“There’s no place I feel more free, more grounded, and more at peace than in the ocean. It restores, it humbles, and it inspires.”
ivanka trump, World oceans day, june 8th, 2025
Last month we spent a few days in Pacific Beach, California. Unfortunately, the waves were mostly closeouts whenever we went surfing. Nevertheless, I worked with what was available, mostly in the white water.
A high point was borrowing the board that my son rented. The board dimensions were 9’1″ length, 22 3/4″ width, 3 3/8 depth, and 78 liters volume. It had a polyurethane core, polyester construction. Brand: Modern. Model: The Boss. I have struggled to find a hardtop that feels right for me: you can read about that here: Middle-aged Man Going Nuclear!
With The Boss, I finally found a hardtop that felt good. It was easy to paddle out, and it provided enough stability for me to pop-up and stay up. Even though it was 13 inches longer than my trusty foamie, The Boss was much more maneuverable.
Riding that board made me realize I’m ready to purchase a hardtop. It is important to me to support local surf culture. For me, that means buying a board made in Southern California where we have done most of our surfing and likely where we’ll continue to do most of our surfing. I’ve been researching various shapers, and I’m zeroing in on Stewart Surfboards, specifically the Redline 11 model. All Redline 11s are 9 feet long, and the width and depth are adjusted based on the surfer’s height, weight, and ability. Based on their website, it looks like my board would be 23 3/4 inches wide, 3 1/8 inches deep, and approximately t 71 – 74 liters volume.
We’ve rented a cottage near Tourmaline Surf Park for a month later this year. I plan to be surfing my new board then!
Hang loose,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present