Bodysurfing

A place for longboarders, eggers, fish riders... if alternative surfcraft is your game, here's the place to chat about it

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kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:06 pm

i m a bit jealous about you guys all seeing dolphins...........:)
how do you tell apart a shark fin and a dolphin fins, i dont want to be the one yelling 'shark, shark!!' when everyone knows its a dolphin........

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DaveK
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Post by DaveK » Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:38 pm

Dolphins don't bite. Though check with Macca2x2 first.... Dolphins arc up and over to breathe. So if the fin comes and goes, it's probably (better be) a dolphin. The fin is usually small and a lot like a mal fin (see 'Malibu surfboards' in ancient surfing history archive).

I think it's bad luck to talk about sharks in the water, better to not even think about them. The vibes, y'know? If you do, you'll have to paddle in and hence not catch waves. And yes, I have done that..

kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:19 pm

i guess sharks are not THAT scary, i heard 9 out of 10 times they are just curious, but just let us stay clear of the shark topic.

puurri
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fins/flippers

Post by puurri » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:54 am

folks

fin savers were called "fixe palmes" (French product) available since early 60's. The best fins used to be "Giants" but no longer made. I switched to full foot extra long divers fins (no urchin spines as with the yankee half foot type Churchills etc) and a pair of booties in winter to fill them out. Another extra retaining idea is to drill a hole in each side of the ribs (if there is enough for this) adjacent to your ankle and run nylon cord through to some velcro that wraps around the ankle.

With longer fins you get sufficient push to get onto those long swells at Voodoo that might not break for another 15 yards. Only drawback is that they take a few months to get used to as your ankle muscles get a real workout, but they are really worth it! Moreso you get extra planing ability when on a wave and can cross one over the other for better hydrodynamics and so less drag.

If you get a wetsuit get the thinnest possible (Sydney anyway) and a size that gives you enough space under the armpit without chafing. You also get more flexibility to do dolphin turns. 8)

kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:25 pm

i have seen those fins before cause i do scuba diving as well, they were orignially designed for freediving so you get maximum power, but wouldnt be a bit hard to move around with them on land?
cheers

puurri
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running with fins

Post by puurri » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:38 pm

KJP,
mate,

we used to have foot (fin) races from Cronulla Pt to the Alley then through Cronulla shopping centre and back to the Point to stir the Saturday shoppers (and much fun it was). In water you learn to walk backwards as it's easier (esp on the Island).

puurri :lol:

puurri
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running with fins

Post by puurri » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:40 pm

KJP,
mate,

we used to have foot (fin) races from Cronulla Pt to the Alley then through Cronulla shopping centre and back to the Point to stir the Saturday shoppers (and much fun it was). In water you learn to walk backwards as it's easier (esp on the Island).

puurri :lol:

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DaveK
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Re: fins/flippers

Post by DaveK » Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:22 pm

puurri wrote:
With longer fins you get sufficient push to get onto those long swells at Voodoo that might not break for another 15 yards. ...

You also get more flexibility to do dolphin turns. 8)
Got me thinking now, puurri! My own fins are giving me a little grief on one foot and I'm on the hunt for something different. What do you mean by 'dolphin turn'?

kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:30 pm

g'day dave,
went to freshie on saturday for a swim and surf on the paddle boards, pretty good bodysurf there at the kiddies end without the surfers. great wheather suprisingly.
went again on sunday but to north stenye.....too crowded but great wheather, boardies did the job.
any recent good body surf?

kenny

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DaveK
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Post by DaveK » Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:19 pm

Hi KJP. Mate, let me tell you about last week. Went to Whaley for the first time Sunday last, crap weather, my first time there. Just 3 boards, 3 lidders and me. Ace wave for the handski.

Something special: the first wave I picked up I had rights on, the guy on the board beside me didn't drop in. So buddy whoever you are, if you read this, it's my shout.

Newport came good on Tuesday. Perfect wave in front of the clubhouse. It just got steadily bigger and Wednesday was pretty big but looked rideable. I went out and found myself heading for New Zealand. That's why the beach was closed I suppose.

Got in again on Saturday - good for the handski. There's a top old guy in the surf most days with the same kind of ski as mine, he's a great bodysurfer. That north-east fetch from the big low pressure somewhere to the right of Queensland worked it's magic hey?

Will look at Freshie some time too. You using fins?? If so, what have you got?

kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:34 pm

g'day davek,
about the fins i use for bodysurfing, i just got these random ones i found at home, DA fins, they arent the best fins around, they give me foot cramps after about 45minutes but it does the job fairly well in terms of getting me onto a wave and control etc.
i wish i could go everyday but because i m still at school, i can only go on friday and weekends, or maybe thursdays if school work allows.....:(
last weekend it was pretty fun surf and great weather but way too crowded.......expected

kenny

scooter83
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good to see there r some keen B'surfers out there...

Post by scooter83 » Fri Nov 04, 2005 9:40 am

G'day fellow bodysurfers,

heaps encouraged to see that there are people in sydney that are keen about bodysurfing. I'm a bondi local, and it's always good on solid days to see fellow bodysurfers out there.

Just wanted to see what other bodysurfers around sydney find boardriders think of us...Haven't had any problems on good days at South Bondi, apart from the occasional rider who just pretends your not there...but generally the etiquette is ok. What's it like up the northern beaches way?

Be good to hear some opinions...and enjoy the waves.

ps: fingers crossed a good swell is just round the corner.

kjpwong
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Post by kjpwong » Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:37 pm

g'day scooter,
nice to see u here
went out today at freshie, as miserable as ever, onshore wind, cloudy, cold, sunless......... :cry:

scooter83
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Post by scooter83 » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:27 pm

finally, some swell and offshore cleaness has returned to bondi this morning and it was such a nice change...had a really enjoyable session!

Bindii

Post by Bindii » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:19 am

Ahhh it does me old heart good to hear that you young whippersnappers are upholding the joys of body surfing.

Now when I was a young'un, we didn't have any of those new fangled fins and hand thingies, it was just us and the wave. Learnt me body surfing up on the beaches of the north coast of NSW around Angourie. Came to Sydney and surfed mostly around Bronte (nth end) and Tamarama. Often swam around the point to see which one was working best.

Used to own a huge old Mal - think it was just on 10' single fin job. Mucked around on that for a while around the eastern beaches and south coast then went back to bodysurfing. Got washed off rocks whilst fishing, smashed my back up, no longer surf. Damn! I miss it something fierce.

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Agro
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Post by Agro » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:01 pm

Just came across this great bodysurfing shot, taken a few weeks ago at Shark Island.

Not the most sensible wave to bodybash!

http://www.biarmsdigital.com/SUCK-SHARK ... .06/1.html
A man goes to the zoo.
When he gets there, there was only a dog.
It was a shitzu.

puurri
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still doing it

Post by puurri » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:15 pm

and yes many still are; and at many more precarious breaks 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

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legge
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Post by legge » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:50 am

I've been bodyboarding for about 4 years but over summer I have started bodysurfing. Just wondering what type of waves are good for bodysurfing. North Bronte and south coogeel sometimes have wedgie waves but are shorebreaks or barrelling waves good or do you need more spilling waves? I've been bodysurfing closeout shorebreaks and mini wedges. How do you do that corkscrew thing or roll when bodysurfing? Just saw a dude do three of these at coogee yesterday arvo when the swell picked up on one wave. I have a pair of pod 2 fins that I sometimes use but do you need a hand plane?

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