After 3 days of surfing the other week my back started acting up. I couldn't pop up on the board and rode a couple of waves on my nees before going in. Yes I was knee riding a 9'6" Truth be told it was kind of fun. i was thinking a boogyboard might be a way to save my back when it is acting up. Then I recalled a few post by a guy in Australia.  Seems that Kneeboarding is still a thing down there. Looked on the internet and found a few board builders that make Kneeboards.  Some offered kneeboards built for Indo waves.  Now I want to get a kneeboard.  I just had an internet chat with a Excellent board builder that has been making a few in Hawaii.  Robin gave me a good price but shipping is always a problem from Hawaii.  however even with shipping the longboard he made was about as expensive as buying an off the rack Stewart or Bing or other Big name surfboard lines,coming out of CA. Any other crusty old guys thinking along these lines to ease the load on an old Back?  The more I think about it the more stoked I get.  If things get really bad i can use it asa belly board.  Any thoughts?

 

I've been thinking the same thing.
I think Tom Neilson made a few paipos, Logjammer had one.

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

I'm going for it might look for ajunk Fish and reork the deck to fit a pad on it.  I'm sure I'll have the local hot ripper laughting theri ass off at me.  

 

We have a forum member with the handle Kneeblaster who I believe is or at least was an actual knee boarder. Might want to pm him.

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Replace turf grass with native plants that don't need irrigation and synthetic fertilizers or chemicals that can go into our waterways and ocean

Edited: 05/03/2017 at 11:19 AM by daner

Artz, I knee ride my fishes all the time, sometimes the wave just doesnt have enough juice for me to stand (or maybe it's my old joints!).  But I knee ride fairly often.....tons of fun.

Hey Atrz, I own 3 kneeboards, 2 Blast kneeboards from Hawaii shaped by Bud McCray and 1 from Southern California shaped by Ron Romanosky. I started kneeboarding in 69 since all I had was a beat Hanson bellyboard and George Greenough finally showed up on my radar. I still use them on big grinder days. In the mid-80's I had one shaped by Bruce Regan and glassed by Halloway but it never really worked well. (My fault, not theirs since I had a lot of design ideas that they followed) I also have an assortment of surfboards that I use on smaller days when there is not enough power to push a smaller kneeboard. I am 60 and while I understand the issue of slower popups the knees also tend to not want to bend as well at my age. After 3 surgeries on my knees yoga still allows me to bend my knees enough to sit on my heels. Not only are they great fun, the flippers sure help paddle this old ass out on the big days. Here is a website that has a lot of information http://www.ksusa.org/ You are welcome to try one out after I return to the States some time in June (I am in Brevard county so PM me).

Edited: 05/03/2017 at 10:43 PM by RocketSurf

Seems counterintuitive kinda, this looks to put extreme pressure on the knees. Am I wrong ? I've had meniscus blown out in the front, so any angle greater than 90 automatically hurts. Near 60 myself, usually start a long session with 3 advil

Yes bad Knees would be a problem for some.  So Far my Knees are great.  i Need something for those days that my back is acting up. Swimming and paddleing don't seem to bother me. getting up to my knees also does not seem to trigger a sharp pain in my lower back. It is only when I try To Stand tall that I sometimes get a sharp pain. The pain effects how I move so it is hard to surf.  I Think I'm going to get an inexpensive used fish and play fora bit Before I order up a knee Board.   i'll post more when I have found something. 

Atrz, in my travels I have used many of fish as a kneeboard. The only issue is that they tend to feel stiff because the fins are farther back. I know that fish are loose while surfing but that is because you can shift your weight to your back foot. All my kneeboards fins are pretty far forward changing the pivot point and allowing for quicker turns. Good luck and happy surfing.

Rocky Thanks for the offer of allowing me to use one of your boards.  Also Thats good to Know about fin placement.  Someone hasa an older fish and I just might Talk to Robin in Hawaii. He make Hanalie Fin and Also gear box fin systems. I'll get him to send me layout. for his system.  If I get this Fish. 

 

I spotted a kneeboarder this week at Fitzroy Beach, New Plymouth.  Was looking good, but unfortunately took a fin to the cheek, didn't look anything serious, but maybe a stitch.  

Tom Neilson has made some nice paipos and likely has built a couple of kneeboards. Suggest checking some of the kneeboard designs and talking it over with Neilson but going a bit thicker on your East Coast model based upon my general experience catching and riding FL and Space Coast waves. Some additional thickness makes a big difference in catching waves compared to my same template thinner paipo boards.

John Mel, Freeline Design, in Santa Cruz, CA, is known for building regular foot surfing boards but he is actually a kneeboarder. He makes some nice fish design boards and is easy to work with on your shape.

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vr/Rod

I'm a kneeboard surfer. I have 3 Flashpoint Australian boards and on locally shaped Coda kneeboard.

You will be much happier getting a modern fins forward kneeboard than riding a fish on your knees.

I live in Indialantic and mostly surf here or Wabasso.

 

check pm

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Time and tide wait for no one.....

Edited: 05/07/2017 at 05:48 PM by KP

How's the water temp. down there? My friend has a house on the south end there. I was there in March, started fine then went to fullsuits from trunks in less than a week. Bailed out of there and went to Ahipara. Back to surfing in trunks up until last week.

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"I remember South Africa in the late 70's, sleeping on the beach at J-bay, smoking ganja with the blacks. On weekends we'd go to the pub in East London to drink beer and fight with the Afrikaners. They liked to fight, I liked to fight. It was a good time"

Kiwis tend to live with their windows open.  3/2 was fine for me yesterday at Raglan.  Most locals were wearing full suits.

Water supposedly 17 C.  

Edited: 05/07/2017 at 10:22 PM by ww

yep, they're a rugged bunch. But when you get enough rugged, head north to the last 100 miles. You can go coast to coast in an hour or less, surf swell from a storm south of tahiti on the east coast, then get swell coming from south of Tasmania on the west coast. Weather is way more mellow up there also.

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"I remember South Africa in the late 70's, sleeping on the beach at J-bay, smoking ganja with the blacks. On weekends we'd go to the pub in East London to drink beer and fight with the Afrikaners. They liked to fight, I liked to fight. It was a good time"

Piha's had a string of arsons.  Raglan looked busy on Saturday but doesn't yet seem overdeveloped.  It was worth dropping by.  Got a look at Northland a year ago.  Mangrove (like our black) and kelp!

Took forever to organize the photos and this one isn't any good, but here's the New Plymouth, NZ kneeboarder.  

 

 

 

 

I was staying right across the sidewalk from the beach in a little cabin:

In summer, it must be lifeguards & ice cream.

Nice, clean waves.

Parking area down the road has a tiny rivermouth and jetty.

Campervan.

 

 

 

I think Taranaki, the local volcano, which made a lot of the black sand, filled in for Fuji in Tom Cruise's samurai movie.

My knee was good enough to drive the car but didn't have much range of motion.  Walking was hard enough.  No water.

somehow those pictures make me want a Steinlager

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"I remember South Africa in the late 70's, sleeping on the beach at J-bay, smoking ganja with the blacks. On weekends we'd go to the pub in East London to drink beer and fight with the Afrikaners. They liked to fight, I liked to fight. It was a good time"