Ava attends Costa Verde International School in Sayulita. We feel it is an amazing opportunity as it provides Ava with a multicultural experience that would be hard to duplicate. The experience is made possible by many generous donations to the scholarship fund. This fund is what brings in many local kids to the school. Without it, Ava’s education would be less. Please help us support her school.
Sponsor Me! Yes, I will be surfing. It is Mexico after all.
Action. This picture says “Action!”
Posted in Stand Up Paddle
Well, we are in Mexico and I am working my ass off. Getting in some SUP surfing here and there but no time to edit video. So, I have not been taking video, or pictures for that matter. Finally, my friend Franklin insisted that I go out. We were going to go to Bahia for some big waves. I decided to bring the camera to document it all. But, we didn’t go to Bahia. We ended up at Burros, with 30 of our closest friends. It was lame to start but got better as the crowd thinned out.
SUP rant about etiquette.
So, when I go to a break with 30 people in the line up, I know I could paddle past everyone, outside, catch any wave I want, and weave my way through the traffic.
That’s not what I do. That would be lame. That would make everyone pissed at me and all SUPpers.
So, I hang out on the shoulder. Catch the odd, bigger set, that rolls over to where I am. And I always look over my shoulder and pull out if someone is ripping along from the main peak.
That’s what I do.
Here are some pictures of the day.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Cool, never used the slideshow. Let’s see how it goes.
Posted in Photos, Stand Up Paddle, SUP POV
SUP and Family, surfing and family, beach and family. The funny thing about the beach, Amy hates it. She always complains about the sand. But, she is learning to deal.
One of the things that really was an unexpected bonus of surfing and Stand Up Paddle was the family aspect. Amy and I met skiing/snowboarding in Park City eons ago. When we moved to Bend, we stopped going to the mountain and really didn’t have an activity that we were both addicted to that we could do together. Surfing is the first sport/activity since skiing/snowboarding that we do together. It really makes our personal relationship better.
Here is a video I put together of a beach day, actually it has parts from two different days. Our friend Chris Ostrowski and his kids Alex and Trace are with us in Sayulita. That little run to the store is a beer run. Love the golf cart, love the GoPro video camera. Working on handing the kids the video rig and letting them film whatever they want. Pretty cool. More to come. Here is a little taste.
Posted in Stand Up Paddle, Video
Drool, drool, drool.
I want a new board for Christmas. Maybe two. Here is what I am scoping out. These are my affiliate links, fyi.
Jimmy Lewis is a very well known shaper. He has roots in surfing, wind-surfing, kite-surfing and now SUP. He has one of the broadest lines of boards out there. Here are the ones I am looking at for surfing.
I think this is my First Choice: Jimmy Lewis MANO
It is a short board. I am thinking maybe a 9″ or 9′ 4″. Why this board? Well, because I am already riding an 8′ 11″ quad and it’s really fun. My concerns? Riding a really short narrow board without a lot of volume is a lot of work. I think I am ready but I have seen some of the boards that the local Sayulita guys ride and they are literally paddling just to stay afloat. I don’t want one of those, I am not that good.
Second Choice: Jimmy Lewis KWAD
I think this is the closest thing to my current Gerry Lopez 8′ 11″ quad. It is pretty beat up as I bought it from a shop that rented it out. This board is also a quad with similar shape, length, and width. I think I would go with the 8′ 7″. No concerns here. Just a replacement for what I have. Maybe this should really be my first choice.
Third Choice: Jimmy Lewis Striker
This board looks like a hella lotta fun. I think this would be my second board after I get my hands on one of the boards above. Why? Well, it just looks like fun. A pad all the way to the nose. Designed to be stable and yet nimble. I think this would be the board that I would loan to my longboarding friends to get them addicted to SUP.
Ah wishing… Maybe Santa will grant my wish? Not likely, Jimmy Lewis has free shipping until January 1 but they can’t ship it to Mexico and I don’t think Santa will be able to fit them in his sleigh.
If you are in the market for a board, I would suggest clicking on one of my links and checking out the Jimmy Lewis boards first.
When I get my hands on one of these boards, expect a full review.
Posted in Stand Up Paddle
I was driving around our little town of Sayulita yesterday, doing errands, when I ran into Mitch. He invited me to a little surf and dinner party on the beach, sin children. Since my child is back in Bend with the wife, I agreed to attend.
Of course, 10 minutes later I ran into Justin who was also going to be attending. We made a plan to SUP. Justin has spent some time on a stand up but never really got the bug. Maybe it was because he only went out when there wasn’t anything to surf. Maybe it was because the SUP he has is a relatively inexpensive inflatable that isn’t really designed for surfing. For whatever reason, he did not get the bug like I’ve got the bug. So I invited him to SUP with me on my spare board. It is a 10′ 6″ C4, their original model. It is the best board I have for a surfer to learn to paddleboard. Stable, surfy, fun.
We ended up at Burros with friends, food from Mexotic, beer and wine, and a little fire to take the chill off. I have to say, I don’t think I have seen Justin smile so much in 1-2 foot surf. Pretty awesome evening.
I posted another video with Justin in it. You may remember, it was me dropping in on him. I hope this makes up for it. Enjoy.
Posted in Stand Up Paddle, SUP POV, Video
Really like this post by Bill.
I agree 100% with him on this. When you are on a paddle board, you feel like you can just paddle up and down the coast looking for waves. Last week I was at La Lancha, a break here in Mexico, and there really weren’t any waves and about 20 guys out. I paddled down to the next break which happened to be empty, right at a river mouth. I paddled to shore, popped over the sand bar and paddled up the river looking for crocs. I didn’t find any but I saw lots of cool birds in the mangroves. I would never have done that on a surfboard.
Here is the video on Bill’s site:
Pretty amazing. Looking forward to seeing the full length movie.
Note to self, contact Blueline and see if they are interested in the Stand Up Affiliate Network. I sure would like to try some of those Paddle Surf Hawaii boards.
Posted in Video
I found this article on theinertia.com. I really like this site. Great content.
This infographic is kind of scary. As a SUP consumer, I have the ability to make a difference by how I spend my dollars.
So do you.
Check it out.
Posted in Stand Up Paddle
As you might know, I have been spending lots of time trying to learn more about SUP and the SUP industry. Attending races, events, trade shows etc… I promise I have at least 10 posts coming, some of them actually good.
I just have not had the time to write them.
But, I know that part of my job of documenting my ups and downs is to help others learn about SUP.
I met Ian “Kanga” Cairns at Outdoor Retailer in SLC and then we touched base again in Dana Point at the Battle of the Paddle. At one point, as I was paddling out on a board, he said, “oh, you know what your are doing.” Which made my head swell just a little bit. The guy is a legend.
Ian has created a few videos on “How to SUP” and I thought they were pretty good.
If you are thinking about buying a SUP for your family or yourself. Start here:
Ian “Kanga” Cairns on how to SUP
That is my affiliate link, by the way.
I actually purchased 2 oZoboard SUPs for the family in Mexico… but that’s for another blog post. I will do a full review on these boards by oZo but I can already tell you that I think they are better then buying the boards at Costco.
People ask me all the time what board should they buy for their family or for their first SUP.
THIS IS IT.
You can learn more and buy a board here: oZoboard, the perfect family board
SUP with you later…
Posted in Stand Up Paddle
Amy and I were out paddling this week, the official last week of Summer here in the high desert. The temps went from the 90′s to the 70′s. And I am not talking high 70′s. I am talking just barely made 70 by the end of the day 70′s.
Anyway, we were out paddling on the river and I asked my wife if she wanted any pointers. Bless her heart, she said yes. So I started talking about pulling in at the nose to keep the board straight, the benefits of the Hawaiian stroke versus the Tahitian stroke, etc… She smiled, nodded, and we continued on. Then we promptly bailed when we saw lightning coming our way. Holding a carbon fiber rod in a lightning storm is not a good idea.
Then, I found this on the interwebs: Why Stroking Past Your Feet Doesn’t Work
Great analysis. The video is super cool too. So next time you are out shoveling water, think of me, and don’t.
Off to volunteer at Stand On Liquid’s Demo Day today. It’s cold out and windy. I doubt I will even get on the water. Heading to Mexico soon but that’s another story.
Posted in Paddles, Stand Up Paddle
Warning, warning, this video is for grandparents only. Maybe young Cousins. Aunts and Uncles be warned, it is long, slow, beautiful but boring. The rest of you, don’t watch it. Just read this post and you will get the gist of it.
The family went for a paddle on our favorite alpine lake in the lovely Central Oregon high desert. Hosmer is what I would call bi-polar. Where you put-in, the lake is dark green or even darker. The water is clear, it’s just that the bottom, well, you can’t see it. It’s dark.
At the other end of this part of the lake is a water trail, a meandering path that leads to the other half of the lake. This path is lined by reeds and is full of fish. The farther along you go on this path, the lighter the bottom gets. The fish seem to match the bottom. So, there are some dark fish and some light fish. It’s really cool and it’s in the video.
Ava on the "light side" of Hosmer
Then, you pop out onto the “light side” of the lake… and it is completely different. The light color bottom and lack of any kind of plant life makes the water look like you are snorkeling in Mexico… with South Sister in the background.
Princess Ava and her gondolier
Beautiful!
At the far end of the “light side” is the stream that feeds the lake. It’s only about 1o feet wide, shallow with logs here and there. It is really fun and kind of challenging to navigate it both upstream and downstream. After about 100 yards, we pull out and walk up a path to the falls. What a lovely family outing. On a weekend, it’s packed with people. In the video, I gave Ava the camera on the way down stream so she could video Amy. Honestly, I was hoping to catch Amy hitting a log and falling in. It didn’t happen… until later.
So, Amy and I were testing out two new additions to our Stand Up Affiliate Network.
The True Ames weed fin is perfect for flatwater, lakes, and rivers. I actually bought it locally at Stand Up Paddle Flatwater here in Bend and loved it so much that I contacted Chuck and recruited him to my network. One of the not so fun, but pretty funny, aspects of paddling on the lakes and rivers here in Bend, are the underwater logs. The water is clear so you can see them but it’s really hard to discern how deep they are. So, you can be cruising along the shallows, you see a log, you say to yourself, “I can make it over that,” then you proceed to catch your fin on the log, fly forward on your board, landing on your knees. If you are lucky, that’s it. If you are not, you end up face first in the water hoping you don’t hit another log or the bottom. Add Ava in a chair on the front and you have a real circus. “Daddy, why did you push me in the freezing cold water? I hate you and never want to paddle board again. I want my mommy.” This is not an exaggeration, just a 6 year old.
In the video, I almost catch an actual face plant. I was hoping for it and just missed it. Ava was filming Amy. We were racing along two different paths through the reeds. The race is over and I tell Ava to turn off the camera. And then, Amy hits the mud with her surf fin and just about has a mud pie for lunch. I turn the camera back on and record the aftermath. But, DON’T WATCH THE VIDEO, it’s way too long. Just trust me that it was funny. You had to be there.
Anyway, If you are interested in buying a fin for yourself, you can buy it directly from True Ames. When you use the code “SUP” you will get free shipping. Not sure how long that’s gonna last.
Thank you for using my affiliate link: True Ames Weed Fin
The second product we were testing was the Victory KoreDry Long Sleeve Surf Shirt or Street Sweeper. So the deal with these tops are that they are made with KoreDry material. It is hydrophobic, meaning water beads up on it. It will get wet after awhile if you soak it, so it’s not waterproof. But, when you take a quick dip in the water, it generally stays dry. Which means it doesn’t stick to you, chilling your core. It’s different from a rash guard. It fits loose, not tight. SPF 50 rocks. You know that awkward moment on the beach when you ask your friend if he will put suntan lotion on your back? Yeah, I skip that and wear a top.
In the video, DON’T WATCH THE VIDEO, it’s way too long. I hop in the water up to my chest to film the True Ames Weed fin next to the standard surf fin. Then I hop back on the board and am surprised to find that my top is still dry. No really, I was surprised. It was the first time I had worn it and I didn’t really know what to expect. Later, when I actually went for a swim with Ava, the top did get wet but dried super fast. This thing is going to be awesome in Mexico as my favorite SUP surf top.
Since the Hosmer paddling trip, the hooded top has become my go to, lightweight, bring-along on the electric bike top. It is really sweet.
If you would like to buy a Victory KoreDry’s top for yourself, please use my affiliate link and the free shipping code “61372″: Victory KoreDry SUP Gear
And, that’s it. Again, DON’T WATCH THE VIDEO, unless you are ready for 6 minutes of pure family time. Seriously, I warned you.
