fair surfing conditions at San Mateo - Linda Mar

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Friday 1pm - San Mateo - Linda Mar, fair surfing

I'd have to call the surfing fair, but the bodysurfing somewhere between good and great. I watched OB for a while deciding whether or not to take the plunge, but it just seemed a bit too unruly to be worth it. So I headed down to LM, swim fins and hand plane in tow, and caught close-out after close-out. Very high wave count. Found a little peak in front of the showers that was lining up, but otherwise it was just pull in, hold the line, look at the little green man, and then get thumped into the bottom.
There ain't no cure for the closeout blues like bodysurfing with a handplane.

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by marklukach via Web
4 comments
whatupwilly
2 years ago

almost thought it was a posting error when i saw the title was you reporting from Linda Mar! @mark, you're definitely doing a good job of making me want to try bodysurfing. I guess like any piece of equipment there is a wide variety and range of fins to get...anything specific you would recommend?

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citystoke
2 years ago

yeah, getting me stoked on hand planes. those danny hess ones are gorgeous but out of my price range. i might try and make a rudimentary one to experiment with, either out of wood, or maybe even just a cheap kickboard with some rocker and concave put in. would be perfect for travel when lugging a board isn't a good option. @whutupwilly - regarding fins, i like viper fins, theyre comfy, churchills are good too. i never tried da fins.

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cryptomail (not verified)
2 years ago

I know @whatupwilly right? I soooo did a double take Mark, when you wrote you went to SMLM! :) I love that place sometimes because after a good few days of OB beat down,1000 duck dive a'lorange, rocks in your teeth from the smashing of the current, SMLM is like that warm comfy snuggie that lets you right in.

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alimills
2 years ago

@whatupwilly, I recommend the following fins, in order, for bodysurfing:

1. Viper V-7 :: PROS : comfortable, different available stiffnesses (yellow is stiffer than orange - I like yellow), they float, built in neoprene padding that adds a little warmth in addition to comfort, designed and used by Wedge chargers Mike Stewart and Fred Simpson CONS : price? they're ~$65

2. Viper V-5 :: same PROS and CONS as above, but since these fins are 5 inches long instead of 7 they're usually a few bucks cheaper

3. Duck Feet :: PROS : comfortable, cheap, and work great CONS : they don't float (I lost one in knee deep water), the fin blade is on the soft side, my most recent pair is dry rotting quickly

4. Da Fin :: PROS : comfortable, fun, used by Mark Cunningham and the rest of the Hawai'ian Lifeguard Association as well as the United States Lifesaving Association; they used to make a model with fins sticking out of the foot cups for better steering CONS : these fins are great but a little too soft and short for my preference

5. UDTs :: PROS : serious bodysurfers swear by these, diehard Greg Deets wanted a new pair so badly that he traveled to Mexico, found the original molds, bought them, and started manufacturing the fins again himself CONS : these fins are super stiff and the blade quite long, which the Hawai'ian State Bodysurfing Association guys seem to be stoked about - me not so much

6. Churchill :: PROS : a classic fin that floats - been around since 1936 CONS : I've never owned a pair of these, so I can't speak to the cons directly

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