place- he told me he most often surfs it alone since he can't find anyone to go out there with him. Heavy. And, he said, the day we surfed it was about a 5 on the 1 - 10 scale. Days ranking 7 and 8 are typical with a few 9s tossed in every month. He commonly scores it completely glassed out, head high and peeling- a regular footed surfers dream. We surfed a few screamers but eventually the spot gnawed through Steve's leash too and slapped a semi-concussion on my girl friend Liza's head (she was charging it- dropping into a legit double overhead macker and getting swallowed up- read about it at www.surfzerotosixty.blogspot.com)so we decided to quit before we really screwed something up.

What a day of surfing! Photos coming.

Costa Rica Stand Up Paddlesurf: Off to check a pointbreak!

We're checking out a solitary right hand point this afternoon- rumor has it that it's a perfect Costa Rica stand up paddle surf spot- keeping fingers crossed!

Costa Rica- I forgot how beautiful you were!

The last time I was here was probably ten or twelve years ago. Needless to say, a lot has changed but, honestly, it hasn't affected the place as far as I'm concerned. It's still drop dead gorgeous here. Going to stand up paddle tomorrow and hopefully catch an mass arrival of egg laying sea turtles here on the beach (it's called an arribada). I did get a chance to surf and the place kicked my ass- big, beach break meat grinders that had some kind of problem with me showing up. Collected a couple of mosquito bites and drank a bunch of Pilsens. Things are looking good. Will post photos when I figure out how to get this ipad to cooperate.

Baja Lesson #2: Know where you're going...

Lesson #2: It sounds obvious but if you don't have the basics figured out (Seven Sisters area? Strictly winter time) your paddle trip might just end up being a case of chasing rumors and myths. Or, in my case, you might end up asking yourself why you're slowly melting into polyester sheets in a 106 degree cinder block box masquerading as a hotel room. Solution? Get a map or some type of guide (try www.surfmaps.com) or bribe your local surf guru with a six pack and you may even score San Jose on that next south.

Update Alert: I'm in Costa Rica right now!!! Long day of travel involving a plane with some type of malfunction that had to be left on the runway in Houston... that's a new one for me. Spending the night here in Liberia and then off to the Nicoya peninsula tomorrow. Excited to post up some photos so with your permission (or even without it) I"m going to skip over Baja for just a bit and post up some paddle surfing in Costa Rica stuff! Yahooooo!

Paddle Surf Baja: It ain't easy.

If you want to stand up paddle Baja California, you've got to know a few things. First of all, driving the Baja Highway ain't for the timid. The road is narrower than you are used to, there are no shoulders (the pavement simply drops off at the edge- perfect for rolling a car) and the truck drivers like to play matador games that will get your sphincter clamping like a hydraulic vise. Other than that, it's bitchin- if you know what you're doing.

Check the next couple of posts and I'll get you Baja-educated with some pointers. 

The infamous Hector memorial. These little markers are set up by the families of those who've died along the road. Hector's used to be just that little model of the truck he presumably used to drive- it's getting bigger every year. Like I said, the highway is a dangerous route, take your time and be alert.

Lesson Number 1: Buy car insurance. Yeah, I know, your buddy told you that you don't need it because your credit card's got you covered or the toll road on the cuota pays your insurance while you're on it, or your car insurance actually covers you in Baja- these excuses are just a list of maybe situations. Let me give you a certainty: If you get in an accident in Baja, you have just broken the law. And, if you don't have auto insurance- you just made your life much more uncomfortable, in Baja, in jail. So do it- get yourself covered, it's easy to do. 

Here's how I do it: Go online and buy it at BajaBound.com. This is a no brainer, select the coverage you want, pay on their secure site and then just download and print the policy. Easy. These guys are known in Baja- if you have a problem and the officials see that you've got a BajaBound sticker everything get's real tranquilo- believe me, I've been there... but that's a story for another post.

More Maui: Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Maui Wave Riders and Loco Moco

Maui was a great getaway from the June gloom of San Diego. A quick flight (four bloody marys and a couple bags of peanuts) and you're there- landing on a windy, fragrant island. And the water's warm too. 

We were fortunate to have a friend on the island, Ina Tagaloa. Ina played host to us during the stay, showing us around the island, setting up boards everyday and showing us the best places to eat. I can not begin to adequately describe the hospitality and warmth that Ina shared with us. I hope that someday I'll get a chance to show my new friend around - and maybe stick an extra ten pounds on him as repayment! 

Here's a few extra photos from Maui:

Maui Wave Riders corporate office- does this qualify as the best cubicle in the world? Ina works for Maui Wave Riders and it was through them that were able to get boards and paddles everyday. If you ever get over to Maui, make it a point to stop by and see the brand new shop that they are building- and check out their complete line of stand up boards and paddles. They are definitely good people.

MWR location, right across the street from Kalama's a surf spot that has to be THE best place to learn to surf or stand up paddle on Maui- their new building is going to be killer. 

Summer time is the brutal season for surf on Maui- brutal meaning it's tough to find waves. Our secret weapon was Ina- he'd know where to go each day. Let's get this straight- it was small- but it was super fun and the water was warm. Here's something else to know, everybody surfs on the islands; girls, grandpas, grandmas, uncles, aunties, kids, rippers... everyone. It's cool to see how they all get along- and how well they all surf.

It's called Loco Moco and I cannot resist it...

South swells have to sneak in to Maui- but they do and it's fun to stand up surf there.

Mikey's Board Room - Humble Beginnings of a Stand Up Paddle Board

If you are riding a custom shaped EPS board built in Southern California, you're probably riding on WNC Foam. 

The crew at WNC are the real deal. Originally an architectural foam builder, the crew saw the need for quality EPS blanks and WNC Surf was born. I for one am stoked to have a quality EPS foam supplier just minutes from me. 

Mike Jean gluing up a blank.

WNC offers a full catalog of stringered EPS blanks from short board to SUP. They also have a wire cutter on site with the ability to read CAD files for your specialty blank. 

Humble beginnings. This bad boy is 1lb EPS foam ready for the wire cutter.

If you are looking to build your first SUP, or are an experienced backyard shaper, go check out what WNC has to offer! 

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Lagging... but having fun. And while I was away, we busted a half million!

Jeez, I haven't forgotten about this place! I've just been out and about- down south, up the coast... and way down south. But here's where I am at: I've got a lot more to say about my Maui trip... a lot. Especially surfing with my friend Ina who showed me real aloha... and about the unreal food that I sampled on that beautiful island (oh yeah, I packed on about six or seven extra pounds- REAL FAST too... going to have to get back on the lean train!).

I'm also currently typing this from southern-ish Baja California where it got so fricking hot that I seriously was afraid of drying out in the middle of the night and dying. But that's another story for another time. Until then, here's a couple of snaps from each of the trips to keep you occupied:

This is bruddah Ina Tagaloa who took us out to one of his favorite spots... which I will tell you all about soon- promise (although I'm sure somebody will chime in with the spot's name soon). Ina's got the biggest heart on Maui- getting us into some fun surf and killer food... and laughing the whole time- thanks bruddah Ina! 

 

Looks nice and traquil, eh? Loading up the Ramble Wagon in southern-ish Baja and it's 106 degrees in the shade, muthaf#$%er!!! Are you kidding me??? This one's a good story- which you will hear about soon.

And for those of you who care about things like this... we busted a half million hits on this site- which I guess is cool in some way. Thanks guys and gals- more stuff coming soon!

Watch your feet... or always follow the local boys through the keyhole!

Stand up paddlesurf in Maui? Well, you're gonna know what a keyhole is- and if you don't find out quickly, this is what will happen to you:

When you step on a vana, this is what happens. Those black dots are the spines of the sea urchin embedded in your skin... um, ouch!

Hot tip #1: Take some time watching where everyone is getting into and out of the water. Here in Hawaii, since most of the breaks are over rock and reef, you've got to find the safe channels through the vana covered hazards. The safe, sandy channels are called keyholes and they can be very narrow and tricky to find so definitely slow it down and take notes when you get to the beach. Once you've found the safe entry and exit keyholes, look for a marker on land so that you can find them from the water.

See the little sand channel that leads through the rocks... that's where you want to walk when you're coming in or going out.

Our friend Ina told us how to handle the vana spines in your skin. I guess it happens all the time around here- more on that later!

Paddle power breakfast... Maui-style!

Breakfast #1, Lulu's Restaurant, Lahaina: Kimchee fried rice (it's gone by 9am so get there early!), eggs over easy and three grilled pieces of spam... paddle like a maniac all day long.

Must do... Maui!

Stand up paddling was reborn on Maui. Blame it on Laird. Or credit the big man because if you're here reading this chances are that you're just as crazy about this stuff as I am. If that sounds like you then you've got to make the pilgrimage to our paddling Mecca... Maui! I'm here now, just finished paddling a fun little reef break and am having a great time. Check out these photos: 

Oh yeah, it's really small- but even small here is considered fun back home... especially if the water is in the mid-70s and the sun is shining.

Plumeria... everywhere. Reds, yellows, whites, sunsets... all colors, all over the place.

Now this is called "getting your back foot into it".

Check out this Tahitian ripping:

Mikey's Board Room - Yeah I suck...

So I pretty much blew it after my last write up and never got to finish up the lighted SUP project. George Gall of Plus One sent me the first water run with the board a few weeks back. Looks like it was a success!!!

Watch the wake off the bow, it wasn't just about the lights, this board has all the makings of a purebred race board...

With that out of the way, I'm hoping to get on here and be a little more active as I originally intended. As summer approaches and the sleeping shapers come out of their cocoons, I think this will be the summer of the one off SUP builds...

Stay tuned!