Da Travel Surfboard Challenge

In mid October I took a trip to Hawaii with Kristina and we brought along our ULI inflatible surfboard and our Pope Bisect to see which one is easier to travel with and also to find out if we would get nailed with the infamous United Airlines surfboard fee.  It was a really big risk. United Airlines charges $200 per surfboard one-way.  So if we got nailed with that fee we were looking at a potential $800 charge.  When checking in the boards, the Uli which was bagged in a huge duffle and was check in with no questions asked.  When I checked in the Pope Bisect, the ticket agent measured it with a tape measure and claimed that it was too large and needed to be classified as an "oversized baggage" and to be assessed a $125 charge. (Any baggage over 61 inches in length is classified as oversized).  I recalled checking on this before hand and measured the bag myself before hand and it was definitely under 61 inches in length.  So I challenged the ticket agent and measured it myself.  Yup, sure enough I measured it under 61 inches while the ticket agent watched.  She sheepishly agreed that it was not oversized.  So we checked in our luggage 2 per person and we were each charged $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second (which were the surfboards).  Wheww!

On our return flight back we decided to have the Sky Cap dude handle our bags.  I figured that I would run into less hassles than dealing with the counter person.  Again the ULI inflatable board went through the system with no questions asked, however the agriculture screening dudes were really suspicious of the Pope Bisect after putting it through their scanners.  They kept asking us whats in the bag and then decided to open it up.  After telling them it was a sign to avoid a surfboard fee the Skycap said "Aha!, I knew it was a surfboard".   He then said "well its under 61 inches so I won't charge you the surfboard fee."   So that was a close call.  

Based on this "experiment" it seems that the ULI board encounters less hassles at the ticket counter.  My only issue with the ULI is that it is twice the weight of the Pope Bisect.  To deal with the weight we had to purchase one of those colapsible mini hand cart to cart it around.

Frustration with box skeg screw system.

So I was trying to secure the center fin on my surfboard with the screw with a small screw driver and I kept fumbling with the screw.   The screw would fall into the fin box channel and I would struggle to dig it out.   So I finally got fed up with fumbling around with the screw with my screw driver and I did some research on the web to find alternatives that do not require a screw driver. Here's what I found.

1. Quick Fin Release system (QFR)

2. Wonder Bolt

The QFR system looked pretty cool.  No screws involved.  You attach it to your fin and it has a fin box "plate" that is designed to slip into slot and you apply a quarter turn and it locks into slot.  There is a spring in the assembly that supposedly creates enough tension to lock the fin securely in place.

The Wonder Bolt system is simply a screw and plate system with a tab to tighten.  No screw drivers needed,  just simply use your fingers on tab to tighten.

Now the Wonder Bolt system is simple and straight forward.  On the other hand, the QFR took a rocket scientist and an expert machinist to get it to work.   Yes, I was able to use the directions to assemble the QFR system on my fin, but my fin (Proteck) probably did not have the "standard" dimensions that the QFR system was designed for.   Well, I'm not exactly a "rocket scientist" but I did work in the aerospace industry as a R&D engineer.  My uncle is an expert machinist.  He helped me modify the QFR hardware so it would work with my fin and fin box.  He machined additional holes for the roll pin and fabricated two way washer.  These additions were done to make the QFR system somewhat adjustable.  Eventually we got it to work but only after experimenting with all the different combinations and permutations of the pieces.   I think I am going to write a letter the the folks at QFR.  I want them to disclose exactly what type of fins the QFR was designed for.   After this fiasco, I tried to come up with my own design.  I came up with a locking system that was more user friendly and compatible with all types of fin box screw systems.  One day when my design is refined and patents filed, I'll post an picture of my concept here.

DIY $29 SUP paddle

I wanted a back-up "thrasher paddle" that I could abuse on river rocks etc. I went online on e-bay and found a two piece kayak oar on sale for $29 plus $7 shipping. The shaft is aluminum and the paddle is made out of plastic. When I received the paddle I removed the paddle blade from one of the shafts and replaced with a pvc pipe t-connection to create a "T" handle grip. Here are pics of my modified paddle. Note: I'm real short (5'3") so the total shaft length was right size for me. For ave height/taller people you want to make sure that total shaft length will be appropriate for you.

SUPing on the 10' Uli from Uli Boards.

Kristina and I drove to the Taos Junction bridge to test out our new 10' Uli. The weather was nice and sunny and the Rio Grande was actually flowing pretty good. The water level was higher than the last time I was here. The Uli floated really well and was really fast paddling upstream. I was tempted to make a run down the river, but since we weren't expecting the water level to be high enough, we were not properly equipped to go downstream. So we both took turns paddling upstream for awhile and then returning to our launch spot downstream.

Our little puppy Dobby kept a watchful eye on us when we were in the water.

Tech notes on ULI:
Pumping it up was a breeze. I am currently disabled and lost a lot of weight due to chemo-therapy and removal of parts of my pancreas. So now I don't have proper enzymes to break down protein that I consume. (I have colon cancer that metastized to my liver). I am only 87 pounds. My normal weight is 125. Well even with my low energy level, I was able to pump it up really quickly. I'd say less than 10 minutes. Even though the Uli is an inflatable it is not light. Its around 40lbs. I won't complain because its weight is due to its use of very durable materials and rugged construction. Because of my loss of musculature I did have to have help carrying to the launch site (Thanks Kristina). The Uli felt really good in the water it was buoyant and paddled really fast. Manoeuvrability was great, easy to turn around on a dime. The grip deck felt great and was nicely grooved. Of course the pictures show me standing up, but when I get fatigued I paddle sitting down.

Note: One of the main reason why I got interested in doing SUP is because I have had massive surgeries which makes it painful to lie prone on a surfboard. I've already had 4 surgeries. My latest surgery was in March and I was in the hospital for 6 weeks because they removed part of my colon, lower stomach and also cut out parts of my kidney, pancreas and liver. After surgery the doctors claimed that I was 100% cancer free but two months later a CT-scan revealed that the cancer spread to my liver. My last CT-showed a little shrinkage but as for now I have 3 golfball sized tumors in my liver. So after the surgery I've been back on chemo for the past 4 months. Hopefully my next CT-scan will reveal more shrinkage of the tumors.

Checking out our test site.

Today we will check out the river at Orilla Verde.  River report - So I checked out the river and the water level is really low.  Lots of exposed rock and floor at various sections of river.  I'm not sure if a river run will be possible.   Maybe we'll still try it out anyway.

Oh, yeah I forgot to mention that I took out my 9'6" Pope Bisect for a spin in the river.   I launched downstream of the Taos Junction bridge.  I didn't have a shuttle set up so I paddled up stream and cruised back to launch site.  My Pope Bisect was equipped with pontoons attached to the rails to increase buoyancy.  Its an invention I've been working on for the past couple months and I have already submitted a patent so right now its in  "patent pending" status.   The purpose of invention is to allow users of a standard longboard to add buoyancy to allow stand up paddling.   Although this invention is not performance oriented, it will allow surfers to stand up paddle on their longboards without having to rent, borrow, or buy an SUP board.  Right now I'm not revealing photos since its in the  prototyping stage and may include changes for which I may have to make ammendments to patent.

My 10ft Uli SUP board shipped out today!

               

The first picture is the ULI fully inflated and held up by Chris.  In the second picture the ULI is deflated and rolled up to get ready for packing and shipping.  I can't wait to try it out.  Big Mahalos to Jim and Chris at Uliboards for making this happen!

My 10' SUP ULI under construction.

Here are some photos of my customized ULI currently being built in San Diego, California. I requested additional D-ring attachment points to allow rigging of "grab" ropes.
Thanks to Jim and the folks at ULI! It should be shipped out next week. Oh, I just want to note that another main reason for getting an ULI is that you can deflate it and pack it into a duffle bag. So it is highly transportable. Next time I go to Hawaii, I will also take this along.