Hawaiian South Shore — July 2026 Newsletter — David's USS Reeves story, the new Lost RNF Twinzer '96er
Hawaiian South Shore — July 2026
I know exactly what those sailors in the Strait of Hormuz are feeling right now
There are about 27 Navy ships and over 16,000 sailors in the Persian Gulf right now. I see it on the news and I don't see a headline. I see the watch schedule. I see the mess hall. I see guys waiting for mail that isn't coming. I know what those days feel like because I lived them.
I served on the USS Reeves, a guided missile cruiser out of Japan, as part of the USS Midway's battle group. Our job was escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz because Iran was attacking them during the Iran-Iraq War. Mines, missiles, you name it. We were the guys out in front.
Same strait. Same job. Different decade.
What it's actually like out there
It's not the danger that gets to you — it's the sameness
When you're underway, your whole life is a watch rotation. You work, you eat, you sleep, and you do it again. For months. Your body fights the schedule for about five days and then it just gives in. You eat when they feed you. You sleep when they tell you to sleep. There's nowhere to go. It's the same gray water, the same food, the same faces, day after day. People picture the Navy as battles and explosions. Most days it's just waiting. That's the part nobody talks about.
The day that changed how I saw everything
We pulled 92 people out of the ocean — mostly kids
On June 27, 1989, we were crossing the South China Sea and came across small boats full of Vietnamese refugees sitting in the middle of open water. Men, women, and a lot of kids. Ninety-two people total. They had left Vietnam with nothing and drifted out into the ocean hoping someone would find them before their boats went under.
Our ship sat too high for them to climb aboard safely — people were fighting to get up and it was getting dangerous. So the destroyer USS Fife came alongside because she sat lower to the water, pulled them out, and transferred them over to us. We fed them, gave them clean clothes, medical treatment, took care of them. I remember looking at those kids and thinking about what their parents had risked. They put their families on a boat that could barely float and pushed off into the open ocean not knowing if anyone would come.
Here's why I'm telling you this
If you know someone on a ship right now — send them a box
You see something like that and you stop feeling sorry for yourself about the small stuff. But the small stuff still matters when you're out there. Sometimes it's the only thing that gets you through the next watch.
We went about three months without mail. When it finally caught up to us, it was like Christmas. Guys sitting on the deck tearing open boxes. Letters, photos, care packages stuffed with cookies and candy and notes from home. The cookies were hard as rocks after three months of traveling. The chocolate had melted and re-hardened twice. Nobody cared. You ate every bit of it.
So if you have a family member out there, a friend, your neighbor's kid — anyone on a ship right now — throw some snacks in a box. Treats from your area. Write a note. Mail it. Doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't have to be expensive. And don't tell them it's coming. Just send it.
Because when you've been staring at the same gray water for months and somebody hands you a box with your name on it that you weren't expecting — nothing else matters that day.
David
Hawaiian South Shore · 320 Ward Ave, Honolulu · hawaiiansouthshore.com
Member Spotlight
Scott Shibuya
How'd you get into surfing? What keeps you motivated? Ever take time off?
My father surfed, so my earliest memory was him taking me out on the front of his longboard to the inside of Haleiwa, his favorite spot. My eyes would get bigger as the white water got bigger the further out we got. The joy of catching a wave, standing, and watching the reef go by with Pops laying down behind me was priceless — I was hooked.
My motivation is everything surfing involves: the joy of riding waves and being in nature; the challenge of riding new equipment as I age to keep performance up; the fact that you need to be healthy to have the best sessions; being able to travel, explore new cultures, meet new people, and surf amazing waves with little crowds; and the friendships with all the characters at your local spot. I had a six-month hiatus during Basic Training and Tech School in Texas with the Air Force — luckily I got stationed in Florida, so I was back surfing on the Gulf Coast.
Do you do anything to stay in shape for surfing? How do you take care of yourself?
I swear by yoga — faster recovery, staying limber, and it keeps me centered mentally. After surfing I'll stretch for half an hour at home with a routine I've modified since the '90s. I ride my bike (not an e-bike) to surf for the cardio and leg work, and a 20-minute walk with my wife does wonders for endurance. On food, the one approach that stood out for me is eating for your blood type. I found the book at the airport on my way to Siargao — the AB chapter described my health to a T. I stick to the good list and stay away from what my type rejects, and I can really tell the difference as I age.
What do you love most about surfing here? Any favorite people to shout out?
It's too easy. I live in Kaimuki and surf Publics, DH, 3's, or country when it's smaller. I surf the gentlemen's hours to avoid the crowds and try to stay patient — it'll come. Shout out to the crew at Pubs. We're like a big family with a bunch of characters who crack me up daily.
What's the latest board you grabbed from us, and why that one?
The Mid6 Mini 6'8". Pubs gets fat when it's bigger, so I needed more paddling power and something I could still turn.
How's it been surfing? What waves have you had it in?
I figured out the fins and it's been really fun. It tends to work in overhead-plus, fuller waves — even got a few barrels on the inside.
What fins are you running on it?
MR twin and trailer when the waves are smaller.
When you're not surfing, what are you up to?
I have a restaurant called Guava Smoked, where we smoke anything that's fatty. The low-and-slow process renders the fat, breaks down the tissue, and infuses a light smoky-sweet flavor. My brother-in-law's family from Kauai are hunters who use invasive strawberry guava wood — waiwi — to cover the gamey taste and break down the wild pig's tough meat. We use that same process to smoke all our meats and fish, serving unique dishes and spin-offs of your local favorites. Check us out at guavasmoked.com.
New This Month
Lost RNF Twinzer '96er — Black Sheep
The Lost RNF Twinzer '96er takes Matt Biolos's best-selling fish — the proven RNF '96 — and adds the TWINZER+ fin cluster for more grip, drive, and control without giving up that fast, skatey feel. It's a true high-performance fish that runs as a loose twin on playful days and locks in with real bite when the waves get bigger and more critical.
Who it's for
- The fish rider who wants twin-fin speed with more grip and less slide-out.
- The intermediate surfer ready to get more performance out of an alternative shape.
- The experienced shortboarder who wants a fast, fun board for weaker days that can still be pushed hard.
- The surfer curious about the twinzer concept who wants it on a proven, trusted shape rather than an experiment.
- The everyday surfer who wants one board that handles small days and steps up when the surf has real punch.
Built for Hawaii's full range
The RNF Twinzer '96er works across a wide band of surf — from small, weak, and gutless days where it paddles in early and carries speed through dead sections, to punchy, overhead, and more critical waves where the canards and mini-trailer give it the grip and hold to be surfed hard. The twin-based setup keeps it loose and fast when the surf is soft, while the added fins let it project off the top and hold a line when the wave has shape and power. It's a fish that works with Hawaii's full range of conditions, not just a small-wave crutch — the kind of board you can ride on a marginal day and still take out when it gets good.
What makes it different
It keeps the trusted RNF '96 outline — a round-nose fish with a relatively pulled-in, performance-minded tail rooted in MR-inspired twin-fin design — and builds the TWINZER+ fin cluster into it. To carry the added forward canards, Biolos widened the hip of the tail slightly and balanced it by widening the nose at the same point, so the nose and tail now measure the same width twelve inches from each tip. He also deepened the double concave through the tail for extra lift and drive. The headline feature is the fin layout itself: two standard twin boxes, two small forward canard fins, and a rear mini-trailer box. The canards sit ahead of the main fins and clean up the water flowing into them, which reduces drag and slide-out, sharpens projection, and lets the board drive harder than a standard twin while still feeling fast and free.
Includes FREE Canard fins · Blacksheep construction · Futures 5-fin
In stock: 5'3 – 26L · 5'4 – 27L · 5'5 – 28.25L · 5'6 – 29.5L · 5'7 – 30.55L · 5'8 – 31.6L · 5'9 – 32.75L · 5'10 – 34.1L · 5'11 – 35.5L · 6'0 – 37L · 6'1 – 38.25L
Also In
Customer Reviews
Real surfers. Real reviews.
Big Rig Driver — Tyler
Quiver Killer — Kekai
Pisces — Berre
RNF 96 — JP
HSS Exclusive
Hybrid Wet/Rashguard
Built here for real surf conditions. Three things set our Wet/Rashguards apart:
- Comfort Fit — seams at the front and back near the armpits sit higher to stop pinching.
- Anti-Chafe Stitching — pantyhose-grade stitching for maximum stretch and rash-free paddling.
- Key Pocket — a back pocket with an internal lanyard keeps your key secure.
What customers are saying
South Shore Surf Guide Series
Queens
It's the wave where Kai Sallas, Kelia Moniz, Johnny the Ripper and more sharpened their cross-stepping. Always crowded, always worth it, and best at low tide on a chest- to head-high south or southwest swell. Our full guide breaks down where Queens sits in the Waikiki lineup, the conditions, the crowd, what to ride, and the nearby spots.
HawaiianSouthShore
Mesh Knit Board Bags
NEW — Longboard Sock with Zipper · Stretch Mesh · fits boards up to 9'8"
What makes our mesh surfboard sock unique?
At Hawaiian South Shore, we built a breathable ballistic-nylon mesh sock designed for the real surf lifestyle — and the longboard version now has a long adjustable zipper that finally solves the longboard fin problem. Lightweight, washable, and tough as nails, it's locally exclusive: designed and developed right here at Hawaiian South Shore.
Key features at a glance
- Breathable mesh — full of small holes so your board can breathe; leave it in the back of your truck in summer and your board won't cook.
- Ballistic nylon strength — the same material as police belt webbing. We've got customers running theirs six years deep with no fin holes.
- NEW adjustable fin zipper — a long zipper lets the fin poke through wherever it sits on your board, so it fits a wide range of lengths.
- Roll-top closure — the tail end rolls down dry-bag style and clips shut to secure your board.
- Wax-resistant interior — a special interior coating keeps wax from sticking, so the sock slides on and off easy.
- Washable & color-fast — toss it in a gentle cool wash when it needs it; it won't bleed onto everything.
- Lightweight and easy to handle for everyday use.
- Locally exclusive — designed and developed by Hawaiian South Shore.
The adjustable fin zipper
The longboard fin was always the problem with board socks — there was never a clean way to get it in. So we added a zipper, and we made it long on purpose. Position the zipper opening wherever your fin sits and the fin pokes right through. Got a shorter board? The opening lands further up. Longer board? Run it all the way back and the fin sits out the tail. One sock, a whole range of board lengths.
Roll, clip, and go
Slide the sock on — the wax-resistant interior makes it easy — then roll the open end down like a dry bag and clip it closed. Board's secure and you're ready to load up.
Breathable by design
This isn't a padded travel bag — it's a breathable mesh sock built to live with your board day to day:
- Daily driving: throw it in the car without wax ending up on your seats.
- Heat: the open mesh lets the board breathe so it doesn't bake in a hot vehicle.
- Storage: keeps dust off your board at home.
Care instructions
- When it starts to smell, run it through a gentle, cool wash — it's color-fast and won't bleed.
- Wash it on its own, or pop it inside a mesh laundry bag.
- Avoid machine drying; hang dry in the shade.
- Rinse with fresh water to clear salt and sand.
- Taken care of, it'll last you a long time.
Customer Gallery
Aloha from our community
Thank you for choosing Hawaiian South Shore! 🏄 We truly appreciate your support and trust in us for all your surfing needs. Whether it's finding the perfect board, upgrading your gear, or simply being part of our ohana — your loyalty means the world to us. Mahalo for riding this journey with us. We couldn't do it without you! 🤙
Tag @hwnsouthshore to be featured next month.