I predicted last night's StokeCast that it would be more flat today, I was not alone, Surfpulse also came to the basic conclusion like I did and sent out its reports., but it turned out this morning was good. There were some good shoulder highs to be had. Like I wrote last night I took out the DT4 (9'0) and I really had a lot of fun with it. Man when that board takes off it is just a quite a bit noticeable difference in how it handles as compared to the Velzy. The board loves to be in a bit steeper back break conditions and it takes you there to the end. A few times, when I though I screwed up a take off, the board has already taken off leaving me behind as I was not prepared to flick up. If there is a magic to this board, that's where the magic is. It literally comes alive.
Back to the Yellow Foamy thing I wrote. After I wrote it I got a few responses both directly to me and also on the message board. If you are curious as to who wrote what I will leave that up to you to go back to the board, find and read them.
I do, however, need to set a few things straight or make them more clear.
First of all, I am not frustrated because I cannot stand up on the board or something of that nature. The core issue is to be standing on the board much often and much longer since I am now at the point where I really need to nail down the turns and all necessary motions. It is quite a bit different roadmap-wise. I can now surf, and I need to get to the level of, say, the top 5% of most weekend lineups.
I might also have given people an impression that I will discard all 4 boards I have. The foamy that I am talking about will become my 5th board, and most likely on DPs I wont use the foamy that much, but on weekends or late PM sessions that's when I am going to bring the foamy out. This way I feel much more at ease in fighting to crowd. So long as I am not going to endanger people, I will be a bit more aggressive in catching waves that I am now.
I might also have given people an impression that I am not happy with the boards I have. This isn't true either. I love all of my boards. I can ride them well when I "happen" to get into the right waves and they are all essentially my magic boards. The foamy, however, will give me yet another option for crowded conditions, or otherwise there is some danger of damaging a hard board. So as such it has to be a foamy construction so I am really thankful that some of you have offered me your boards, but my goal is a bit different than just getting another board. I need a collision damage proof board in the event I collide someone or the board collides with me.
I have touched on this topic in the past many times, but when I took a lesson last year in SC from Richard Schmidt, the guy shows up with the Doyle board, Clio and I have the shiny Arrow 8'6 boards, he takes us to the Indicators and he can surf our socks off on his Doyle board while holding Clio's hand helping her make turns. She takes off, then he goes on to surf all the way to the Cowells.
From that moment on, I confirmed filmy that if a surfer sucks, it is not the board that sucks but it is the surfer that sucks. If nobody reading this believe what I am saying, that is really fine. I have actually seen many many other great surfers hanging ten on foamys in SC.
