Powder Surfing

In late March, 2012 on the way to Baja California Sur, Mexico I arrived at the Bahne & Co. factory on the hill in Encinitas to pick up my new Szymanski custom surfboards. It was a warm, sunny late Friday afternoon and the compound was practically deserted. I was met in the parking lot by Bill Bahne, holding his customary cup of coffee. After catching up on things and learning that Szymanski was in Hawaii and that Todd (Bahne GM) was away at his son's baseball game he took me into the building to get my new boards and fins. As soon as I spotted them I knew that my trip to B.C.S was going to be a good one. 

FINS: I received a pair of the new Fins Unlimited fins with Futures compatible bases. FU also makes them with FCS, Fin-S and LockBox compatible bases. These new boards of mine have the Futures boxes and use one allen screw. I won't pretend to know much about fins but luckily my cousin Todd Bahne does. He told me that he had a set of fins that would work perfect for the new boards. When I arrived to see that they were rasta tinted and works of art in their own right I was stoked! These FU fins are great to look at and fun to surf on. If you want to learn more about FU and how they engineer and hand-craft their line of fins check their website, visit the factory or call them.   

BOARDS:  Two thrusters were shaped up by Brian Szymanski for me to pickup just in time for my trip to B.C.S. One, 6'2 x 18 3/4 x 2 3/8, was a pretty close copy to a previous Szymanski I have. The other was a step up board measuring 6'4 x 18 3/4 x 2 1/2. Both Thrusters with single to double concave and both boards came with some carbon laid up on the tail to further strengthen the glass job and deter the eventual blow out of the rails but certain subtle differences made them noticably different. The 6'2, a squash tail, is perfect for pumping HH or less surf. It is fluid yet easy to break the fins loose. The board duck dives like a champ and paddles efficiently. For the previous review of this shape by Brian Szymanski click here the other board is a step up featuring a round pin tail with chunkier rails and it is a dream! Absolute magic indeed. From the very first wave I caught to the last on this thing I was stoked. There is nothing better than a hand shaped custom board I say. This shape is a weapon in OH surf. It picks up speed on demand, holds a line, maneuverable for cut backs, floaters, snaps and surfs the pocket. Definitely my new board of choice and very thankful to the craftsmen and others at Bahne & Co. / Ding King who designed, shaped, glassed and sanded this Made in the USA surf craft. 

There are few possessions in my life that have lasted as long as my Destination Surf bag has.  Oh the joy it has brought to me, always delivering my boards to their final "destination" and never - ever - ever letting me down. Never a busted zipper, never a rip or tear, never a dinged or busted fin or board. This bag rocks and I wholeheartedly put my stamp of approval on it due to the fact that I have been testing/using this exact same board bag since 1990. Yep, 22 years of fail-proof service. Absolutely stoked. Thanks Destination Surf I originally paid about $80.00 for this bag and that fact just adds to this smile of approval.

 This board has been my primary choice for most conditions for the past two years aka the daily driver. I love it. Ever since I got my first custom board made for me in the late 80's I have been sold on the concept and enjoy the process. There are few things as satisfying as paddling and surfing on a custom, hand - shaped board.

Brian is a great person, easy to work with and every board myself and/or family and friends have ever received from him and his crew has been perfect and always attracts lookers and nice comments. He bought the Ding King board repair biz from Button's a few years back and shapes and does the best ding repair in San Diego county up on "the hill" in Encinitas, CA.  

This board has triple concave, a 6/4/6 glass job from Grueger & Sons Glassing and sports an inexpensive sanded finish. The fins are hand-foiled from Todd at Fins Unlimited. FU supplied the fin boxes as well. Every aspect of this board rocks. It paddles quickly and easily, the glass job is light yet durable, the fin boxes are strong, repairable and easy to use. I am definitely stoked on this board and plan to order a carbon copy as soon as I put a few more miles on this one.

I have used this wetsuit for a little over 3 years and have been extremely happy with it. The suit is stretchy and lightweight yet warm and durable. I have surfed in it from northern Baja to the Washington coast. It comes with a zip on hood and a zip on neck (without hood).  I think I paid around $240 for it and to me it feels as good or better than the psycho freak's I have been trying on in the shops lately. The Mutant is really nice to paddle and swim in. I think it is due to the zip on hood thing. This keeps your shoulders unencumbered thus making arm movement effortless. The 4/3 is incredibly versatile and warm enough for a couple of hours in 49 or 50 degree water (with booties on of course). After 3 years the suit is just now letting some water in after duck dives and what - not but no rips or tears and still very warm and a decent amount of use still left in it. While you could spend more on a wetsuit - why? The Mutant is a killer value.

Yes. STOKED on the Mutant 4/3 wetsuit!

The McNett wet suit shampoo is some good stuff. I picked up an 8 oz bottle at my local surf shop for less than $10. It is a cleaner and conditioner. The bottle label claims it to be biodegradeable and it says it will extend suit life and keep colors brighter. I was mainly interested in making my suits smell better! But the other added benefits of regular cleansing with Mcnett is that it leaves neoprene articles free of organic residue and salt deposits. And it will help to prevent aging and oxidation.

I just fill up a bathtub with water, add a few capfuls of shampoo and then throw my suits and booties into the mix, agitate and let it sit for a few hours to overnight. Stuff works great and all my neoprene smells alot better!

 Yes, I am STOKED on McNett Wetsuit Shampoo