Wind Swell & the Ghost Buster

John is calling his version of the mini-Simmons the "Ghost Buster". Seeing as how the earliest iterations of the design in it's pristine white form were called "Casper," this seems only right. I've been chompin' at the bit to try one of these out. The design has been around long enough now, that it's becoming an international phenomenon of sorts.

I met with John on Friday evening at the store to hash out a few ideas and had the good fortune of being referred to Christian, who had just picked up his board a few weeks previous. John suggested I call him and see if I couldn't arrange a time to try his out.

I met Christian this morning at the beaches. After checking it out we both decided to head back into town and give it a go at GDubs or Scimi's which was looking halfway decent earlier. In addition to be a most versatile surfer, Christian is not unfamiliar with the surfboard construction business, having shaped many of his own boards, so he had a lot to say about the mini-Simmons shape as a design, and about his Freeline mini as well. He is also a student of surfing history and surfboards so I did my best to keep my mouth shut (not that easy) and listen and learn.

We surfed in knee/waist high little low energy wind swell peelers for a couple hours and I got a great feel for the board. My main concern was whether or not I would be able to step down to a six-foot board. But the beauty of short and fat, with all that added volume, is that this board offers a stable platform that paddles and surfs well. And at these dimensions (18 X 22 X 17 3/4 X 2 3/4) I could probably bump up the widths a little bit and take another two inches off the length. My understanding is that these boards work best in six, or sub-six foot lengths.

Priscilla and Patrick were out on the longboards, Whitty was way out in the kelp beds on his SUP fishing, I mean hoping for the elusive white sea bass hook-up. (Actually probably hoping for any hook-up.)

I had a good chance to surf a lot of small waves, lefts and rights. I was hoping to surf the board in low quality waves, because that's one of the reasons I want it. These boards are incredibly fun in mush and slow sloppy waves, which is a category of wave everyone gets a lot of. It always helps to have the right equipment to have fun on a short board.

John's got the Marko Styrolite blank on order and as soon as it's in and John's got a hole in his schedule, we'll mow some foam.

Thanks again Christian...you are most generous!
July 20, 2009 (M)

In: 0845
Out: 1045
AT= 55.4 - 57.4F
WT= 55.6F
Wx: Marine inversion overcast
Tide: 2.8'-4.1' Rising
Wind: Calm to very light sideshore
Sea Surface: Mostly glassy
6-0 Freeline (Mini-Simmons) Ghost Buster with twin glassed on keel fins

Bathymetry: Rock reefs
Deep Water Swell and Wave Face Heights CDIP Archive
Buoy: NWS (Farshore*)
Time NDBC Data (approx.) CDIP Data
0800: 4.9 feet @ 7.1 WNW (310 and 195) (1-3 ft. wave faces)
0900: 4.6 feet @ 10.8 WNW (310 and 175) (1-3 ft. wave faces)
1000: 4.6 feet @ 7.1 WNW (310 and 185) (1-3 ft. wave faces)
1100:4.6 feet @ 7.1 NW (315 and 225) (1-3 ft. wave faces)