Bodysurf POV

Took my uncle for his first bodysurf today, conditions were not great, its was freezing! But at least the strong offshores were holding the faces up

Not the longest of rides I had today but it produced the best video

Diver Doodle...

My new board just got a little better thanks to the fine talents of Martin Scott, who is far too talented sometimes!

Hand drawn over 4 hours with a fine posca pen!

Finspiration...

Re-foiled some RFC lokbox keels into some Tomo style hockey stick fins. To be glassed on the board in the previous post.

Before

After

5'8" x 22" x 2 5/8"

Just finished shaping this and couldn't be happier with it! lets hope I don't mess up the glassing

3/4" balsa stringer, going to be set up as a twin fin.......at least to begin with

Back to Business...

Garage make over is all finished and I've made a start on my next board. A 5'8" arctail twin fin with a 3/4" balsa stringer.

Quite excited to get this finished and in the water!

All or Nothing...

Been shaping various things for a while now and I think i'm getting better, or at least I hope I am! If I'm going to pursue this with any sort of seriousness some things need sorting out. So i've sold all the boards I ride that I haven't shaped (bar the mat) with a view to just riding my own shapes, developing and refining them. The garage is getting abit of organisation with board storage racks, wetsuit hanger and some new shaping racks that I can actually level.

I definately have ideas floating around about eventually becoming a proper shaper......although thats quite a long off!

Decisions Decisions!

Got two blanks delivered this morning, 6'4" and a 6'8"......just got to decide what to shape now!

Happy Birthday!

I started shaping this board for my mates kid the week he was born....a whole year ago! It's largely been ignored, first waiting for the foot prints and then for me to finish glassing it! Got it finished the other day just in time for his first birthday. Resin tint stripes, wonky pinlines and the best polish i've done to date. Single fcs fin setup.

Paul's Plane

50cm obeche plane with triple walnut stringers and a bulbed handgrip. Shaped for my uncles 50th birthday.......its never too late to start surfing!

Bodysurf

Had a great little bodysurf at a local little shoredump. Got some great cover ups and would have had some great POV video with the gopro if i'd put a memory card in! Thanks to Big Dave for taking photos!

Peekaboo!

The fuss is justified!

Recently I made my own version of the mini simmons design. Even though it ended up really heavy due to some resiny disagreements. but I have been surfing it quite alot lately and love it. The design just works! I'm now itching to build another version, maybe moving slightly away from the true design. Anyway here are some boards that are inspiring me at present...

Winter preparation/boredom equals...

Some baby side bites to go with my recently re-foiled flex fin. Hoping this will add a little more grip when the waves get a bit bigger..........and judging by this weeks report for Thurso it won't have to wait very long!

Shit Happens...

The mini simmons I was making took a turn for the worse, had a total resin diaster with mixes going off to fast, drying tacky etc...
I was going to leave it as a reminder of what not to do but decided to just fin it, spray it with lacquer and surf it....whats the worse that could happen?

The North Sea Shit     5'6" x 22" x 3"

Its in the name!

I've have been looking at surf mats for a few months now and conveniently this one popped up on ebay. Its a 4th Gear Flyer Tracker Roundtail made by Paul Gross. This was an early Christmas present from my fiancee :-)

Had it out today in 2ft clean surf, definately a little wierd first, first couple of waves the mat folded under me throwing me off but soon started to get to grips with it...............and its loads of fun! Can't wait to get it out in something with a little more juice!

Re-foil

Was feeling a little bored of my current flex fin

Before...

After...

Hopefully will go nicely with a slight fin set up modifcation i'm planning on one of my favourite boards

Bodysurf

Fun bodysurf at longsands....managed to avoid gettring crashed into!

So whats all the fuss about?

The past few years has seen great interest in the mini simmons shape...apparently, as i've only been shaping a short while, for me it has always been around! Anyway they look like loads of fun so I thought i'd give one a go and see what all the fuss is about.

.

5'6" x 22" x 3" with super low rocker 2.5" nose and 1.25" tail.

On any given Sunday...

Slightly larger than the usual July swell.....happy days!

 Nothing better than waves with friends

 Marks XPS/Balsa paipo getting its first real test ride....looks like it works!

Lucky escape

Kook 2

I've got my copy.....have you got yours?

What is the Kook?

24 page independent surfing newspaper
Pink newsprint
UK-printed paper from sustainable forests
No paid advertising
Almost 90 contributors
Available worldwide to your door, July 1st

If you haven't got it yet, pull your head out the sand and get it here, you won't be disappointed.

I think thats it.....

This and the previous post pretty much cover the everything i've made in the last year.....theres plenty in the works though!

6'6" finless fish, loads of fun....although it has a little too much rocker

4ft mini-mal for my friends first little one, got to start them early!