If you are getting interested in standup then you have to check out the standupzone forum. It’s the single best place on the web to get questions you might have answered. Lots of great folks willing to share their experience. A place to talk story with friends, get tips on technique, view vids and pictures.
There are lots of good sites out there where you can get info but no place else quite like the zone. With more than 1500 members, over 5000 topics in 16 categories, and almost 47,000 posts you’re sure to find the answer to almost anything there…and if you don’t…just ask.

I hope the new cam setup at the Red Parrot for Nantasket is something we’ll see more of. Streaming live video feed, pan, tilt, zoom…even audio. Happened to see a buddy catch a wave the other day and watched him ride into the beach…very cool.
http://www.theredparrot.com/webcam.htm

Click the webcam link…login username: parrot, password: parrot

I’m going to make sure I let the folks at the Parrot now how much I appreciate it by eating there more post session…how can you beat having a cold beer and some good food after a long surf session. Especially when it’s their cam that let you know it was firing.

Some days you just get lucky. Well 1/2 lucky anyway.

I went down to Plymouth beach on Wednesday expecting to get a workout in some 2′ chop. I brought the Vec 14 with me. Figured I’d paddle out a couple of miles into the wind and then get a mini-downwinder back in.

I was very surprised when I came over the hill to see some good sized waves breaking. When I got to the beach it looked pretty good…a bit messy but the winds were lighter than expected and coming out of the NW instead of the NE as forecast. I was thinking I should have brought a different board…like my 10-6 or 11-2…later I was wishing for the 9-8.

I jump in the water and start paddling out and I see this hump coming into the bay. WTF! where did this come from? The first one hit and glassed off the break. Head high and smooth and I’m not in position…@#$%. Road up and over the whitewater of the 1st few and then sailed over the last ones…almost felt airborn with 8′+ of board sticking out the backside.

I was hoping there would be more to come. I had just looked at the cams at Nantasket and checked the buoys and saw nothing of this. Most of the waves were waist to chest and choppy..offering some fun but nothing to get excited about. every 5 minutes or so though another head high set would come through and I would let the 1st couple clean things up and then choose the juiciest of the rest for a long ride. Dead low tide and they were breaking on the outer shoal. Pretty rare anyday never mind when you aren’t expecting it.

I only had a couple of hours available or I might have run home and grabbed another board. I still had a lot of fun on the 14 and was happy to have the chance to try her in some bigger waves but as the wind died down and the waves got even smoother I was really wishing I had my 9-8 with me. Very frustrated that I had taken the 11-2 off my truck when I put on the 14.

The faces were steep and I kept catching a rail on the 14 until I started stepping way back. Loooonnnnggg smooth turns and 300 yard rides to the beach…turn and paddle out and get there just in time for the next set.

I’m very curious about this swell. I’ve asked around a bit and so far nobody else seems to have seen it. I’m assuming some folks on the south shore must have seen it but I haven’t heard anything about it yet. Best explanation I’ve heard is swell from a storm off Newfoundland….still weird that Plymouth had such nice waves though. Conditions seem to be setting up for a similar day early next week….fingers crossed….when Plymouth beach is working (very rare) its as good or better than anywhere else in New England. The multiple shoals make for some great breaks and very long rides.

Headed back out tomorrow morning for a victory at sea workout paddle….bringing a couple of boards though just in case…:)

Convinced my wife to join me on a trip to Newport today. A few hours of fun surfing and them a drive and walk around Newport.

The waves weren’t big…thigh to waist…a rare set chest high, but they were glassy. This is the 1st clean session I’ve had since I’ve been back on the water so it felt pretty nice. Early October low 70’s with the water in the low 60’s and I’m trunkin it. Everyone else in wetsuits. And I was warm from the workout. You have to love that standup allows a much longer season in trunks.

Somewhat mushy but still fun.

Sue can’t help herself taking pictures of seagulss. I think it’s because she hates them so much.

There were some nice breaks working further out. Maybe next time its a little bigger.

After 3 hours of surfing we took a ride along Ocean Drive…..what a gorgeous spot….

and into Newport proper.

Fun day…good time on the water, nice time with Sue…..then came home to watch the Pats beat the Ravens on my DVR while eating a tasty supper in my favorite chair. Now off to the hot tub and then bed. Going to sleep well tonight…:)

OK…this is still a secret until Friday…nobody blow it for me. This is a gift for my bud Mike…one of the best friends a guy could ask for. I wanted to have this done for the CCBC but best laid plans and all….didn’t happen…primarily because I had a major screw up that required a restart. But all is good now if I do say so myself.

This is the 1st I’ve built, poplar and pine, 7′-6″, 17″ tapering to 16″, 3/4″ thick. The pieces are doweled together with dowels spaced at 4″ on center…overkill I think….but the boards will break before the joints do.

A little pyrography on the deck, both as artwork and to provide grip. Most of it with a Hawaiian tattoo influence.

Compass rose

Manta

Shark

Turtle

The graphic on either side of the shark is a breaking wave.

Initialed and dated

Hope it surfs well…:)

This is with just two coats of oil on her. 4 more to go and a buffing. I had fun building this and am going to start another shortly.

Much thanks to Tom Wegener for sharing his stoke and wisdom.

I’ve never been much of one for writing thank you notes. I know its what you’re supposed to do but I rarely (actually never) get them done. It’s been particularly tough with the thanks for my new board. I’m not sure I’m worthy of it. 

How to say thank you for the thoughts and generosity of those responsible…..words don’t really cover it. Every time I try to think of the right thing to express how I feel I come up blank.

The best way to say thank you is to pay it forward when the opportunity arises. Thanks for the smiles…I’ll be sure to pass on as many as I can.

I finally got to take out the Vec today in a little wind and swell. So much fun. Wind was about 10 kts onshore, I paddled out 2 miles, very pleased with how easy she made it seem. Then turned and went with the flow. There wasn’t much to the wind swell so it was hard to get many glides at 1st but every shoal I passed over caused some face to appear and she would just pick up and go.

At dead low tide the wind swell starts developing peaks about 100-200 yards from shore. I figured that would be a fun place to play and start getting a feel for the board. It’s ridiculously easy to get on even the tiniest peak. It was great as the tide came in and the swell picked up a bit. The board surfs like a dream…very easy to turn and cut across the swells. I can’t wait for a real downwinder. What a great addition to the quiver. It opens up a whole new way to enjoy the water.

I put on a new Maxfield Provisions pad on her just yesterday. Very comfortable, great grip, and a great feel for the board. It’s going to make those long runs much easier on the feet too. I was paddling for almost 5 hours straight today and was very comfortable.

She looks fast just sitting on the beach.

I can’t believe the good fortune I’ve had lately, from winning the sweet Kalaoa paddle, the amazing generosity of friends getting me the Vec as a get well gift, and getting an email from Shawn Maxfield that he wanted to send me a pad for her. Has to be a serious karmic imbalance going on. I better play the lottery quick.

Zoom Zoom.

Gotta love the red, white, and blue. Perfect with the Vec star.

Perfect rocker for our conditions.

I’ll post a better review once I get her into a good downwinder…I know she’s going to fly! Going to be fun taking her across in CCBC 2010.

downwind, standup paddlesurfing, Vec, standup, SUP

Saturday, August 15th 2009, 21 more standup paddlers became a part of the CCBC family. An almost perfect start to the day, warm, sun just rising over the glassy waters of Plymouth Harbor, a light SW breeze. Everybody was excited as we prepared in the early dawn light.

Mike sounds the official CCBC conch horn to start the event

The Mary C heads out in support.

It was tough for Mike and I to watch everyone take off. Pretty ironic that the two of us are both on Drs orders to stay off the water for awhile. We still had a fun day together, driving down and getting into Provincetown early for breakfast and getting things ready for the party. Thanks to the help of all our volunteers setup went very smoothly. The folks at the Surf Club were great….very accomodating.

This taxi explains the vibe in Provincetown much better than I can

Finally coming around the breakwater

Mike sounds the conch in welcome.

Harbormaster escort

At least a couple of my boards made the crossing…PonoBill on my 12-6 and John Hibbard on my 11-2 Starboards

What a great crew…hope to see you all again next year when Mike and I can make the crossing again.

The after party was great. Lots of great Wachusett Ryde beer, great food, The Nate Mott Band rocked the place…I mean REALLY rocked the place. Thanks to our sponsors we had a great assortment of cool stuff on hand to raffle and auction off.

Mike thanks Tim Sheehan, our support boat Captain, with a presentation of a Hepi Maxwell Maori Hei Matau Hook. All the paddlers got one too.

Martha Welsh, Executive Director of Christopher’s Haven thanks the crowd and explains how much this means.

The big surprise of the day…at least for me…was a get well present for yours truly…a new Vec custom 14′ downwind/race board. Kind of embarassing getting choked up to the point of being speechless.

My, my, my….I’m gonna go FAST!

We’ve already been talking about ways to make CCBC 2010 even better. One thing that keeps coming to the front…and everybody says the same thing regardless of their ability. Don’t change the format…don’t make it a race. Especially telling coming from John Hibbard who could have done it twice in the 9 hours it took for the group. The CCBC is special because it is about teamwork….we are a family working toward a common goal. No competition, people helping people and becoming friends along the way. The feeling of coming in as a group, the camaraderie, can’t be beat. We are out there to raise funds to help kids face a much more difficult challnge. We see the CCBC as a metaphor for the kids we are doing this for…we want everyone to cross the finish.

I’m very proud of all our paddlers and honored to call them friends. With their hard work and the great support of our sponsors we have raised in excess of $30,000 dollars for Christophers haven. Enough to support an apartment for a year. That’s a lot of kids and their families that will have a little less stress in their lives during a difficult time.

Thanks again everyone for your hard work and dedication. You are the best! See you next year.

We’re coming into the home stretch and things are looking good for Saturday. The weather is looking great. It’s looking like we’ll surpass our fundraising goals. We have a great party planned with great music, lots of very cool raffle/auction stuff…..make sure you come on down to P’town for a fun day.

It’s definitely going to be a bittersweet day on Saturday. Now both Mike ( my co-founder of the challenge) and I are both out of it. Christa, one of our paddlers put it best when she asked about sending im some donation checks…she wasn’t sure who to bother…the guy who just had heart surgery or the guy who just had brain surgery. We’re both getting old…:) . But in some ways not being able to paddle in the event has made me appreciate it that much more.

So frustrated I could scream. I haven’t been on all week because I was admitted to Mass Eye and Ear last Saturday with and infection where I had surgery and just got home today. Another week of the summer wasted. Expected to get a scrip for antibiotics and go home. Ended up being admited right away. Spent the weekend and early part of the week trying to treat it with intravenous doses of heavy hitter antibiotics. Finally after much consideration by all I went back under the knife to clean it out on Thursday. Dr had given great consideration to my wanting to paddle on the 15th but in the end the only solution was to clean it out. I’m back at square one….no paddling for at least four weeks. Hardest part is that I still feel great…no balance issue…no headaches. Thought the only thing I had to worry about was getting in shape with enough training. Looks like I’ll be sitting on the boat drinking beer….:(