Surf Competition Checklist

OK, so this weekend, I'm attempting my second go at a surfing competition. My first try-several months ago- was fun. I didn't place, but I did catch a good wave in that one, so I was happy, and I got to watch my friends surf, which was really the best part of the day.
Since competing is new to me still, I decided to compile a checklist of things to take with me to make things a bit easier. Plus, having a checklist helps me avoid the "what did I forget?" feeling that I get when trying to wing it. Of course, don't forget to take your surfboard.....

Large Zippered Canvas Tote- I found this is the best way to schlep my junk to the beach. The zipper on top is the key. Otherwise, all the crap dumps out onto the sand and gets lost. Don't invest a lot of money in one- go to Goodwill and find one. Honestly, they give these out like candy at a lot of trade shows and expos and end up at thrift stores- you're going to be hauling it to the beach, so it's going to get nasty, salty and sandy and eventually replaced anyway. Plus, if you win something, you'll have room to carry it back without having to carry it back in your hand.

Waterproof Watch- This is handy for keeping an eye on the time left in your heat. They're giving us 15 minutes to get at least 2 waves, and for me, that's going to be tricky, so I'll need to remember to not screw around looking for dolphins. Again, don't spend a lot of money on one with all the tides and crap. I've had high end ones and low end watches and they last about the same time. I know someone will swear they've had one twenty years, but, I haven't found that magical brand yet.

Printed Heat Schedule- OK, I know the heat schedule NEVER goes off on time from talking to people who do contests a lot, but mostly the order doesn't change. At least you'll have an inkling of when you'll be coming up. Print out the schedule the night before and put the schedule in one of those plastic sheet protector sleeves and seal up the open edge with tape so you don't smear the ink with your wet, sandy hands. Bonus points for printing out the tide table for the day and putting it on the flip side of the page before sealing it up. It's old fashioned, but beats risking taking your expensive iPhone to the beach.

2 Leashes- I'm only surfing a longboard, so I'm taking two longboard leashes, one to use, and one as a backup. Not that we get crazy heavy waves around here, but you never know when the velcro strap on the tail decides it's the day to tear through. If you're surfing other types of boards, take back up leashes for those boards as well.

Leash String/ Loop- I'm taking an extra little nylon leash string/loop just in case that decides to break. I'll be keeping it in my boardshorts pocket just in case.

Fin Change Out Kit- This may involve having a small screwdriver, a fin key, single fin nuts and bolts, fin screws (here's a handy thing to make), and additional fin changing tools (see my tool kit). I'm not expecting to bust out a fin doing a wild air, but I can certainly see myself busting a fin while in the parking lot on the asphalt.

Extra Fins- For me, I'm riding a single fin longboard, so I'm taking an extra single fin for the reason stated above in case I need it. Obviously, if you're riding a thruster, quad, etc. take a spare set with you. It's worth the money to at least have a cheap back up set. If I have to change out a fin because I broke it, the punching bag stays home for use after the event.

Wax and Scraper- Yeah, this is a no-brainer, but after having done a bit of research, I learned it's good to also keep some Tropical Wax in your stash, since it's good for a wide range of conditions, according to some.

2 Towels- If you're not bringing a chair, one's to sit on, one's to use to wrap around yourself after getting out of the water, since even's if it's a nice day, the wind can still give you chills which can zap your energy. Speaking of which.....

NEW Bottle of Sunscreen- Go ahead and splurge. Chances are, you've been trying to keep using that same nasty bottle you've kept in your hot car all season. The effectiveness of sunscreen declines when you leave it in a hot car- just like if you left medications in there. Really, if you get a burn and have to surf again later in the afternoon, you're going to hurt. Bad. Not to mention the chills that come along with a burn, zapping any energy you had to compete. Use it.

Crunchy Granola Bars- Yeah, they're not for everybody, but they're one of the best things to pack on a hot day if you get the munchies. Energy bars and Clif bars may be good, but become a mushy mess come high noon. Stick with the little cardboard brick variety as a just in case.

Water- While you're at it, bring some water, preferably cold if you can manage it, but at least a bottle or two even if you don't have a cooler. Some of these events have water, some don't, or may run out. You don't want to miss a heat because you made a 7-11 run and can't find a parking space when you get back. I avoid sports drinks when surfing or when I've raced in paddleboard events- being in the salt water combined with the artificial flavoring just makes me nauseous. I'd stick to water unless you really want to clear a barrier between you and your competitors with undigested granola bar leavins in the water.

Gallon Ziploc Bags- Just handy to have to sort your stuff, like your tool kits, fins, etc. They're clear, and it keeps sand off stuff and things from landing in the bottom of the tote.

First Aid Kit- Just something smart to have with you. Here's a little pocket example project I made I'm probably taking. You may just help out someone else too.

Of course, there's a lot of other personal items you could add, but that's a bare bones list I could see covering 80% of the problems a competitor may face during an amateur event, and something I'm hoping to use as a sanity checklist for some of these fun competitions in the future.
As I was writing this, it made me think of a story. When I was a teenager, I competed at a figure skating meet in Miami, Ohio. During my routine, I went to perform a maneuver that I had performed a thousand times flawlessly before. Somehow, I ended up on my lycra skirted ass. I got right back up, and finished my routine as if nothing had happened. For the rest of my routine the crowd was applauding wildly as if I had done something so admirable, and I felt wonderful.
Afterwards, I found out that the 6 year old that skated right before me had fallen too, but stomped off the ice in a fit of tears. Comparatively, at 17, I was Miss Super Brave for not succumbing to a fit. Umm.....embarrassing. I only hope I can keep from having a fit if I fall off my board tomorrow during the contest.
Because there's no stomping off in the ocean.

Relay for Life

This week, I've been pretty caught up getting prepared for Relay for Life, an event to raise money for Cancer Research. This year, for me personally, it's really brought up an awareness of the dangers of sun over exposure and the threat of skin cancer.
Whenever you live in a sunny climate, the threat looms greater all year round, but really, it's important to cover up and put on sunscreen whenever you head outside.
If you'd like to donate to my team, please visit this website.
In the meantime, here's some links to some of my past projects that encourage sun safety:
Sunscreen Labeling (at the bottom of the entry)
Sunscreen Applicator
DIY Sunscreen Dispenser
Sunburn Aloe Gel (DON'T GET TO THIS STAGE PLEASE!)

Please remember to be be safe in the sun....if you cook yourself, you just may be tastier to sharks.

Wetsuit Care, Drying and Storage

I've read it's best to let your wetsuit drip dry inside out between sessions after rinsing. I've been good about observing that recommendation, since that's usually the way I fight my way out of my wetsuit anyway when all is said and done.
I noticed one of our suits from last year that was hung up in the closet on a hanger like we usually hang them:

Normal way most people hang up wetsuits

The downside is I noticed that the heavy duty hanger I used kind of left a "lump" in the shoulder. I'm sure this won't be noticeable after wearing it a while, but is does remind you how heavy neoprene really is.

Shoulder lump

I was trying to think of a better way to hang up and store my suits inbetween wearings, and for seasonal storage.
For inbetween wearings, nothing's worse than letting it dry in the sun. It will actually break down the polymers of the neoprene. I hang mine in the garage after rinsing, but that's usually on a hanger, which is now even more weight subjected on the wetsuit's shoulders with the combination of the heavy neoprene and water. I thought clipping the arms or legs up might work, but I didn't want to leave impressions in the neoprene. Then I thought the zipper may be a good option. It's strong, it has it's own hanging hole, and if I zip it up slightly before hanging, it will bear the weight much better:

Zipper shown zipped up slightly

I used an ordinary shower hook, ran it through the metal hole on the tab on the zipper, and there you go, a simple hanger:

Wetsuit hanging from a shower hook on the zipper tab

This is far stronger than depending on the neoprene to manage the weight.
Now, for those who have zipperless suits (I do too), make a sling out of some 1/2" nylon webbing tape, put grommets in either end and string the webbed tape loop up onto the shower hook, only suspend your wetsuit on the loop between the crotch (yeehaw- hope you're not wearing the suit at the time). This will distribute some of the weight over the suit, but will still allow the appendages to be free enough to dry.
For storage, I really recommend getting a closet suit cover that's pretty big. I've gotten some off of Craigslist for next to nothing, and they show up at Goodwill new from time to time (Target donates a lot of overstock). If you get a big sized one, you can hang (off of hooks, not hangers!) 3 or 4 suits or vests. This will help them from getting sunlight on them, protect them against damage from other junk in your closet. If you throw a couple of those silica gel packs in the bottom before you zip up the case- you know, those little desiccant pouches that are in everything from medications to shoes- those will help keep some of the moisture from making your wetsuits funky next season.
But then, you already had the lock on Funky, right? Dig it.

Recycling Wetsuits and Neoprene

I've been exploring this subject quite a bit during the course of this blog, but I came across someone's question on the 2ndlight.com forum about recycling neoprene. For this case, I assumed that he might have been thinking of a place that you can drop off an old, damaged, non-usable suit to have it sent off to be deconstructed chemically into the polymer basics and reformed into new neoprene cloth.
I did see where Rip Curl in Europe started a wetsuit recycling program, however, this program makes shoes (espadrilles) from the existing neoprene, and chops up the rest into small bits to use as beanbag stuffing for "designer" RipCurl beanbag resale. Quite smart, and something I may incorporate in a future craft. I always thought they would make great pillow forms (expensive to buy at the fabric store).
For now, recycling wetsuits is mostly about repurposing the neoprene and components. I look at an old, unusable wetsuit like a junk car- it may not be street worthy, but has salvage value. Outside of just the neoprene fabric- which can be quite a lot if you plan your cutting strategy right- a wetsuit has viable heavy duty zippers that are reusable (again, expensive to buy new). Neoprene sections that have been coated in an insulating skin (usually over the chest area), make excellent electronic covers or durable pads.
For now, there's no magic place that will remelt your suit into something new (I'm thinking like the Patagonia Common Threads thing), but neoprene is quite an unusual material to have on hand and should NOT be thrown into the trash. Donate the neoprene to Goodwill, or post it on Craigslist, if you don't feel like messing with it. But if you do want to give it a shot, may I make some suggestions???

The Windy City of Tamarindo

Well, we're finishing up our trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica and it hasn't been the best for surfing this week. With the exception of the first couple of days, the ocean's been angry, my friends...
The other night, a small local boat wrecked here on the rocks and the pieces were scattered all over the beach and in the water. I collected lots of little small wood planks that looked like they may have come from the flooring of the boat. Anyway, great crafting material, and a great way to use salvage that's cluttering the beach.
Not sure if it's teak, but I guess I'll find out back at the ranch. It's just screaming to be a cool craft!
¡Pura Vida!

Recycling by Crafting- the "11th Way to Rise Above Plastics"

I'm big into trying to do that Reduce-Reuse-Recycle thing as much as I can, and I think crafts are a great way to be resourceful with plastics and other trash in our lives we're forced to use and dispose of in short order. Around here, unfortunately, this stuff gets into our lagoon and ocean easily, and we also get a lot of wash up trash from out in the ocean that ends up here, especially with the close by eddy swirl current in the ocean created by our Cape.
I don't think you need to be a die-hard activist to appreciate cutting back on extra crap, or saving money by reusing stuff as craft bits.

From Surfrider's Website:

Top Ten Ways to Rise Above Plastics

Here are ten easy things you can do to reduce your 'plastic footprint' and help keep plastics out of the marine environment:

1. Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.
2. Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other 'disposable' plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq's, potlucks or take-out restaurants.
3. Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.
4. Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them. A great wat to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.
5. Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.
6. Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.
7. Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.
8. Volunteer at a beach cleanup. Surfrider Foundation Chapters often hold cleanups monthly or more frequently.
9. Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.
10. Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to Rise Above Plastics!

I believe they forgot one:
#11: Craft with trash plastics whenever possible, find projects online or make up your own. It's a limitless byproduct resource of crafting material that's FREE (by way of purchasing the original item)!

The best thing is that if I can find ways to recycle junk I already have in the trash or recycle bin, it keeps me from going to the evil craft store where I get sucked into the ultimate craft vortex, where the fluorescent lights beckon me to "stock up" during the Sale-of-the-Century-of-the-Week.

Why DIY and Craft for Surfing and Paddleboarding?

Surfing is a great sport- outside the initial cost of a surfboard (insert "buy local" plug here!), you don't really need too much outside of wax. Stand up paddleboarding is similar, except you need the paddle. SCUBA....well....at least it's a blast for the cash.

But, many surfers end up enjoying the sport so much, they like to extend their love far past the basics. There's even surfers and paddleboarders I know who have turned their spaces into full-on museums- if I had the money and space, I would so be there too.

For me, I like extending my love of surfing and many other water sports by way of DIY and crafting. As a plus, I enjoy making something myself, making something that is useful and/or beautiful, having an unique item not mass produced, and surrounding myself with reminders of the fun I have at the beach and in the water, whether I'm a few blocks away or 1000 miles inland (stand up paddleboarding is great on the Tennessee River!).

Crafting is a great way to recycle and upcycle materials too. This has been going on in the surfing culture long before the green fad took hold. I think about some of the first California surfers who left with nothing to explore the waves of Hawaii. They made do with what they had- they made leashes from rope, made traction from melting candles onto the boards, and mended their own baggies since they couldn't go up to the nearest Macy's and pick up a pair of new Volcom shorts. Sure, we have it much better now with all the innovations, but I'm an old fashioned chick who likes to go retro just to make sure I don't take all the great innovations for granted and lose the spirit and love of the sport among all the blur of marketing.

Best of all, it's just plain fun, especially if it's flat, bitterly cold, or you have an injury because you were surfing itsy bitsy, all but flat, waves when you don't have the supple knees anymore to get down in limbo position to keep the board going without having an Honda outboard on the tail. Ahem....hey, it's just a generic example.

Uh oh, here comes the....

Most of all, ENJOY crafting!!!

Working with Wetsuit Material

Neoprene, the trade name used by DuPont for neoprene polychloroprene, is a foam type material that can withstand a variety of environments, one of the reasons it is so popular for wetsuits. You can read more about it on DuPont's website if you want.
We are still far off from wetsuit season here in Florida, but I have some wetsuits laying around that I picked up at boating sales, yard sales, etc. just for the neoprene (they don't have a hope of being used again). Buying yardage of neoprene can be pricey in small quantities, so for the hobbyist, used neoprene is probably your best bet. I've picked up OK suits for $5 or less.
Now, I know that many have reservations about used neoprene- especially wetsuits- but if you are going to use this material in non-wetsuit applications, it is OK to wash it by machine and break the holy rule. In fact, my material bible, More Fabric Savvy by Sandra Betzina (if you're a sewist, this should be on your shelf), says that neoprene can be washed in warm water, and even machine dried at a low temperature. These days, detergents are not so harsh as in the past, so when a veteran surfer tells you to NEVER WASH neoprene, it's understandable, since that up until recently, many detergents were much harsher than they needed to be to get your clothes clean. I recommend washing the neoprene before use, just to be on the safe side, and to get an idea for how it holds up before investing time in a project.
Back to using it- my reference calls for using a roller foot when sewing on machine since neoprene has a foam core and will move easier with less resistance.

Roller foot

Also, nylon thread is recommended since the application will probably be around water. Small zig zag stitching is a must since the material is quite stretchy and will need some give in the seams, even if not being worn.
I have read that for neoprene 4 mm in thickness and up, you must use an industrial machine. Since a lot of neoprene wetsuits that you would be cutting up for crafting are at least 2 mm in thickness, this may present a problem when seaming pieces together. I'm hesistant to try this on my machine since it may damage the mechanism, so I may consider hand sewn projects.
I'm looking forward to chopping up my yard sale suits just to see how many projects I can get out of one suit, so stay tuned!