Page 1 of 1

Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:55 pm
by RhodeIslandJeff
Hello everyone,
Found paipo the hard way through years (about 20) of stand up surfing and the purchase of an alaia that thankfully was way to small for someone of my build to be successfully standing up on. For the last two years I've found myself riding my paipo and tossing on fins instead of grabbing a surfboard. I've pulled in and out of more barrels in the last two years than I have in the previous 20 combined. Not to mention I have way more fun now.
Tropical Storm Karl Beach Break Barrels
Tropical Storm Karl Beach Break Barrels
DSCN1880.JPG
DSCN1883.JPG
DSCN1885.JPG
DSCN1854.JPG

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:51 pm
by Uncle Grumpy
Fun ain't it?

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:48 am
by bgreen
It certainly does look like you're having fun. Is that a 6' alaia you are riding?

I like the look of the crowd.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:37 pm
by Pes78
I'm moving to Rhode Island :D

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 10:35 am
by RhodeIslandJeff
Yes, A wicked thin 6' Paulownia alaia. I went like 3 for 100 on standing up on it when I finally figured out I'm tad big for such a small board (5'9" & 205lbs). Then on a similar day at this same spot I found that if I could get into the wave (the hardest part paddling in without fins) I could generate crazy fast speed and get the board slotted pretty easy. I put on some fins and it was like riding a longboard boogie board without any drag, catching waves became a breeze so I haven't looked back. The few days I'd paddle a surfboard out I'd find myself wishing I'd used my paipo instead.
DSCN1809.JPG
On this day a few short boarders surfed the peak next to me and my daughter. After a period of them watching me constantly get barrels they paddled over and tried their luck unsuccessfully on my side of the fence. Eventually drifting back to their peak.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:39 pm
by Ted
Definitely looks like you are having fun. I ride my paipo exclusively now - it's easy, fun and well-respected in Hawaii.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 5:23 pm
by RhodeIslandJeff
A couple quick rights my daughter caught of me surfing kipapa style at the local sandbar today.
A couple quick rights my daughter caught of me surfing kipapa style at the local sandbar today.
3/2, booties, and gloves. Sun was shining and wind was offshore.
3/2, booties, and gloves. Sun was shining and wind was offshore.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 2:57 pm
by zensuni
"it was like riding a longboard boogie board "
I like this comparison. The great feeling of trimming down the line, drawing a clean line, but prone. But yet,6', isn't it a bit too long ?

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:10 pm
by GeoffreyLevens
zensuni wrote:But yet,6', isn't it a bit too long ?
He's not tall but at 205 lbs has plenty leverage!

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:42 pm
by bgreen
It's a story most can relate to. A bit of an experiment and then before you know it, it takes over.

The aspects I find interesting is that it's a journey done on your own - there are no role models, how to videos, media presence. It's something you have to figure out on your own.

The re-discovery of stoke.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:52 am
by Uncle Grumpy
zensuni wrote:"it was like riding a longboard boogie board "
I like this comparison. The great feeling of trimming down the line, drawing a clean line, but prone. But yet,6', isn't it a bit too long ?
This is the one I'm on in the avatar. It's 5'5" X 15.5" and I am planning on building a 6 footer......
The length helps in several ways especially in the small stuff.


http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/507 ... 79-med.jpg

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 3:24 am
by zensuni
Too bad I don't have access to pawlonia here in France (unless to order it from Spain). I do have access to poplar plywood however, which worked well in small waves for my current board (4 ft). They sell 5 ft sheets too, maybe I could try a 5 ft poplar plywood board. That would be a cheap prone longboard :) I guess it would help to gain speed in small waves, the downside would probably be that it might be hard to swim with such a long board, that barely floats. But in small surf it is not really a big problem.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 10:26 am
by RhodeIslandJeff
Uncle Grumpy, that is the exact style of the board I ride. Looks like a sweet board. Nice workmanship.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 11:49 am
by Uncle Grumpy
Thanks.

That was the second one I made; it has deep concave down the length of the bottom. It still gets plenty of use, especially on the really small days.

Here's the most recent of the alaia style boards I've done.

Image

I made the board after reading a quote from one of Herman Melville's books.

"For this sport, a surf-board is indispensable: some five feet in length; the width of a man’s body; convex on both sides; highly polished; and rounded at the ends. It is held in high estimation; invariably oiled after use; and hung up conspicuously in the dwelling of the owner."


It was the first one I've done that is convex on the bottom and of course it rides completely differently than the concave models.
I like it so much it's become my daily driver. I recently took it out of drydock after steaming out some dings and refinishing.
Displacement can be a good thing.

Image

Very slight rocker

Image

Super Fun

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 7:12 am
by bgreen
Uncle G how does the board go compared to the concave bottom.

Photos I took of boards at Bishop museum. Looked convex to me.
Bishop3x.jpg
Bishop3x.jpg (55.81 KiB) Viewed 11956 times
Bishop2ax.jpg
Bishop1ax.jpg

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 11:17 am
by Uncle Grumpy
Uncle G how does the board go compared to the concave bottom.

Tough to describe.
Do you have any experience with displacement hull surfboards? Kind of like that, but finless.
It sticks to the wave, in a good way.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 10:06 pm
by RhodeIslandJeff
Hurricane Humberto sent us some fun surf this week. A cell phone shot my daughter took of me on a solo session today at the end of the swell.

I definitely missed those paipos at the Bishop museum the last time I was there, hopefully next time. What a cool place.
thumbnail_IMG_0491.jpg

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:42 am
by rodndtube
Nice line there, good you got some of Humberto. And, yes, Bishop Museum is a real Smithsonian of the region.

Re: Greetings from the Island thats not an Island.

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:30 am
by PhillyViking
My thin, narrow 48" Xylem board also has a convex bottom (side to side). The convex element helps it turn fin-less. Put the convex side of a spoon next to water flowing from a faucet and you will feel it pull in. I enjoy the board much and it is the best of my quiver for duck diving due to its thin 1 1/4" solid wood thickness.

However, I must say I have gotten in some trouble in bigger / rougher / strong current conditions at Turtle Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. That thin (very little float) in combo with the convex 'suction" that is such a plus in other conditions tends to suck you into currents and take you places you do not want to go. It will always be a natural fin-less ride in the right conditions for me. I have had great rides at OH plus on it in Costa Rica but select something else that will not get sucked down in certain nasty conditions.