rodndtube.com's (OLD) MyPaipoBoards Forums. Reading but no posting on the OLD forums.

[swordie]

Hi, new here.

Age and infirmity is making inroads on my ability to surf my longboard when it gets up above 6' [sometimes less ] and in hollow stuff. So it's plan B and even plan C time. I have recently acquired a surfmat type thing called a Surfster [will post a photo when I get one] which is boogieboard shaped, not at all as elegant as those mats over there.

So, I want to build a paipo, which will perform in the slow waves we get here in Wales [UK]. But of course I want it to perform well in our only wedge type hollow wave.

So I'm not particularly tall, but I am large [pushing 190lb by now ] so it will need to be beefy.

Early thoughts are a wide fishtail single or twin keel [I have a couple of FU keel fins off an old sailboard] about 23 wide and 4'6" long, with a pretty full plan shape [eggy] polystyrene and epoxy will be the construction method.

Comments and suggestions will be gatefuly accepted especially on the vexed question of rail shapes and progression.
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in the green room then

[Poobah]

Please tell us what it's like to ride a foam bodyboard on a typical wave where you plan to paipo. Do you need at least a 48" (122 centimeter) sponge to have a good time? What about other guys in the water. Are there guys on 2 meter surfboards jumping and pumping their boards just to stay in the wave?

[swordie]

heh. I've not tried a foamie yet, and there are some days when guys on 9'logs can only go straight up the beach, but I suppose that 6' here on the beachbreak would equate to 4' Ca [face heights]

actually, after posting this I took a look at the bigasspaipo and I suspect that will be the defining board. Most important is I think a wide tail with quite a bit of float to get an early entry, but we'll see.

I suppose what I'm looking for in essence, is something like a kneelo in size and dimensions, but designed as a paipo for the *ahem* "more fully formed rider of a certain age".

Just out of interest there is a strong likelyhood that I will be in the SF/Monterey/Big Sur area this coming autumn/fall, probably in the middle of October for about 3 weeks, and it would be nice to get some [smallish] waves. Is there anywhere where I can either buy/hire a paipo or get one made, and if the latter who/how much are we talking about?
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in the green room then

[PaipoJim]

[kage]

Paipo Jim,
I have two of his kneeboards but I've never seen a Freeline Paipo. Are you in the santa Cruz area too?
Swordie,
Plan c? PLAN C???
ahem.
Anyway, If you are riding prone you don't neccessarily need fins, your legs and fippers are doing that. I am also in favor of less foam more strength. I am mostly rinding the Hawaian Designs Paipo which just barely floats, sometimes in pretty slow mushburger conditions. you might look at their website references elsewhere on this fine site.

[swordie]

[Poobah]

I say $300 to $500 depending on what you get and who makes it. I think the HPD that Kage mentioned is a good value and could be shipped to your destination before your arrival. Are you staying with friends? Travelling to different campgrounds? Did you know you're just missing the Swaylock's gathering in Big Sur in late September? Here's Paul Lindberg's Paipo site. Be patient...it loads a little slow.

http://www.paipo.com/

[swordie]

[Poobah]

Ooops! I said late September when it's really closer to the middle of the month. The Swaylock's gathering is September 17th to the 20th. Friday afternoon to Monday morning. The group campground is booked up, but there are 44 regular campsites that cost $18.00 per night. You could split that cost, because the sites allow 6 to 8 people. They are first-come-first-served campsites. They can't be reserved. ***Somebody please correct me if that policy has changed for the Plaskett Creek Campground*** So if you arrive on a Wednesday or Thursday before Friday the 17th, then you stand a good chance of grabbing a campsite.

On Sept. 23rd to the 27th, the kneeboarders from KSUSA will be getting together at the Plaskett Creek Campground. So if you lurked both events, you'd get to meet lots of folks, borrow some different boards and learn some insider info about surf spots in that vicinity.

Here's a site for Plaskett Creek and Sandollar Beach. The last time I was at Plaskett Creek it didn't have hot showers.
http://www.parksman.com/BSM.html

There are State Campgrounds not shown on that website. Limekiln is probably the closet one with hot showers. Can any of you Central Californians comfirm that?
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=577

There's plenty of motels down toward San Simeon and Hearst Castle.

[Poobah]

I also highly recommend the California Coastal Access Guide. This book will show you all public paths and stairways to the beach. Routes that you could easily drive right past if you didn't know they were there.
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/access/accessguide.html

[Poobah]

A frozen shoulder. Hmmmm...perhaps neither Plan B nor Plan C. You might need to resort to Plan Nine from Outer Space:

[baidarka]

I like Plan Nine myself. Just finished reading a piece on a fellow named Paul Boyton and his inflatable Merriman suit. In the late 1800's he floated a claimed (and mostly documented) 25,000 miles in the prone position. For propulsion he alternated between hands, paddle and umbrella. His first major accomplishment was swimming in from a ship, 30 miles off of the Irish coast, in a gale that sunk 54 vessels. He most certainly had some surfing escapades along the way. If only he had been abducted or visited by the Plan Nine Crew. Oh well...going to look for his autobiograrphy, Roughing it in Rubber, for some intergalactic inspiration.

-Seamus

[Phantom]

Seamus, the Elders speak highly of your reading, and your wifes shopping skills. So you know of Pablo Delaporte? I have too purchased the inflatable fish, and when stuffed into the Dakine dayrunner, slits cut for protruding head and arms, will be fully Plan Nine too.

[baidarka]

Shhhhhhhhhh...I'm sworn to secrecy about the clandestine efforts of Mr. Delaporte. I also advise caution when making utterances about Plan Nine from Outer Space. There are some who don't want us to know.