Water was mucky here too – think it's the Spring tides washing all the cr4p into the sea.
I never wear a hood even when it's freezing – I hate them (see floater pic on page 1 – it was 1 degree with ice on the beach and a howling NErerly – still no hood) – they block your hearing too much.

and what the **** are SUP boards all about. a couple of monkeys out on them just as I was getting out.

SUP gets ridden by Laird Hamilton at Chopes, everyone thinks they are him when they ride one…

Absolute c**tmobiles of the lowest order – even seen them going up the river by our house!

i did ask one if he'd lost his canoe and got scowled at….

Wait until a decent sized wave hits them – then they can't do anything and get a nice battering.

In the right hands they are a good addition to a quiver, the small performance ones (9ft and less) are really chuckable in gutless stuff. And needless to say you get a shed load of waves. The prob with them is that there are a lot of idiots getting into it – but heck have you looked around a lineup lately and seen way more idiots lying prone.

At the end of the day its all about getting watertime, prejudice just does nothing but limit your opportunity for fun.

i'd have a go on one but not sure i'd want to be seen in public on one. bit like my kayak really, actually pretty good fun in the surf but i'd never take it out at a decent break…

although I have seen some youtube vids of SUP boards being paddled on whitewater rapids. that is wrong….

Tomorrow is looking epic. Just trying to shuffle my work around a bit!

SOuth coast is looking pretty good, gonna try and get down to bantham after work.

South and North should be on fire – almost no wind to spoil either.

Just trying to book the nanny at the last minute so I can go in… Bit excessive but hey ho – hopefully worth it!

surf on the isle of wight, at compton pretty sweet but rubbish this week, no surf at all !

(see floater pic on page 1)

Floater?! You're having a laugh you poo stancing kook.

Owain/Pigface – come on leave it out. Jon and I get on now so your "joke" is a bit lame.

In fact you are very lame. Jon RN (a name he never uses) "joined" two days after your cr4p NSBR "joke" and this is "his" first post.

As for calling me a kook several times under the guise of others – cough cough…

tonight was good – very clean groundswell which seemed to be building, and some decent sets coming through

Jesus Matt good job you are not into jumping to conclusions, no idea who Jon is and if he aint SSB then no idea at all, i guess as usual an apology would be a step to far for you.

Why does this thread keep de-generating into mindless arguments?? It doesn't reflect well on any of those involved…

PF – apologies then. Off for a surf now.

…which was a lot of fun! Pretty chunky swell – not far off double overhead on some sets!

pretty rubbish session at bantham. its been years since I've been there and tonight reminded me why.

shitty lane down to the car park, greedy longboarders, angry groms and pretty weak wave. maybe a busy half term day wasnt the best day back.

hmm, might be time to get out at perran in my kayak then, not been out recently 😀

not far off double overhead on some sets!

Seeing as you're a midget in a poo stance then it probably was nearly double overhead but for a normal person surfing properly then nowhere near double overhead. KOOK.

Seeing as you're a midget in a poo stance then it probably was nearly double overhead but for a normal person surfing properly then nowhere near double overhead. KOOK.

yawn

Hitman – it's some weirdo that likes to "stalk" me – I seem to attract them…! If it's who I think it is, he's a tragically poor surfer that has big timed others then posted pics of himself and got laughed off several websites. Very sad.

Anyway what a fricking lush birthday – just surfed head high clean waves at WG – long, fast barrelly rides and a lot of fun. Cool!!

Jam – sorry to hear that. So damn frustrating! WG was a bit fat for a while and I thought it was going to be similar. Then a bank started working and it's got very nice. Birthday barrels – splendid!

Hitman – it's some weirdo that likes to "stalk" me – I seem to attract them…! If it's who I think it is, he's a tragically poor surfer that has big timed others then posted pics of himself and got laughed off several websites. Very sad.

why don't you just ignore his comments??

Hitman – will do. It's tricky though.

Got my first longboard barrel this morning (honestly, more like a crap head-dip and only for a split second, but I'll still take it).

SM – which break.

Couldn't be ar5ed to spend ages waiting for the best set but this is just after I got out…

I genuinely got two birthday barrels. Cool!

Out at the Ho!

Surf Mat – when were you at Swansea? Had an awsome surf competition (but nothing to do with the surfing) between Swansea & Plymouth in Newquay in 1988, were you there?

DB – a bit younger – I was there from 94 to 97.

Surfed for the Institute (despite being at the Uni!) because the Uni team went from good to a bunch of muppets that couldn't surf.

We beat Plymouth that year and won but mostly thanks to a couple of sh1t hot surfers like Rhino Thomas rather than my own efforts!

I was there 84 to 88, in the era of Paul Russell, lived out in Southgate with a guy who used to life guard at Perranporth (Sammy Mottart) & I was a honoury member of surf club due to circle of friends & ability to party 😳 couldn't even stand up but liked to paddle around on a long board for a laugh. 8) Great times & some how ended up as SU president too??

Surf Mat – when were you at Swansea? Had an awsome surf competition (but nothing to do with the surfing) between Swansea & Plymouth in Newquay in 1988, were you there?

I was there then surfing for Plymouth – good times:)

Hitman – it was truely one of the "it's the taking part that matters" weekends 😉 I was on an alcohol free bet at the time & we somehow ended up in the officers mess of RAF St Mawgan after the pubs closed….

DB – sounds like fun! The Student Nationals and the SW Champs (just the top 5 unis from the Nationals) were always great for maximum carnage!

just to add some variation, my local break is freshwater, Sydney (the next beach up from Manly). Last weekend was epic, 5/6ft and offshore for most of the day. I havent surfed for three months (hernia recovery) but went out for a paddle at Collaroy. Nice to get out and got a couple so happy enough. Massive storms have come through this week and evrything is windblown. Layne Beachly is a Freshwater local….awesome surfer and very short!

Easy – got some relatives in and near Sydney – spent a few months doing NSW in 1999 – got great waves at Newcastle and Byron but was a bit unlucky with the Sydney breaks – either flat or blow out!

Layne rips big time.

Layne Beachly is a Freshwater local….awesome surfer and very short!

Is there a correlation between this and myself being a terrible surfer and very tall?

I am the same height, age, almost the same weight as Kelly Slater and we "share" a similar (lack of) hairline.

However he could surf an iron bed better than I surf a shortboard..

Changing the direction of chat slightly but this seems like the thread with those in the know.

Been surfing during summer trips to north Devon and Gower with my wife, and hiring boards for week/weekend periods over the last couple of years. Really enjoying it but we feel it would be more cost effective to buy a board if I'm going to continue, whats the next step up from a foam top board? I'm thinking about a hardboard- something like a bic/nsp minimal size 7'6 ish…? I'm 5'9 and 11st. I know the popouts get a bad rep. Any suggestions from the hive?

Pete – might be worth seeking out a slightly longer but lighter custom board. NSPs and Bics are okay but they are heavy and flipping hurt if they hit you. They are also next to useless if you progress further.

My wife has an 8ft "glide" (made by Bunty) which is sort of a small longboard that's stable enough to progress on but turns enough to do "stunts" – I've had reos and floaters on it – very hard on an NSP/Bic.

Much as I hate to say it, there are many Chinese made "custom" (by that I mean foam core, resin skin) board going for around £200 or pick up a nearly new "named" board for similar money.