Glass on vs. Removable Fins

One debate that can go either way is whether glass on or removable fins are better. One thing all surfers will agree on is that they both have advantages and disadvantages. It is Versatailty VS. Performance. I prefer Removable fins, but that is just my preference.

Glass on fins are popular on high performance shortboards and classic longboards. Glass on fins offer less drag which offers a smoother faster ride. The fins are also very light weight. However it is harder to travel with Glass on fins.

Removable fins are easy and versatile for traveling. You can also change which type of fins you use depending on the surf conditions. One downside is removable fin boxes cause more drag than glass on fins and they tend to be heavier as well.

What type of fin system do you prefer?

Transporting Surfboards

There are a few options you have when transporting surfboards. IN this post I will look at a few and discuss the pros and cons of each one along with the purpose of each product.

Soft Racks - These are non-permanent surf racks which can go on any car with no tools. They can be set up in 3-5min and off you go. These are perfect if you don't want permanent racks, but you still need to transport boards on your car.

Hard Racks - These are the most common way to transport a surfboard. It is also the most secure and safe way. These racks are permanently installed onto your car. If you plan on surfing a lot than make the investment and buy a pair of permanent racks.

When transporting always check to make sure your board is secure before driving away - you don't want your board to fly off and break.

Free to $15 - Trestles

One of the biggest draws to Trestles is the world class surf and the beautiful walk through nature to get there. The long walks keeps some people from coming to the beach because it is not a park and you are at the beach setting. 

However, parking was free and easy. Then came the Toll-Road Proposal which was shut down....at least for now. The latest problem troubling surfers is costing $15 a surf session. The State lot where you park to surf is now $15 a car, which was free for many years.

Session Saver

We have all had those days when the waves are perfect and we could surf all day. Sounds great until you get a ding and have to go home to fix it. Sure you can use Sun Cure but it has to fully cure and then it needs to be sanded.

This is where Session Saver comes in - Session Saver can save you from having to leave the beach when the waves are firing. Session Saver is a putty which can fix both "PU" and "Epoxy" board. Did I mention this stuff can cure under water? Simply work the putty into the ding and you don't even have to sand it. This is definitely the future of ding repair on the go.

Even after reading all of this I still didn't believe that it would cure underwater. So I Put it to the test. I took some of the "putty" follow the directions and stuck it in a cup of water. When I pulled it out it was completely hard. If you would like to try Session Saver make sure you sign up to receive email updates from The Surfboard Man because I will be giving these ding repair tubes away in the next giveaway.

Body Surfing

One way to get in touch with the ocean and waves is to start body surfing. Once you start body surfing you will notice it will improve you wave reading skills. Body surfing also improves your swimming abilities. Turn closeouts into fun and start bodysurfing when waves are big barreling closeouts. I suggest using viper fins for body surfing.

I/THREE/Sixty Giveaway - August 2009

This month The Surfboard Man.com will be giving away a i360 Music Infused Headband and T-Shirt. i360 designed a headband which takes the Ipod to a whole new level. Your ipod and speakers are stored in the headband to give you wire-free music while exercising, etc.

The beanie is well worth the money to take the wires out of your workout. Although it is not waterproof you can use it while getting ready to surf or while chilling on the beach. I find the i360 beanie very comfortable and practical.

San Clemente Surf Culture Days

I went down to the Surf Culture Day in San Clemente at Casa Romantica & it was incredible. I took a ton of pictures, but the one below sums up the whole event; true works of art.