Diverse Friend & artist Vernon Ahkee Current exhibition at the Gold Coast arts Centre featuring Diverse Surfboards and Dale Richards... go see it its on till 26th june at the Gold Coast arts Centre
30 May 2011
Vernon Ahkee Diverse artist on Diverse Boards
Diverse Friend & artist Vernon Ahkee Current exhibition at the Gold Coast arts Centre featuring Diverse Surfboards and Dale Richards... go see it its on till 26th june at the Gold Coast arts Centre
20 May 2011
Beginners guide to purchasing a new surfboard
Beginners guide to choosing a surfboard
Your first surfboard is an important decision. If you choose poorly without having the right advice, you may end up finding it difficult to progress for a long time or worse still giving up because you think it's just too hard! Hopefully I can give you some pointers and direction from my twenty years plus of making custom boards for people just like you.
Firstly before you buy, you should beg, borrow & rent as many boards as you can, too feel for yourself what you do best on. Sure the small ones are easy to duck dive, fit in your transport & carry to the beach, but are you doing it to go surfing or duck diving? What you need is the best balance between be able to carry it around, catch all the waves you want & be stable enough to have you cruising across the green face of the wave in no time.
Reputable surfboard shops carry secondhand boards, demos & rentals, along with good staff who should be happy to give as much advice as you need. Notice I said "surfboard shops" as there is a lot of "surf shops" that are just clothing stores with a few boards in them just to look credible. A surfboard shop should have secondhand boards they gave traded in from happy customers who have already progressed on to the next level in performance & fun. Don't be afraid to ask for a guaranteed trade in when your ready for your next surfboard. Surf schools are also a big help in choosing the right board and recommendation of a place to purchase it from.
So what are the things your looking for in your first board?
Volume: remember this "foam is your friend" the more floatation, width & thickness you have the more waves you will catch & the quicker you will progress.
Length: you need a minimum of around 30cm taller than your self, the longer board you have the sooner you catch the wave.
Width: stability is important in this stage of your new surfing career, the wider your board the less likely you are to be wobbling off the side every time you put your weight on the rails of your board. The ideal width is dependent on your overall weight and height but I would expect to see a minimum of 19" wide but preferably up to 21" or even 22".
Thickness: paddling your board is something you will do the longest every time you go surfing, so make it easy on yourself and keep plenty of thickness in your board under your chest and thru the middle of the board. The rails should be full and soft in the centre also with thinner rails in the nose and tail allowing you to penetrate the water when duck diving or turning. Once again the thickness is a variable dependent on your body size, so minimum of around 2 1/2" to 3" is a good ballpark to start with.
Tail shape: to be completely honest right now the tail shape will make very little difference. Plenty of width around your back foot is more important. Pointy bits hurt and damage easy.
Fins: in basic terms the bigger a fin is in the centre of the board the more stable it will be as it drives you forward. Side fins help you turn up and down on the face of the wave. The 2+1 fin setup like longboards have Is the most user friendly for beginners, however the everyday thruster Is a common compromise that will work fine and keep you progressing.
Nose width: once again width equals stability. The common beginner boards will have a round or wide pointed nose keeping floatation and area up there to help.
What Board type? Good question. There is so many names for these types of boards. Those common shape characteristics are found in hybrids, semi fish boards, minimals & retro boards. So follow your head with the knowledge I've just given you & forget the hype of the cool name/logo & think about all the cool rides your going to have on the correct shaped board for you.
Your first surfboard is an important decision. If you choose poorly without having the right advice, you may end up finding it difficult to progress for a long time or worse still giving up because you think it's just too hard! Hopefully I can give you some pointers and direction from my twenty years plus of making custom boards for people just like you.
Firstly before you buy, you should beg, borrow & rent as many boards as you can, too feel for yourself what you do best on. Sure the small ones are easy to duck dive, fit in your transport & carry to the beach, but are you doing it to go surfing or duck diving? What you need is the best balance between be able to carry it around, catch all the waves you want & be stable enough to have you cruising across the green face of the wave in no time.
Reputable surfboard shops carry secondhand boards, demos & rentals, along with good staff who should be happy to give as much advice as you need. Notice I said "surfboard shops" as there is a lot of "surf shops" that are just clothing stores with a few boards in them just to look credible. A surfboard shop should have secondhand boards they gave traded in from happy customers who have already progressed on to the next level in performance & fun. Don't be afraid to ask for a guaranteed trade in when your ready for your next surfboard. Surf schools are also a big help in choosing the right board and recommendation of a place to purchase it from.
So what are the things your looking for in your first board?
Volume: remember this "foam is your friend" the more floatation, width & thickness you have the more waves you will catch & the quicker you will progress.
Length: you need a minimum of around 30cm taller than your self, the longer board you have the sooner you catch the wave.
Width: stability is important in this stage of your new surfing career, the wider your board the less likely you are to be wobbling off the side every time you put your weight on the rails of your board. The ideal width is dependent on your overall weight and height but I would expect to see a minimum of 19" wide but preferably up to 21" or even 22".
Thickness: paddling your board is something you will do the longest every time you go surfing, so make it easy on yourself and keep plenty of thickness in your board under your chest and thru the middle of the board. The rails should be full and soft in the centre also with thinner rails in the nose and tail allowing you to penetrate the water when duck diving or turning. Once again the thickness is a variable dependent on your body size, so minimum of around 2 1/2" to 3" is a good ballpark to start with.
Tail shape: to be completely honest right now the tail shape will make very little difference. Plenty of width around your back foot is more important. Pointy bits hurt and damage easy.
Fins: in basic terms the bigger a fin is in the centre of the board the more stable it will be as it drives you forward. Side fins help you turn up and down on the face of the wave. The 2+1 fin setup like longboards have Is the most user friendly for beginners, however the everyday thruster Is a common compromise that will work fine and keep you progressing.
Nose width: once again width equals stability. The common beginner boards will have a round or wide pointed nose keeping floatation and area up there to help.
What Board type? Good question. There is so many names for these types of boards. Those common shape characteristics are found in hybrids, semi fish boards, minimals & retro boards. So follow your head with the knowledge I've just given you & forget the hype of the cool name/logo & think about all the cool rides your going to have on the correct shaped board for you.
16 May 2011
Memorial paddle out & fundraising for Japanese earthquake & tsunami victims.
Memorial paddle out & fundraising for Japanese earthquake & tsunami victims.
On Sunday May 22 Diverse Surfboards is holding a Japanese surfing contest @ Flat Rock (south Currumbin).
In memory of all the people who were killed as a direct result of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and also the many coastal village dwelling people who were washed away by the tsunami (including many local surfers), we would like everyone to join us in a memorial paddle out. People who don't surf are also most welcome to join in and participate from the beach.
At this time we would like to send to Japan from Australia a special message of health and love to the devastated people who have been affected by these events.
In spite of the radiation leaks from nuclear power plants, and the slowness of the Japanese govt to test the water, many surfers are nervously continuing to surf.
Greenpeace has requested that the ocean nearby the nuclear power plants be tested but as yet the testing has been either denied or results kept hidden from the public.
Understanding the surfers plight, the "Surfrider Foundation Japan" marine and environmental protection group has began fundraising to assist the water testing exercise. (http://www.surfrider.jp/)
Also they are aiming to minimise leakage and prevent any further radioactive contamination to the marine environment from damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima, and to support nationwide implementation of ongoing monitoring of radioactive levels in the ocean.
We hope the ocean loving locals of the Gold Coast will get behind this generously supporting this cause.
Thank you.
Place: Flat Rock, Currumbin
Date: Sunday May 22, 2011
Contest start: 730am
Memorial Paddle Out: 12pm~
(everyone please gather at beach 20 minutes before at 1140am)
５月２２日（日）Currumbin Flat rockにて、DIVERSE主催による、日本人のサーフィン大会が行われます。
このたびの地震&津波によりお亡くなりになられた方々、そして津波に飲み込まれてしまった多くのローカルサーファーに対し、
メモリアルパドルアウトを行います。
サーファーでは無い方もビーチから参加出来ます。
この時の模様を映像に残し、日本の皆さんに元気と愛をオーストラリアから送りたいと思います。
並びに、原発からの放射能漏れ事故があったにも関わらず、日本政府による水質調査が遅れていて、
多くのサーファーが不安の中サーフィンをしています。
グリンピースからの原発近郊の水質調査依頼も拒否し、真実は隠されたまま。。。
そこで、サーファーからの視点で海辺の環境保護活動を行っている団体、
『Surfrider Foundation Japan』の水質調査活動をサポートする募金活動。http://www.surfrider.jp/
更に、 福島第一原子力発電所からの放射能汚染水の海洋投棄及び漏出の防止策の徹底・海水モニタリングの全国実施を 求める署名活動を行います。
どうか海を愛するローカルの皆様もふるってご参加下さい。
宜しくお願い致します。
場所：Flat Rock, Currumbin
時間：大会開始 ７：３０am
：メモリアルパドルアウト12pm〜（２０分前には集まって下さい）
4 May 2011
Jaiden Elgey Alley Classic 2011
hey dave, you probably heard about how good the waves were for the Alley Classic last weekend! Darren got some good shots from the water of me .......
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