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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Aug 18, 2013 - 11:38pm PT
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Klimmer this is a rebirth of the Aquajet project from the late sixties-early seventies. Some of those epoxy-honeycomb boards actually had propulsion, considered repugnant forty-three years ago. Exact means of propulsion is way updated here of course.
I had a series of hollow unpowered Aquajets; founder/owner Neal Townsend was giving me boards for awhile. Before leashes, the boards still broke up on the rocks here in Santa Cruz though guaranteed not to.... But great really lively springy boards. FAST. I won't ever forget how powerful and alive they were. Old Neal and similar cohorts had the earliest powered model but still didn't get much done.
Croteau. Fowler, Roger Adams, a couple others; a SF and Santa Cruz thing
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
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Aug 19, 2013 - 12:01am PT
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Peter,
Thanks. Seems nothing is new under the Sun. ;-)
But it seems as though they've really worked out the idea here in a nice very stream line way. You can take the motor pod out and clip in a hollow pod while your motor pod is charging on the beach, and surf regular without a motor. Then go back in clip in the motor pod and get going again.
By the way, the same motor pod fits into all the different surfboards, so you can have a quiver of boards and perhaps one or 2 motors and do a great deal of surfing. They have a charging unit for it also that you can take to the beach.
Anyway, very cool. A friend who has hurt shoulders who surfs is looking into getting one of these boards. He was the one who told me about it. :-)
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Aug 19, 2013 - 12:22am PT
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Yeah, K. I expect THIS time, the conjecture will be more successful though and many will see fun uses and those of us with various challenges (viz handicaps) will like the idea.
Just like if you and I were to introduce cams in 1952, with their 20-some-odd moving parts---- we would have been viewed as kooks and history just wasn't ready for all that such a device could offer. But today, we have many manufacturers vying for cam dollars worldwide. Hilarious how history rolls along.
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NorCalNomad
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Aug 21, 2013 - 01:20am PT
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Question about paddling. My fun board is 21 and some inches in width but being a lanky dude my shoulders are only about 18" across. Paddling it is pretty easy but leaves my shoulder feeling worked. Feels better (but a bit slower) to paddle my little potato chip short board (6'x18.5"x1 5/8" got it for free).
The shoulder beat down going to subside eventually or is it just going to be a pain for me to paddle with that width? To give a sense of upper body strength I can toprope 5.11's some 5.12's.
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briham89
Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
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Aug 21, 2013 - 01:37am PT
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Nomad, I've noticed that it's getting the big boards going from a stand still that wears me out. If I focus on rocking the board back and then jetting forward on it to get going I save my arms in the long run.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Aug 21, 2013 - 09:48am PT
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NorCal, sounds like your fun board is not really a fun board. If it works your shoulders and I can see why a wide board can do this to narrow-built people, then stay away from such wide designs unless you hardly ever surf. That repetition from paddling could come back to bite you.. Find a compromise.
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NorCalNomad
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Aug 21, 2013 - 12:13pm PT
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Yeah would like to get a more forgiving short board/ fish, but it's just not in the cards financially for a while... Sure would be easier than taking the 7' fun on muni.
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rbob
climber
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Sep 24, 2013 - 02:02am PT
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Bump!
Fall swell has arrived in CA! Glassy ground swell and light offshore winds!
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Sep 24, 2013 - 11:14am PT
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25ft up at british columbia
20ft at mavricks
2.5ft santa monica basin
edit: fall/winter i'm double excited!!!!
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bob
climber
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Sep 24, 2013 - 11:17am PT
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Gearing up for a month of surfing Cali in November. I can't wait!!!!!! Camper is ready, reservations made in a few places. Now, I just have to hope the waves cooperate.
Have fun out there this fall and winter folks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I'm excited.......
Bob J.
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Sep 24, 2013 - 11:38am PT
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Good luck Bob. Im hoping for a stellar November here in So-Cal as well. See you in the water. By the way........
YER
GONNA
DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Sep 26, 2013 - 11:44pm PT
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splat/shhhboom!
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oct 18, 2013 - 11:12pm PT
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wipe out!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Oct 19, 2013 - 01:12am PT
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Oct 19, 2013 - 03:21pm PT
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We are all looking forward to a great November as well.
There have been waves every day here in my back yard at Kuau and it has been fun but I have been blessed with some great work on a horse ranch in lower Kula so I'm been selective about the day I take off. I'm socking away the cash for when the real stuff happens!
Cheers, Olaf
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Oct 19, 2013 - 03:27pm PT
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Hey dudes.
Chris Burkard photo
Jonesing.
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Cloudraker
Sport climber
San Diego, CA
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Oct 19, 2013 - 09:15pm PT
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wow those are some amazing photos!
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