Recently I was contacted by someone representing a company called Clandestino, and she asked me if I wanted to try out some of their surfing candy.  My first reaction was, “what in the world is surfing candy?”  I read a bit further, and it became clear that it was actually a small energy bar made from bananas.  Now, I absolutely love bananas.  They are my favorite pre and post surf snack since they’re packed with good stuff, and are pretty easy to carry around with you.  So, I decided to give these surfing candies a try.  I received several different varieties in the mail, as well as a brochure featuring several surfers with their faces covered wild-west style with bandanas.  The first type of candy comes in a white box, and it’s basically a small bar made from what seems to be dehydrated bananas.  It’s actually pretty tasty – a bit more sweet than a regular banana.  There are also chocolate covered varieties – milk chocolate and dark chocolate.  At first it tasted a bit different – I wasn’t sure.  But after having a few they’ve grown on me quite a bit.

I recently participated in the Revolt Summer Surf Series Pier II Pier Pro Am in Pacific Beach, and I didn’t bring enough food with me to the beach.  After surfing my first heat and making it to the finals, I didn’t have enough time to go back to the car, get money, and go buy a snack.  I also didn’t feel like running around the streets of PB in the hot sun.  After walking around the contest area I noticed a few cartons of Clandestino bars at one of the tables.  I was pretty stoked to find them there, ate two, and surfed my way to a pretty decent result in the Women’s open shortboard – placing 4th overall out of 12.  I don’t know if the bars made me surf better, but they saved my butt big time as I was pretty hungry, and I hate surfing when I’m starving since my blood sugar drops and I bottom out.

I’ll tell you what, the dark chocolate one is pretty damn good, and they are kind of fun and handy to have around.  Bananas just don’t keep very long, and sometimes I don’t have a chance to run to the store before a surf session.  These are fun alternatives, and at only 90-109 calories (for plain and chocolate), they are still pretty healthy.  A typical banana will run you around 110-120 calories.  I’d rather eat one of these things than, say, a Quaker Chewy granola bar, or a handful of pretzels or chips.  Since these are made from actual bananas (according to the company, they are Ecuadorian bananas), they aren’t just empty calories.

If you’re looking to try these out, you can buy them at the retailers listed at their website here.  For more information, you can head to the Clandestino website.

Well, I finally did it. It was a long time in coming, but I threw caution to the wind and made the switch. I bit the proverbial bullet, as they say.

What I’m talking about is switching from a polyurethane and polyester surfboard to one composed of polystyrene foam and epoxy. As of this date, I’m happy to announce that I am now a proud owner of a custom-built Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) surfboard – a shiny new stick hand shaped by a Santa Cruz shaper.

No doubt some of you who have owned EPS boards for years are probably asking, “Jeez, what took so long? Why the wait?” Truth is, I’d been thinking of making a switch for a few years now, but simply hadn’t gotten my act together. I suppose it took me so long because, well, I guess I’m a bit of a traditionalist. I’ve always liked the way polyurethane boards feel under my feet; I’ve always liked the way they flex and give with the wave. And there’s the fact that when I started surfing in the early 1980s, all surfboards – at least the boards that 99.99% of the surfworld used – were made of polyurethane and fiberglass. There simply weren’t any other types of boards on the market. And I’ve generally been of the mindset that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Polyurethane boards had always worked well for me so I was in no hurry to change the situation.

But when a friend who knew I was in the market for a new board recently suggested that I might want to consider an EPS model, I surprised myself by saying, “sure, why not?”

For the uninitiated, EPS stands for expanded polystyrene, which, if I understand correctly, is simply a form of Styrofoam. In fact, I read somewhere that it is the same foam used in the manufacture of those disposable Styrofoam coolers available at grocery stores. Apparently, EPS technology has been around for quite a while, but only since 2005 – the year polyurethane giant Clark Foam forever closed its doors – has its production been ratcheted up as a material for the manufacture of surfboard blanks. EPS foam differs from the more traditional polyurethane foam in several important respects, chief among them lighter weight. EPS foam is a lot less dense than polyurethane foam; consequently, EPS boards are said to be approximately between 20 and 30 percent lighter than polyurethane boards. The other difference is epoxy resin instead of polyester is used to sandwich the foam core. Epoxy resin is stronger and more ding resistant than polyester resin. Together, these two materials make for a lighter, more durable, more buoyant, and stronger board. Or so I had been told.

The other big selling point, especially for those surfers who are concerned with environmental issues, is the claim that EPS surfboard materials are much more environmentally friendly than traditional materials, such as polyurethane foam and polyester. One of the main claims is that epoxy resin emits fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than polyester resin. It is asserted, in fact, that epoxy emits up to 75 percent fewer VOCs.

Of course, there’s no such thing as the perfect surfboard technology. Despite their many positive attributes, EPS boards do have their drawbacks. Many surfers, for example, have complained that EPS boards feel “stiffer” in the water, meaning they have less flex and thus are less responsive to wave dynamics. This criticism is apparently subjective, though, as many EPS board owners are quite happy with their boards’ performance. The second criticism, however, is more concrete. Because EPS foam is composed of small, rounded beads, it has proven much more difficult, though not impossible, to shape. Polyurethane foam, by contrast, has long been considered much easier to work with. Hobie Alter, one of the pioneers of polyurethane foam surfboard technology, once quipped that working with the compound was like “shaping a stick of butter.” Advances in foam technology over the last several years, however, have made EPS boards much easier to shape.

After picking my new board up from the shaper, the first thing I noticed was its weight; it was definitely lighter than my polyurethane board. At the same time, its lightness didn’t translate into fragility. Indeed, there was a sturdiness – a solid compactness – that seemed to belie its lighter weight. As I handled it, the board definitely felt like it had the ability to take some abuse and bounce back (not that I had any intention of testing its ruggedness).

Of course, the ultimate test is how the board performs in the water. That is the big question the majority of surfers want to know. In short, does EPS/epoxy make for a better surfboard? That was the question that motivated me as I hoofed it down the trail to one of the surf breaks north of town. I was eager to try out my new board; I was eager to assess its performance and see for myself whether it was “stiffer” than a traditional board.

I paddled out at one of my usual haunts north of town. Conditions were all right, though not great. A three-to-four-foot WNW swell was running and there was a slight onshore wind, which added some texture to the water. The board glided smoothly and quickly over the surface, though it did indeed feel more buoyant than the traditional polyurethane boards to which I was accustomed. This wasn’t bad necessarily; it was just different, and something that with time I would probably consider a non-issue.

An incoming wave gave me the opportunity to test the board’s ability to duck dive. Pushing the board’s nose under the water, I slipped quickly and easily under the foam and popped up with no problem.

I sat for a while in the lineup, waiting for a decent wave. When one finally humped up on the horizon, I paddled into position. I paddled hard, caught it, and immediately hopped to my feet, dropping down the wave’s face. I swept into a fast bottom turn that got me around the first section and onto the shoulder. My top turn was a little shaky and none-too-crisp (but this had less to do with the board and more to do with the fact that I’d been suffering from plantar fasciitis recently). Recovering, I pumped down the line to generate speed and finally pulled out the back. I caught a few more waves before finally paddling to shore, generally satisfied with my session.

So, I can honestly say that the board performed well. I liked the feel of it and wasn’t in agreement with the claim that epoxy boards ride stiffer than traditional boards. However, it was definitely more buoyant and much lighter than the boards I typically surf, which took some getting used to, but overall I was very pleased with the way it handled. In fact, it was quite speedy and maneuverable and was able to get me around sections quickly.

But did it outperform the traditional polyurethane board? That’s a difficult question to answer. It requires, surely, more than a single surf session. On the whole, though, I liked the board very much, and was pleased with how it handled, and eager to use it again.

Before signing off, I think it is advisable to say a few parting words about the claim that EPS surfboard technology is “greener” than traditional polyurethane surfboards. Specifically, does the fact that I own an epoxy board make me “greener-than-thou”? Can I rightly claim the mantle of fearless eco-warrior battling the foes of a cleaner environment? Frankly, the “greener” claim seems pretty flimsy. Despite the fact that epoxy emits fewer VOCs, most of the raw materials that go into EPS surfboard technology are hardly what one would consider eco-friendly. Many of these materials are, in fact, just as toxic and harmful to the environment as the materials that go into polyurethane board construction. What many EPS enthusiasts fail to mention, for example, is that polystyrene foam contains two known carcinogens, styrene and benzene. And though one wouldn’t know it from reading the literature, fiberglass is in fact used in the construction of most (though not all) EPS boards. Although the carcinogenic properties of fiberglass dust have been endlessly debated, it can at least be said that the material is a skin and lung irritant – certainly nothing that anyone would consider benign. In short, the “carbon footprint” involved in the production of surfboards, whether polyurethane or polystyrene, is still large.

Of course, advocates of EPS boards have made the argument that because of the boards’ greater strength and durability – and hence longevity – EPS boards are in fact better for the environment because they typically last longer than traditional boards. The manufacture of fewer boards in any given year, for example, means less use of materials, both organic and synthetic (and ultimately a smaller carbon footprint). It’s a point with a certain amount of merit, though one that many shapers – especially those who derive a living from selling boards – might find a bit distressing. It might also be negated by the fact that as the surfer population continues to grow year after year, more boards may in fact be manufactured than the year before.

The bottom line is this: No matter how you slice it, there’s no such thing as a completely “green” surfboard. In fact, those two words, green and surfboard, should probably not be used in the same sentence. Nearly all of the raw materials that go into surfboard manufacture, whether the end product is a polyurethane or polystyrene board, are a witches’ brew of chemicals that to some degree are either toxic to humans or harmful to the environment, or both. Although many surfers like to think of themselves as ecologically-oriented nature lovers (and many of us undoubtedly are), the reality is that surfers owe a greater debt to the petrochemical industry than to Mother Nature. Nearly all of the gear that makes surfing possible – from surfboards to wetsuits to wax – is derived from petroleum-based products. So it might be a bit premature to pat us epoxy board owners of the back. We may be polluting the environment to a lesser degree, but we’re still polluting the environment. It’s a sad but true fact.

One of my favorite authors once wrote that much in life is a trade-off. So many of our choices, he noted, have cost/benefit ratios attached. Surfing is no exception. If you are someone who believes humans should have absolutely no impact on the environment (an impossibility to begin with), then you probably shouldn’t surf, or surf naked using a sustainably harvested plywood board (for something along these lines you might want to check out this: http://www.korduroy.tv/stoked-and-broke-synopsis-trailer-reviews). In short, as things currently stand, to enjoy our sport we have to accept a certain degree of environmental impact, whether we’re driving to our local breaks, flying to exotic surf locations, and surfing our toxic boards.

On the bright side, the last several years have witnessed a veritable explosion in new and innovative surfboard technologies. Shapers have been experimenting with a whole host of different materials in the quest to make boards not only more sustainable and safer for the environment, but also stronger and more durable. While most of these have unfortunately proven less-than-satisfactory, a few have at least pointed the way toward a new realm of possibilities.

No doubt the coming years will witness further experimentation in surfboard materials. And that’s a good thing. The quest to make surfboards more environmental friendly and simply better wave-riding tools will be in the forefront of surfboard design for years to come. The urge to innovate and experiment seems hard-wired in our genes – whether we’re shapers or engineers. In the meantime, the rank-and-file surfer will, ultimately, ride the board that feels good and performs best under his or her feet.

I was interested in learning to ride a shorter board, just to broaden my surfing.  My shaper Austin Saunders must have had the same idea, because out of nowhere, there appeared a white, 6’6”, Mini Simmons Planing Hull design over Christmas.  It is a beautiful shape, simple, and elegant, and still futuristic looking more than fifty years after conception.  I looked at the Simmons in the shop, and started talking to Austin about it.  I hemmed and hawed, and researched a good portion of the winter while I surfed my short board (10’2” Austin Blunt), and my longboard (11’0” Austin Soul Glide).  Then, around my birthday in March, I started thinking about ways to “get my mini on”…my lovely wife Kathy said “Get it, you’ve been drooling over it all winter, go ahead and order it, for your birthday, for god’s sake order it!”  So I did, put in my order for a 6’6” Mini Simmons.

I wanted just a hair more volume, I’m 230lbs on a good day (short, fat, and draggy (me, not the board)).  Although I know, in theory, how a Simmons shape is supposed to paddle like a long board.  That was an abstraction I couldn’t get my arms around.  In any event, Austin, who is a big fella’ just like me, agreed that a little more volume should work for me.  Austin is a student of shaping and surfboard history, he proceeded to enlighten me on the various aspects of what made the Simmons, a Simmons.  Some of which I knew, as I know a thing or two about aerodynamics, Bernoilli’s equations, and fluid flow.  But I still had a nagging fear that I would not catch a wave for weeks on this board, while I completely relearned to surf (and maybe committed Harikiri).  Austin calmed my anxiety and explained more about the theories behind the Simmons.

It starts with a flat wide surface that has little rocker.  Don’t mistake nose chine for rocker, the chine gets you planning earlier and more efficiently.  A wide, flat bottom (like me), first proposed by Lindsey Lord, his seminal work Naval Architecture and Planing Hulls, adopted by Simmons, was the key to reducing drag, increasing paddling power, and maneuverability.  A square tail allows speed down the line due to low loading on the tail, twin fins (quad in my case) combined with a concave rear end (also like me), make this board a stable, fast, and maneuverable (stable and maneuverable are usually mutually exclusive in aero and fluid dynamics) platform.  “We’ll see.” I thought to myself.

Well four weeks went by (this is a very busy time of year for Austin).  All I thought about: The Simmons, Wave quality/quantity for the next couple days, my job.  So one Friday, while visiting Austin’s for “Beer Thirty” (a gathering of Austin-ites), I asked, “So how is the board going Austin?”  He said, “It will be two weeks, realistically.”   ARGHH!   The last board Austin made me was done in three weeks, and it was almost four feet longer…but I know this is purely supply, demand (on him, his time, and materials), and I needed to take a number just like everyone else.  Austin works hard, does all the shaping and glassing with a very limited staff, and remember, nothing good comes easily (or quickly).

Two additional weeks dragged by, I was purposely putting board pickup thoughts out of my mind as much as possible (with all my nightly dreams being Simmons fish dreams).  So I was surprised one day as I was leaving the beach after an evening sesh’, that as I cruised past Austin’s shop, it was open, the gang was there, and when I pulled in, so was my Mini Simmons.  Whoop, Whoop!  I was so stoked, it was much smaller than anything I had actually surfed, and the glassing was perfect, and more beautiful than any board I had ever seen.   I was elated, it’s everything good you can think of about Christmas or birthdays.  The board looked beautiful, functional, fast and spaceship like.  I looked at it, talked about how the waves were going to be tomorrow, how it was supposed to be good in the AM……Austin said, “You know, you can’t ride this for another 7 days.”  What?  You have got to be sh$%ing me?  Austin said “Nope, I just finished it today, and it needs seven days to cure.  Sorry Bro…”  Knife through the heart!!!

I was crushed, and stoked all at the same time.  It was a light blue base, with stripes of multi-colored pigment resin across the width of the board.  Austin calls that pattern a Mexican Blanket.  I love it, it reminds me of Mexico, San Diego, and Cali in general, the goodness of the waves there.  I have that same pattern on another of my Austin boards, the Blunt, also an absolutely gorgeous board that surfs incredibly well.  Anyway, if I thought the two weeks went by slowly, the seven…I mean five days I actually waited were worse.  But now, I had a face to the name I had only dreamed about.  I could hold and wax her, she was real.  As Tuesday came, Wednesday looked on Swell Info like it might be decent (for VB), and Thursday looking like it was going to suck, I made a command decision, five days should be good enough.

Wednesday morning I surfed my blunt, it was 2’ to 3’ and glassy, I surfed first street with the dawn patrol (Franky, Mikey, Scotty, Ben, and Sonny showed) and I had a great time.  But I was really waiting for after work, when, if the wind would be kind, I’d get my first intro to Mr. Simmons.

The wind was a little easterly, the water was choppy, but every once in a while, things would line up.  I was at the jetty, protected from northeasterly winds a little.  I was all alone, just me and my new multicolored mistress.  The first thing I noticed about her, after I dothed the spring suit, was how light this board was compared to either blanket (my 10’2” blunt) or the Ace (11’0” Soul Glide) as I walked the quarter plus mile to the beach access.  A little wide at 23” 11/16”, but light at less than 8 pounds.  I ran the whole way….like the little feral blond kid in the “PRESENT”, at 49 and 230 lbs.

I got to the jetty, it was empty….just as I planned.  Choppy, but not too choppy.  I paddled out after affixing my leash, truly, it paddles well.  I’m never going to win the Oahu to Molokei, but I’m making good way.  It’s weird having so little of your board in front of you, I definitely got the feeling that I was going to pearl hard the first time I paddled.  But, as I made it to the spot I wanted to be in, I waited, and waited, then a little A-frame popped up, headed right to me.  I turned and started paddling, I got the lifty, accelerating feeling, and I started my clumsy attempt to get to my feet.  I “popped up” (more like a slow totured drag to my feet one foot at a time.  I got my feet positioned correctly (close enough), and rode this little board across a couple sections that I would never have made on any longboard.  Then kicked out to my right…..it wasn’t pretty, I dug my nose in, and flew onto the shallow sandbar headfirst (no blood, no foul).

I was hooting myself like I had just won the Eddy!  No way surfing this board was going to be this easy.  But I caught a good number of waves that day, and as I write this little tale, I have not had any epic wave opportunities yet…but I feel like the board will, and I will, perform up to what I hope, it will only get better.  The plain and simple description is, that once positioned with this board, any thought of turning, has the request answered fore or backhand immediately and with little effort.  I am not sure why pro surfers do not ride this shape.  I may be making a mountain out of a mole hill, as I have never really ridden a true short board before, but this board (and I mean Simmons shapes in general) are far less draggy, faster across any flats, reduce the need for any sort of “hop” as waves mush prior to reforming, and, with the quad setup (the only configuration I’ve ridden so far), are like being wire guided as far as maneuverability.  Why would anyone ride anything else?  That is, why don’t Pro’s ride the Simmons?

Duke With His Austin Quiver

I can only guess that a Simmons fish has the stigma of being “retro”.  While some surfers embrace retro stuff in general.  Some ersatz surfers are vehemently opposed to doing anything, riding anything, experiencing anything from the past.  Understand: this shape, is from the forties.  Bob Simmons was scorned by local peers to some extent, was called crazy, and laughed at…..but I am guessing, that when they saw him “Zorch!” across the fast breaking waves at wind and sea, no one was laughing.

I’ve been riding my Simmons for 6 days, and although the waves haven’t been all that great where I live I am stunned by what I have experienced and learned with this board so far.  Like taking up surfing yet again, I wonder why I hadn’t grabbed a Simmons shape before.  Long live Bob Simmons shapes.  He was like Jules Verne, years ahead of his time.  I would be happy to see more people riding and enjoying Simmons Planing hull design.  The best part of this story has yet to be experienced.  My job requires frequent travel to the west coast, I can’t wait to bring my board with me.  I want to Surf Blacks, Wind & Sea, Swami’s, and Lowers.  And I will surf Imperial Beach on my Mini Simmons.  All I can say, is I’m stoked.  Get a Simmons, you will be too.  There is nothing mini about the Simmons.

BBC Productions has done it again with an astoundingly lavish and jaw dropping production entitled Human Planet.  Following in the footsteps of the hugely popular Planet Earth and Blue Planet, Human Planet turns the camera back on us, framing the human race in various natural environments.

The first episode, Oceans, is one that many surfers might be interested in.  The hour long installment follows groups of people in various locations as they attempt to eke out a living, surviving by doing the most interesting and incredible things.  One of the most amazing parts of the series was the story of the Filipino tube divers.  About 30-40 men dive down with an individual tube that looks like a garden hose, each of which are connected to a single pump generator on the boat that looks like it’s about one step away from breaking down completely.  On deck, men are furiously trying to sort the hoses so they don’t get tangled.  It looks like an absolutely insane practice, but they do it just to earn a meager living.  Another astounding story was of the fishermen who work with dolphins to round up schools of fish, and the diver who free dives and hunts on the seafloor for minutes at a time in one breath.

The inclusion of surfers in this episode ranges from the beginnings of surfing in ancient Hawaii to the modern day sport of big wave riding.  It’s a spectacular display of humans mastering their natural environment.

Some viewers, especially ocean lovers, might be startled at the depiction of various hunting methods, such as the tribe in Indonesia hunting a sperm whale.  However, when put into context, these people absolutely need this food to survive.  They aren’t cruelly hunting whales for monetary gain, and instead overfishing they take what they need and don’t waste a single scrap from whale.  In this case I think it’s an interesting look at how humans survived (and still do) before the industrial food industry took hunting away from the public eye.  Practices such as these are examples of sustainable fishing methods, and should not be attacked.  The major problem facing our oceans is industrial overfishing.

Each episode focuses on a different natural environment; Oceans, Deserts, Rivers, and so on, totaling eight in all.  One thing that must be said about this series is that the imagery and footage is absolutely beautiful.  At the end of each episode you’re taken behind the scenes to see how the filmmakers got their shots.  In some cases it’s just as amazing as the objects they are filming, and the dedication of these crews to get the footage is something to be admired.  If you can get your hands on the Blu Ray version and have the appropriate equipment on which to watch it, I highly recommend it.  Even without the Blue Ray high definition, the series is still crisp and clear on regular DVD.

I was a little skeptical about the series at first, wondering what sort of stance the show would take on how humans interact with their environments.  My concerns were allayed, however, once I saw that the stories the show depicted were some of the most amazing and interesting practices I’d ever seen.  Most of these stories are things that you won’t even know occurred.  In a world of Facebook and Twitter, it’s astounding  to see tribes that still cross miles over the desert just to find water, and gather together for a festival they wait years for–just to put on a dance and win a lover (watch the Deserts episode).  Sometimes it’s good to take a look beyond our own culture to see a simpler way of life, and realize that our worries are so trivial compared to the life or death worries that some people face every day.

I also encourage ocean lovers to check out the Blue Planet series, which explores the amazing diversity of life that’s found in our planet’s oceans and seas.

You can order Human Planet now on Amazon.com, and follow Human Planet on Facebook for a chance to win the series on DVD in their Trivia Challenge

Product Review: Xcel DRYLOCK 7 mm Mittens

I recently bought myself a pair of new winter weight surf gloves.  Well, actually mittens, I’ll use both terms throughout this article.  But I am talking about mittens.  I purchased the Xcel Drylock 7 mm mittens from my local surf shop and had my doubts about how I was going to like them.  But I was wrong, for those that are just skimming, these mittens are my ATF….forever.

On and Off – The Xcel Dry Lock Mittens are hard to get into and out of, until you read the box and follow the directions.  I did not at first since, well, they’re just gloves, right?  Wrong, the box tell you to roll or fold your wetsuit up at least three inches above where it will sit when rolled back down over the glove cuff.  Next, fold the glove cuff towards the finger tips taking as much of the cuff as possible with you.  Leave the fingers of the hand you are holding the glove with, behind the fold in the cuff, then jam/squeeze/struggle/strain the hand you are trying to glove, into the mitten.  Try to get the thumb (widest part of your hand) past the cuff (which will be the tightest point).  Keep wiggling/writhing your hand deeper into the glove until you get your thumb in the thumb hole, and your fingers as deep as they are going.  Roll the cuff of the glove up your arm, and roll the wetsuit over the glove cuff.  Repeat with the other hand, which, will be a little harder since with an already gloved hand.

Getting out of these mittens can be frustrating as well.  But, again, if you just reverse the steps used to get in to get out, you should be OK.  Roll the wetsuit back until the upper edge of the cuff is exposed, get a thumb under the cuff, try to get it folded all the way around the wrist over the fat part of the hand, then slip your free thumb under the glove and use your legs to keep pressure on the glove pushing away from you, the glove will grudgingly slide off.  Don’t pull from the tip which stretches the glove material, this will cause premature degradation of water resistant nature of the gloves.

Are they Warm? -  Without a doubt, this mitten is the warmest hand covering I have used to date.  I live where the water has been in the high 30’s for almost a month, and will stay there until the end of February.  The hassle of getting them on and off is worth it.  Once in the water, my hands aren’t usually wet at all for the first half hour or so….and when my hands do get wet, I sincerely believe it is my own sweat that is the culprit.  I surfed comfortably for almost four hours yesterday.  I was definitely cold at the end, but that was due to long intervals between sets and a strong northwest wind.   My hands were toasty.  7 mm Xcel Drylock are the warmth ticket.

Dexterity – Dexterity was not a big issue with these mittens.  Certainly if I needed to play a cello or something, I’d need to use fingered gloves, but short of getting my key out from my truck hiding spot, dexterity was never an issue, and the warmth more than offsets any inconvenience that might be associated with having less dexterity.  The only action I need to do is get my leash on and off, and that was not a problem.  As long as you do not get a back zipper blow out while in the water, you shouldn’t have any problems with wearing mittens.

Price – The Xcel Drylock 7mm mittens were in the $47 range, and fortunately for me, my shop (Surf and Adventure in Sand Bridge) was having a December Wetsuit 20% off sale which was extended to all wetsuit products.  To include gloves and booties, hoods etc.  So I walked out the door with a new pair of Mittens (which I now love) for $38.  I paid $50 for my 5mm Xcel gloves last year, so this was an unexpected bonus for me.  The shop also carried another brand of lobster mitten, where the forefinger was separated from the other three fingers, they were at least $20 more expensive before the discount.  Also, the lobster glove seemed like the forefinger was too tight, I can see that finger getting very cold.  I liked and therefore bought my Xcel’s, I’m glad I did.

Durability –  It is too early to tell for sure, but these mittens seem to not be degrading at all over first two months of everyday winter use.  I noticed last year, that by the end of a full year, my Xcel drylock fingered gloves were leaking in a significant way.  But, by that time (six months of daily use), the water was no longer in the 30’s or 40’s.  If my mitten removal technique of getting them on and off helps extend the life of the mitten, I’m hoping that I can get this season and part or all of next season under my belt before they begin to leak.

Propulsive Effects – This glove gives a significant advantage over an ungloved hand in the way of providing paddle power.  But a fingered glove gives a slight advantage over the mitten.  This is more noticeable when the mitten eventually becomes full of water, it becomes more round and hence just  a little less thrust is produced.

Drawbacks - The only drawback besides being hard to get on and off (All thick gloves are hard to get on and off) is that after an hour or so, the sweat or water that does seep into the mitten, begins to deform the glove so it gives less propulsion, this is easily remedied by rolling the wetsuit towards the elbow, getting a thumb under the mitten cuff, and squeezing and manipulating the gloved hand to force the water trapped inside, out of the mitten.  Then resetting the cuff and rolling the wetsuit back down over the cuff.  I can perform this action to both hands in a minute or so.  I might only have to do this operation once or twice in a four hour session.  So, this will not likely be a factor for most surfers.  My only recommendation to glove makers is to put little durable pumps in them to draw interior water out.

Overall – When this pair of Xcel 7mm Mittens wears out, I am positive I will replace them with another set exactly like the ones I have.  Great job Xcel!  I may have to try your heavy wetsuit.

Building a quiver is one of the fun parts of surfing.  It’s great to have choices.  However, storing all those boards can be a pain.  If you are like me, you have already exhausted every available space in your garage.  Longboards, shortboards and all those odd in between shapes.  What you need is a good rack.  Or perhaps a “Nice Rack”.  The folks at Nice Rack have engineered a very simple surfboard rack and were kind enough to send me one to try on my quiver.

While I waited for my rack to arrive I decided to take a look at their website.  First of all, they have kept it very simple by only offering one product (unless you want a t-shirt or a hat).  I always agonize over choices, so the simplicity was welcome.  The site is very straight forward and includes a very helpful FAQ section if you click on the Support button.

I was very happy to learn that they are making the racks out of 100% recycled ABS plastic (I’m not sure why we don’t see this with all surf related companies).  Also, all packaging/shipping waste is recycled, and packaging materials used for shipping are re-used materials.

A single rack goes for $29.95, but if you order the quad rack (four racks) the price is only $95 and you get the shipping for free.  They also have an option of ordering additional racks with the quad at $20 a piece.  That means that you can get a seven board quiver off the floor for just over $22 a board and not have to pay shipping.  I love a bargain!

My rack arrived and I decided to install it on the side of my house so that I could clear at least one board out of my garage.  The package contained very easy to follow instructions.  It’s pretty much a no-brainer, but I thought it was really cool that they explained the 16” distance between studs to help people like me find them when working on drywall.  Even though I was installing on a wood exterior, I decided to stick with the suggested 32” stud spacing.  Installation was a breeze.

It was obvious that the Nice Rack could easily hold a shortboard, so I started off with some of my bigger heavier boards.  First was my 7’ 4” fish weighing in at just less than 18 lbs.  The fish was very comfortable on the racks so I switched it out with my heaviest board, an old beat up 9’6” longboard weighing in around 23 lbs.  The rack was holding up nicely, although now I could see some visible flex in the arms.  I felt uncomfortable attempting the 40 lb weight limit suggested on the website, so I contacted Nice Rack and was told a more conservative weight limit of 30 lbs.  I started placing weights on top of my longboard until I reached 30 lbs.  The rack was holding, but definitely showing a lot more flex.

9'6" 23 Lb longboard on the Nice Rack system

Simple is good.  The racks are lightweight, well made and easy to install.  Each rack is nicely padded to protect your favorite boards.  However, I don’t think I would go over 25 lbs. on the rack (but I doubt too many of us are lugging around anything that heavy anyway).  The website mentions using the rack for snowboards, wakeboards and kiteboards.  I could see myself using it for brooms, gardening tools, golf clubs, etc….  Bottom line, if your quiver is all over your garage, this is a great way to get organized while protecting the boards, and it looks cool.

Check out their website at The Nice Rack – Surfboard Wall Rack System

Welcome to our first monthly installment of “Stuff We Like.”  Every month we are going to ask our writers, contributors, and friends what surfing related thing they have been stoked about in the past month.  It could be a piece of equipment, a book, a movie, an organization, or even just something like getting up for the dawn patrol.

Want to throw your two cents in?  Send a paragraph about something you like to admin@surfinghandbook.com and we’ll add the best one each month from our readers.

So without further ado, here’s some stuff we like:

Dave Christensen

Well. I’ve become a “Tide Nerd”.  It starts with those little free tide schedules that they give away at the surf shops.  Then last year I bought a California tide calendar from Hawaiian Resources.  That thing was cool.  I could track the Sun, Moon & tides.  I wore that calendar out.  I don’t know why we stare at those tide charts thinking somethings going to change.  If it says minus tide then it’s minus tide.  However, I must say that the pictures leave something to be desired.  First they hit you with a huge Great White Shark.  Surfers don’t need to see that.  I will give them credit for including a picture of the Wedge in Newport Beach.  How a bout a calendar with pictures of surfers and surfable waves?  No more sharks, thanks.  Anyway, this year I moved into the wonderful world of tide watches.  I treated myself to a Nixon Lodown tide watch on sale for $70 at the Hobie surf shop in Laguna Beach after Christmas sale.  It’s stylish and very well made.  Now I have 200 beaches at my disposal until the year 2020.  If only I could read the tiny little graph.  It doesn’t matter.  I can tell what’s going on by just looking at the tide chart.  This thing is so cool that I actually started wearing a watch again.  And you younger surfers can probably read the tiny numbers, so that’s a plus.

Stefan Slater

The History Of Surfing

For Christmas, my parents gave me The History of Surfingby Matt Warshaw. It is an incredible book, as it covers the entire history of the sport from its origins in Peru (yes, I said Peru) to the exploits of Duke Khanamoku, the first wave ridden by Greg Noll at Waimea, the birth of the shortboard, all the way up to the current events of today. Rather remarkably, Warshaw is able to condense nearly 2,000 years of history down to 500 very well written pages—which is a pretty impressive feat. As the former editor-in-chief of Surfer, he understands surf culture as a whole, so he is able to utilize the history of the sport in such a way as to allow the reader to comprehend the development of the character and demeanor of the modern surfer. Overall, the book is a wonderful read.  I just finished the section on Malibu point in the 1940’s, and I’m infatuated with the idea of paddling out at First Point on a vintage 50-pound redwood board. Not so keen on the butt-hugging trunks they wore back then though. Doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination… if you know what I mean.

Hayley Gordon

Tak Model T

I’ve been incredibly stoked on my Takayama Model T (http://hawaiianprodesigns.com/).  I got this board off of Craigslist about two months ago.  I didn’t bring a longboard with me on my move from California to New York two years ago, and it’s high time I got a log for the great longboard waves we have here in San Diego.  This particular Model T is 9′, custom made for a team rider who got rid of it in favor of a board with slightly more rocker.  It made its way into my hands for 600 bones, and I couldn’t be happier.  It’s single fin magic, makes elevator drops on surprise sets, and noserides amazingly well.  Not only that, but it’s nimble enough to turn easily.  I never had what you could call a “magic” board until this one came along.  It’s that good!  If you’re looking for a great and versatile noserider, check out a Model T.  You won’t be disappointed.

Ted Whitaker

Gooza..taking a slide break on the way to the Frank Zappa concert

This is a photograph of Gooza. Gooza is a an old surf dog who was the prime figure for encouraging my surfing in early grommet-hood. He took me to Quarry Beach Surfboard Shop to get my first board, matching red leg rope, Nose Guard (for safety) and a fresh block of Mr. Zoggs – Cold Water.

Seeing this photo for the first time last week (now fully bearded like the figure in the photograph) I was reminded how capturing images are so treasured. This photograph holds personal memorabilia “..taking a slide break on the way to the Frank Zappa concert” and is also a window back in time to surf life in 1971 New Zealand portraying a timeless surf culture. This is what surf rats do. Using any camera; Digital, Disposable, 120 film, GoPro, HD video or Super8 we are all surf rats living probably the coolest lifestyle and it is cool to have images of that coolness.

Tom Garlinghouse

Looking for a good read? Interested in fiction with a surfing-related theme? I recently finished Tom Mahony’s well-crafted novel, Imperfect Solitude. It tells the story of Evan Nellis, a neophyte biologist who works for a private environmental consulting firm in San Francisco. With idealistic dreams of “saving the environment” and “making a difference,” Nellis soon learns that an entry-level biologist is just another cog in the machine – a position of little pay and even less responsibility. His only solace is surfing the nearby Bay Area breaks. However, when a wealthy developer offers him the opportunity to assess some coastal land for a proposed development, it’s an offer he can’t refuse. Little does he realize the series of events such a job will set in motion. Not only does it test his ideals, it nearly costs him everything he loves. A surfer and consulting biologist who grew up in San Diego but has lived in the Bay Area for many years, Mahony has composed an engaging novel with numerous twists and turns. Mahony is adept at vividly describing a frigid “dawn patrol,” and then shifting gears to explore the often byzantine machinations that all-too-frequently underlie contemporary environmental consulting. The book is a definite page turner!

Tommy DePalma

Night surfing promotes the use of all your senses:  you see the wave, feel the energy, hear the lip chasing the tail of your board, taste the rush of the Ocean in a wipeout, and smell the salty humid air.  All of these senses combined give the feeling of an all-body movement that has a direct path to the mind and soul of the surfer.  But take away the most dependent sense:  sight.  One of the most exhilarating experiences is surfing at night, becoming completely blind to all that is around you.  I love the feeling of not being able to see the wave you are riding.  It causes me to rely heavily upon the other senses, most importantly the feeling of the wave’s energy on your feel pulsing through your body.  Your feet are your eyes, because it is the muscle memory of the experienced surfer’s body that knows where to be on the wave by how the board is being propelled.  Try it out; you will leave the Ocean with a feeling like never before!  But just like every other surfing feat worth attempting, safety is paramount and there are a few keys to making it a successful and fun surf session.  Remember, surfing is already a risky lifestyle, and surfing at night absolutely adds another element of danger.

• Don’t go in alone!  You will get disoriented after a long ride or a bad wipeout, but it will be the location and voices of your fellow surfmates that will get you back to the right spot.  Do NOT go night surfing with any fewer than two of your closes friends.  Recommended to have three, making a total of four in the group.  Also, agree with your friends that you will take turns catching waves.  Otherwise, if you all take the same wave you will have to reconfigure your positioning.
• Don’t go in with outrageous surf conditions!  I would never consider going night surfing in anything over a foot overhead.  First off, the paddle out will freak you out if you are getting relatively large waves just randomly crashing on you.  Also, a heavy wave pitching over will make for a tumultuous wipeout.  The most enjoyment to be had is out of the knee to chest waves that allow you to absorb the moment, without be tossed like a ragdoll.  Other conditions to stay away from at night are heavy winds (even if they are offshore!), and strong currents.  The longer the wave interval, the better!
• Watch out for your friends.  This is a no-brainer.  Talk a lot during the session to naturally keep verbal track of everybody you are with.

If you are an experienced surfer and you follow the above guidelines, then you will have a surf session that’ll last a lifetime.  Safety and fun walk hand-in-hand, though.  Embrace the night stoke and enjoy a beautiful surf.

I bought a new car recently, and when they handed me the keys my first thought was, “How am I going to fit this in my wetsuit?”  It’s one of those huge, modern electronic keys with about 12 buttons.  You don’t want to get those wet.  So, I decided to splurge a bit and bought myself the Hitch Safe to make my life slightly easier.   (There is a removable metal key that comes out of the electronic part, which you could probably make a copy of to stash in your car or take with you, but I had a few other reasons to get one of these hitch safe gadgets.)

The Hitch Safe turns your car’s hitch into a small safe where you can place keys, money, and other valuables.  It’s a great place to stash an extra key, and an even greater place to put your keys when you’re surfing.  I used to put my old metal key in my wetsuit key pocket, and that worked fine.  But there were a few close calls where it was dangling around when I took my wetsuit off, and I always wondered when the other shoe would drop and I’d lose it completely.  I hate putting my key in the leash cuff, so this was my only option.  Forget hiding the key near the car… I can do that back home on the East Coast but not here in Encinitas.

The Hitch Safe Installed

Even if you’re not a surfer, the Hitch Safe is a great way to stash stuff when you’re going out for any sort of activity, whether it’s snowboarding (I hated carrying my keys around snowboarding), hunting, diving, hiking, mountain biking, etc.  Anything you’re doing where there’s a chance that either a.) the keys will fall out of your pocket, or b.) you’ll fall on the keys and they’ll stab you in the leg.

I also think one of the best things about the Hitch Safe is that if you’re surfing with your buddy and he gets cold, you don’t have to follow him in or toss him the key while in the water.  As long as he knows the combo he can get dry and warm while you enjoy a few more waves.

The Hitch Safe was easy to install.  Actually, the hardest thing about setting it up was getting it out of that horrid molded plastic packaging (note to manufacturers: please don’t do this).  Make sure you have a sharp powerful scissors on hand, or perhaps an angry pet gorilla.

The lock mechanism allows you to set your own four number combination.  It’s really quite easy.  The only downside is that obviously you can’t use your hitch for towing if you’ve got it installed.  The safe comes with a removable dust cover so that the lock mechanisms stay protected.

So far I have been loving this product.  I don’t have to worry about my keys while out surfing, knowing they are safe and dry right at my car.  The only thing I haven’t been able to test out is it’s durability as far as the lock mechanism and normal wear and tear / weather.  Obviously salt water and normal rain water would be of some concern, so I definitely suggest keeping that dust cover over the face at all times.

Overall this is a great Christmas gift for a surfer in your life.  Just make sure they have a hitch on their car that’s available and not being used.

You can buy the Hitch Safe key vault at your local surf shop (I got mine at Encinitas Surfboards), or online at Amazon.com
.

Update:

It’s half a year later since I wrote this review (time flies when you’re having fun!) and I continue to tell my friends that the Hitch Safe is the best thing I’ve ever bought in terms of surfy / car related gadgets.  It’s incredibly helpful.  Not only for surfing – if I go out to a club, or leave my car overnight somewhere when I go on a trip, I can leave my keys stashed in here and don’t have to worry about losing them somewhere.  I’ve used it for snowboarding (who wants keys in their snowboard pockets?) and hiking.  I definitely suggest that if you have a hitch, you get one of these bad boys.

A few weeks ago I was sent a copy of Susan Casey’s The Wave, a new book that you may have already seen in advertisements and displayed prominently in your local Borders or Barnes and Nobles. The publishing company did a very big promotional campaign – even my mother at home in New York knew of the book.

At first I was a bit skeptical.  Personally I’ve been so oversaturated with pictures of surfers riding big waves that I’ve become immune to the spectacle.  Another picture of a huge wave at Teaupoo?  Yawn.  Having never witnessed giant waves in person it’s hard for me to appreciate what’s really going on out there.  It’s difficult to feel the power of the ocean through a picture or even a video.  One of these days I’ll make it to see giant Sunsest, or even watch the Eddie. This year I’m hoping to travel to watch the Mavericks contest. However my first thought was more along the lines of, “Ok, here’s another book about surfers riding big waves. Big deal.” Well I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Wave kept me engrossed all the way through.  I can’t remember the last time I finished a 300 page book so quickly.  I think the secret lies in Susan Casey’s storytelling.   Casey went firsthand to Maui to hang out with Laird Hamilton and his crew, and traveled around the world on redeye flights to chase swells from Tahiti to Baja with the likes of Garrett McNamara, Peter Davi, Raimana Van Bastolaer, and others.  She spent enough time with the small community of rabid big wave hunters to get in their heads and learn about their lifestyle.  It’s a more personal and detailed look into the mind of a big wave rider than I’ve read in most other surfing literature.

The way Casey describes the power of the big waves gives you an idea of what it’s really like out there in the water. The chapter about Hamilton and Brett Lickle’s “day of days” at Egypt on Maui had me more on the edge of my seat than any other surf tale I’ve read. Yes, this is the story where Lickle’s leg is sliced open like a gutted fish by a surfboard, Laird strips off his wetsuit to make a tourniquet, and then swims 500 yards to his jetski naked in 100 foot surf so they could return to shore. If people weren’t around to confirm this tale, based on those facts alone I’d say it wasn’t true.  But it is, and these guys are for real.  Many tout Kelly Slater as the best surfer in the world, and I will not argue with that.  However, Hamilton’s feats put him right up there with Kelly, but as a master of a different animal.

I have to admit, as much as I love surfing, I often get bored actually reading about surfing. It tends to be on the bland side. Something has to really grab my attention, and The Wave did just that.  It not only gives you an insight into the life of a big wave rider and paints vivid pictures of their most trying days, but it also delves into the science behind waves themselves.  Scientists are baffled at the appearance of so-called “rogue” or freak waves that seem to appear out of nowhere at almost twice the size of the rest of the waves around them.  These types of waves have been the cause of thousands of ships that have been lost at sea and never heard from again.  Casey speaks with people who have been on boats in hundred foot seas, and even interviews Captain Nicholas Sloane, a ship salvage expert from South Africa.  I had no idea such a profession even existed.  Sloane specializes in saving ships that have become stranded or disabled trying to sail around the tip of South Africa, where some of the most treacherous seas on the planet make their home.  When a ship gets disabled or runs aground, Sloane swoops in with his crew of helicopters and tugboats and attempts to contain the disaster.  Sometimes these cargo ships are full of highly toxic chemicals, and Sloane’s job is to ensure that the damage is minimal and that as little cargo is spilled as possible.

Some of the most shocking facts from the book were in regards to how many ships are actually lost at sea, even today.  You’d think that with all the advanced weather technology and GPS tracking systems available today that shipping would be a relatively safe venture.   But that’s not the case at all.  From 1990 to mid-1997, 99 bulk carriers were lost.   In the winter of 1997-98, 27 vessels were lost during four months along with 654 people.   These are astronomical figures to me, and the fact that it’s never really reported on is tragic – especially when you consider the media frenzy that often accompanies a downed plane.  Sometimes it is impossible to locate the ships that are lost, and sometimes only mangled bits of debris remain.  Imagine if a plane was to disappear from the sky and never seen again.  It would be the top story in the news for days.  The amazing thing is that survivors of ships struck by huge waves often report that the biggest ones seem to come out of nowhere, even when seas appeared to have calmed.

Casey interviews top scientists who study ocean mechanics and wave science, giving a layman’s overview of the current trends in marine forecasting.   Without getting too technical, Casey makes a point to show that linear mechanics are not adequate to predict these freak waves. The ocean is full of too many factors, and it’s becoming clear that it may be necessary to use quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle to figure out what’s really going on.  Don’t worry – it never gets boring, and Casey manages to weave interesting facts with technical info into something that reads like an adventure story.

Overall I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in surfing as well as the science behind freak waves and other interesting ocean phenomenon.  The chapter about Lituya Bay in Alaska was especially interesting, where scientists determined a wave with upper reaches of 1,740 feet (no, not a typo) had stripped trees with more force than a pulp mill and wiped the land clean. You’ll have to read the book to get the full story, but there were survivors who actually rode out the spectacle in their boats.

You can buy The Wave at your local bookstore or you can buy it from Amazon.com
.

Enter the Fuji XP 10, a waterproof camera that’s small enough to tuck into your wetsuit when you’re not using it.

Fuji XP 10

The first time I took it out I had to get used to timing my shots and getting my perspective right. I was surfing at the same time, so it was tough to get a good perspective. This changed when I took the camera out to a rock reef point break this summer back home, and was able to get some great shots from the shoulder. Having a nice predictable takeoff spot makes in-water photography that much easier. This past weekend I finally took my fins out and swam around in the lineup taking shots of my friends. I’m no professional, but I found that with a little practice the camera can take some pretty darn good shots.

Here are some shots I took this past weekend.  I still have a long way to go, but I figured I’d show you what the camera is capable of so far.

I suggest tying a string around the strap loop and putting the whole thing around your neck before tucking it into your wetsuit, or looping it around your wrist a few times. If you drop this camera it’s going to sink like a stone. There are floatation devices for sale, or I’m sure you could rig up a homemade one.

The camera takes decent video, but it’s not HD. However, it can still be a great way to have fun and also help improve your surfing – nothing helps more than seeing what you’re doing on video.

This isn’t a GoPro, but I find it to be pretty portable. Like I said, you can tuck it in your wetsuit either at the top of your chest or behind your shoulder somewhere and still surf. So if you’re on vacation somewhere you don’t have to be stuck not surfing if you want to take photos as well.

The only drawbacks to the camera are that it sometimes takes a moment to focus after you’ve pressed the shutter as the autofocus is working.  You have to try to press the shutter halfway to get it to focus and prepare for the shot, so you might lose a few last second shots.  The other thing is that the camera makes the waves look a little flat, depending on your location in the lineup.  The colors are sometimes a little washed out, and a little Photoshop or other color correctional program such as Gimp can go a long way.

This camera is a great way to cut your teeth and see if you actually like shooting from the water.  Personally I think it’s fun and exciting, and I don’t mind giving up part of a session to get a few good photos.  Even if they don’t all come out as candidates for a cover of Surfer, my friends have all been absolutely stoked on the results.

You can buy the Fuji XP 10 online from Amazon.com
or at your local camera store.