Porpoise 2

After some revisions and test rides by Anthony, discussions with my guru-panel (Phil & Nigel) we have concluded that the area for improvement is fin placement. There was always going to be a lot of force going through them with the narrow base (and I have already cracked the rovings) but the proximity to the bonzer EVO3 sides is the real issue… so its off with all of them and then back on with some reinforcement. I am going to reduce the size of the bonzer side EVO3s to the same as the front EVO5 set up, AND most crucially give them more space between them… it has felt like the water at times is having to squeeze between them and this may account for the feeling of drag just before take off, which isn’t ideal for a lazy paddler like me. So an extra 1/2 inch gap should sort that out.

Anthony has been riding it quite a bit and is really loving it… he grabs it whenever he can and seems to just flow into a ridiculous number of long walled up waves. It’s definitely his small wave board of choice just exactly as it is… but for me the lazy paddler the reduction in drag will be welcome and should improve the boards already great speed.

There is definitely something special going on with this board, it just feels great under you when paddling and riding and seems to smooth out whatever your normal style is… and yet you can still whack it off the top when you feel inclined.

Devil is in the detail

Just one of my recent favourites... amber resin tint by myself and Jason, pinlines by Chris Harris, and pen artwork by yours truly.

Wedges

I have to say that almost a week of clean swell, great light winds and sunshine are pretty rare but it all came together last week. I didn’t get in as often as i would have liked (“responsibilities”) but I got my share. Highlight was at a known beach break I'll call “Wedges” which had a wedging take off and a fast wall with plenty of juice. The freakfish was just awesome and i was stoked to have some guy ask me about it based on how it was surfing… it was handling late-late drops, and then just shooting round the sections into nice big carves and hooks, all backhand. I just loved it.

The porpoise is on the other hand in need of some mods. The biggest issue for me is that it doesn’t seem to get up planing as quickly as i would like. On the plus sides it is very drivey off the bottom and gets round sections beautifully, but it feels stiff off the top.  It’s the projected rake, so I'm going to sand the fins off and place them further up the board by a full inch, remove the EVO3 sides and replace them with EVO5 fronts only… all this should loosen the board up a bit and provide a little less drag which will help a little with wave entry speed too.

Anyways, I'm stoked to build an improved Porpoise, so someone please order one :)

All time favourite…

Just loved this spray when i first saw it. Still love it today… Hot Stuff

Image of Rabbit, 1979, from Australian SW #178

French fancy with a fondant filling...

A new porpoise just got its stripes...

Surf at last…

Sun is out (a bit) surf is up (a bit choppy but very gratefully received) and the lifeguards are back on the beaches… reminding me of fun summers gone by… here's a pic from my last summer (2008) on the beaches of North  Cornwall…  big-up to all the crew, I'll see you in the surf.

 

T-shirts coming soon

Had a chat with Mikey at Seed the other day when i dropped some of the old quiver into Revolver for sale… and looks like I’m going to be getting some nice healthy t-shirts done (as soon as i have done a drawing for them!)… it will be a small run for friends and people who ride my boards only, so if you think you might want one drop me a line an your size. 

In the meantime here’s a favourite pic of Duncan’s (left) and Malcolm’s (right) 1977 bonzers I  scanned in from one of my old Surfer Magazines… classic outlines that are just as valid today as they were back then…