Surf Gods Smile On Sinnytown (+ small gripe)

[AlbyAl]

Well. I dunno about any of you, but that was a fricken great day of surf. Only did the Bra - crowded but it was still bewdiful. Can hardly raise me poor arms to the keyboard.

I don't want to rain on it, but I'll just add one point of contention:

So it's 4 foot and offshore, fastish walls with enough push for shortboards and even mid-rangers. So I still see blokes on fat fishes and even split-tail twinnies. OK OK - everyone can choose their fave craft - it's personal decision. BUT - do they go well? Do they perform in the quality stuff?
HELL NO. Slipping sliding, muffing take-offs. The split-tail twinnie crew - what are they thinking? That the Thruster was a big mistake? That somehow surfboard knowledge from 1972 is a forgotten source of wisdom? Good waves go to waste for what? Retro fashion. Dumbo.

[pridmore]

absolutely pumping up here too....and I agree about people riding boards for fashion ...very dumb indeed but I am a fan of all craft but you gotta ride em when the waves are suited...and not coz you think its cool.. ride whatever you want but if guys keep muffing take-offs coz they are on the wrong board, then only means more waves for me. I find it challenging and fun to adapt to a board when the conditions dont totally suit sometimes......I rode 2 different boards today and one was new thruster shortboard and one was 5'10 Fat-Bat, (not retro,)had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

[Trev]

absolutely pumping up here too
had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

[pridmore]

absolutely pumping up here too
had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

nah Trev, you wouldnt have liked it...it was only 3 ft at a point down here and 4 out...then walked over the headland and had some 4ft sick lefts with about 10 out.....

[Trev]

absolutely pumping up here too
had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

nah Trev, you wouldnt have liked it...it was only 3 ft at a point down here and 4 out...then walked over the headland and had some 4ft sick lefts with about 10 out.....

You want I should post that pic again, Mark?

[pridmore]

absolutely pumping up here too
had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

nah Trev, you wouldnt have liked it...it was only 3 ft at a point down here and 4 out...then walked over the headland and had some 4ft sick lefts with about 10 out.....

You want I should post that pic again, Mark?

nah...no need..It was a much smaller version of that pic though....hope you gettin a few up there...

[Trev]

absolutely pumping up here too
had a great time both sessions.... hoping for the same again tommorrow....best day for a while for me....

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

nah Trev, you wouldnt have liked it...it was only 3 ft at a point down here and 4 out...then walked over the headland and had some 4ft sick lefts with about 10 out.....

You want I should post that pic again, Mark?

nah...no need..It was a much smaller version of that pic though....hope you gettin a few up there...

Pretty bloody ordinary, mate. But cyclone season's a cummin.

[Beanpole]

Yeh, decided to knock back the friday beer swill and slip out for a couple.

Apparently its going pear shaped tomorrow so I think I dun da right call.

[brownhornet]

I totally disagree. We have well overhead lefts running down the beach and I rode my 6' Twin Banks Swallow MkII fish. You're a fool to think these dont perform. They go vert on back and front hand. They generate a lot more speed on the face down the line for the waves we had and they sit very neatly in the barrel. Now I'm not saying better that a thruster but certainly not a disadvantage in these waves.

I do agree most are retro rubbish but don't write them all off. I'd much prefer a forehand reo off a steep face on my 6' Twin than my 6'5 thruster.

In fact I've had my 6' thruster fish out in 8ft critcal takeoff at other time. I wouldn't have preferred it but it easily handles. In fact I'd rather ride my MkII in waves like yesterday which are fast and critical than in the 3ft usual summer mush. I truly believe these are all about foot placement. You get them right and they do anything.

Again agree most are retro junk. But not all are equal. There are plenty of thrusters that are rubbish in my opinion as well.

[brownhornet]

I tell you I was not. In fact about 500km to the North

[AlbyAl]

Well Brownie, I'm tempted to agree with a bit of that: it IS possible for some small craft to go OK on 'good quality' waves - depending on your rider and skill etc. But I also want to say that small craft need to be refined and well rockered and not too boaty otherwise there is just no way they perform as well as a modern thruster. And twins are just no comparison if its more than about waist-high - all that lost drive.

It's the Short-Wide-Thick with little rocker models that are really farcical as soon as there's any push. Even skillful surfers are 'nursing' these through turns because they're sitting up out of the water too much, and then either getting out onto the face too far, or dying after a snap because of not enough rocker and rail-line. Why struggle to control these slabs when we've got such good curves in modern thrusters?

Again - everybody has their own taste at a certain level, and so be it. But some guys are surfing WORSE because of these boards.

[Clif]

This coming from a bloke who surfed the Bra offshore, yet closing out, when not too far away 100 meter smoking lefthand pits were being threaded by crew on the very boards he is critiquing.

[AlbyAl]

This coming from a bloke who surfed the Bra offshore, yet closing out, when not too far away 100 meter smoking lefthand pits were being threaded by crew on the very boards he is critiquing.

There were some good waves - crowded, yep - but not too bad. A few close-outs - yep - but some racy makable ones too. Sometimes we can only surf what time allows, and don't have the luxury of driving around. Short-wide-thick no rocker CAN draw straight lines, but, please, versatility? Frgettit. Semi-fish with curve and refined rails can go OK, but not those slab things, especially with just two fins.

Er, what were you smoking in yer left-hand?? But it was the pits?

[Beerfan]

I took my twin keel out on fri morning in 3-4' waves. They were a little fat, and it went great. I saw the shortboarders strugglin for speed, not me, banking it right over, flying. Got over/through dead sections with ease. Caught every wave i went for. Spend enough time on just about any board and you'll figure it out. In saying that, mine is not dead flat in the nose. I think most "modern" versions have modern rails and rocker, which help in decent waves.

I cant rip it around like a shortboard, but i dont know where you get "straight" lines from, they do turn you know. Anyway, i like mine and i'll keep riding it in the "wrong" waves.

It's all fun

[nu boy]

I totally disagree. We have well overhead lefts running down the beach and I rode my 6' Twin Banks Swallow MkII fish. You're a fool to think these dont perform. They go vert on back and front hand. They generate a lot more speed on the face down the line for the waves we had and they sit very neatly in the barrel. Now I'm not saying better that a thruster but certainly not a disadvantage in these waves.

I do agree most are retro rubbish but don't write them all off. I'd much prefer a forehand reo off a steep face on my 6' Twin than my 6'5 thruster.

In fact I've had my 6' thruster fish out in 8ft critcal takeoff at other time. I wouldn't have preferred it but it easily handles. In fact I'd rather ride my MkII in waves like yesterday which are fast and critical than in the 3ft usual summer mush. I truly believe these are all about foot placement. You get them right and they do anything.

Again agree most are retro junk. But not all are equal. There are plenty of thrusters that are rubbish in my opinion as well.

KOOK