Surfing Waves

Surf Chat :: Your surfing wisdom needed, please.

Author: clarksville
Subject: Your surfing wisdom needed, please.
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:27 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

Hello.

I'll get to the point. I'm writing a novel, a very long futureworld sci-fantasy style book, and I'm probably about three or four chapters from the end.

One of my chapters is going to be set on a surf world which is not exactly a planet, it's more of a freestand complex in space, dedicated to the delights of surfing. The story is set in the years 2303-2304 (although I may tweak this later.)

There won't be a great deal of the action showing real surfing taking place, but a small amount, and I wondered if any of the good people of the surf community on your forum would be prepared to help me with a couple of questions. Maybe, if I say please?

I'm not a surfer myself and I have never surfed with a long board, but I have done some with a body board, I know it's kid's stuff as far as you're concerned but I found myself staying out there for hours on end and it really got into me. I thought to myself, if I could go back and whisper into the ear of my younger self I would say "Take up surfing!" (My younger self wouldn't have done it, of course, because I was a bookish, sport-and-sunshine-shy wimp, but that's irrelevant.)

These are the magnificent questions:

1. How good would an active, fairly sporty type of male, aged 23-ish, who had been training with a long sword for six months and previously at a ball game similar to squash, become at surfing in a single day. What is the best I could expect someone to do in that short length of time? Someone who was generally quite gifted at sport and had good co-ordination. A fairly spiritual type, although he doesn't realise it.

2. Same question but for a person of the same age who had spent most of his life studying and only swimming for exercise, at which he was pretty good, but then started to train with a long sword for about a year. Very intelligent and focussed, introverted individual, who has been forced to overcome his retiring nature.

3. Same question for a 18 year old male who is pretty tall, thin and gangly and who used to be keen on sport but got involved with drugs and lost his fitness, who has gone straight and been training half-heartedly with long swords for about a month. But isn't very good at it. How much worse would he be than the others, or would it be simply the luck of the draw, he could turn out to be as good or better than them? He has less co-ordination.

4. A woman of 18 who has been training as a police officer for six months and is very intelligent, active and co-ordinated. She excelled as a cadet and is a bit of an all-rounder.

(Sorry. These questions are dumb, I know. I just don't want to suggest the characters can suddenly surf after a few hours' lessons when they probably couldn't.)

Which of these characters do you think would be most likely to be a good surfer? Or showing signs of it? Which ones would the instructors take to and which wouldn't they? As far as the plot goes, it's completely irrelevant who is good and who isn't, so I thought I'd do this bit of research and tap into the great surf wisdom which is surely out there somewhere. I just want the characters to remain true to type.

And in case you were wondering, the surf dudes and dudesses (Look, I won't know the proper terms until you tell me, will I? ) will be portrayed in a positive manner, even though it may not always seem that way. Because things are not always what they seem. But the surf ethos (Or what I imagine it to be) will be upheld, in its own way.

I will be back with more questions about that kind of thing later, if this goes well.

And about your thoughts on the future of surfing in the distant future.

I hope it's okay to ask this, my apologies if anyone feels I have no business here.

Thanks!

Surfing Lessons For All :: problem with catching bigger waves.

Author: loner
Subject: problem with catching bigger waves.
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:25 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 0

catching and standing up on the 1-3 footers are easy i can bottom turn on em and everything. bit of a swell hit San Diego this weekend. so i went out yesterday and today. waves were huge! bout head high id say?
everytime id catch the wave. id pop up and end up dropping the whole height! ate shit! haha sucked...

so ne tips on catching bigger waves?
i ride a 6'10" shortboard. im 5'5" 160 pds. if that helps...?

Surf Chat :: I feel quite lucky guys (n gals)

Author: greg@hoodatsurfco
Subject: I feel quite lucky guys (n gals)
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:58 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 0

My good friend's family (also one of my best friends married into the family) so the whole family are pretty good friends of mine. Well they bought tons of land about a 10 minute walk from the beach in Costa Rica! Where they said the surf is great.. a beach for every skill set, from beginner to advanced.

They are building a house on the land currently, and eventually a hotel (next couple years)

They told me I am welcome to stay for free any time I like. And it is only about a �180 flight to Costa Rica from where I live.

So it makes for a very cheap surf vacation with a free place anytime I wanna go. Sorry to gloat guys but this makes me very happy. I cannot imagine surfing Costa Rica! This December if I can convince the lady to let me, I will be traveling out there and surfing my brains out for a week straight.

Surfing Lessons For All :: Locking system

Author: greypump
Subject: Locking system
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:40 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 0

http://www.windsurfer.co.uk/SPT.htm

Has anyone used these (above) to secure your surfboard - look pretty good but wonder if they work well?

Not too keen on the lockjaw wire (below) as I'm not sure if you have to take out the leash everytime you put the wire loop through the fin plug. Looks a faff?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOCKJAW-Surfboard-Security-Lock-System-NEW-All-Boards_W0QQitemZ220257615521QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220257615521&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

Surf Chat :: WETSUIT DRYER

Author: Jc
Subject: WETSUIT DRYER
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:39 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

I was just cruisin the forums (as you do) and I checked out, Surfing-Innovation's website. And I saw a pretty cool hangar that drys your wetsuit.

I don't need one thanks to long peroids without waves, but does anyone else have one, or used one.

(http://www.surfing-innovation.com/hangair.htm) thats the link too it

Surfing Hardware :: "You gotta go down!"

Author: Johnny Utah
Subject: "You gotta go down!"
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:47 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 1

Hey folks.. Johnny Utah here.. as you know i am about to start my deep undercover work to catch the Former Presidents of the United States Bank robbers with the help of my partner Gary Busey, and in order to catch them I need to learn how to surf fast...

the board I am looking to purchase is a Mctavish Carver Fish
7.0 X 20 3/4 X 2 7/8 Glass FCS Fins

It has a five fin set up, so can ride as a thruster, quad, twin, quin

I way about 85kgs (187 pounds) and live in Australia,
also if i do purchase it which fin setup should I use...

cheers fellas.. Johnny Utah signing off, ( i'll see you on the other side)

Surfing Lessons For All :: Is this a good beginner board?

Author: Johnny Utah
Subject: Is this a good beginner board?
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:45 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

Hey folks.. Johnny Utah here.. as you know i am about to start my deep undercover work to catch the Former Presidents of the United States Bank robbers with the help of my partner Gary Busey, and in order to catch them I need to learn how to surf fast...

the board I am looking to purchase is a Mctavish Carver Fish
7.0 X 20 3/4 X 2 7/8 Glass FCS Fins

It has a five fin set up, so can ride as a thruster, quad, twin, quin

I way about 85kgs (187 pounds) and live in Australia,
also if i do purchase it which fin setup should I use...

cheers fellas.. Johnny Utah signing off, ( i'll see you on the other side)

Surfing Lessons For All :: Fins - which does what?

Author: greypump
Subject: Fins - which does what?
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:22 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 2

Excuse the newbie questions but could someone tell me the characteristics of different fin set ups and the benefits of each?

Single fin (what does a larger one do compared to a smaller one - speed/stability?)
Quad,
three fins
two side fins etc

Many thanks

Surf Classifieds: Buy, Sell and Exchange :: F/S GUL 7'6 minimal for sale �200 PLYMOUTH

Author: liam1321
Subject: F/S GUL 7'6 minimal for sale �200 PLYMOUTH
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:33 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 1

gul 7'6 minimal less than a year old so in v.good condition. ideal for a beginner or small summer days.
one small ding repair on the rail near fin.
leash + boardbag + fins included.
board located in plymouth, UK

Surfing Lessons For All :: how do i do a backflip??

Author: loner
Subject: how do i do a backflip??
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:55 am (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 6

it was my first day surfing today. was able to stand up on a few waves and ride em out... so i think im ready to get some backflips going!

Surf Chat :: UK folk and sharks

Author: greg@hoodatsurfco
Subject: UK folk and sharks
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:19 am (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 7

Do you guys have sharks there? I mean there are sharks every where you go but specifically where you guys surf are there known predatory sharks?

I surf in Northern California and think about sharks when I am out of the water and see pictures but for some reason never when I am surfing, perhaps it is because I am in the zone when I am out there. We have a pretty dense population of Great Whites but they attack so seldom its not even worth caring about.

Surf Chat :: Rusty surf board "the toad"

Author: greg@hoodatsurfco
Subject: Rusty surf board "the toad"
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:51 am (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 6

I am considering picking one of these up.

Supposed to be good for slop and even better for decent/good days.

http://www.rusty.com/index.cfm?page=2&board_id=41

What do you guys think?

Surf Chat :: So what shall I do this weekend...?

Author: drowningbitbybit
Subject: So what shall I do this weekend...?
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:40 am (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 9

Well, it doesnt happen often in Sydney, and MSW isnt that great for this part of the world... but...

2ft at 0s!!!!!!!!!

I dont think Ive ever seen a 0s period on MSW.
Still, the sun's out and the (very flat) sea is looking pretty (in a very flat way).

Thank god the southwest UK forcast is so abysmal this weekend, otherwise the old crew would be intolerably smug

Surfing Lessons For All :: 6�6 Egg (?)

Author: the.ronin
Subject: 6�6 Egg (?)
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:00 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 5

Ok guys I need to teach somebody how to surf. Now if it were anybody else, I would shove a 6-0 in their arms and tell them to deal with it haha ... but this is my wife so I figured I would be more forgiving and opt for a 6�6, 2-1/2, 19 5/8 egg for her to learn on. Heck, it�s even got the Pro Tech rubber edged fins. I know. I�m getting soft muahaha.

In all seriousness, she is about 5-5, 130 lb. and somewhat athletic. Should I be expecting divorce papers?

Surfing Lessons For All :: Starting to surf.

Author: LucasG
Subject: Starting to surf.
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:51 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 7

I have decided to start surfing and making it my primary sport as well as compete one day. I am 19 years old. As I live an hour and a half from South Padre Island I decided I could fulfill this necessity. I plan on taking surf lessons or doing a surf camp in the next following days. Then, getting my own surfboard and starting to practice myself. What type of longboard should I start with?

I just wanted to share that and receive suggestions/comments. I am around 5'10" and weight around 121 pounds.