This Backpack is Amazing

22 Nov

I purchased this through a Kickstarter campaign and just received it.  I was really anxiously awaiting it as  I travel 365 days a year, and felt like this was a missing piece of my equipment set.  I currently travel with a North Face computer backpack and a Briggs and Reilly carry-on.  These two containers hold all of my possessions and if you’re looking for base luggage check them out.   I have designed a wardrobe that lets me travel globally, through all hemispheres and all seasons.  However, sometimes I really want to go hiking, or surfing, or just exploring.  And with all my gear stuffed into my computer backpack, it’s a pain in the ass to unload everything.  Plus the though of stuffing wet gear into my $300 North Face computer pack is painful.

So when I saw a waterproof backpack that holds 24L of gear, and packs into a stuff sack the size of a deck of cards, I was all in.

The Sea to Sky pack lives up to its billing.  It’s can fit in your pocket, is ultralight, really strong, totally waterproof.  Rarely does a company nail a design like this, but Pacific Northwest did it.  At $79, it comes with my highest recommendation.  Every surfer on the planet would find a use for this.  Whether it’s something you stuff in your glove box in the car, or keep in your board bag, or just use everyday as a wetsuit bag, or as a grocery bag, or in your bike bag, the uses are literally endless.  Get it here

Part Blanket, Part Jacket, All Awesome

11 Nov

I just ordered one of these for myself.  Those early morning dawn patrol sessions offer the best surf, but getting out of bed and into a cold wetsuit sucks.  This will definitely make the trip to the beach more comfy.  And when you get out of the water and that wetsuit, crawling into this looks like pure heaven.

Use this link for $15 – timeless. https://www.betabrand.com/referrals/landing/friend/?r=1qc

Use the code TREATYOSELF on 11/11/17 to save 30%.

You can also try this code if you miss out today.  ITSBYUxBETA to save 20% (no guarantee how long it will work).

Stay warm my friends

 

Keep Surfing Until You Are 93 Years Old

13 Jun

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

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.

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Battle for the Paddle

18 Jun

At 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 May

With 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.

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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.

Bumper Sticker Diaper Cover Mom Hangs Ten Bumper Stickeruntitled

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.
surf

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.

G0005REA

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.

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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

GoPro product shoot

Surfboard mount from GoPro


The Bobber – Floating Hand Grip for GoPro® HERO Cameras

Low Tide Toss – Beach Game Alternative to Bocce, Smashball and Cornhole

3 May

There’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…

Low Tide Toss Kickstarter

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).

Best Beach Game?

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 Apr

I 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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New GoPro Hero 3 reviewed by Cyrus Sutton

18 Oct

OK, 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

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