Cananzi

hey guys

finally got the 2 s surfer going again. Ive only had it out once becuase that hull i found it was bouncing a bit to much soI had to ripped out the front floorpan so i could try more weight. Brought some lead sinkers shaped roughly to fit in the hull and ended up glassing in a new frontfloor pan and bolting in the new servo holder.Havent had a chance to get it out yet but hopefully it should go alot better with bit more weight.

Hope everyone has a good new years!! keep out of trouble!!! ;-)

Cananzi

riversurfin!!! thats awesome!!!

Jimi Findrix

Ok Guys,
Here's the plan.
Remember this photo Bob took of perfect "Pages" last year?
Well, that only happens on a blue moon.
And Tonight Is The Night.

Strong SW ground swell overnight peaking @ 4.3m @ about 2:00am
Low tide .18m @ about 5:00am.
The wind has been howing southerly for days and should be S @ about20 knots at 5:00am.

So despite the howling wind itshould be grinding at dawn.
At least the southerly wind is straight offshore @ "Pages Beach".

Iwill be there at about 4:30am with a box of ammo 2 sticks and Gathcam stuck on my head.

**** I hope it pays off, what a way to start the new year.
I am so desperate for a good fix, havenot had a run for weeks.

Still just a grommet at heart, what a buzz.

HNY Everyone.

JIMI
(Desperate & Freakin' Out)

Jimi Findrix

Alright Crew,
1st Jan. 2011 - Gero RC Surf Report.

Ran my NIMH - NQD for 4 hours in fun clean lefts @ "Pages" this morning, the wind was lighter than expected but the waves were not as big as I had hoped for, only about 1 to 1 1/2 foot but perfect shape and great fun and it did improve  all morning as the tide came in.

Went home and had a shower, feed and slept for a few hours.

Then woke up about 4pm and went to "Medalia" and ran the LiPo - Kyosho Thruster (maiden voyage) for 1 hour in powerful pshycho 2 foot right hand shorebreak in howling but semi - sheltered cross/offshore on the north side.

The board ran fast and stayed dry but unfortunately the thruster set up did not turn as well as I hoped so I have taken the single fin out and  put the original bi-fin back in.
Not sure if I like the side twin fins yet but if it does not turn as well as the NQD when I test it with the original fin I will probably ditch 'em.

I did take the Gathcam but did not bother using it, too hot to be walkin' around the beach with a Gath hat on.
Hope everyone else got a few waves to start off the year.

Looks like waves again tomorrow.
Better start peakin' a few packs.

Yeeeooooow.

Sea ya.

JIMI
(Gero - W. A.)

surfcurls

I didn't like the Performance Of The Tri Fin Thruster Set Up On The Boards I Tested A Few Years Back.

Some Bonzer Style Side Fins I Tried Had Actual Extra Water Pick Ups, Didn't Improve The Turns
And Seemed A waste Of Time, Since The Esc / Motor Ran Cool Without The Extra Tubing And 2 more Holes Into The Hull.

In My Opinion, Seb Has Come Up With The Best Fin Design. Looking At The Video's He Shot
With The Gath, That Board Is Turning Better Than Anything I have Ever Seen. Extremely Repsonsive
And Hold's Well In The Barrel, And More !

Curly Fry

Jimi Findrix

Wow Seb,

Now I know what you go through every time you operate your surfer.
Just got home from glassy 2 1/2 foot "Point Moore".
I ran 12 packs there today and there was about 30 4wd vehicles parked on the beach and about 50 people in the water constantly.
They were riding every kind of water craft imaginable.
Paddle boards, surfboards, boogie boards, people body surfing, mums and dads holding toddlers or teaching little kids how to catch waves.
All packed into a very small area, right where the main break is.
Anyway, I was standing out in the water about waste deep and shredding my way through the pack.
Got the Dude some sick set waves from the peak 'cause he could beat everyone else out to the takeoff zone on the sets.
If there was someone on the inside the Dude was just dropping in on them and surfing along with them or just leaving them in the soup behind him.
When the mob would get too thick then he just shredded around the edges of the pack until a set would come.
Don't know how I didn't crash into anyone.
My board looks trashed and needs to be stripped and cleaned thoroughly.
It has had 2 dozen packs rammed through it in 2 days.
Also got the Kyosho Lisa turning well now, I tried that at "Pages" at 6 am this morning on some clean little lefts, only about 1/2 to 1 foot though.
I took off the side fins and used the original rudder, also noticed that the servo arm was shorter than the one on my NQD because it had been cut off or broken at the top hole, so I replaced that and now the board is super responsive and turns perfectly.
I'm stuffed.
But I still have to clean up the shredding machine and charge up again so it is ready to run again tomorrow.
Geez, i'm glad I usually have the waves all to myself, that really was mega challenging today.
Blowin' minds again!!!
Sea ya.

JIMI
(Gero - W. A.)

skowowski

Jimi,

Glassy waves, I have had only one surf in 4 months which involved offshore glassy waves. You are so lucky to have those conditions.

I'm surprised I have only hit one person surfing. I've had a few close calls, but the one time I did hit a kid it was from a large air and it landed on top of him. In my defense he was chasing after it so he got the up close and personal view of it he wanted! To surf somewhere without anyone else in the water is rare around here!

I went to Snapper Rocks the other day and left after 2 packs. Navigating the surfer from 50 meters away and having to weave around the 100+ surfers lining the point, killed the enjoyment. Those who surf there will know exactly what I mean in respects to crowds.

Well you got some good waves anyway (ya lucky bugger!) 24 packs in 2 days, you could get enough video footage in a weekend make a full length RC Surfing Movie!!!

Seb

Jimi Findrix

Seb,

Those floods in QLD are horrendous!!!
What is with this time of year in Oz?
Every xmas / new year period we get a major cyclone or a massive flood or a really devastating bush fire.
Always!!!

A week or two before xmas I was thinking to myself, "I wonder what major calamity is in store for Oz this year?"

Well those floods are the worst floods I have ever seen anywhere in Oz.
Also, in Carnarvon (a little coastal town north of Geraldton where they grow bananas) they have had really massive floods too.

Actually, it happens everywhere globally at this time of year, earthquakes, snow etc but always on a massive scale.

Anyway, the river surf vids are great, that second one is a bow wave from that boat. Sick!!!
That section where it shows you the square little barrel looks like "Point Moore" when it is really workin' good.

Well it is lookin' good for waves again tomorrow.
Think I better get there early and get a few good ones with the Kyosho before the mob arrives.

Sea ya.

JIMI Findrix
Geraldton - West Oz)

Jimi Findrix

Hi Crew,
It is another one of those days I wish I had stayed in bed.
Got uo at 7:00am and looked outside.
No wind but overcast and looking like lightning.
So I decided to wait 'till later on and see if it clears up a bit.
Well. I went out into the shed and did a bit more work on one of the boards that I just painted.
Now this is where everything goes bad.
I decided I was gonna take a photo of all the boards I am building with the Dudes I have just finished fixing.
So I stood 2 Dudes on their boards WITHOUT footstraps on and went inside for a few minutes.
A little voice in my head said "Jimi, don't do that, they will fall off and get broken".
But as there was no wind I didn't listen did I.
The roller door in the shed was open and while I was inside the easterly wind kicked in and when I went back out in the shed one of my Dudes had blown off his board bounced off his head on the table and fell and was on the concrete floor.
His hand was broken off at the wrist.
****, does anybody else do stupid things like that?
My Dudes are safer in the water with 50 people out than in my shed???
Anyway, I have fibreglassed it back together and now have a little more sanding and painting to do.
Next time a little voice tells my don't do something I think I will listen.
Yeah sure!!!
Some mothers do have 'em.
It is raining now and light offshore and the surf will be good for sure.
But that little voice in my head is telling me that if I go and run a Dude today the first lightning bolt will go for me and my little antenna.
I don't really wanna be a human lightning conductor.
Not today anyway.
Sea ya.

JIMI
(Dude Killer)

Jimi Findrix

JIMI Findrix

skowowski

Nice quiver!

I noticed all your boards' antennas are on the deck lid, ever thought about moving them to the board. It's great being able to take the lid off and not worry about the antenna cord.

Repco sells grommets, drill a hole in the board, and a small hole inside the board, glue in the grommet and wack in the antenna and slide in the antenna cord.

I can see why you would go home to change an O'ring, it must be a mission to change one when you have to keep the deck lid so close to the board and also keeping an eye on the antenna cord. If you hold the deck lid up to your chest, you can change one in 20 seconds with a piece of string and a thin flat head screw driver.. I've broken so many that it is fair to say I am a master at changing them. I have changed to the 2.5mm from the 2mm and break many less these days (thanks Rainer).

You have enough boards to hold a family RC Surfing competition ; )

Seb

surfcurls

Nice Work Jimi.

You Got it Going On !!!

My Vote Is In For New RC Surfer / Pilot of 2010 !

I Hope The Best For All The Mates in The Flooded Areas Of OZ ...

Jimi Findrix

Thanks Guys,
Glad you like the fruits of my labour.

Seb,
My decks do come right off because I have little red bullet connectors that join the antennawire to the reciever wire. so that is not ahassle at all.
I have seen other peoples boards with the antenna mounted on the hull but I prefer to leave them where they are.
The only reason I need to go home to change my o-rings is because I put silicone over my bolt heads.
I did stop doing that for a while and have changed o-rings at the beach on several occaisions.
But because I have been having continual problems with water getting in I startedusing it again just in case it was coming in from there..
I use the thicker o-rings too.
They don't break too often, especially since I started using wingnuts for footpegs, I am not really sure why but they do last longer though.
I seem to be able to run for 6 packs without any water getting in, sponges under the motor stay dry, but after that I always have problems.
I am starting to think that I need to regrease the propshaft after about half a dozen runs because if I keep running I start to get dirty water splattering around and it is coming up the tube.
Thanks for sharing your ideas bro.

John,
Thanks for all your help getting me started.
Your models are a fantastic starting point for anyone interested in learning about RC Surfers.
I would recommend them to anyone.
I have had a blast doing this and my surfers really work well. (Most of the time)
But they are high maintenance and take a lot of TLC to keep 'em shredding.
I do push them pretty hard, (like Seb), and I do like experimenting with various ideas, mostly to make them tougher.
I also have a pretty good idea what sort of surf they will run well in and how far I can push things and also when to go home and wait 'till another day.
I guess that is something you can't teach or share, you just gotta get up a lot of sea time in and try runing them at lots of different locations.
There are so many options and also so many little things that can go wrong and it is a real challenge to stay on top of it all.
I really kinda like being the only RC Surfer operator in my region 'cause I just know it is gonna take someone quite a bit of hard work to make one of these little rockets perform as well as mine are.

I LOVE RC SURFING!!!

Thanks again guys.

JIMI Findrix
(Geraldton -West Oz)

Jimi Findrix

G'day Crew,

No surf here.
Local swell has hit rock bottom @ 1/2 foot at the small wave beaches and there is a lot of WEED in town.
Expecting another 5 to 6 foot swell Thursday night so Friday morning could be fun.
As usual, I will be onto it early.
Bob should be back from Margaret River any day so I hope he can shoot a bit on Friday.
Sea ya.

JIMI
(Swell-less)

Cananzi

I personally prefer the antenna on the hull not the deck lid. The aluminum antenna holder (you can see it in the pic i posted last)  is really strong /watertight compared to the rubber grommet. I just drill a hole to the exact size of the thread on the antenna holder and use silicone and a rubber washer and screw it in. 

Jimi Findrix

Hi Cananzi,
Sounds like you had some fun today then.
That is my dilema, most of the places I like to RC Surf are not standard surf spots and they only break when the swell is crankin' at the main breaks.
My RC surf spots are little reefs and sandbanks that have great shape 1 to 3 foot waves but need 3 or 4 foot plus local swell so they start to work.
So when the RC spots are happening other places are crankin' that are much better for real surfing.
I have not been surfing at all for months because I really just wanted to improve my RC Surfboards and master operating them and really test their limits.
I really have been thinkin' that I have to slow down a bit now and make some time for a few real surfs again.

I was alsothinkin' that your board is lookin' awesome.
Did you get a new motor mount from John?
How is it runnin' now?
I did notice your antenna mount and thought that it was pretty cool.
I don't like using grommets either, I just use a piece of silicon water tube stuck in the hole, fits great, the antenna tubes fit nice and tight inside thewatertube.
The silicontube also adds a bit of supportat the base of the antenna.
They don't leak cause everything is nice and tight and I also silicon underneath just in case.

Sea ya.
JIMI
(Gero - W. A.)

Cananzi

well i took the 2s surfer out for its first spin late this arvy. The conditions were terrible and it probly wasnt the best spot for it. It was just getting washed up heaps. 2s seems to be alot slower then my 3s i wasdisappointed it was like it was diggin an air pocket when i gave it throttle. I had a fair bit of water in the compartment also. so overall it was an epic fail lol


today was the first time that there was heaps of people around so i experienced people comin up asking ''where did you get that from??'' lol. 4 people in 30mins and a lengthy convo on how to briefly mod them.Hopefully next run will be alot better!!

skowowski

Jimi, that wave is perfect for rc surfing!!!

MBSCsurfergirl

Hello, I'm new here but just want to say "hi".  I just got my first rc surfer in the mail last week, its the rc surfer "show"; white board, plastic girl.  Already modified it with a new steel propeller, 21 turn 550 Titan Monster motor, better servo and a waterproof ESC.  Also, took off all the stickers except the pink ones that came on it.  I can post pictures if anyone would like to see it.  I would be glad to help with any questions, as my husband is an electrical engineer and I have a BS in compy science, so naturally we are really getting in to this hobby

skowowski

Hi Surfergirl,

Welcome to the hobby!

MBSCsurfergirl

TY skowowski!

I forgot to include some model numbers, etc, just in case.  The waterproof ESC is made by Pro Boat (Riptide)model (with reverse); the servo is a Hobbico "command" cs-70mg metal geared super torque 2BB (torque = 106.7 oz-in), speed = 0.24 sec; and we changed out the receiver / transmitter to a 2.4Ghz Spektrum DX2.0; upgraded the water cooling hoses to silicon with slightly larger inside diameter for better cooling (bought at local PetSmart LOL); removed the factory waterproof gaskets with automobile weather stripping, and Im happy to say that after some decent play time today not a drop of water inside

any recommendations are readily accepted, as we already have another one on order

Cananzi

welcomeMBSCsurfergirl.

MBSCsurfergirl

ugh anyone know where to get replacement arms (female), or does anyone make them??

surfcurls

You can find Replacement figures Female / Male here:

www.surfcurls.com

MBSCsurfergirl

thank you, but I cant afford those lol