Nick's blog

 

 

 

 

I've got the SUP fever at the moment with three SUP / Surf sessions in the last week to one windsurf. The bays got some great spots for low high tide surf sessions after easterlies. Low wind morning and evening sessions are best. I feel like I'm cheeting on the windsurf kit!

JT and Rob got out today.... I got a few picks of JT who did his best with the light winds to do a few transitions by the shore. A nice carve upwind into a helitack.

Nice session at Combe Cellars. We measured the wind at 25-30 mph as we rigged up and had second thoughts about going in. I was over powered on 5.5m. Easterlies were raw!!!!! Temperature measured at around 4 degrees when we finished at 1230. Felt like zero. Lee pulled off a nice Duck Gybe and heli tacks. Here's a few pics which I took from some film I shot from the water. I got to say Lee... nailed every hmmm Heli Tack.

Crimbo was rounded off with some SUP boarding in the snow on Sunday 10th Jan 2010. It was fr.....freeeeezn -2C! First time I've crossed snow to get to the water. Here are some pics to motivate us to go out when it's a tropical 7 C. It was snowing whilst we were on the water.

 

All I wanted for christmas was some wood and waterproof glue...... and vuola!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've wanted to make a Wood SUP paddle for some time so I've been slowely gathering the tools and materials. This is my first attempt so I've used mostly pine, hardwood shaft and stringers in the paddle for strength and not wanting to spend out too much if it didn't work. After the success of Mk 1,  I now plan to start a balsa and fibre glass version ASAP for greater lightness as I've had so much fun with this one.

 

The paddle has 13 different sections of wood and the blade is set at 10 degrees.

 

I used it in perfect waves on New Years day and for me I had the best SUP session so far, bagging plenty of sweeeeeeeet rides as Preston.

 

I followed Dave Kalama's and Starboards hints for correct paddle length i.e 'one should be able to stand the paddle straight next to you and comfortably reach up and grab the handle' with your arm straight. Method two -  stand the paddle on it's handle top and the end of the shaft / beginning of the paddle is directly in line with your eyes.

 

How did it perform?  Well...  because of my choice of wood and not wanting to thin out the paddle blade and shaft too much prefering strength for my first attempt it is on the heavy side. But the mark two will use balsa with a laminated shaft and fibre glass covered paddle and this will really result in a carbon challenging light paddle. But I must say Ill definetly use it again as I found it really easy in the waves and stable because of the good length.

I tried a carbon paddle on the day and I definetly want one of those too as it will be difficult to match the power and weight. But saying that this wood paddle easily got me out back and into waves and for me delivered great stability.

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED!

 

'Immediately tell your employer you are sick and cannot come in for 2 days... better make it three days and then start gathering tools, materials, tea bags and milk'

 

Tools: Hand Plan, Spoke Shave, Saw, Electric Jigsaw, Electric Sander, Sandpaper, Wood Rasp, at least 3 clamps ( these are expensive £20 plus at B&Q ... or £3.60 Newton Market!), water proof wood glue, waterproof/weather proof wood varnish/Yacht varnish).

 

Which Woods: I've researched wood paddles online - In Hawaii they use 'KOA'. In general for wood paddles.... Cherry, White Oak, Ash, Ceder are used. For my first I used hardwood 'type unknown' for the shaft and blade stringers, and pine. It turned out great ( if a bit heavy ) but I will be trying balsa and fibre glass next. 

 

1.

Use an existing paddle as a shape template.

2.

Decide  your shaft length and add a 3-4 inches... you can always cut it down.

3.

The shaft is best purchased unshaped and should have a cross section of 2" by 4". The reason for this is that you want to set you paddle blade at an angle of at least 10 degrees and you need a flat surface to glue the paddle sections of wood either side of the blade.

4.

Cut the length of the shaft  length ways down roughly to above the area of the shaft.. leaving the shaft area as it was when you purchased it so you can set the blade angle.

 

 

5.

Cut lengths of wood for each side of the blade and lay it all out on the floor ready to start glueing. I used thin hardwood stringers in with the pine for strength and artistic appearance. Don't worry if bits of wood stick out here and there as you will trim them off or plane them down as needed.

6.

You can clamp and glue in one go or I preferred to do it separately either side so as to better set the blade angle.

 

 

7.

Once dry I used my existing paddle as a template, traced the outline and jigsawed it out.

8.

For the handle I placed, glued and clamped x2 blocks of wood.

 

 

9.

The rest is just planing, sanding and rasping to get the shape you want. I left the shaft oval for better grip and strength and the blade on the thicker side as I didn't want to mess up my first attempt.

10.

Varnish with 3 coats of waterproof/weather proof varnish. But... leave the paddle handle as is to prevent blisters.  I got a tip from Ray Mears and sealed the top of the handle with vegetable oil. The wood soaked it up and it worked well.

 

 

Nick.

Saturday the 14th November 2009 - I went down to the beach as I figured storm force winds would have pushed channel swell into the bay which with the offshore winds would stand up, groomed into Hawain perfection.... and yes tube. Was it possible a tubing wave in Paignton? Well locals will tell you we've lost count of the number of times every week it tubes at Paignton Pipe...  If I had a pound for every time... we'll lets just say I couldn't afford a bar of sex wax yet! And they cost £1.35. 

Torbay Surfing have toiled all summer to bring you Europe's 2nd man made Artificial Reef. Bournmouth did it on a budget of 3.5 million, it cost us £3.50 (a chip buttie and a can of red bull) scientifically placing each laser guided pebble on the sea bed to create the perfect wave for you to enjoy. We only hope it's enough to regenerate Paignton.

DON'T TELL ANYONE ... THIS IS A SECRET SPOT! LOCALS ONLY..Alright.. holiday makers are welcome as well.

 

There's no wind.... what to do... GO KAYAKING! 13th October 2008 saw beautiful weather, calm seas. I paddled out to the other side of Thatcher's rock with a waterproof camera hoping to photoshoot some wildlife.. a seal? Dolphins? All I could find were these Gannets.

 

Really nice sail on the 16th September after days of North Easterlies kicked up a rolling swell that lasted through to Friday 18th for a mellow surf session at Preston. Then to round it off the 22nd saw some light wind blasting on a South Westerly. Third year running late september we had dolphins in the bay. They caught my eye about 1/4 mile in front off me as I blasted out toward Brixham heading upwind into Goodrington / Broadsands. But sadly this year I couldn't catch up with them!

 

Just back from a nice session at Livermead. It was perfect cross shore once out past the cliffs. Parked Cliff Road and rigged on the Institute Beach below The  Livermead Cliff Hotel. At low tide you can walk over the sea weed and out of the old rocky harbour. Once clear of the rocks at low tide it's one to two feet so you can beach start straight out to the wind line. It looks really rocky from the shore but all that sea weed is mostly just covering flat rock you can carefully walk accross to the water.With a southwesterly you've got Livermead Beach you can come into or if things go really wrong...Torre Abbey. I innitially tried Preston but couldn't get parked.