Surf Skool|Hightec Surfboards|Wind Notes|Board Designs|Nose Riding

 

 

Surf Skool


Pssst …What it’s all about.

In a time where surfers chase giant swells to all four corners of the earth with jet skis, tow boards and every other type of apparatus involved in achieving the ultimate goal of riding the largest, most death defying waves nature can throw in their direction. Images of these big wave surfers being towed into these water mountains now have become part of mainstream media and have catapulted surfing to the forefront of extreme sports.
Although we can as Longboarders ride big waves, the equipment does not function as well as the younger brother in the form of a shortboard. But hey where are those same guys that crave the adrenalin rush of life threatening waves when the waves are chest high and peeling? Truth be told they probably don’t really give a rats ass…. But on those days we as Longboarders are in our domain. I’ve been the guy who tries to ride a 5’10” shortboard on those mellow small days and the frustration and jealousy as Longboarders picked up waves 20 metres further out than where I sat effortlessly gliding by in perfect trim. The answer was if you couldn’t beat them then why not join them.


Brownie showing class on glass

It’s these days in which longboarding can be showcased in its purest form and make the guys on the shortboards try to disguise their craving for a board with extra length and width. Just as much as there is a great amount of skill in mastering riding large waves, there is a lot of skill in riding smaller waves. I often see people frustrated or absolutely writing off the smaller days in quest of the next ten-year swell, but this is a realm of fun that is at your fingertips many more days of the year than the overhead and legend days.
So what are the keys to mastering small waves? I guess finding the right break with small waves is a good start, we as Aucklanders should not have an issue here!! As it is important to have the right equipment for big wave riding it is also important to have the right equipment for small waves. Having a flatter rockered longboard with a little extra width and length will help somewhat but the general modern longboard will still perform in these waves as well. Weight in small waves is a good thing in your longboard, the extra weight will help you glide and create forward momentum where lighter boards hit dead spots. A larger fin will give you a bit more anchorage and stability for walking and pivot styled turns. Generally a lot of the small wave based longboards draw a lot of principles from where the boards of the 60’s left off; Rolled bottoms work well and pinched rails help water flow for nose riding.
Next step is attitude, of course if you look at small waves on offer as a thorn in your side you will not get the ultimate enjoyment from what’s on offer. If you head out into the water with a new challenge and full of anticipation of the stoke about to be had, you will have a great surf.
Once you are out there wave selection and positioning as always plays a big part in how you can perform. Just recently my mate and I scored some epic waves on Orewa Bar, there were only a handful of others out but unfortunately for the others in the water they missed the majority of what was on offer. Why? These surfers sat some twenty metres further out waiting for sets that broke twenty metres inside them. By the time they decided to move to where we catching plenty of waves they were knackered from paddling for all the waves they missed when further out. I think a good way to make sure you don’t end up in this type of rut is by keeping an eye on where the wave is actually breaking and rather than sitting out waiting for the sets, be quite content in picking off the smaller ones. Once you get a bit of rhythm and stoke this is where the confidence builds and you can start trying moves etc.
Generally on smaller days there is a bit of a diverse crowd with surfers of all abilities from absolute beginners to disgruntled short boarders and the odd goat boater or boogie boarder to make up numbers. So rather than getting upset with people getting in your way etc you have to be aware and time your rides and moves to allow greater length of ride.
Another point to remember is that you can develop your skills and work on smoothing out your style etc in small waves and these skills will also cross over to when the swells are of solid proportions.
Once you have harnessed riding small waves you have opened a new realm of stoke and fun that will have you amping on most conditions rather than slipping into a depressed and disgruntled state. If you surf competitively it is an essential part of your competition repertoire to be able to surf successfully in smaller conditions as we all know contests aren’t always held in perfect overhead barrels.
So hunt out those smaller days, lose the attitude of wishing it was bigger, focus on the fun and you will gain a whole lot more fun into your surfing and before you know it your surfing will also improve as a consequence..

Article by Paul Mant

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Hightec Surfboards

Gusto has created the world’s first ever surfboard with built-in wireless laptop for Intel.
The Intel Wireless Technology Surfboard allows surfers to check e-mail, surf the Web,
and even record footage of themselves catching the best waves.

A tablet laptop based on Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology is embedded in the surfboard and enables a wireless internet connection from the surfboard to a hotspot on the beach. Gusto developed the surfboard in conjunction with surfboard manufacturer, Gulfstream and the concept has gone worldwide. (Images courtesy of Intel Corporation (UK) Ltd) .

Article from www.gusto.co.uk

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WIND NOTES for SURFERS

Here is more info from Ken Ring, a very clever bloke who runs a website called www.predictweather.com check it out to see some very interesting weather tips.


 GENERAL
In most places wind is stronger in summer and winter and weakest in autumn. Weather is very wind specific. The good winds are usually a lot lighter or warmer. They have dissipated themselves over land before reaching the area named. Full moon days bring lighter winds, New moon days heavy winds, usually Ws. Autumn months are the least windy because the ground does not heat, due to the loss of heat at night from the Moon in southern hemisphere when in phases full to last quarter.

AUCKLAND
Some parts of Auckland are in a NW shadow so NWs tend to be light, whereas Ns can be powerful. Really bad weather comes from the NE after about 4 days of blowing and drives up the Auckland Harbour. A N wind will usually bring cloud. Some say the best wind is the SE or a NW after a NE especially in summer because it is coming from the tropics bringing heat and high humidity.
A SW generally brings a mixed bag of wind, cloud, showers and fine breaks, no matter how light the flow is. West Auckland, because of its hills often deflects strong wind upwards, carrying rain right over, and rain mostly falls there only when winds are lighter. A strong westerly or SW often comes up the Manukau and squeezes through the bays of the Waitemata, becoming northerly when it hits the East Coast Bays. This often occurs around a New moon and can be accompanied by worsening weather.
SWs can cause tornados and strong winds in Onehunga, where the land has been warming under the sun just prior to the wind gusting through. This is more l;ikely to occur during full moon-last Q, spring through to autumn. A W wind will often scream over Pt Chevalier and bomb the North Shore. Both of these patterns leave West Auckland high and dry. Auckland is more windy then Invercargill. During summer, E winds rule north of Auckland. Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf averages 60 days of gale per year, more than Cape Reinga and Bluff. Winds in the Gulf can reach 60 km/hr (37 knots)

TARANAKI and SOUTH
New Plymouth and Wellington are more windy than Auckland. In Manawhatu/Wanganui the winds are SE and W, and NE.. New Plymouth is windier in the second half of the year and less windy in the first half.

HAWKES BAY
The winds are S or SE. Sea breezes dominate over summer.

WELLINGTON
Places more central like Wellington can see good and bad weather from both N and S wind systems. Winds are N or NW and S, and a NE or W. A SW can end up as a northerly due to hill-bounce. Handy hint from Metservice for calculating wind in Cook Strait- look at the difference in pressure (read the isobars) between Wellington and Kaikoura. In a southerly, which always makes Cook Strait rough, multiply this difference by 10 to set the Cook Strait wind speed in knots. So if isobars between Wellington and Kaikoura are 5 hectoPascals apart, go for 50 knots through Cook Strait (fromBob McDavitt).

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Board Design
by Paul Mant

Longboarding over the past decade has made huge leaps and bounds in the fields of surfboard design. So how can you use these movements in design to help your longboarding progress?

The first step to getting the right board is to be brutally honest about your ability; this is the first move to grasping the ultimate board for you.
If you go in to get a board and you are telling the shaper/shop assistant that you surf Waimea Bay styled waves and you weigh 75kg when the truth is you surf once a year at Orewa and you are pushing 150 kgs of McDonald’s fuelled power....
The more honest you are, the quicker your surfing will improve.
Give the shaper/sales person as much info as you can regarding your current boards dimensions. If possible bring it in to show them. Explain the good and bad points of your current board and what you feel you are looking for in a new board.
Some manufacturers have specific models that they have developed, so you want to find out as much info on those models as possible and see if one will suit your requirements.

Here’s a few commonly asked questions.

What dimensions should I go for?

Dimensions of your board are extremely important and can some times be the difference between progression and digression. An inch in the scheme of widths is a world apart, although a wide board will paddle better and give that bit more "glide" you will lose maneuverability. Thickness also has the same characteristics; if your board is really thick you will get into the wave early, but lose the “performance factor" once the wave gets to its critical point.

Width in the nose and tail is measured at a mark 12” back. Having a narrower tail will make your board turn better and a wider tail with soft rails will allow better stability for nose-riding.
A few years back peopl used to get really large noses thinking that this would assist in nose-riding, but too wide a nose can be difficult to take off, and can tend to nose dive.
To give you an example, a lot of the world's best nose-riders competing at Noosa this year rode boards with 17 ½" - 18 ½" noses but at the other end had 16" square tails.


How do I know what rails to go for?

Rails are a real personal choice, but are a critical factor in how your board will perform. All- round boards tend to have mid rails with a light edge close to the fins (this will help you hold those cut backs and bottom-turns). Traditional styled boards generally have no edge and quite "pinched rails" this makes the boards tend to "pivot" turn rather than off the rails, generally helping the board pull further back into the pocket for nose-riding.
High performance boards tend to have quite low rails with the hard edge running past the fins which will make them very responsive, but tend to ride further out on the shoulder when nose-riding.


How do I know what brand of board to purchase?

Firstly, try to have a go on as many different brands as possible and see which ones you can pull some good points from.
Secondly, look at what the surfers you want to aspire to are riding and talk to them about their current boards.

Should I get a gloss polished mal or a ‘protec’ finish?

Gloss finishes make the board look great but do add extra weight to the board, whereas protec are definitely lighter in comparison. It's a personal choice really.

Do I need a single or multiple stringers board?

Single stringer boards have greater flex, which will give you more performance and will also be a lot lighter than multiple stringer boards.
Having 2, 3, or more stringers will give you more strength.
I suggest that you opt for three stringers if you want
added strength for surfing bigger waves and you have a tendency for snapping boards.

Should I get 1 or 3 fins?

With removable fins these days it is best to get a main fin box plus removable sides so you have options. Single fins generally suit more traditional styled boards built for smaller waves. Having side fins will increase your "drive" into turns and down the line. Still fins are a real personal preference!
Now you have a bit of background to help you with board design the best bet is to talk to plenty of people with knowledge on surfboards and you will ultimately end up with a great board that will move your surfing into the
future!

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Noseriding
by Paul Mant

Noseriding and longboarding go synonymously; it’s the part that distinguishes the short from the long. As the phrase goes 'Longboards are the easiest board to ride but the hardest board to master'. This rings more than true when mastering the art of cross-stepping and noseriding.

I think the best place to start is really looking at your form when heading towards the nose area of your board. There are plenty of ways to make your way to the nose but there is only one that will effectively set you up for a nose ride and that is: The Cross-step. Plenty of people when they start the journey to noseriding begin by “shuffling” towards the nose.
We’ve all been there, I guess it’s a safety zone as you feel like you don’t want to be caught in the “unnatural switch foot position” mid stride. Unfortunately this is a barrier that must be broken and the simple answer to this is confidence! Although the easy option may be to shuffle, it is not aiding the progression to noseriding by any means. When you shuffle up the board it is probably taking you at least double the time as cross stepping and also your board will be displacing water and will more than likely push you off the top of the wave by the time you get to the nose.

So the plan of attack for perfecting your cross stepping is to start by only taking 2 steps forward and 2 steps back. Perfect this until it feels natural for you walking foot over foot. From here try taking 3 steps forwards and back and so on. Also a few pointers when cross stepping is that you should be as light-footed as possible, so your weight will not be displacing the board whilst cross stepping.
Now don’t think this will happen over night, you will still naturally chuck the odd shuffle in here or there when the waves are unpredictable.

Now the next step is learning when to go to the nose. A very good piece of advice Paul Browne gave me some years ago, was to take my time and not rush to the nose when the wave doesn’t allow it. This is dead right as half the battle to noseriding is getting the board into a perfect stable position that will allow you to hang them toes over and get back. The whole idea with noseriding I believe is the counter balance theory; When you walk, if in the correct position on the wave, water will flow from the rails on the deck of your board and “push” down. This allows the counter balance to begin and you are ready to head to the nose.

Ideally there will be a long wall ahead and this will allow you plenty of time to take some nice smooth cross steps towards the nose. Ideally the board is set up quite high by the time you get to the nose, that way you are 'the captain of the ship' and can steer you way through upcoming sections.
Balancing your weight while noseriding is essential for your control while on the tip. When first beginning your noseride put your weight on your back foot to aid the board in rising to the top of the wave.
One thing you notice, as you become more and more proficient on the nose, is that subtle weight changes will increase your ability to stay on the nose and steer through sections.

Now you have got the Hang 5 under your belt, why not add the Hang 10 to your bag of tricks!
The Hang 10 is the pinnacle of difficulty in long-boarding and is about the closest you’ll ever get to walking on water.
To master the Hang 10 you will need to have a strong grasp of subtle weight changes and also you must read the wave really well to find that section where your board will be perfectly set up. Although some people may see people on the nose posing in all sorts of peculiar positions, this is generally a way of distributing their weight to prolong time spent on the tip. I think the best person to watch in regard to excellent noseriding is any old footage of David Nuuhiwa.


David showing style on a table top!

David really has his weight distribution 'bang on' and would give even the best nose riders of today a run for their money.
Apart from spending hours and hours analysing how to get there, the key is to remember a few basic things on your noseriding journey; Be confident (you will get there), walk softly when cross stepping forward and back, and enjoy!!!!

 

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