Basis Surf Podcast Basis Surf

In this week's podcast, the shaper behind Kelly Slater’s magic boards, @dan__mann, joined me to talk about the secrets of making boards that are high performance enough for the pros but also super user friendly for the everyday surfer.
 
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:42 The Design Principles of the Dominator Boards
14:40 The Influence of High-Performance Shaping on User-Friendly Boards
26:09 The Role of Paddling Skills in Surfing
28:06 Finding the Right Balance: Volume and Planing Surface for Small Waves
39:03 Collaborating with Kelly Slater: Designing High-Performance Boards
53:09 The Importance of Physical Fitness and Paddle Speed in Surfing
55:53 Embracing the Process: Trying Different Boards for Optimal Performance
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@wooly_macpherson_surf_coach of Wooly TV, a surfboard reviewer and surf coach shared with us the boards that blew his mind. He dove deep into the tips on how to get better at surfing and how to find the perfect board for you.
 
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Story behind the Massive Wave
03:32 Early Surfing Experience
05:29 Growing Up in Mandurah
06:08 Free Diving and Surfing
06:31 Getting into Competitive Surfing
08:21 Struggles and Overcoming Hurdles
10:31 Mental Preparation for Competitions
13:44 Technique and Unlocking Potential
15:00 Importance of Paddling Technique
19:31 Takeaways from Paddling Technique
22:45 Choosing the Right Board
24:53 Importance of Volume in Boards
28:16 Bigger Framed Surfers and Board Recommendations
33:10 Performance Boards for Bigger Surfers
34:00 Favorite Mid-Length Boards
34:14 Surprising Boards: The Big Baron
38:15 The JS Baron Flyer Twin
40:15 The Slater Designs Flat Earth
50:04 Favorite Board for Small Waves: The Damn Animal
51:54 Most Popular Boards at the Surf Shop
55:25 Tips for Improving Surfing as You Get Older
59:02 Surfing One Wave for the Rest of Your Life: Snapper Rocks
 
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, Isaac Stant, Nakoa Decoite, and more!
 
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@antoineallain, a former competitive surfer and coach shared valuable tips with us on how to approach your bottom turns like a tiger and to explode into your top turns and many other interesting topics.
 
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Anton's Surfing Style
08:40 Transitioning from Beach Breaks to Point Breaks
15:19 Mastering Airs and Competition Success
30:25 The Importance of a Good Bottom Turn
37:07 Etiquette in Crowded Lineups
45:39 The Role of Coaches in Surfing
 
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, Isaac Stant, Nakoa Decoite, and more!
 
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In this week’s podcast, I had the chance to talk to surfboard reviewer Thomye of @thomyesurfs who probably surfs waves that are the smaller everyday mushy beach breaks that a lot of us surf regularly. We talked about the surfboards that changed his life, how he optimizes his boards, and a ton of other helpful tips.
 
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Chapters
00:00 Getting Started in Surfing
04:51 The Importance of Consistency in Surfing Progression
08:09 The Impact of Equipment on Surfing Performance
12:31 Plateaus in Surfing Progression
13:26 Choosing the Right Surfboard
14:52 Surfing Small Waves
19:38 The Impact of Volume on Surfing Performance
27:21 Finding the Right Volume for Your Surfing
29:47 Favorite Boards for Small Waves
31:13 The Mashup and Baked Potato Boards
31:42 Comparison between the Mashup and Baked Potato
34:07 Preference for the Mashup over the Baked Potato
35:01 Preference for the FT over the Baked Potato
36:27 Preference for the Quad Setup on the FT
38:16 The Benefits of Experimenting with Different Boards
39:13 The Negative Impact of Riding a Bad Board
40:12 The Influence of Kelly Slater on Surfing
43:02 The Importance of Filming and Analyzing Surfing Footage
46:23 Overcoming Fear and Learning to Do Airs
50:14 Tips for Older Surfers
54:04 Favorite Mid-Length Boards
57:24 The Positive and Negative Impact of Kelly Slater on Surfing
01:01:15 Dream Wave and Surfing with Friends
 
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, Isaac Stant, Nakoa Decoite, and more!
 
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Clayton Nienaber, the surf coach of @ombesurf joins me in this week’s podcast to reveal the key to unlocking better surfing by understanding the mechanics of a wave and learning about speed, power, and flow.
 
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Chapters
00:00 Starting with a Passion for Surfing
04:15 Transitioning to Board Shaping
07:41 The Importance of Making Mistakes
10:28 Understanding Surfing Levels: Freeze, Flight, Fight, Flow
13:22 The Relationship Between Speed, Power, and Flow
19:11 The Power and Energy of Waves
21:04 Surfing with Speed, Power, and Flow
25:13 The Importance of Early Bottom Turns
28:07 The Combination of Rider Input and Wave Power
30:36 Transitioning Between Different Board Designs
40:16 Choosing the Right Board for Different Waves
42:10 Using Cameras to Analyze Wave Performance
44:35 The Importance of Reading the Bottom of the Wave
45:38 The Process of Learning to Surf
47:00 Understanding Different Parts of the Wave
48:56 The Debate: Head Up vs Head Down When Paddling
58:01 Using Surfskate to Improve Surfing Technique
01:05:39 Teaching Sensation Rather than Replicating Surfing
01:09:04 The Showdown: Head Up vs Head Down Paddling
 
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In this podcast I interviewed Dave Allee the founder of @almondsurfboards and talked about how with the right attitude and the right equipment, even 2 ft can be firing, which is their company ethos. It’s a super interesting discussion about the right craft for small waves including midlengths, longboards, and single fins.
 
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Equipment
03:47 Origin Story of Almond Surfboards
05:45 Getting Started in Shaping
08:07 Transitioning to Alternative Boards
10:03 Benefits of Riding a Log
14:47 Influence of Newport Beach on Almond Surfboards
21:45 Regional Differences in Board Design
24:10 Choosing a Longboard
26:32 The Surf Nice Longboard Model
27:29 Sizing the Length of the Board
29:24 Choosing a Board for Beginners
31:19 The Benefits of Single Fins
32:10 Transitioning to Smaller Craft
36:00 The Philosophy of Mid-Length Boards
44:04 The 5'4" R Series Foamie
47:15 Working with Andy Nieblas
51:05 The Perfect Wave
 
Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Matt Meola, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Kassia Meador, Ryan Lovelace, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, Isaac Stant, Nakoa Decoite, and more!
 
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Thumbnail credits: @thomas_henry_green
Surfers: @andynieblas @_n.adams_ @tegan_gainan @drewmeseck
🎥: @evan.adamson