Blog

The Firewire Seaside in Helium2 and Volcanic Technology    Rob Machado is one of the most stylish surfers of the past 30 years and has the competitive pedigree and high-performance chops to back that up. He was also one of the first mainstream pros to start experimenting with alternative shapes and has long been a proponent of the fish design. His Seaside takes the classic fish shape and adds modern refinements like updated rails and a quad fin setup. The result is pure, unbridled speed and a heck of a lot of fun, whether you are groveling a sub-par day at...

Big Waves Headed for Mexico, Tahiti, and Oahu - We Will Have South Swell!! If you could be anywhere in the world this week, where you would choose? If you said Mexico, then you have clearly been paying to the global forecast. Over the next seven days, the South Pacific is scheduled to awake from its mid-summer slumber and fire off multiple pulses of swell, the bulk of which are aimed straight at Mainland Mexico Surfline forecast Kevin Wallis has been watching this forecast for some time, and suggests that it may be as big as the XL swell event...

Wetrash Review   Bryan, a surfing instructor with over 10 years of experience, provides an honest assessment of the Hawaiian South Shore wet rash stating it is one of the highest quality wet rash he has ever used. He highlights the durability of the stitching, saying it shows no signs of wear or tearing even after extensive use in the ocean. Additionally, he remarks on the soft, chafe-resistant material that prevents any rashes or skin irritation, even when worn for hours at a time. As a larger surfer at 6'1" and 220 lbs, Bryan wears an XL wet rash from...

Sharkbanz Wearable Shark Deterrent Surfer shares a gripping story that's been making the rounds. Picture this: you're out in Maui, enjoying a fishing trip, when suddenly things take an intense turn. Fishermen hooked a mahi mahi and were locked in a battle to reel it in. But out of nowhere, a massive shark – rumored to be a big tiger shark – enters the scene and starts attacking the struggling fish. What happens next is the stuff of legends.  As tensions rise, one quick-thinking individual on the boat pulls out a SharkBanz. With the device securely attached to the line,...

HI4 Surfboard Review We spoke with Derek to get his review of the Harley Ingleby Hi4 surfboard. Derek has been riding the 9'3" model with Harley FCS Thruster fins for a few months now at various spots. As a first-time Thunderbolt rider, Derek was initially surprised by how well it sits in the water and its light feel compared to traditional longboards. He loves the high performance it delivers in a longboard format. Derek typically rides the Hi-4 in smaller surf but says it definitely has the volume and width to handle overhead days as well. At 5'8" 165lbs, he...

Hawaiian South Shore's Member of the Month August 2023 - Rhonda Jones We're pumped to spotlight Rhonda as this month's featured surfer. She first discovered her passion for surfing in the 90s, taking a decade off before courageously getting back on the board in 2017. For Rhonda, surfing represents community, creative expression, and healing. She loves the feeling of acceptance the ocean provides. Her favorite post-surf spot is Diamond Head Market & Grill. Rhonda recently got a 9'0" TJ Pro V longboard from us that she loves for its fast, responsive feel in overhead surf. She's stoked to compete with the Hawaii...

Rip and whip with ease on the fast and loose Harley Ingleby Moe  Perfect for people looking to go shorter but who does not want to lose padding power. Most funboards tend to have lots of volume in the nose forcing you to choke up on the board but they shifted the volume back under the chest making it easier to paddle into the wave. Another advantage to this, when you stand your foot placement is toward the tail making it less likely to shuffle around the board to find the sweet spot.   Model: MOE - A Funboard with lots of volume...

After the tragic passing of beloved Hawaiian surfing legend Mikala Jones in Indonesia last month, the surfing communities on Oahu, Bali, and globally as a whole has spent the past few weeks in shocked mourning. Memorial paddle outs were held on Mikala’s adopted home of Bali and at the US Open in Huntington Beach, where hundreds of family, friends, and industry luminaries showed up to honor Mikala’s memory. This weekend, Mikala is coming home to Rocky Point, where he grew up, laid the foundation for his incredible career, and touched thousands of lives. A paddle out will be held at...

Surf Maneuvers Series by Hawaiian South Shore   A lot of what we see in the surf media relates to surfing that isn’t really relatable for the average wave rider. The waves the pros ride and the maneuvers they do are often well beyond what the rest of us are capable of and comfortable with, so while it is fun to watch, it isn’t really relevant to our own personal surfing experiences.  But just because we don’t surf like pros doesn’t mean we don’t want to improve our abilities and push ourselves to new levels of performance. While many of...

  Timeless Surf Craftsmanship: Christenson Surfboards  SHOP NOW Introducing Master Surfboard Artisan Chris Christenson There are a lot of good surfboards made in Southern California. After all, it’s pretty much the center of the entire surf industry and the place where some of the biggest innovations in surfboard design and construction were made. But despite all of the different companies making all of the different boards, if you ask just about anyone in Southern California who makes the prettiest, most classic boards, they’ll all tell you, Chris Christenson. The Christenson brand has been associated with quality from the day it was founded....

Peacemaker Surfboard Review Tim shares his experience with a surfboard he's been riding for about six months now. This particular board, known as the "Carbon Fiber," has become Tim's go-to choice for hitting the waves. Tim explains that the Carbon Fiber board offers an incredible surfing experience. Its super light weight and excellent flex make it perfect for tackling mid-sized and larger waves. He has taken this board to various spots, including Diamond Head, Alamana, tennis courts, and Kaisers, and has thoroughly enjoyed the performance it delivers. One notable feature of the Carbon Fiber board is its construction using carbon...

MOE Surfboard Review Brad picked up the 7'2" Moe surfboard and he's been raving about it! You know Brad, he's got a 7'4" board that he's been using, and he loved it, but he wanted to try something shorter this time, something more maneuverable for those smaller days. So, he went for the Moe, and it seems like it was a great decision! Now, Brad is no stranger to different surfboard types - he's got his trusty Sci-Fi 2.0 (6'2") and those sweet potatoes (5'8") for specific conditions. But this time, he needed something smaller, something that's easy to move...

Robbo Seals Olympic Berth with Win at Tahiti Pro For a while there, it looked like Gabriel Medina was about to pull off a year-long comeback and the ultimate hat trick. With nine minutes left in the final at Tahiti, he was once again dominating—as he had been all event. All he had to do was maintain his momentum and he’d win Tahiti Pro, earn a spot in the WSL Title Event, and nab a spot on the Brazilian Olympic team for the 2024 Games. Photo Credit to WSL Unfortunately, Jack Robinson had other plans. Throughout this event, the main...

Thrusters vs Quads  How to Choose Your Fin Setup   A Brief History of Fins on Surfboards Owning a surf shop means spending a lot your time talking about surfboards, and one topic that people ask me about practically every day is the difference between three fins and four fins on a board. To truly understand the difference, it is important to first understand the history of fins in surfboard design, and how they evolved over time.   Surf fin from the 1940’s on a Hawaiian wood paipo surfboard Photo: usvsa.com The original surfboards didn’t have fins. Hawaiian designs such as...

The Hydrofoil Debate: Banning at Crowded Breaks? I recently came across an article on Surfer Magazine about a group of Orange County surfers who started a petition to ban hydrofoils at Seal Beach. The local Seal Beach Board riders argue that hydrofoils are dangerous and have no place in crowded lineups.As a surfer, I understand their concerns. Hydrofoils allow riders to travel at much faster speeds than regular surfboards. And they have sharp edges that can cause serious lacerations if a rider loses control. In fact, Yu Sumitomo - the owner of Thunderbolt Surfboards - had a bad hydrofoil accident years...

HI4 Surfboard Review Charlie initially had some trouble with the board, particularly with the fins. He tried the Harley quad fin setup but found it to be twitchy and challenging to ride. However, after reaching out to Dave for advice, he switched to a twin fin setup, specifically the MR's with a small trailer. This change transformed his experience with the board. Charlie describes the new setup as a game-changer. The board feels twice as fast, and he appreciates its performance in both small and larger waves, even in overhead conditions. He mentions a break back home in Long Beach...

2024 Olympics at Teahupoo Photo Credit to Olympics.com John John Florence’s chances of making the top five and getting a shot at the world title at Trestles in September aren’t looking great. In order for him to finish the year in contention, he needs Yago Dora to lose early at Teahupoo—then he needs to make the semifinals and finish ahead of Gabriel Medina. While that’s not an impossibility, especially considering Florence’s status as the best barrel rider in the world, the odds are pretty slim. Despite all of this, we don’t think Florence is too concerned about his situation at...

In the ever-evolving world of surfboard design, the team at Lost has unveiled their latest creation - the Ripper. Inspired by the wildly popular Rad Ripper, this new model promises to take small wave shredding to the next level. The Ripper was born from the request of pro surfer Kolohe Andino, who, by his own admission, is "admittedly addicted" to the Rad Ripper. Andino's love for the board and its performance led him to collaborate with the Lost team, requesting adjustments that would modernize the design and eliminate the nostalgic '80s influences. SHOP NOW  Design Features The Ripper has undergone significant design...

SINGLETON in THUNDERBOLT RED Construction   Blending Performance and Tradition The Singleton is Taylor Jensen's latest signature surfboard, created to achieve an ideal blend of high-performance maneuverability with the smooth glide of traditional longboarding. After struggling to find a user-friendly traditional single fin outline that didn't feel overly bulky and inhibit his ability to carve, Taylor teamed up with legendary shaper Stuart Kenson to design a board that could excel in both arenas. Photo credits stukensonsurfboards   Through an iterative design process exploring multiple prototypes, Taylor and Stu carefully developed the Singleton's continuous outline and refined its curves, rocker profile,...