Tag Archive for: best surf lessons orange county

You down with the Foam Tops!?

Nothing Says I Love You Like the Gift of a Foam Top for Valentine’s Day

Is it OK to let your homie ride a foam top?

Simply put… Yes Ride The Foam Top!

Hey guys, today I am focusing on the formerly taboo topic of soft top foam surf boards or “foamies.” Surf culture can be a bit particular as to what qualifies as a surfboard in the local lineup. If you are just starting out surfing. You are going to be new in any lineup, right? If  you paddle out on something that has not been accepted into the quiver of options for serious surfers, it will get labeled as “kooky” and so will you… Woe! Kooky? Not cool that sucks. Why does that happen?

The lineup can be dangerous if you are not familiar with proper surf etiquette. Wipeouts, injuries, even worse …board dings, can happen quickly. That is the reason surfers can be quick to label something in the water as kooky. It is not personal. It is the law of the ocean. Safety first.

If you are wondering about foam top surf boards and whether they are cool or not I am here to officially  proclaim them “totally cool”. As a matter of fact I think by now most surfers have a “foamy” in their quiver. They are notoriously fun. They are safe and more ding resistant than traditional boards. Catching waves wth them is easy–peasy lemon squeezy. Foam top boards are now  widely accepted and used  as real surfboards. The boards work so well they are available for use at the school.

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Corky Carroll’s Surf School- Playa Guiones- Nosara, Costa Rica

Quick reasons foam top boards are an option at the school:

  • More safe in the surf for the rider and other swimmers
  • Proven factory molds for successful wave catching and performance
  • Buoyant and stable translates to catching more waves
  • Great for beginners, care for the boards is easy. Not as much ding repair

The boards we use:

  • Storm Blade

This long board has three “Marine Ply Stringers” and is just waiting for you to put your toes on it’s nose this Valentines. The top skin is comfy and the bottom is slick.

Foam Top Soft Top Stormblade

Smaller in scale but not performance. This lil board includes: a wood double stringer, fully plushy rails, fiberglass wrapped foam core with a slick bottom. Wide and buoyant this board will help you catch a lot of waves. This model is a smaller scale board.

Boardworks

I know so many surfers that resort to their soft tops for “fun” that I wonder why they ever use their “performance” boards. So if you were wondering what to get your Valentine this year. Try giving your honey a “foamy” soft top  surfboard. They will have so much fun with it. They won’t look at you cross eyed, except in surf-fire ecstasy. Guaranteed  you will forever be their #1 Valentines Day Foamy-Homie. So, go ahead, take the plunge, score a foamy and fall in love this Valentine’s.

Want more info on foamy boards? Read our guide on why every surfer should own a soft top surfobard.

Thanks for reading guys! Let’s stay connected. Send a comment. Maybe even hit the like button. We appreciate it mucho!

As always hang loose, have fun out there, stay safe and don’t forget to remind yourself that something great is going to happen today.

 

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Why the long board is chairman of the board

A Surfer for President? Why the Long board is Chairman of the Board

Image- Recording artist Corky Carroll “Surfer for President”

What were long boards called  before the revolution of  shortboards sparked up in the 50’s & 60’s?…

 Hey guys today I am answering that and:

  • Why should I learn to surf on a longboard?
  • Why do surf schools act like the longboard is the chairman of the board?
  • Long board chairman

These days there are so many different types of surfboards. We have laser cut, light weight, durable, maneuverable, wafer-thin, easy to carry, short surfboards. Boards are being made with space aged materials developed by NASA scientists that have devoted their lives to making pans.(story for another day)

So why do we still use long boards to teach surfing with so many different board types to choose from? It can be confusing trying to figure out what kind of board to use when beginning surfing. This should make things a little easier for you.

There are many reasons why beginning with the long board is the best and easiest way to ensure you have the most fun and safe time building a solid foundation on your way to surfing your little guts out. Learning to surf should be fun. The surfboard you choose to plant your fun-damental roots with is important.

 In this video Corky makes it look like dancing Surfing is a way to express your joy and style through sweet moves to a rhythm.

Instead of moving to the beat of the drums we move with the rhythm of the ocean. The oceans act as our universal dance conductor. Our beautiful waves are the music and our board becomes our partner. Using a longboard is a great way to express personal style.When learning how to dance it would make sense to learn on a solid dance floor, right? The process of becoming in touch with your mind body connection and working out the movements you want to use to express your funky, funky, joy. Would be much easier, and in turn, much more fun on a solid platform rather than a tight rope…

That might sound like an extreme comparison. So is learning to surf on a short board compared to the huge advantages of rooting your surfing fundamentals on a nice stable foundation like a longboard. At least at first…

Long board

Quick Advantages to rooting with a longboard:

  • Paddling is much easier than on a short board.
  • A long board allows you to catch a wave earlier and more easily. Being at the front of the line-up gives you the most opportunity to catch waves in the first come first served style lineups of today.
  • Easier to sit on (which can be tricky) long boards are more stable.
  • The extra stability of a long board allows for the long take offs that beginners might experience so you catch more waves and have more time to get to your feet.
  • Smooth ride. The big boards are not as susceptible to choppy water conditions and can feel like gliding on air.

Priority in the lineup for a long boarder is like a fast pass to your favorite attraction. In the line-up long boards are chairman of the board.

Quick advantages of surfing with a longboard at Bolsa Chica or Playa Guiones:

  • Both Bolsa Chica and Playa Guiones are consistent with longboard friendly and long board advantageous conditions.
  • Each spot is known to break with nice even workable waves that do not “pitch” or “throw” hard.
  • The surf is generally fun and consistent year round.

 

In Line-ups around the globe, longboards are the royalty of the surf.

 The royal roots of surfing

 According to ancient Pacific Island lore. One legend tells us that back in the day, same as today, life on the Islands was intertwined and dependent upon the ocean.Being an accomplished waterman in the village was a very respected skill. Often the best watermen in the village were considered chiefs and treated like royalty. These watermen chiefs were known as Kahuna. The oceans meant everything to the people and their survival. Being able to navigate the ocean and feed a village was a big deal.

So how does this relate to surfing?

This is the root of surfing.

Legend has that a particularly stormy season was taking it’s toll on a Pacific Island village. The storms wiped out their crops. The village needed fish. Their Kahuna was the best waterman in the village. Following his heart and his instincts the Kahuna went out fishing in the stormy ocean.. He would brave the ocean storms to feed the village.Knowing it might mean the end of his life. The Kahuna was willing to risk everything for the wellbeing of the people he called family. That type of spirit is what made him royalty in his village.The Kahuna set out in his one man boat to harvest the oceans bounty. As he pulled fish after fish into his boat the pounding of the ocean began taking its toll.

The sides of the boat began leaking. The Kahuna’s boat began taking on water. Knowing that if the boat sinks, he could lose his catch, his boat, and possibly his life.The Kahuna acted swiftly and purposefully.Instead of giving up and sinking into the ocean. The Kahuna began to do something unexpected.

The Kahuna tapped into his heart and instincts. He strung his catch together and began to break his boat apart even more. Completely removing the hull walls of the boat leaving only the bottom.  The bottom of the boat was buoyant enough to float. He started paddling making his way back toward shore. The closer to shore the Kahuna got the happier his heart became. The Kahuna became so overjoyed to see the faces of his family waiting for him on the beach that he stood up and began riding the waves into the shore like a champion of life. This is part of the magic of the Kahuna. His boat became the first surfboard. The Kahuna became the first surfer.

Instead of giving up. The Kahuna followed his heart and his instincts. He fed the village and surfing was born. Truly Royal in life, love, spirit.As the ancient Kahuna would tell you. The longboard has strong roots for a good surfing foundation. Learning to surf and navigate the ocean on a long board  is the key to years of surfing joy.

Whether you call it a boat, a log, or a surfboard. The longboard will always be the OG root of surfing. The “chairman of the boards.”

Answer to today’s question: The original “surfboards” :) were  originally named based off of the specific wood and shape used to make the board. Some boards were exclusively reserved for use by Hawaiian royalty.  The penalty was deaaaaaath if ridden by non royal kooks. 

Long board chairman

Check out these spots for the hot board history info:

“revolution of short boards in the 60’s.’’ -surfer today

International Surfing Museum Huntington Beach, CA

Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente, CA

Written by Chris Benton “The Blog Master”

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Sharks at Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach?

No more shark paranoia: 5 facts that will ease your fear of sharks

Enough with the shark paranoia fed from the media. With the rise in technological consumerism, such as GoPros and drones, news coverage has been more focused toward shark sightings, causing people to mistakenly assume that there are more sharks in the water. Rather, they have always been around. The only difference now is that people have the technology to document. Certainly, sharks pose danger to those who enter the ocean, but so do other sea creatures, such as sting rays and seals. Anyone who enters the ocean must know that he or she is entering a wild environment that is home to wild sea life. Open water swimmers and surfers must be aware of the difference between SeaWorld and the ocean. The open sea is not an environment to fear, but one to respect. The most efficient way people can respect the ocean is if they educate themselves. Here are five shark facts that will answer some of your lingering questions regarding sharks.

1. Sharks do not like humans. They love stingrays.

Sea lions, fish, mollusks and even other sharks are a few of the sea creatures that sharks prey upon. The reason sometimes sharks bite humans is because we are mistaken for seals. In order to prevent a shark from mistaking you as its meal, it is advised to enter the ocean on a sunny, clear day. That way, a shark will have better vision differentiating between you and a seal as opposed to when the water is murky.

The good news is that sharks also eat stingrays. This predation helps our surfers and instructors in reducing the chances of getting stung from a stingray, which is more prevalent than getting attacked by a shark. Instructors are more likely to get stung because they are the ones walking along the ocean floor without a surfboard, while surfers are less likely to get stung because stingrays like to hide in the sand. Hence, stingrays serve as easy food for sharks because they rarely surface, making the ocean a safer environment for surfers.

2. The sharks seen off our coast are juveniles.

Sand tiger sharks are most common to our waters. Their name indicates that they stay near the bottom of the ocean, briefly swimming to the surface for air. Growing about 100 cm in length as juveniles, they are harmless. These sharks are extremely shy, making it an effort to avoid humans. According to an article from the OC Register, the juvenile great white sharks that have recently been reported on the media are being studied by Cal State University, Long Beach marine biologists.

3. There are no reports of a shark attack at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Out of the 180 shark attacks dated from 1900 until present day throughout North America’s Pacific Ocean, only four have occurred in Huntington Beach. However, the Shark Research Committee considers a shark mistakenly bumping into a surfer while looking for fish to be an attack. The recorded “attacks” from Huntington have never resulted in any injuries. The committee also shows no record of any sharks attacks from Bolsa Chica.

4. You are more likely to get struck by lightning than get attacked by a shark.

The chances of you getting attacked by a shark are slim. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the odds of a fatal shark attack are 1 in 4,332,817. Florida Museum of Natural History also states that your chances of getting struck by lightning are 1 in 79,746. Those statistics should ease your worries.

5. Dolphins and sharks do not get along.

Sharks rarely attack dolphins, which is why dolphins are thought of to be guardians of the sea. A dolphin’s “bumping” behavior typically keeps sharks away from them. Since dolphins travel in pods, an individual shark can easily become intimated by a pod of dolphins. This is reassuring because dolphins can be seen almost every day in front of our camp.

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The surprises of being a surf school business owner

If you are a business owner, you know each day is guaranteed to be filled with surprises. Today we (owners of Corky Carroll’s Surf School) were rewarded with a gift from one of our employees. A gesture that surprised us because generally an employee is looking to receive not to give. We appreciate all that our team of surf instructors do for us, this is a very physical job both mentally and physically. A unique job site where not only do you have your boss supervising every move but also the parents of the surf school participants are present with expectations of seeing their kid surf. It’s easy to assume that the life of a surf instructor is nothing but tasty waves and a cool buzz. A big thank you to Todd Martinez for everything you have contributed and we wish you a strong and successful senior year at Long Beach State University.

Thanks for the coffee mugs!

Corky Carroll’s Family Owned Business

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