Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz just celebrated his 93rd birthday. He’s still vibrant, active and quick as a whip. Doc was recently ranked by The Inertia website as the 4th most influential surfer of all time, behind Duke, Miki Dora and Kelly Slater. Doc wrote a book called Surfing and Health, which is a no-bullshit text on how to live and keep surfing until you’re as old as he is. When we are younger and working our asses off to make a living, many of us wish we could surf more. When we are old and have all the time in the world, will we regret not taking better care of our bodies so we can waste away our golden years surfing? Get the book at Amazon. Surfing and Health
Keep Surfing Until You Are 93 Years Old
13 Jun
Turn your best GoPro shot into a work of art
13 Apr
My wife had San Clemente surf and music legend Joshua Paskowitz recreate my favorite GoPro surf shot into an amazing 4×3 foot masterpiece on canvas for my 50th birthday. I have to admit it’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. I’m not talking about blowing up the photo onto canvas. Joshua puts an impressionist spin on his art which makes them museum worthy pieces. He can do small ones for a fee hundred dollars or giant ones like this run a few thousand. But for a one of a kind artwork from a member of what NY Times called “The first family of surfing”, it is a real value if you’re looking for a special gift. For more information go to the AlohaDoc Website.
Battle for the Paddle
18 JunAt the recent Battle for the Paddle at Doheny State Beach I ran across three new products that I thought would make great surf gifts. Check them out in the video above.
http://www.ecoxgear.com
http://www.chawel.com
http://www.lightspeedoutdoor.com
Best Surf Gifts for Mom
9 MayWith Mother’s day coming up, we thought we would give you some ideas for that mom surfer in your family.
For you kids who have no money at all
How about you make up a certificate for one peaceful surf day where you promise to go to the beach with mom, let her surf as long as she wants, and not cause her any hassles? No whining, no complaining you’re bored, no begging for money for ice cream. Mom would really appreciate that.
Or you could offer to scrape the old wax off of her board, and put down a nice clean coat of wax for the summer. You can even get a bar of wax for about a buck and wrap it as a gift. Everybody hates re-waxing boards, that’s why they always look so grungy. And with summertime here, that old soft cold water wax is gonna get awfully drippy in the summer sun.
For the kids who have a couple of bucks to scrape together
CafePress has some cool low cost gifts for your surfer mom. From bumper stickers for about $4.00 to t-shirts for about @20, there’s a good selection of surf mom stuff. My favorite is the baby diaper cover.
For the super stylish hot mom who wants to turn heads on the beach.
On the other end of the spectrum, Time Magazine has a post on some pretty expensive but chic gifts. Pret-A-Surf rashguard, $210, available at Barneys New York, and bikini, $300, available at Net-A-Porter. Bumble and Bumble Color Minded Polish $28, and styling balm $28, offers UV protection for color-treated locks. Available at bumbleandbumble.com.
Everybody loves a new wetsuit.
Face it, the old one smells like old shoes. A new one fits snug and makes you look and feel great.
Swell.com has a great selection online. Or better yet, go support your local surf shop. Prices range from $70-$400 depending on how cold it gets where your mom surfs. And make sure to get a gift receipt, as she might have to exchange it. They all fit very differently from one another.
The future is so bright, Mom needs some new shades.
Photo courtesy Kaenon
You can pick up a new pair of shades anywhere. I personally love Oakleys. Make sure whatever you get is polarized. That glare off the water can make for a killer headache. You can also buy all kinds of brands from Toms. And they have the same buy one give one program that sends a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair you buy.
Make Mom a Star of her own surf videos
Personally, I think everyone should have a GoPro. The new GoPro 3 is a vast improvement over the past models. It takes amazing pictures and video. It has a wide variety of attachments, including a new underwater housing. Features include:
- Professional 1080p 30 fps, 960p 48 fps, and 720p 60 fps and WVGA 240 fps video capture
- 11MP photo capture with 10 frames per second burst
- Wi-Fi built-in, and compatible with Wi-Fi remote (sold separatly) and GoPro App (free)
- 197-Feet / 60m Waterproof Housing
- Basic mounts and hardware included for attaching to helmets, gear, and more
Get it here at Amazon for between $199-$399 depending on the model. GoPro HERO3: Silver Edition
And don’t forget these cool accessories
Low Tide Toss – Beach Game Alternative to Bocce, Smashball and Cornhole
3 MayThere’s a great Kickstarter campaign running that I think my subscribers will like. It’s for a game called Low Tide Toss. Check out the video. More after the break…
The kit comes with balls, rings to make goals in the sand, stakes and ropes to define the field, a rake to smooth out the sand and mesh carry bag. It’s going to retail for around $50, but you can pre-order through KickStarter for only $30 ($25 if you hurry and get one of the ten remaining First Edition deals).
This is a great alternative to bocce, smashball, and the stupid cornhole game (sorry rednecks, just teasing – I actually dominate that game).
They are planning to make this in the US. So back a great idea, feel good about helping somebody’s dream come true, and be the first person on your beach playing Low Tide Toss.
I will do a full review when I get mine, (and yeah, I got one of those sweet $25 First Editions. Check it out at this link: Low Tide Toss Kickstarter
HangGoose Long Term Review
14 AprI picked up the HangGoose about a year ago meaning to review it but never got around to it. I’m always on the lookout for a better way to dry my wetsuits and booties. Nothing sucks more than putting on a cold, damp wetsuit on a crisp morning. It’s like sliding slowly into a vat of cold jello.
I was immediately attracted to the design. It’s made of sustainably grown teak. It not only hangs a wetsuit but also booties and gloves. And it looks like a goose. It’s a well thought out product.
I use the HangGoose all the time. It’s something most surfers won’t likely buy for themselves, so you can be relatively confident that the surfer in your life won’t already have one. My only negative is the price. It’s a little high in my opinion. But teak isn’t cheap and the detail on the goose (look into its eyes) suggests craftsmanship.
You can buy the HangGoose for $62 on their website or they have a list of retailers that carry it.
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Aside
New GoPro Hero 3 reviewed by Cyrus Sutton
18 OctOK, when it comes to surf cam reviews, there’s nothing I can say that would not sound downright stupid compared to what Cyrus has to say. He’s a master, so just read this and decide for yourself. Couple of notes from his post.
GoPro recently acquired Cineform and updated their ProTune firmware, which is available for free on their website, and “turns your GoPro 2 into a low contrast, 35 megabyte per second action capturing machine, virtually eliminating all blocking and pixelation that had plagued all POV cameras for years, including to a lesser the HERO HD & 2.”
“The megabyte per second rate is the nuts and bolts of a camera’s image quality and is often overlooked by consumers but obsessed over by hollywood DP’s. And while efficient codecs are milking smaller and smaller data streams, a lot of what you pay for is your camera’s data stream. It separates the consumer cams from the professional ones, and with ProTune’s 35MB per second stream and low contrast output which preserves a fuller dynamic range of your image (the highlights and shadows), the resulting footage is hard to differentiate from a full sized DSLR or professional video camera.”
If you’re too lazy to click and read the whole review…
CONCLUSION
This camera is markedly better than anything similar on the market and if you’re perpetually unsatisfied with what you have or are just looking to step up the level of your action video production, the HERO 3 is a must have.
It ships November 14th you check it out and pre-order here!
GoPro Hero 2 Now Discounted by $100
17 Oct
With the release of the awesome new GoPro Hero 3 this week, now is the time to get the previous version at a bargain price. While the new Hero 3 has some interesting features, is smaller, lighter and faster, the Hero 2 is still more than excellent for a surf cam.
Now only $199 at Amazon. Use this link. GoPro HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition
Surf trip to Tahiti – Groupon can save you some bucks.
13 AugWe’ve all seen the images and drooled. Intimate cabanas perched over a peaceful lagoon with amazing vistas of mountains in the background. Perfect barrels of groomed glass with nobody around. Blood gushing from facial wounds after getting smashed onto the reef. While that last part might give us second thoughts, the images that come to mind when we think of Tahiti are almost always positive. Now Groupon can get you there for less than you imagined. Starting at $1999 per person including airfare for 6 days lodging, breakfasts and transfers. The pictured Intercontinental Moorea comes with the 9-day package for $3500. It’s a boatload of money for sure. But, it is also a dream vacation and a big savings over the normal prices.
There’s a ton of surfing in Tahiti, and there are plenty of local surf tour groups available that you can use as an add-on. Most of the surf breaks are beyond paddle distance so you’ll want to hook up a boat ride.
Unfortunately the dates are all past the window for the Billabong Tahiti Pro at Teahupoo, or maybe that’s for the best if you want to charge the world’s heaviest barrel.
Check out the Groupon Tahiti Trip at this link.
BEST SURF GIFT EVER!!!! – Surf Lesson with Maya Gabeira
3 Aug
OK, I can’t believe this is available. But through our friends at Zozi you can buy an all day surf lesson with big wave charger and smoking hot surfer Maya Gabeira. Maya has won 5 Billabong XXL awards for those that aren’t aware, as well as Best Female Action Sports Athlete at the 2009 ESPY’s. She rode the biggest wave ever by a woman at Dungeons in South Africa in 2009. So she’s got the cred to teach anyone short of Kelly. If you gift this to someone, they will be your BFF guaranteed.
What You Get
- Hand’s on surfing instruction from a big wave surf champ, Red Bull athlete and zozi Guru – Maya Gabeira.
- Three hour small group surf lesson, followed by a long, leisurely lunch with Maya.
- Friendly environment for beginning surfers, skill development for experienced riders.
- Instruction starts on shore covering surf basics, then moves to the water for two 90 minute lessons.
- Guidance on paddling, balance, wave selection and timing.
- Surfboard rental and custom zozi rash guard included.
- Post-surf lunch and cocktails with Maya at the Shore’s Restaurant, a beachfront cantina.
What You Won’t Get
- The poise, confidence and skill to charge like Maya, but you WILL get better.
Where
Surf Diva (Provider)
2160 Avenida de la Playa
San Diego, CA 92037
Map
What’s Cool
- Spend a day with surfing legend Maya Gabeira, learning essential surf basics to get you riding like a pro.
- On the shores of La Jolla Beach, meet, learn and surf with Maya, as well as one of California’s most reputable surf instruction companies, Surf Diva.
- Maya caters the surf session to your ability, providing feedback while in the water. She’ll get you dropping in on waves perfect for those new to surfing.
- Take breaks on the beach under a sun canopy. Hydrate, stretch out, then tackle another set.
- Post surf session, head to the Shores Restaurant for an oceanview lunch and refreshing margaritas.
- On the patio, chill with Maya while she shares stories of what it’s like to travel the globe in search of the world’s biggest waves.
Get it at this link and save $10.
