diving paddle board

[Cingene]

inner tube anyone?

 

[divedog]

i went by aqua safaris and they didn't have any, just kayaks. i left a message and the owner was going to call me but he never did. i'm pretty much given up, i'll just use my kayak all the time; though i will keep an eye out as you never know. thanks for all the help

 

[icarus pacific]

Head over to Stan's SCUBA in San Jose, on Bascomb and pick up a copy of the Flipper Dippers Dive Club newsletter. If there aren't any listed for sale in the back it'll be the first time in a long while. Then give 'em a call and tell them I sent ya. You're in!


sven

 

[divedog]

thanks icarus, i was going to call stans on monday, but on sunday i lucked into one. great condition, just what i wanted. after all the calls and web searching it boiled down to a buddy hearing about a guy selling some of his dive gear. thanks to everyones help.

 

[icarus pacific]

sweet

that's what the karma's for.


sven

 

[Mattedhead]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner...I have been offline for a few weeks, but there are a few companies that can get a paddleboard out to you. My preference would be Eaton Paddleboards. There site is at http://www.eatonsurf.com They have new and used boards for sale on that site, and they also do customs. I have paddled one of their boards and they absolutely fly! I have a 9'6" longboard thatI shaped a few years ago. I have retrofitted it with a fishbox and a few straps to hold my gear down. It's nowhere near as fast as a true paddleboard, but it does the job. There is also a lifeguard supply company: Kiefer that sells rescue boards. http://www.kiefer.com I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions.

-matty

 

[divedog]

i went to those sites and didn't see anything like what i was looking for, though one may be able to get a custom from eaton. what i wanted and found is 20' long paddle board with a hatch topside that lets you stow gear inside. not some small compartment but about 5' of hull space. the forward and aft sections of the hull have bulkheads and are water tight. the hatch is not just cut into a regular paddle board but that part of the board rises about 10 inches into a raised area...this about where you head is when paddling. maybe i'll post a picture if there is enough interest.

 

[icarus pacific]

sure, put up a photo and I'll tell you what it is.


sven

 

[divedog]

here it is, the cat thinks i went fishing...lol. the hatch folds down and locks in place. its about 35lbs and 20ft long.

 

[Cingene]

Hey Dog,



Is that a catfish going in the hatch? Nice one Dog.

 

[icarus pacific]

You've got a Mulder paddleboard- the first board I ever had by the way. They're tough to paddle kneeling but they're a great board for pretty much everything else. Hope you got a discount for the color!


sven

 

[divedog]

are you sure its a mulder, the guy i bought it from said a bunch of guys had a mold and they made them up here in santa cruz. it does not have a logo or anything that would identify it. about the color: anyone can paddle a white board but it takes a real man to paddle out in "yum yum" yellow.....lol. just kidding, i would have preferred white, though the yellow makes one more visible to boaters on foggy days. i think you are right about the knee paddling, the bottom is not flat but has a slight hourglass contour, probably okay in some chop. probably take it out soon, but right now we have a nice swell and its surf time.

 

[icarus pacific]

Well, it's got the ass-end and nose of a Mulder, and the bottom sounds like it, though a mulder was only 16'. They might have splashed a mold of a take-off... There was aboard made down there called an Oakley, but that board had a flat nose. See if that rings a bell with them. And lemme know if you find the crew with the mold.


sven

 

[divedog]

the guy was going to try and find out what happened to the mold, i have some friends who are intereted in making some. he sounded doubtful but maybe he can locate them...i'll let you know.

 

[icarus pacific]

After giving it another gander and if the thing is a full 20' long, you've got a Ryan. Lots of folks call them Ryan Lighthalls, but a Lighthall is a different board altogether.

There, now I can relax.


scven

 

[Jon]

There's one for sale on ebay right now. So far it's going for $150, but you could "buy it now" for $225.

Jon

 

[lighthall]

hi all,
What a surprise! A friend told me about a lighthall paddleboard for sale and when i typed in a search i found you all. I am Lance Lighthall of Santa Cruz; a former Aquatech, underhockey player, freediver(scuba sometimes), and surfer. I made the lighthall paddleboard in 1971 at the behest of Ken Jones who was also my exclusive salesman! (north coast freediving champion). In the next 5 years I made between 600-700 paddleboards. They were 19'6" and weighed plus or minus 50 lbs.They were handbuilt and fluctuated a few lbs. I think over 50% were sold in canada, Florida area and the Carribean. That means only about 300 were sold locally. A freind made about a dozen after I stopped production which weighed about 65-70 lbs! I subsequently destroyed the molds. Surprisingly I still run across my boards at west coast dive spots about twice a year and i'm always surprised. Forty years is a good life for an ocean going lightweight fiberglass product. Some of my freinds have been encouraging me to make another run at them! I'm not sure that the need for such a product is there as there is so many good options available nowadays. However it is an interesting thought! I hope this response answers some of your questions to this mystery. thanks, Lance

 

[Bill]

Hi Lance. Can't believe that it's been over 40 years since I drove up to Santa Cruz from Thousand Oaks to pick up my board. You built me a very light one, just under 40#, and it weathered hundreds of trips to the beach. It now hangs in my garage here in Kona. Hasn't been wet for over 20 years but I can't part with it. Lot's of good memories. Thanks.

 

[Jon]

Old thread, but I didn't want to start a new one.

I was looking at a SUP made by Great Lakes Paddle boards and wondered if anyone used something similar to their ATV model. It's a short board (12') and has a dry storage hatch and bungie cords on it. Looks like it could be a workboat for the local lakes without spending a mint. I don't know that I would even use the paddle- just swim it out with my bi-fins.

Is anyone else is using a SUP for diving these days?

Jon

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I know of a few people using them in Calfornia. Here are some photos of a friend of mine with his SUP.

That first shot shows what a thick kelp bed looks like, but I guess that won't be a problem in the Great Lakes.