Attempting going flipperless...suggestions?

ross · Post by **ross** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:37 am

i forgot to mention that when El Nino and i spoke on this matter i did recall it taking me a good 12 months to get use to it.
and another reason i stopped wearing em was because i wanted to emulate the surfers i looked up to.
after all since 99' all but 1 of our world champs surfs sans flippers

i cant believe your going back to the Bluff Halbs!your killing me!like to see the flippers acsessing that wave or gnarloo

DYdamo · Post by **DYdamo** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:23 am

O.K my two cents(and I'm sure someone will let me know if I'm wrong

)

My brief collabaration on this site I have noticed a few things
One, is that the majority of kneelo's in the US of A wear flippers
Two,the majority of their boards are short (quads,spoons etc)
Three,they (WE)

are getting older as well
O.k so that might not have anything to do with it but as Ross had said we have alot of point breaks and fins can be a danger trying to negotiate the
rock ledges with whitewater rushing over them.Sheesh I've been cleaned up many'a'time without em

Dee Why had a huge unspoken "NO FLIPPER RULE" In the old days(under P.C'S reign)so no-one really wore them.I've" toyed" with the idea a few times and who knows maybe I might wear em sometime in the future
but basically I could'nt get my head around em they felt heavy,dragged
and trying to get out of the water after a session I felt "weird"
So really I think you just gotta do what you feel comfortable with

DYdamo · Post by **DYdamo** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:23 am

oops

halbs · Post by **halbs** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:58 am

Hey Ross how are ya?? Yes I have another extended visit to ther Bluff planned albeit in 2009

I did have fun on the big days getting in and out eventually I worked out a system of running[stumbling and swearing] across the reef with my fins threaded through my leggy then once I had negotiated the keyhole paddling to the still water and rather ungraciously putting my flippers on there..major pain in the..!!
I am however doing a boat trip in June/July this year to the Telos islands we need 2 more are you keen??? Would be great to actually surf with another kneelo!!! cheers Grant...and pm me if you want to have some time in the tropics!!

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:51 am

Two very different thoughts on the paddling and kicking thing.
see 1 for paddling technique see 2 for some Flipper Etiquette

1
Paddling is like swimming. Obviously it takes practice, however good technique with more practice can help.
Paddling into waves you need to get the board moving at max speed as the wave starts to stand up, now this seems obvious also, but i have noticed lots of guys with flippers like to start from a postion where the board is stationary with the tail sunk and then rock the nose foward and down as they thrust onto waves with there flippers. It takes more time and effort to get the board going when your paddling so you need to get started earlier.
Paddling into small waves and big waves its advisable to take some extra strokes after you feel the wave starting to push you forward - in small waves the extra paddling helps to generate speed at the take off and helps the board to deal with the transiton of the rider going from prone to kneeling which initially can almost stop the board dead on smaller flat waves, in big waves the extra strokes can get you down into the wave and allow you to set up the the first turn or barrel rather than free falling in (note I like free falling to, but my knees can only cope with so many more)
Paddling back out when its big or the waves are long you want every stroke to count. Three things that can help are
the entry of the hand into the water, it should be clean with the fingers going in first rather than the hand slapping down palm first.
the catch, is all about making sure that your hand is catching the water with your fingers close together rather than spread and propelling it backwards as you pull your forearm thru the water
the length of the stroke, long slow strokes where you feel the water catching in your hand will get you there using less energy.

Good catch and long strokes will leave you with fatigue after a short time if you have not being doing either, and it takes some practice before you notice the benefits.

2 Flipper Etiquette - point one feel free to add to ........
If you are going to wear them be aware they piss some people off for different reasons.
The one that makes me cringe, is the guy who is oblivious that he is kicking water in peoples faces in a crowded line up while he gets the egg beaters going to "get the wave that no one else near him can catch."
I still remember( it was 20 + years ago and i was still at school) the call to a guy who was "lost" or escaped at Narrabeen one day and was told to get the F.....back to "Marine Land"(our local marine zoo park) after giving everyone a shower as he paddled by.

stemple · Post by **stemple** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:46 am

An idea when entering the water in dicey rock jump off situation. Why not wear a thin nyon belt with small fastex buckle. When entering the water strap the fins to the buckle around your waist, jump in, paddle out, pull fins on surf reverse the order when you come in.

Boy would you look like a kook but who cares. Image is just image confidence and comfort come from within.

On a side note; Berkeley just won a $500 million grant from BP to establish the world's leading alternative fuel research center. Once again the Peoples Republic of Berkeley leads the way into the future but will we be wearing fins?!!!

ocean7847 · Post by **ocean7847** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:54 am

stemple wrote: On a side note; Berkeley just won a $500 million grant from BP to establish the world's leading alternative fuel research center. Once again the Peoples Republic of Berkeley leads the way into the future but will we be wearing fins?!!!

pfff, if they wanted a solution to the problem they would've given the money to Stanford.

stemple, check my Parkes Quad post question, i got your board!

EDIT: also, i do not use fins when I am kneeboarding. partly because i've never liked fins (my calves cramp) and because of my surgery on my foot i can't wear fins. right now, my biggest hurdle has been finding a board that i can paddle into waves. i was riding the 6'2" round pin EQ sold me and now i'm on the 6'0 Parkes Quad (thicker than the 6'2" makes it paddle-able) - i end up doing a lot of late drops, some intentionally and many more just because its the only way in. have some guys started stepping up the boards length to 6'3" or 6'4" to help paddling in? just curious

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:57 am

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:17 pm

eqKneelo · Post by **eqKneelo** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:25 pm

pfff, if they wanted a solution to the problem they would've given the money to Stanford.

If by "Solution To The Problem" you mean "developing an energy source from burning money and poor people."

Although, if those hippie idiots block that Stadium Renovation again, I'll burn those Oak Trees to ground myself.

You know if that Stadium was full of Orphans or Spotted Owls, they would have sued the University TO retro-fit 25 years ago.

stemple · Post by **stemple** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:35 pm

Hey ocean

I believe Berkeley has a higher Nobel prize count than standford. Most of those guys are too busy spending the dot.com bucks to care much anymore.

Bintang Bob · Post by **Bintang Bob** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:51 pm

Hey El Nino, where I used to surf in San Diego, some of the longboarders wore paddle gloves

nothing more frustating than watching somebodys ankles go by as your trying to get into a wave.... although I would enjoy hearing the 10' longboards complaining about the 12'-13' longboards getting all the waves....

at this point I've been wearing the paddle gloves for so many years it feels like there's no hands on the end of my arms when I'm not wearing the gloves, and having said that I'll add, I'm not sure I could sit up on my board without my flippers on...

so I get called a kook with the gear on and I'm surely a kook without it, who cares....

I'd say that last sentence circles us right back to the accessory/no accessory debate this thread started with....

Man O' War · Post by **Man O' War** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:28 pm

It's been fun watching this thread blow up. Not even two days old and already about 60 replies, over 1000 hits, lots of long posts, few duplicates, and plenty of peace and brotherhood. Jacksquid, you hit an artery with this topic.

Shelfbreak · Post by **Shelfbreak** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:02 pm

Stemple's suggestion brings to mind Batman's utility belt, alarmingly I find something appealing about that look for a middle aged kneelo.

Having learnt to surf at DY I can remember watching PC running back around to the Point after a long ride and jumping off so effortlessly. I also recall reading (on this site ?) that some Aussies tried to surf big Sunset on slabs back in the day, I wonder if the 'no flipper rule' flashed before their eyes at any stage!

albert · Post by **albert** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:47 pm

I think I just found a new signature!!!