Angulo SUP

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Angulo Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Dimensions: 10'4" X 29" X 4.25"
Kialoa Kola Stand Up Surf Paddle - 80" (My height: 5'9")

I again tested the 10'4" Angulo (An-goo-low) SUP Saturday morning at Sargent's with a crew of guys who ride Angulo's in the area. Thanks to Andy and Dave for making it possible. Conditions were nearly perfect for a SUP kook like me, i.e. good beginner's conditions. The sea surface was calm, wind very light, and there was a small and steady wind swell driving some easy rideable lines into GW's.

I split off from the group for awhile and paddled down to Redwood's to "get my sea legs" as Andy would say, and to develop some sort of comfort level with the board and paddle before rejoining the rest of the Angulonians at GW's for a go at the surf. SUP can be a solitary pleasure...standing there in the kelp beds, two hundred yards offshore, gently and quietly stroking through the ocean heading nowhere in particular. It's amazing how different the view is...one can see much further, it is a more encompassing and yet still intimate blending with the sea.

Soon enough I turned around and realized how far I had paddled. It didn't seem to me like I was moving very fast and yet I was already a good half mile from the group. So I paddled back and headed to GW's to try ("try" being the operative word) and catch a few waves.

The surf this morning was not quite as large or consistent as the waves yesterday afternoon/evening, and there were more surfers in the water but it was still relatively uncrowded for a Saturday morning. I can only imagine what the longboarders at GW's must have thought as five guys on SUPs paddled into their line-up. But all the Angulonians were very well behaved, chasing down only the waves the longboarders couldn't get to. I managed (incredibly enough) to actually paddle myself into two different little rides and that sealed the deal. I was/am hooked. As I paddled back out after my second wave I told Andy, "I'm in, send the board over to John's." Andy is the local distributor for Angulo and John Mel (Freeline Design Surf Shop) is my long time (since 1973) shaper and surf shop retailer of choice.

I paddled for about two hours, getting out of the water at 9:30 still under gray, overcast skies. I picked up my new SUP at three o'clock that afternoon. Andy had installed the deck pad at Ski Shop Santa Cruz before John stopped by to pick it up on his way to Freeline. Andy also had the Kialoa Kole paddle that I settled on and they cut it to size and glued the handle on. John warned me not to use the paddle for at least 24 hours to let the glue set. That worked for me as Sunday mornings are time intensive getting ready and prepped for church.

In addition to that my shoulders, back, legs, feet, hands and forearms were mighty sore from two days in a row of SUPing. Sunday was a recovery day for sure. But tomorrow, I'm hittin' it early for a SUP workout on my new board! Stoke...more later!