Not enough has been written about the Surfoplane, particularly in regard to its legitimate role as a precursor to the hard-edged BellyBoard, and the modern day Boogie Board, and nothing at all has been written about the techniques and skills necessary to have had a successful session on a surfoplane, in 1957, at Bondi.
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Another ripper Peter. Great background on Stan down at Bondi. And reading about his surfoplane rentals really stirred up some memories of my own.
Where I lived a lot of us kicked off on surfos before graduating to boards. They were so good for learning about how the surf worked. Getting one for birthday or christmas one was quite the thing and even though they were all the same – each one was special.
Surfoplanes were pretty heavy but they had the advantage of being inflatable which meant you could carry them around on the bus or train without paying for them. I started on a surfo – Narm 6- the biggest in the range. There were at least 2 smaller models i think but the big one was the go. Looking back at how inefficient they actually were (pre boggie board and perfomance coolite) its amazing what people were able to do on them.
We kept ours pumped up hard and this meant technology. The servo near the beach was better than a foot pump. It always had grommets fevering around the air hose trying too get the pressure just right. At times this was the site of friction and seniority issues. If you went too hard with the air you could put a bubble in one of the chambers thereby queering it forever. It really was a science. Variables such as the air expanding in the heat during summer and then cooling down in the water made it tricky to get things just right.
Rolling waves was the biggest challenge. It was one of the things that made surfoplanes in big surf very hard work. Because duck diving hadnt been invented at that point (wouldnt have worked anyway) and eskimo rolling didnt work very well – the way we did it was to paddle hard at the foam and then dive over the front, one hand on one of the 2 handles to drag it through the soup. In big surf we’d slip off the side, grab both handles and sort of use our bodies as sea anchors. A set of six waves could really fag you out and because of the buoyancy issues you could get washed a long way back in at times. There was no avoiding the pain of dragging these brutes through the foam. Like boards, there were no leggies to fall back on – ‘chucking’ wasn’t an option.
Not all grommets abandoned their surfos in favour of boards. There was no shame in this. There were older guys who were acknowledged as surfo masters and they had status. They not only ripped but commanded as much respect as anyone else in the lineup. Surfoplanes were difficult to ride well and everybody knew it.
Thanks Mark, and that little scene around the airhose you mentioned looks to be worth about 400 words – nice how the human condition works in just about every scenario isn’t it
Sure is Pete.
God knows you dont have to go far to see examples
Great words Pete. Most of us have a memory of the thrill of our first ‘surfo’. I think mine came about 1961 and we loved terrorising four or five abreast screaming towards those inner sandbanks at North Bondi. Got my mother one day a beauty. She’s still here to remind me. Not the ‘surfo’ but. Have any remained unperished. Jees we used to give them a bloody hiding. Throw em on the 381 and head home to do the homework and plan the next attack.
geez Tim, .. your MOTHER !!
She’s pretty tough Pete. She copped a six stitcher to the noggen at point blank range in the backyard one day. Knocked her flat then she got up and took the washing in. “old school” Pete. Surfo’s and six stitchers no worries for Isabel
Nice one..
while you were at Bondi I was up the coast a bit at Sth Curl Curl..family owned the Milk Bar directly across from the pools and we lived in a flat above it.
Got my first surf craft (apparatus) on my birthday in 59′..a slab of plywood that my dad rounded the front off and we soaked in water overnight and then laid on a few bricks to create rocker..a few coats of varnish, and away you go.
Found a mat one day floating dead in the pools..took it home, applied the bicycle patch and it held air for at least minutes at a time.
Freshwater was the favored spot for that one.
We were at S.Curl Curl till late 61′..great place to learn about rips, side chop, onshore winds and odd inside reforms.
From that point on, always wanted to be a surfer when I grew up…still working on it today.
Thanks Pete.
dr.Bob
Your dad sounds like he knew what he was doing, did he have any background to know a rocker would be required – most of the bellyboards were dead flat back then
Pete,
you know I always wondered how he knew that little trick..it was a skimboard by the way, but also worked well as a paipo.
He also showed us how to make a mean little canoe out of a sheet of used roofing tin..pinch each end,nail them to a point with a piece of wood, tie together with another piece of wood in the middle to form the hull, fill the holes with tar..
launch at the Nth Narra lagoon and ,when it inevitably began to sink, be prepared to abandon ship and swim back to shore.
Good times.
Smaller versions of surfoplanes (rubber) were seen at Gold Coast recently — any idea where they can be purchased ??
Some guys in Newcastle started making then in India and importing them into Australia a few years back. Some surf shops in Newy might be able to point you in the right direction if you are after one. The last one I saw was in a surfshop in a Newcastle shopping centre: “Markettown” Currently, I’m looking about to try and get hold of a Longer version 4’6″ Should be plenty about in Newcastle, but dont see too many around the local beaches. Regards len
hey Maurice check some of the ‘friends’ blogs on the RH banner above –
23 breaths
surfmatters
magic carpet ride
- might have some clues
and – a crowd sourced mat movie too –
http://www.blog.matmovie.com/
G’day All!
I happen to be the PROUD OWNER of three (3) ORIGINAL 1930′s surf-o-planes – and all 3 still inflate!! I have 2 x adult ones (4 chambers), and a rarer child one (3 chambers)! With original bungs!
I also have the longer one with the wave and “Surf-O-Plane” logo, but I believe this (or these) were remade?!
You’re not gonna believe this, but I just picked up my second adult “surfo” today (25.1.12) at my local tip for 50c (yep 50 CENTS)!!
Anthony “Ando” AUSTIN
great ant, now get out there and ride the bastards .. tell us how you go
Sorry mate, as much as I’d like to, they’re museum pieces and are now part of my/the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club beach culture collection! The air inside probably belonged to someone now long passed, but I “topped it up”, and it continues to hold air prefectly!