Stoker V Stoke
Bruce called me to say that one of my other custom's was ready to pick up, and to give Mike a call, as Bruce was sending down a brand new 8'0" for him to try. Mike took the board out, came back that afternoon and said Bruce was right, the board paddled way better than he had expeceted. He liked the board so much he canceled the special order, and bought the 8'0" It aways pays to listen to the shaper.
9'6" 40/65
We just got in another sweet Davenport 40/65.
Orbicular Single Fin
We received our second delivery of the new Orbicular Single Fin boards last Friday. They range from 5'8" to 6'6". Lots of cool retro colors to choose from. The first boards were tested by some of our team riders, and with their input, the refined boards are faster yet!
How to paddle your SUP through the surf
I've had many new SUP riders ask me how to get out through the waves. I feel this says it all.
Orbicular Flyer Logo
In 2000 I had an idea for a surfboard that I could not find anywhere. I went to Clyde Beatty Jr. , as he was the best at making epoxy surfboards. I felt that the board design was so different, that it deserved its own logo. Not wanting to use just my name, I went through countless ideas. Then it came to me. I always liked the name Spherical Revolver from Harbour Surfboards. I hit the old thesaurus and entered the word Spherical. One of the words that came out was Orbicular, meaning almond shaped. Perfect, barrels on waves were shaped like an almond. And knowing this board was going to fly, I added Flyer.
Now that I had the name Orbicular Flyer, I needed a cool logo. I spent weeks sketching out designs, but nothing was sticking. One day while driving down the street, I saw a very cool logo on the back windshield of a car driving by. I tried to catch up and study the design, but the guy turned and could not follow him. I pulled over and sketched out what I thought I had seen. Next was taking it to my artist to do the final design.
Quite awhile went by, never knowing what that sticker said, when someone told me it looked a lot like the AOPA logo, but missing the crest. The next day the guy brought me in a sticker of the logo, yep, that’s the one I saw. But as you can see, my mind saw an
A-frame wave and the logo has been in use since that day. Many other Orbicular models have come out including Orbicular Glider, Orbicular Speedster and Orbicular Surfboards. But the Flyer is still the best selling model of all the boards.
This Year we are adding the Orbicular Flyer SUP and the Orbicular Water Dragon SUP.
Locals Slippers
We are now carring Locals Slipper's. Come on down and check out da kine slippers.
"The Chaser"
Adam Davenport has delivered our first new board design called "The Chaser" this week.
It's 9'8" x 23 1/2" x 3" with soft V through the tail, with a very slight Diamond Tail.
Looking at the details Adam put into this board, I see something very special. Think about speed carving turns with lot's of tip time.
This model has been tested for the past 6 months with all of the riders giving it high praise. We have more sizes on order that will be delivered through this month.
Dennis Ryder H-2
Dennis Ryder made this 5'2" H-2 model for our former employee Mitch. Follow the link at the top of the page to Dennis's blog for more pictures.
Orbicular Flyer SUP
The new Orbicular Flyer SUP came in and went straight to team rider Pat for the go ahead into production. I'm sure you will see him out in the water with this board. Ask him to let you give it a try.
Robert Heeley ~ Painter
Don't judge a board by its looks
After looking over the board, I thought it was a bad deal. Call it buyers remorse or just plain stupid, it was now mine. What the heck, that afternoon I took it out to C-Street, open gaping dings and all, and had an unreal session. Had to be just a good day I thought. Next day I took it up to Rincon on a very bad shoulder high day with lots of wind. Only 4 of us out, and I caught every wave that came through. This board was magic, no two ways around it.
The following day I had a friend take it for basic restro, fill the dings, do what you can with the delams, and seal it with a gloss coat. I got the board a few weeks later all ready to hit the water again. Off to cove again for yet another great session. After surfing the magic board for a few days, everyone was giving me crap for surfing such an ugly board. They said because I owned a surf shop, I should have a sharp looking board. Give this thing a try I told many of them, and let them catch a few waves. I kid you not, eveyone of them asked if I wanted to sell it. Not a chance..........it was a magic board........and I own it to this day.
Dennis Ryder Displacement Hull history
The story and knowledge I have about the displacement hull design comes from George Greenough, which he introduced to a small group of people around 1967-68. I made my first Greenough type board for myself in 1968, and if memory serves me well, it was 7'2". At the time, Mike Cunduth who moved to Australia some 35 years ago, lived on a avocado ranch in the Rincon Valley and had a little back yard type surfboard thing going there which he named Wilderness Surfboards. His regular job was sanding surfboards for the Morey-Pope Company where I was a shaper.
In the spring of 1969 Mike Cundith decided to quit his job at Morey-Pope and go full time with Wilderness Surfboards. The shop was opened in the old ice plant building that was down by the beach in Santa Barbara. I signed on as his shaper and worked at Wilderness Surfboards/Greenough Desingns for their first season and into early winter of 1970.
The hulls I make now are refinements of boards from that period.
Pat's new 4065
SUP team rider Pat Calimpong has joined the Davenport Surfboard team with his new 40/65. Pat had Adam pinch the rails a little for his custom board. After a few sessions, Pat has got the log stoke back with his new board.
More Stokers on the way
I was told today the new orders of Stokers are in glass and should be here soon. Who would of guessed the first 2 that came in sold with in one hour.
New SUP designs
The Stoker's are coming
The Stoker's are coming in this week. Bruce Fowler is producing the Stoker V Bottom for us with a 7'6" and 8'0" showing up this week. UPDATE: Both boards sold right away....so more on the way.
From the shaping room to your body
Together with shaper Dennis Ryder and a local manufacturer, Donna of Betty Belts found a highly innovative way to capture and repurpose excess resin left over from the surfboard-building process. They turned it it into very wearable, very durable jewelry instead of letting it end up in a landfill. It's not easy, but it is SO worth it! The story: Each color stripe is from a surfboard made here in California. The boards are out there, riding waves, and each piece is connected to that. How cool is that?
- Upcycled, made from waste byproduct
Highly durable
- No two alike, truly authentic
- Mostly hand made in Ventura, California
- Always made with dignity
- Free stoke included
In December I asked Gary if he had any ideas on what to get my wife for Christmas. He told me about Betty Belts and away I went. It was so easy to choose because the jewelry was so close to home for me. Always worried about getting my wife any kind of gift like this was heavy on my mind. What a surprise, she said it was her favorite gift. She is always telling me how many compliments she gets wearing the set I got her, even to the point she is thinking of selling it in her Pilates Studio.
We now carry the a full line of up cycled resin and sea glass jewelry from Betty belts. Come on by and take a look, your sure to find some great pieces to your liking.
Custom SUP
Rich's custom 10'2" Passport is glassed and ready for delivery to us. I'm sure you will see him soon shredding the surf.
Orbicular Flyer SUP
The redesigned Orbicular Flyer SUP has been shaped, and headed for glassing. It should be here in a few weeks. If you want to try it, call me at the shop.