Happyfeet Video
Nov 12th, 2007 by billb
Here’s some video from last weekend, demoing some turns and footwork in Nahalem Bay, OR
I put a higher resolution version in the .mac gallery here
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very nice and helpful video, bill. i like your voice, too; reminds me of the late bob “paint a happy little cloud” ross …
i’m envious of the way you’re able to move your feet. i do better on a wave but in flat water it’s like they’re stuck in cement. i can maybe hop around a little but as far as cross stepping and shuffling, it’s an ugly thing to see. but … practice makes perfect, i hear.
show us a picture of your camera mount when you get a chance. i’d love to see it.
Thanks!
Everyone’s feet are stuck in cement until they start playing around with moving on the board. You naturally hate falling, even when the water’s a comfortable temperature and the air is hot (though it’s a lot easier then).
Start with the easy stuff, turning your feet into a surfer’s stance and shuffling back a step. Don’t even try to turn at first, just move back and forth. It’s surprising how quickly the “feet in cement” syndrome goes away.
Nice vid, very helpful…nothing beats practicing though eh? Thanks for the tips.
On another topic, is that a dry suit you have on? I’ve been researching them a bit. What’s your take on the suit? Do you surf in it? What brand, model etc. Thanks.
Gary - Srfnff
Yes, it’s a drysuit. It works well in the surf though it’s clumsier than a wetsuit, especially the new ultrastretch neoprenes. I have the Koketat, which is very expensive ($800) but very good. It’s the only drysuit that uses actual goretex.
I love the thing for standup, it wouldn’t be so great for prone surfing. I often wear street clothes under it, so I get back the truck, peel off the suit, and drive home.
I suspect it’s going to be great for windsurfing next spring as well. There’s few places colder than the Columbia River in May. Fresh snowmelt, yikes!
hey, bill: i have a kokatat too. this’ll be my first winter trying it on a standup. my main problem has always been trying to find a hood solution that works. hoods built into wetsuits work fine, i think, with little restriction and constriction. but the aftermarket ones you have to wear w/ a drysuit, especially in the 5mm and 6mm thicknesses, it feels like you’re strangulating, and it can be vvvery difficult to even turn your head to look around. had any successes in this area or does it not get that cold in your neck o’ the woods?
see you have the relief zipper. wish i’d gotten one on mine!
do you have the built-in latex booties? from what i can tell, it doesn’t look like it; looks like you have some split toe boots on, maybe those feaks you so love?
billb and linter
Thanks for the info re the dry suits. I love the idea of peeling off the suit and having your street clothes on…makes so much sense as well as staying warm on a consistent basis. I’ll check out the Kokatat.
Went out for 2 hours of flatware practice on a local lake today. Paddled the lake perimeter doing step back turns, walking the board around, etc. Got wet a lot but made some great progress. Took me 2 hours to do the whole lake. I was playing leap frog with this great blue heron. As I’d get near he’d fly a couple hundred feet down shore. Must have done it 10 times. We were the only ones out there, very peaceful.
Time to get a hood…..I think the lake is colder than the ocean already.
Linter,
I do have the relief zipper–but only because the suit in stock had one. I learned long ago that relief zippers are something you never open unless you have a real emergency. Higher probability of a future leak in an unpleasant place once they’ve been opened.
I don’t have the latex booties–I use split toe O’Neil surf booties–I don’t think they’re Superfreaks, but I don’t remember. Takes a while for your big toe to work to the end of the boot, but it gets there.
I’m not using a hood right now–I just wear a hat. If it got much colder I’d wear one. Best ones I’ve found are from O’Neil. I’ve found the thinner and stretchier the better. I have a thinskin (.5 mm) that’s fine for most conditions, you’re head isn’t in the water frequently like it is on a prone board and I have the 2mm sport cap. The full cold water hoods with the tight necks are just too restrictive. I’ve got one, don’t use it.