5’5” Aviso – Lost Round Nose Fish – My Dream Quiver

aviso-lost-fish-surfboard

I’ve been dying to add a “real” modern fish to my quiver, and this is the magic board I would go for. Not only has it been time tested and proven to work exceptionally well by some of the best and most progressive guys in modern surfing (Cory Lopez, Chris Ward, Ryan Carlson, etc.), but it’s now available by Aviso, which makes boards that are virtually indestructible. From friends that are on them, I’ve seen that you literally have to try to ding this thing, if you really want to put a … [Read more...]

Surfboard boardbag fees aren’t going down anytime soon

surfboard_boardbag_fees

Given that surfboard boardbag fees aren't going down anytime soon, and I'm heading to Costa Rica, what I really, really need is a board like this that can collapse into two pieces. Not a longboard, but a shortboard. You may have seen this board somewhere as a concept board, a carbon fiber collapsible surfboard or even the Pope bisect travel surfboard. But nobody, so far, has been able to do a shortie. It's high time. … [Read more...]

Costco Surfboard – Surfer gives up – As seen on Craigslist

craigslist_surfing

See, the fears that Costco surfboards were filling the oceans with kooks are totally unfounded! Here, a San Diego dude: Bought a surfboard. Tried it out, once. "Surfing is hard!" Sell board on Craigslist for $80. And that's all she wrote. There's nothing to worry about with Costco - this guy was probably not in the takeoff zone, and was probably not at your break. The surfing world breathes a little easier today. … [Read more...]

Home Depot Surfboard Shaping Project – Part 2

Readers will know that I was intent on shaping a surfboard out of pink foam insulation. I went to Home Depot, and bought 2" and 1" pieces. Once home, I mixed up a batch of epoxy and sandwiched it between the two pieces of foam; placing the thinner sheet on top. To guarantee good adhesion I moved the top sheet back and forth a few times. Then I busted out my old encyclopedia collection; I placed a few books under the nose and the rest on top. This step is critical as it sets the main rocker for the … [Read more...]

Home Depot Surfboard Project – A surfboard shaping story – Part 1

Rough shape

There is a shared ritual for anyone who puts their hands on a surfboard for the first time. First, you'll feel the smooth contouring of the rails, then sight down the stringer, dance our finger tips over any bottom contours, flip it over a few times and then ask: "How’d they make this?" These days, all you see are cookie cutter, CNC replicas of surfboards being mass-produced and sold at the same price they always have been, if not more expensive than they were! I’m certainly not opposed to this … [Read more...]

5’9″ Bufo Fibre Jet – My Dream Quiver

bufo_fibre_jet

Here’s another board I’d like to try from this German volkssurfboardsmakerinman, BUFO. The design seems to imagine a board like the ones the guys on tour are riding these days; a little shorter than the normal short board, a little thicker and wider in the mid-section. As I said before, with guys like Marlon Lipke, Robbie Page and Tom Curren riding them, they can’t be half bad. And, once again, I’d be happy to be the first American test pilot/reviewer. Seriously… call me! (Editor's Note: … [Read more...]

Big Guy Tri – a shortboard for bigger surfers

fat_surfer

If you're a big guy, as in tall and/or large, you've got only a couple of options when it comes to surfing. You can bust out a log. Think 9'6" of foam. A log will be easy to paddle, and because of your size, easy enough to step on the tail and whip that boat around. That said, a longboard might get boring after awhile or just plain ridiculous in surf where you need something shorter to mind-meld into the face of a breaking wave. You can get a potato chip and flail. You can get what's meant … [Read more...]

Kelly is at it again

31-512x682

No, he's not dominating the tour (at least, so far...), he's making boards with crazy recipes one would use to make special yogurts (yummy)! This time, he's fusing the natural shape of a manta ray with his recent designs such as the Wizard Sleeve and the Tangent. How does this thing ride? I have no idea... and not even Surfer Mag knows!  But I sure do really want to try it out! One of these days, Kelly's gonna come up with something that will change the way surfboards are made as much as the … [Read more...]

Surfing an eco-friendly wave of green.

alaia-tomwegenersurfboards

The foam board revolution has been hailed one of the grandest changes in the surfboard's history since the invention of the fin. But after many decades of buying and using these surfboards, many of our eco-conscious brethren have realized that they have been hypocrites. We needed to change the materials used in shaping and glassing our precious boards.  Firstly, the foam itself is being wasted every time a board is snapped at Pipeline, meaning that more energy is being used to create more blanks … [Read more...]

How to Become a Total Waterman

If you want to be a total Waterman like Laird Hamilton, this is the way to do it. Forget SUPing. Forget skimboarding. Forget "surfboarding." I've seen the future. And this is it. … [Read more...]