With this in mind I have put together a 20 sec survey to try to see what other parents think about how young we should get them out there to share our passion.

CLICK HERE to complete survey

Thanks

I had tried a few different boards over the last year from McTavish, Naish, NSP, but I finally settled on a 10ft Simon Anderson model from East Coast Stand Up Paddle.

I had tried a 9’8” x 30” Simon in the surf the week before but struggled a bit with the width, it was just not long & wide enough for this big unit, but I loved the way it felt once I caught a wave. So I went a bit bigger with a 10’ x 32”.

I can’t believe how easy it is in flat water but then how hard it is in the surf. You’ve got to give to the guys that can throw them around like a short board, I struggled just to catch a few 2 footers.

I guess it is even harder because as surfers we think we should already be really good at it but it takes a fair bit of practice.

I’ll keep you updated.

Rob Machado's Motorboat

Another week, another Channel Islands surfboard model.

This week is Rob Machado’s turn.

Wanting to bridge the gap between his Biscuit and Gravy models, the Motorboat is basically a hybrid of both. With low entry rocker along with single to double concave with vee make this board really motor says the CI website. Super fast and fun in flat faced waves, the Motorboat blends performance and volume into the ideal small to medium wave performance board.

Motorboats are built with either “Green foam” or recycled EPS, UV cure resins, and recycled fins, as Rob also wanted to make the Motorboat less of an impact on the environment

Well firstly, I love that we have gone shorter, fatter & thicker with our boards over the last few years. It has made me enjoy many a small onshore day that I would of not bothered with in times gone past, & my first of these such boards was a CI Al Merrick POD. An awesome board that gave me back my froth to surf sub standard waves.

Rob at work

I also have a “Rocket” that is great in small punchy waves, & I have tried Biscuits, Fishcuits & other funny named boards. But how many variations can we bring out as new models? Is it just becoming a joke? If Slater shapes his own board, rides it in a comp & wins. Is that going to be a new model also?

I hate being cynical, & I love trying new boards of all different shapes & sizes, so I will just put it down to more models, more to choose from. I would also like to say “Thank You” to Mr Merrick & Dane Reynolds for designing the POD so I can ride 1 ft mush with a smile on my face.

And yes, I would love to try a “Motorboat” model, or any other new model that comes out from any shaper / surfer.

I just can’t afford to try them all.

Check out the motorboat & other CI boards at www.cisurfboards.com

Well 15 years of dreaming are finally coming to reality & I’m pumped.

We have booked the MV Addiction for 2 weeks in July.

Check out the boat at http://www.addictionsurfing.com/

MV Addiction

Learn 2 Surf Strap

Love Surfing? Your kids will too with this great new product.

The Learn 2 Surf Strap is the best way to get your kids into surfing earlier than you ever thought possible.

With its surfboard shaped float strapped securely to their back & with the handle held securely by mum or dad, The learn 2 Surf Strap will have your kids as young as 3 years old safely & successfully standing up & riding waves in their first session, maybe even first their first wave!

Endorsed by the Coaching Director of Surfing NSW (a government funded body responsible for training Australia’s future surfing champions). No such device exists in the global surfing market place.

Brought to you by Surf Baby Surf, it exceeds all relevant Australian Safety Standards & can also be used as a floatation device in the pool. It really gives kids the confidence to give it a go.

Simply strap the Learn 2 Surf Strap around your kids waist, then lie them on the surfboard in front of you & catch some whitewater in knee deep water. Once on the wave you help them get to their feet & hold them staedy as they hoot & holler all the way to shore.

It really will be the best surf of your life.

The Learn 2 Surf Strap can be purchased from www.learn2surfstrap.com.au or Surf Baby Surf for $39.95 & for a limited time comes with free shipping Australia wide.

Buy Now

Learn 2 Surf Strap-fitting

Learn 2 Surf Strap Image

Learn 2 Surf Strap

Purchase from Learn 2 Surf Strap or Surf Baby Surf & for a limited time comes with free shipping Australia wide

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WOW! It’s a great relief to finally have a surf book for kids that is actually written by a surfer. I was blown away by everything about this book from the bright & fun illustrations to the cool little poems on each page & even the correct terminology.

The concept of the book is to go through the alphabet from A-Z and have a word for that letter that relates to surfing. A cool little poem attaches to each letter. An example is:

A is for Aerial – “Boost into the air, high in the sky, grab your rail, it’s time to fly”

It is great to sit down with the kids & be able to teach them everything from surf moves, surf rules & even about Huey in a fun & colourful way.

This is my 4 year olds favorite book & we read it every night. He loves everything about it & is now explaining to me why the guy on the inside of the wave is cranky with the guy dropping in on him, & also that all of dads surfboards in the rack are his “Quiver”

To grab a copy of your own Click here

Below are some of the pages to give you an idea.

The Stand-up paddle lifestyle is taking the world by storm. From its surf culture beginnings, stand-up paddling now attracts a wide audience & has mass appeal. Due to its ease of use, stand-up paddling offers accessibility to everyone with flat water cruising, recreational paddling, wave riding, socializing & a great body workout.

If you’re into Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP for short), or would like to have a go, & you live in Sydney you’ve got to check out “East Coast Stand Up Paddle.”

Lou & Peter have set up a little shop at Barden Ridge selling all the big brands including Naish, Oxbow, McTavish & Core Four at reasonable prices, plus all your accessories, so no more driving to Newcastle to get your gear.

Once a month they put on a demo day for anyone who is interested plus they also have social paddles so you can meet new people & catch up with old friends. The next Demo day is 27th March.

Lessons are also available.

Check out their great website with all the information http://www.eastcoaststanduppaddle.com.au/index.html

They also have a facebook page with the fans clocking up quickly http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eastcoast-Stand-Up-Paddle/433466800550

They have just opened so need our support. They are open

Wed to Fri: 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Saturday: 10am – 3pm & Sunday: 10am – 3pm, or by appointment.

SUP is a great way to still surf on the flat days, you can even plonk your little fella on the front of the board. In my opinion, the more ways we can enjoy the ocean, the better, & with SUP you get a great core work out at the same time. Bonus!

After witnessing the Boost contest down at Bondi first hand, I would like to say that I am 100% behind Slater trying to find a new formula for the sport of surfing.

I was privileged enough to watch first hand the aerial manoeuvres of Taj, Slater, Owen Wilson & Jordy Smith, & some of these were on closeouts that wouldn’t even get a second look in normal competition.

On the WCT & any competition with the normal rules & judging, surfers have to wait for the best waves that will line up through to the inside, which can be quiet a wait, then they have to perform as many moves as they can with the longest ride. It promotes surfers to hold back from their big moves in case they fall, so they end up just completing the moves they know will score.

I have watched a few contests both being there & also on webcasts & I am happy just watching the highlights at the end rather than sit through the whole event to really only see a few waves ridden. The competitions are not much of a spectator sport, but at the boost I was afraid to turn away as the surfers in the water were paddling onto anything & everything and launching into unbelievable airs. It was awesome to watch & had a great atmosphere.

Now Slater came under intense scrutiny last year after he and ESPN threw around  the idea of a secondary tour, one which would feature just 16 athletes and unprecedented prize money, plus mainstream media coverage.

Slater then outlined how the system could work. ”Someone like Jamie O’Brien is never going to be a world champion, but he’s the best guy at Pipeline and he will prove that over and over again,” he says.

”He’s won more different events at Pipe than anybody. He’s won five times at Pipe in three different events. But he’s not going to beat the top 10 [surfers] at Trestles probably, so it’d be more like a horses for courses kind of thing.”

”You’ve got Manoa Drollet, who’s one of the best guys at Teahupoo, but he’s probably going to get smoked at Brazil on a beach break. Laird Hamilton will smoke all of us at Jaws, but I guarantee he’s not going to beat me at Huntington. So why not show all the best surfers of the best waves in the world?”

”I’m just talking off the top of my head here, but maybe we have the 10 best guys who have proven it over and over again in all conditions against the best, say, six to 10 guys at each spot,”

”Then you bring a guy like Danny Fuller in to Teahupoo and most guys don’t know who he is, but he’s a Pipe and Teahupoo great barrel rider. Horses for courses. Then you go to a beach break and Mitch Coleborn, Ry Craike and Dion Agius get a chance to go.

”And maybe, hell, if you win an event and you’re not on tour, you get a spot on the ASP tour the next year. There are all these great surfers who aren’t on the tour, free surfing, but there’s no reason you can’t create a format that encompasses all those guys once in a while.

”I still think another series would be good. Surfers need to keep their options open, to create the best product that they can.”

I think he is onto something. When you think about a sport like motor racing, there are many different types of championships. You have Touring Car, Rally, Drag Racing, F1 & Stock car to name a few, each with their own fans & world champs. I’m not saying we need all this in surfing, but surely we can expand a little to make it a little more exciting.

For some of the moves I’d like to see in competitions see clip below

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Reference SMH Feb 28 2010