Wayne Lynch, age 60

Greybeard Loses His Marbles - Part Three

Part Three – Choosing a Board  

Since most of my sources suggested starting out with a foamie – which offered the combination of greater floatation and safety – I started looking around.  Soon I discovered that Costco actually sells a 8 footer (x 22 x 18 x 14 x 3), 2+1 and a sort of a small squash tail.  Believe it or not this board – called the Wavestorm – actually sells for just $99, and at 8 ft is more a funboard.  Still some of the surf schools seem to use them.  Good enough for now I thought, but to be fair I was still heavily under the influence of Wingnut and his book (see part two).  

According to Wingnut, beginners really need a notably longer board, and specifically recommended Robert August’s What I Ride, 9’6”, and 23 x 18 x 15 x 3, 2+1, smaller square tail, with “forgiving 60/40 rails” and August’s now famous teardrop concave.  According to August this a board you can enjoy in a wide variety of conditions and is a kind of all-around, compromise board.  Wingnut felt it surfs well in Surftech, the kind of sturdy construction that tends to last, important for a retired guy.  I found all manner of fairly positive reviews, and well, there’s Wingnut’s undeniable influence.

I was sold, and I’m the kind of guy that needs to make a commitment.   And $99 is not one.  I knew that if I dropped around $1000 on a board, well THAT would be the kind of commitment and incentive that would make it hard for me to swim away from. So after many nights of web searching, I found the $1300 WIR on sale for $849 plus shipping, delivered for $999.  Best deal on the net.  Unfortunately the seller had made an error – the WIR was not available – but agreed to honor the price and promised to deliver in just another month.

I agreed.

Then one month turned into two, then three.  Meanwhile I found a used WIR for $750, but by then I’d started to consider other alternatives.  I ran across a good resource called LonboardReview.com who’d published a number of really good longboard guidelines.  In sum, they identified four basic types of longboards:

First: All Around longboards like the WIR, boards that they felt suited for beginners, and under most conditions.  Second: the High Performance longboards – thinner, faster, with speed and agility, for bigger waves but sacrificing glide and noseriding.  Not for me.  Third: the Cruisers longboards – long logs with parallel rails but with narrowed noses and very flat rocker – features which they cautioned as more challenging for beginners.  Last but not least were…

Noseriders. These longboards were noted for their wide noses, great glide, easy paddling, easy wave catching and that promoted cross-stepping and of course – noseriding.  The holy grail of surfers, and after Wingnut and the Endless Summer videos, branded in my mind as a spiritual and soulful style. Elegant and designed for a greyhair like me.  These boards are especially known for catching and performing on small waves.  Further, the website recommended:

“Surfers looking to throw all types of maneuvers with quick turns and big maneuvers are best suited with high performance boards.

Surfers looking to get up and set the board gliding along with the wave are best suited with a Cruiser.

Surfers looking to ride on the nose and surf a more “classic” style walking up to the nose and walking back to the tail to turn are best suited with a Noserider.

Surfers looking for a little bit of everything are best suited with an All-Around board”

Wave Conditions

“Smaller, slower waves in the waist high are best suited for Cruiser and Noserider longboards. Relatively bigger waves in the waist to head high range are better suited for All Around or High Performance longboards.” 

That did it.  Classic?  Board walking?  Turning from the tail?  Smaller and slower waves?  A noserider started to look pretty good to me.  I began to think that having my WIR deal fall through might have been a favor, and started researching noseriders.

Finally, I was left with three finalists:

1. The WIR, 9’6”.  Why? It’s hard to ignore Robert Wingnut Weaver or Robert August.  An all arounder with a good reputation for beginners and a board you can grow into, remained attractive and on my short list. Usually sell for around $1200 plus shipping, not cheap.
2. The Walden Magic, also 9’6”.  Why? This is Bob Walden’s personal ride, and are very, very big over here on Florida’s 700 mile east coast.  It too is an all-around board featuring Walden’s once trendsetting single into double concave, highly adjustable 2+1 fins, and rails designed for both stability and turning, go figure.  The reviews confirm this, and they are available for around $950 plus shipping.  Still though, a definite all-arounder, and a relatively high performing one at that, although it too is recommended for beginners due to those special rails.
3. Last was the Pearson Arrow CJ Nelson’s very well known 10 footer.  This board features a wide, deep and long front concave blending into a slight vee tail and a large 10 inch single fin.  This board is famous for its width (24 x 22 x 19 x 2-7/8), and relatively hard edges, but enough of a tail kick to facilitate turning.  It was widely reviewed as perhaps THE noserider, but one that could be steered from the front, middle and back (!) and that was surprisingly turnable for its length.  It was known for catching almost any bump and seemed really quite perfect for our Florida waters. About $1150.

Only the Walden is widely available in Florida, but then one day I walked into our famous Ron Jon Surf Shops and saw a lone CJ Nelson being sold for – can that be right? – for $799?  Naturally, I thought this must surely be the poly version, so I ignored it, but on my next trip to the store I lifted it and found it noticeably lighter than all the other longboards.  So I looked carefully and to my great surprise, discovered that it really was the $1050 Surftech Tufflite.  Yes there were a few minor demoing scuffs, and one tiny chip of paint, but at $850 including tax, the Pearson Arrow was mine for $350 less than its normal delivered cost of $1200.  A no brainer, and I bought it - this is the board that will make me or break me. My research is over and its now time to put up or shut up.  BTW it’s the board pictured in Part Two.  I bought a nice FCS bag, and a 10 foot calf leash, and finally was set to face the music.

Next up… Part Four - first lesson.

Greybeard Loses His Marbles: Part Two

Part Two:  Early Research and Getting "Stoked"

 

 

As mentioned I can blame this whole affair on a casual comment by my partner Susan about learning to surf – she at age 59, and me at 66.  Now being the mad researcher, it didn’t take long to determine that learning to surf on a longboard was likely my/our best bet.  So soon Mr. Amazon sent me four books:

1. Learn to Surf by James MacLaren: this short book was an easy read, and although noting that softboard or foamie might work at first, held that a real longboard was a much better choice.  Covered are the bare minimums, but little more in what is really more of an overview in a fairly small book.  Worth buying only if you are as obsessive/compulsive as I am, lol.
2. Longborder’s Start-Up by Doug Werner:  Even shorter, even smaller, dominated by large pictures and larger print, plus a long butt-kissing interview with Messrs. Steward and Ford of Stewart Surfboards (who sponsored the book).  Again the bare minimums but way barer.  Not recommended, by me anyway.
3. Surfing Illustrated by John Robinson (the author of Kayaking Illustrated).  As an advanced kayaker and surfski paddler, this book attracted me.  This 176 page book is large (not just in length), with plenty of copy and amazing hand drawn illustrations.  Very educational, and relatively complete, covering all aspects of waves, equipment, alternatives and learning. A must buy in my view, terrific.  And last…
4. Wingnut’s Complete Surfing by Robert “Wingnut” Weaver:  this is the book that really did it for me, particularly because Wingnut (and his favored Robert August longboards) are all about just one thing: longboarding for all, from 7 to 70.  He is a natural teacher, and his book gives you all the tools and hope you’ll need to do his style of smooth and soulful longboarding – exactly my objective.

He even advises buying the Endless Summer vids, plus his own Wingnut’s Art of Longboarding (volumes 1 and 3 are very educational, vol 2 is simply a travelogue.  I got them all at the thesurfnetwork.com where you can download these 40 to 60 min. vids for $9.99 and save em to disc.  Way cheaper than trying to buy em on Amazon, etc.

Now of course he favors in particular the 9’6” Robert August What I Ride, as a good all-around and forgiving board, great for beginners but with room for growth.  He has no issues with this board in Tufflite, and also recommends other shorter designs for those who wish to progress further.  A great book and vids for me and my old man goals.

These books – especially Wingnut’s and his vids – left me with a sense of hope and a growing understanding of longboard design such as rail shape, rocker, width, concave, single or multiple fins, volume et al, but more importantly made this crazy notion seem doable!  Great!  I no longer felt like a complete idiot and was then able to start visiting surfshops and asking intelligent questions.

Next up: Choosing a Board…

A few notes from the older Swaylocks guys...

Just made 63 last Sunday. The Friday before that my surgeon cleared me for surfing. Been out of the water for over a year with back issues. Spent this summer with surgery, recovery, for both back and prostate (get it checked buddy) and made it back to friendly waters the day before yesterday. Caught a few small ones at RAT w/some buds. That first good right felt just as good as the one I caught 50 years ago at the old Horseshoe Pier in Redondo. Maybe better. Of course now my ribs hurt, my thighs hurt, the tops of my knees hurt. But it's a good hurt.

Ride on,
Tom
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I didn't have hardly any issues up until I was 55, then started having problems with my back. I guess after working some 30+ years in a power plant finally took its toll. It's more of a muscular issue, basically really tight hamstrings and some arthritis in my hips, making riding my shorter fishes and funboards difficult.

I've resorted to riding my shorter longboards, an 8'0" and 8'6" and have set a goal to be able to ride them again. One thing that I've been having difficulty with are pigdogs, which are almost essential when going backside, but hopefully working with a chiroprator and a physical therapist will help me get back in better condition.

I do have a lot more compassion to others when they share their ailments now that I've had a taste of having health issues.

- foamdust
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I made 53 at the end of June. My knees and the rest of my landing gear are not what they used to be. I smoked for 36 years (a month cigarette free as of 09/01) and so my paddling ability is less than average for someone my age.

I did get some good waves as TS Debbi came through early this summer. Enjoyed the day with the missus and a couple of +50 guys I've met off and on for the past 15 or so years. All in all this summer has been a disappointment for my surfing. However, with age comes patience and the long view (hopefully).

This weekend I went with family to meet more family in the St. Augustine area. There I had the opportunity to watch my 10 y.o. niece on her sponge in tiny dribblers and am proud to say that her wave selection and ablity to work those little sections to a maximum length ride was impressive as compared to others of her age on that day.

But perhaps even more fulfilling was sitting with her 14 y.o. sister who is a 10 year survivor of an agressive brain cancer and building sand castles and playing in the sloughs. She is now able to walk with the aid of crutches and her speech has come back after much hard work (after having her motor and language skills clock set back to infancy at the age of 4).

So all told; the waves could have been much better, but I'm now at the age were I know there will be other days where the waves will suit me and am able to enjoy the periphrals when things aren't going as I'd hoped.

Cheers to all, Chris

Greybeard Loses His Marbles: An Introduction...

Hi all...

My e-name is "Greybeard" and it is one well earned.   I'm sure we all have stories to tell, and no doubt take pride in still being around to talk about it.    We've all hopefully had some wonderful days, and probably some pretty awful days as well.   When we were much younger, we really didn't identify with those white haired "oldies" who seemed so far away from us.   Of course we knew it all, and only time caused us to realize and appreciate the wonderful wisdom and truth-telling ability.

When more of your life seems behind you then ahead, I'd guess that we "oldies" have realized just how much every day of decent health means, and start thinking about what remains on our so-called "bucket" lists of people, things and experiences we'd like to do before we can't.  



So why am I here?

First and not least I am here at the invitation of Huck, an invitation I really valued, and which recognized my personal search for fulfillment.   You see, I somehow managed to become nearly 67 years old - but somehow also managed to maintain good fitness and youthful looks - except for that white (and I mean white) hair.   As they say, when your pubes start to turn, and policemen and doctors look like kids to you, well, you've arrived.    I cycle perhaps 10 miles day, kayak, bodyboard, play at skateboarding and in general still work and play hard.   And what remained on my "bucket list"?


Learning to Surf

It all started when my partner and I were hanging out once again on one of Fort Lauderdale's beaches on a windy day and again as always, were marveling at the windsurfers and board surfers.   My better half turned to me and she said "You know, I used to be a dancer, and I think I'd like to try surfing".  Frankly, I'd never thought of this, but the lightbulb went off.  "Surfing?  Well, why not?  Let's do it".   Without further detail right now, a series of events began ending up with my belief that learning to surf a graceful longboard - or at least giving it a serious effort - was something I felt was almost a spiritual adventure, and doing what may well be my last fling with my still good health.

I then did my research, narrowed things down to a Robert August What I Ride (9'6"), the Pearson Arrow C.J. Nelson (10'), and at the last moment a Walden Magic 9'6" longboard.   I posted all over the net, and received some great advice, not least from Huck, who also invited me to share my adventure here.

So here I am, with more to follow.   Huck, thanks for the invite.   This is a terrific, inspirational blog that I'm pleased to be part of.    Ciao!   And stay tuned for part two...