MSA Test Centre

Want to test a Gulf Stream surfboard in warm water, whilst you're nice and relaxed in a Moroccan daze? Who wouldn't want to.

We have a test centre with Moroccan Surf Adventures, http://www.morocsurf.com/ , so that dream can come true. The centre covers all bases with fishes, traditional longboards, minimals, carpets and shortboards. Nige and Denny,owners of MSA, are very knowledgeable when it comes to boards and can help you along the way whilst trying our boards out.

Another great reason to take advantage of this is that it will cost around 60 pounds to get your own boards there and back. So why not take the easy route and use the boards we have already got there for you....There is something for everybody!

SCRAPPAGE SCHEME

Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 150 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact. Tempted? Who wouldn't be......

.....offer runs from 29th March until 7th April.............

Atlantic Winter Retrospective

Check out this epic short Video of Andrew Cotton. All tow-in's done on the tow board we made for him.

Video edit by a good friend Mikey Corker's 'Show 'n Tell Media' and tune by local lad Bastie. All making one EPIC collaboration. Well worth 3 minutes of your life....

SCRAPPAGE SCHEME NOW ON!

Its our 20th Birthday!!!

Wetsuit Clinic - 24th November

OPEN DAY!

So on November 24th we are having an 'OPEN' day in the braunton store. Malcolm from Snugg wetsuits will be with us talking through their suits, the benefits of tailor made and the technology they use. Jools will also be in the shop all day so please feel free to pop in and pick their brains and who knows maybe you will end up with a new wetty and a new board, both of which will have been made by hand in the UK. Saturday November 24th don't forget

Surfboard Scrappage Scheme....AGAIN!

Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 100 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact. Tempted? Who wouldn't be......

.....offer runs from 27th October until 4th November.............

Nigel Dix

A great customer of ours, always thinking outside the box. Whether its odd tail shapes, weird rails, or just short fat stubby hulls.

Always a joy to make boards for him though, especially when he comes up with things like this....A fairly 'normal' board for Dixie with a beautiful light grey tint....

Thanks Nigel for keeping us on our toes ;) and for ordering yet another beautiful board

Gulf Stream Film Productions

We have started the long process of making 90seconds clips about each board. Featuring the one and only Julian Mathews.

There will be no expenses spared. Lighting, cameras, mics, chairs, extras....Oh wait a minute....I have got that wrong. There will be no expenses.

Just an Iphone and some free editing software. Easy Peasy.

Watch this space.

CP taking time out from Dentistry

Here is the local dentist getting some little piggies over on a far from perfect day at Woolacombe.....This truely shows the magic of a Saunton Foil....

CP is using a 9'4' Diamond Tail Saunton Foil....what does he think of it? Do read on....

''So how does it surf? Well, smooooooth, the video probably speaks for itself but i can say it is an awesome traditional style log. It will noseride in the pocket, sucking in well, often buried past the stripe in the wave when you are on the nose. It will also noseride well in less well shaped waves because of the nose width and concave, Once you get your weight over the fin it turns smoothly with a nice traditional feel. I like the swept fin and diamond tail combination but it if you like a more "pivoty" feel go for an upright fin and a square tail.

The best thing about it is that it is easy to surf whatever the conditions, clean or messy, i always know i'll have a great surf on it and so it spends more time under my feet than any of my other longboards. I have several "big name" californian noseriders which are awesome on the nose in clean surf but as soon as the waves lose their shape or speed, these boards become hard work and the GS shines, seeing as the clean days can be few and far between this is the ultimate Saunton (and anywhere else) everyday noserider. If you can't hang five on this you might as well take up knitting!
Thanks a million!''

Surfboard scrappage scheme is BACK ON!

Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 100 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact. This offer is on for the whole month of December. Tempted? Who wouldn't be......

.....Offer runs from today until 6th August.....

the end is nigh...............

hopefully, with my fingers crossed and cuddling my lucky rabbit's foot hard, the weather looks like its going to improve from this weekend onwards.....you never know we might even see that big ,yellow ,round shaped thing that used to float around in the sky.............

Pro Series 2 with Nigel....

It's always nice when you make a board for one of your closest friends, its even nicer when you recieve a mail from him with these simple words...

''Juliano,

Goes nice mate.....''

...and a photo off him boosting a nice backhand air.

We made Nigel two Pro Series 2's, one is a standard PU blank and polyester resin, the other is a EPS blank and epoxy resin.

Nigel has just returned from Indo so we will be getting a more in depth testimonial from him about his boards very soon....

Available online - http://www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk/category/44/pro-series-2.html

This is Nigel Cross on his Pro Series 2.......Ripping.

Its that time again....

SCRAPPAGE SCHEME!!!!! Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 100 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact.
Offer is on from now until the 7th July.... Tempted? Who isn't!!!

A review from Mirka

Lately you may have heard that we are using new dust free sanders, Provided by Mirka, http://www.mirka.com .

As it happens we made them a board, and received an email from Dean Slocombe
(Technical Sales Development, Mirka) this morning...

''I have put the board under a micro glass to have a very close look, it is just so good no defects and the gloss level hasn't dropped I have taken readings several time to see if it has dropped, it hasn't ( a superb job that all I can say)''

As these guys work with some of the best of the best, in the world of Sanding and polishing we are super happy to hear our hard work is impressing even the most technical of men. Take a browse of their site if this sort of thing interest you as it may just blow your mind....

And the Winner is....

KittenLily Louise Day! Not only does she have tats that Wilbs will be jealous of, she also has some lovely free GS goodies!

Thanks to everyone that 'liked' and 'shared' on facebook...Keep checking on in our facebook page as we will be doing more contests in the future....

hidden talent....................

matt hawkshaw a.k.a Spoon is gulfstream's glasser......often skulking in the dark recesses of the factory,he's hard to to find,harder to communicate with , and often misunderstood.
Yet under the hard monosyllabic exterior is an individual with many talents.... .. a natural wit when he's in the mood, a fine drinker, a talented skateboarder, a surfer with a style harking back to occhilupo at his '88 peak, and a probably the best glasser in the country.
Check this latest little fish fresh out of the glassing bay.By all means go to the factory and ask him how he did it..........if you can find him.

tell me why...................

.....go bob.............

pure p-land

with the howling sou'wester and plenty of swell there's only one place to go......the weather's dirty ,so no need to bring your shorts..........

summer shorts............

its the second week in june so if you haven't got your shorts out it might now be the time to do so...............just make sure they're not too short......

new kid in the shop..................

If you're in braunton in the next few weeks pop into the shop and say 'hi' to Ed, gulfstream's new techical retail engineering merchandiser.........You'll easier recognise him as he's taller than jools, got more hair than skelly, is better looking than ellis(just) ,less tattooed than will and more articulate than matt.

jubilee madness

enjoy the weekend, thank you maam for tea, victoria sponge, cheap cider and street parties...( oh, and a great weekend of waves...........)

Beautiful all round....

A beautifully made video by the Guardian Newspaper, showcasing the North Devon scene...

Featuring a chap called Cotty, who apparently towed some other surfer into a big wave, Pete Robinson from The 'Museum of British Surfing' and of course our faithful leader Julian Mathews...

Well worth a look.....

looking too good to be true..........

the charts look pretty set for a nice clean swell ,light winds and sunshine all next weekend......thank you maamm and god bless you!

nice board for nicey.........

Me and nicey go back along way,his dad was friends with my dad,I went out with his sister,he even hit me over the head with a table lamp once...but anyway I digress.

He can surf, with an annoying amount of natural flair,I remember as a kid him doing backhand laybacks, futuristic frontside off the lips/airs, and he had an occy-esque backside snap.

Nicey however took the corporate career route,got an expensive car,a penthouse flat and dare I say it a slight business gut.....but he still loves his surfing and this is his new 10ft traditional resin tinted longboard for small days at polzeath.

'Best looking board I've ever seen' was what he said and believe me he knows his surfing.....Fashion however is not his forte as can be witnessed in the photo....a 42 year old ,slightly overweight,corporate banker wearing converse boots?.............

the law of averages.........

soon the weather pattern will change and we'll have surf again.....
here's a vid of slater in barbados to cheer us all up!!

the month of may......

traditionally the month of fertility celebrations involving poles, accordions, and obby oss'......the opening of summer ...(allegedly)
enjoy this vintage clip of padstow

Bank Holiday Cheer

Here at Gulf Stream we can't do much to help with this rather ugly run of surf and weather we are currently suffering in the South West, Booooo!
However, we can help with the bad news that our prices are going up in-store today, Hurrah!
For the Bank Holiday weekend all our board prices will remain at 2011 prices ON-LINE until start of business on Tuesday. Better still, we'll even chuck in free delivery (in England only) until then as well.
What's more, if you are in our Braunton store over the Bank Holiday and you mention this blog or are a 'friend' on Facebook you can still benefit from the same offer.Hip, hip hurrah!
Just so you know, all boards are going up between 20 and 30 quid.Just imagine what you could spend that saving on? OK that is less of a good night out down the pub than it used to be (the Thatch are now charging £4.50 a pint for San Miguel.......I know!)but it's just about half a tank of petrol and that should be enough to get most of you to a decent surf (if there was any).
So enjoy the Bank Holiday, despite the surf, and make the most of the savings until Tuesday.
Oh, and the saving also applies to custom orders too.

windy.....

ell of a noreaster today........thankfully most of us get to choose when we venture into the sea...............

up and down like a yo yo............

onshore ,offshore,small, big ,flat.....I wish it would make its mind up and either pump or go hot and flat.......

tooth fairy

lost a tooth at the dentist's this morning......only 31 to go before its soup for breakfast ,lunch and dinner.

heavenly north westerlies.............

3 positive things about norwesters....

1. the air flow is cool and clear with great visiblity...so despite the frequent showers at least it isn't raining all the time.....

2.Its straight offshore on any south east facing beach.......

3.they provide a great opportunity to get those little jobs done, such as darning socks, making chutney or cutting one's toenails............

on the scrounge..........

does anybody have an old leather chesterfield sofa or armchair thats languishing in their garage....we're on the hunt for one for the shop and will beg/borrow or buy one if its the right thing..............

suping

stand up paddle boarding....an interesting activity.I saw someone walking down saunton with a short one this morning that looked slightly interesting,but the 'sport' still baffles me.Isn't it a bit lazy,a bit of a crutch, a bit like taking a dump and not bothering to pull your trousers down... the fashion however looks enticing....

fallen off the wagon..............

for over 3 months now (my new year's resolution) i haven't bought a single item of clothing new or secondhand......until yesterday.
Full of nautical air and salty spume on the voyage to lundy I couldn't/shouldn't /wouldn't stop myself buying a dark navy sweat shirt with M.S oldenburg and a small picture of the ship embroidered onto it......retail therapy, lovely...............

happy holidays...

last week i went on holiday.....somewhere exclusive ,exotic with clear seas and culinary delights.....cornwall,the promised land.I ate a fair few saffron buns, the odd scone with jam and then cream as well as drinking an ale or 2.
Holidays are great wherever you go so enjoy the easter weekend and make the most out of the ridable surf and the ' at least its not raining' weather!

easter hotness/notness



hot:


hot cross buns: warm with butter ....yum.

chicks:yellow ,fluffy and cheap(cheep...).

bunnies:cooked on a slow heat with shallots,garlic and a bay leaf;served with new potatoes,local greens and a glass of the cold booze of your choice.


not:


early summers:lulled into a false sense of security, back on with the jumpers ,coats and wood fire...

lent:less than 24 hours until the abstinence can be given up.

work:I know that some(most)of you think I have it pretty easy but work's work and working sundays and bank holiday mondays just isn't cricket.....

Test Centre

As from today we have a few boards available to test.....So if you're interested in one of our boards we should have something for you to test.....

So to start off with we have -

- 6'0 speed dialler
- 6'0 fast back shortboard
- 7'4 Minimal
- 7'8 Magic carpet
- 9'6 Saunton Foil

If you want to test one of these, give us a ring....Failing that just pop in the shop for a chat.....

If Carlsberg sold surfboards.....

Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 100 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact. This offer is on from March 24th until April 8th. Tempted? Who wouldn't be......

5p richer...............

well , the chances of jools actually shaping me a 6 9 this side of christmas are getting slimmer and slimmer by the day as work gets busier and busier....

therefore project 69 has ben put my hold...however,

with my quest continuing to find one board , i dug an old 5 10 speedialler out of the second hand rack a few days ago....Oh yes what a find!Probably the most popular board in the world, the speedialler generally goes quickly in anything and hopefully everything....this is my board for 2012, will be loved for the remaining 10 months ,and ridden in literally anything, so welcome to,

project phucking phast phourfin phish....(5p)

We buy any board....

Just change the word 'car' for 'board' and you get the idea..... WE BUY ANY BOARD!!!

Come in the shop to get a quote......

fishing

well, with the weather chart set fair, we could have sunshine and small waves for the next 10 days or more....
so I'll be getting out my fishing 'rod' ...5 foot 8 x 20 1/2 x 23/8 shaped by jools ,3 way resin tint by matt , pinlines by ellis and powered by twin lokbox keel fins.
lets hope i catch a few big ones.....

what if.............

the disgruntled frenchies beat the druids in cardiff by 20 points.....and then we beat the micks by 20 at twickers......england will win the 6 nations...come on england ...allez france!!

Before the madness.....

Asking Cotty to pose with his new tow board made me feel silly. The look on his face when we asked him to do it, made me think he was feeling a very similar feeling.

Fortunately we did take it, and can now use it.

It just so happens that he got probably the most publicised wave of 2012 on it....Crazy to think the board and the surfer both come from a very small area in North Devon.....

The board is back in our shop in Braunton if anyone wants to come take a look. Feel free to send any questions about the board our way.....

whats Not Hot.......

last week full of the joys of spring I had ' travelling' in my what's hot list........

2 days ago a nice speeding ticket arrived through my letterbox....60 miles an hour on the link road......evidently you can only do 50 in a van? be warned!

Having come out of my shell and driven almost as far east as portsmouth ,I'm now going to revert back to my old mantra....

"don't ever go farther right than barnstaple,'cos from there the world's a nasty place,'an 'em's all out to get you..."


below is a shot of japan , the land of the rising sun,as far east as you can go, somewhere I shall never see in the flesh, unless i can get there by drivin' fast off the end of cornwall.............

that'll wake 'ee up..............

what's being called ride of the year.....cold and early last thursday ,cotty on his 5'11 x 16 inch tow board ,shaped by our very own julian'magic thumbs' matthews, sprayed pink and yellow by ellis and glassed rather heavily by the spoon....(the board is now back from its ireland trip and in the shop if anyone fancies a look.)

captain cotton.....

At 10 o'clock on thursday morning cotty was riding this wave........strangely at the same time I was shifting logs in his mother-in-law's garden, which we'd chainsawed up a few weeks earlier, happy as larry in warm spring sunshine.Both enjoying ourselves,him trying to avoid consequential lips, me steering the wheelbarrow around consequential dog shits......the surf looked nice this morning at saunton ,but somehow after seeing this photo I don't think i can be bothered...........

the board goes sick.............

according to andrew cotton a.k.a cotty, his new tow board goes rather fast.Good job too as it looks like he rode possibly wave of the year in ireland yesterday.......photo to come on sunday.
meanwhile to keep you entertained here's a photo i took of cotty when we went fishing in western australia.
If you're keen to get a bit of 'the surfing' in yourself the next 4 days are looking great......

Start of Spring

So this weekend is the first one of spring and it looks like we should be getting some pumping waves. To celebrate we thought we would give our first 20 customers that say 'Spring is here' a free block of wax.....

Pop down this weekend to make the most of it......All you need to do is pop in the shop and say 'spring is here'.....Simples

it won't be long..........

......until the gloves and boots are off , you're wearing a 3/2 and feeling wax under your feet....now if I can just get jools to shape me a summer board, something a bit wider ,flatter and with a funky spray job .....

cornish legends


they say cornishmen last longer ..............
so congratulations to father whose celebrating 50 years lasting with mother today.....

what's hot

hot....
march:sunshine and waves ,so far so good.

travelling:this week I went almost as far as sussex...it felt good to get home....

toyota:totally reliable ,thank goodness.(see above)

paisley print:tis the pattern to be seen in this spring

not.....
hares:mad as a march hare.....hare's are scarey and strange ..do not look them them in the eye.........

petrol prices:jolly high

flip flops: we don't want to see your white hairy toes now the sun's made a brief appearance.

courtney lawes:out for the remaining 6 nations matches

Photo Comp Winner

So the jury is back....The votes are in....The big wigs have spoken.... Ellie Miller you are the winner!

Please get in touch with us so we can arrange how to get the prizes to you....

Ellie Miller, Saunton Foil at Saunton.....

Next competition winner will be announced on May 1st....Two months this time to get your entries in.....

Cooking up a storm......

Not wanting to be out-done by his older brother, this is young Storm Wall showing the old man how to lay it on a rail. Good work young man!!!!!

what's hot and not........................

hot:
stacked heels for men:jools went to twickenham on saturday and would have certainly missed most of the match if it wasn't for his stacked heels.....

spring:its march on thursday....yahooooo!

wales:you make your own luck they say but the druids were bloody lucky.

gardening:uphill or downhill its time to start sowing....

not:

winter:be gone I tell you...

tan less hides: my body hasn't seen the sun now for 6 months plus.. and it definitely doesn't look pale and interesting....

saunton:it is without doubt the world's most dangerous wave, and can at times be the world's best wave ,but at the moment the sands have shifted, its closing out and is probably the world's worst wave.

beach carpark charges:time to buy 3 carparking season tickets?

The road to Freedom.....

Here's a recent snap of young Freedom Wall, son of legendary long-haired electician Andy, standing in the middle of the road, showing blatent disregard for any oncoming traffic. Don't try this at home kids! Freedom's just returned from a quick trip with his old man to Portugal, where by all accounts he was absoloutly RIPPING. But then again, what would you expect from one of the best young surfers in the area, equiped with a hot new little Gulf Stream at his disposal...?

surgery open...............

roll up....roll up........we need some patients...............................
send your problems to uncle scoot at info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

what's hot and what's not......animal magic special

whats hot:

lassie:15 consecutive years as best in breed.

flipper:flippin' brilliant.

skippy:australia's most intellectual export.

tarka:eveyone's favourite otter.

whats not:

red rum: the world's fastest burger.

rudolf:315 days until employment.

kermit:no one likes frogs.

mr.blobby:????????????????

whats hot et was ist nicht..........european edition

bonjour ,and bien venue ,wilkommen
hello and welcome to a special european what's hot and what's not.

hot/chaud/heiss

berets: the headwear to be seen in in southwest england this spring...don't blame me though if you get punched ...

lederhosen:for those who like the feel of suede next to their bare buttocks....

houmous:healthy chickpea baby food from greece ,who are still just about in europe....

guinness:at 5 euros a pint the black stuff is now seriously hot

not/nein/nicht/non

french cars:bad at the best of times ,even worse when they don't work ,hey ellis........

scottish try scorers: as rare as hens teeth...maybe tommorrow against the welsh.....

fabio capello:arrivederci old bean

frankfurters:floppy pink sausages are no use to man nor beast....

what's hot rugby special........

after a great english victory at murrayfield this saturday, i thought this weeks hot/not would be the english rugby team............

dan cole:solid scrummaging from rick yeo's long lost cousin...7/10

dylan hartley:as abrasive as a piece of 60 grit...shame his lineout throwing was like an 8 year old girl in the school playground.6/10

alex corbisiero:our yankee import had a 'nice day' containing 'the i don't play on a sunday' scottish christian.7/10

tom palmer:ugly enough to eat his own children.Unfortunately put in a less than scarey performance.5/10

mouritz botha:aggressive ,abrasive and typically south african.7/10

tom croft:fast,involved and tall..the giraffe of the team.7/10

phil dowson:too small,too light and too soft...back to the saxons please.4/10

chris robshaw:niggly,committed and led from the front.8/10

ben youngs:still doesn't look like his old/young self.7/10

sir charles:some delightful touches from the old man.7/10

dave strettle:even my nan was faster than cueto, strettle is considerably faster than her.....7/10

owen farrell: mini faz big plums.8/10

brad barritt:unbelievable defence..typically south african.8/10

chris ashton:old banjo had his wings clipped in nz needs to start loving himself again.6/10

ben foden:huge effort by the boyfriend of a famous popstar..one of the first names now on the teamsheet.8/10

Cotty's new tow board....

Here's Mr. Andrew Cotton who swung by the shop the other day to pick up his new tow board, ready to go and charge the big stuff round Europe this winter. We'll keep you posted on his crazy antics over the next few months-watch this space......

Time Away...




As you may or may not know, I am fortunate enough to have the month of February off from work, and even more fortunate to spend it all in Morocco. Having done my time in the 'hub' of moroccan surfing, Taghazoute, I am heading down south.A much more adventurous place, and a much quieter one at that...

Hopefully i will do 1 or 2 blogs a week, waves depending, tackling important issues like 'what board for what day?' 'is short and wide best?' and anything else I can think of.....But to start with, what board to take?

As you can see i have main boards 4 to choose from (starting from the left) -

6'3'' Pintail - 6'3'' x 18 3/8'' x 2 3/8'' - not a board i have ridden much. Probably only 6 times in the year i have owned it. I have ridden it in big onshores, and have always enjoyed it, but never really had that moment when you fall in love with a board. When ever i take it to the beach i end up using a normal shortboard instead as for fear of being over gunned. However by chance i rode it a few days ago in 2-3ft low tide croyde, and it was amazing. Wave catching was effortless, fat sections were cruised over, cutbacks and top turns where smooth and flowing, and being able to get into waves that little bit earlier meant i could set different lines and approach the wave in a different manner.

5'8'' Fastback - 5'8'' x 19'' x 2 1/4'' - A brand new board, Not had a chance to ride it yet. Had it made with 2-4ft punchy waves in mind. I really enjoy the length of my stickleback, but wanted something that was based more around a shortboard, and this is what julian suggested....

6'0 Shortboard - 6'0'' x 18 1/4'' x 2 1/4'', a straight off the rack board. Over the last few years Julian has made slight adjustments to his stock shortboards, the main one being the nose has about an 1/8'' more width at the 6'' mark than the previous models. Might not seem a lot but does give you that little bit more without compromising it of its thorough-bred roots.This goes well for me in anything from 2ft to 6ft, and for the past year has been my day to day choice.Being a standard shortboard its, fast, responsive and prefers to be ridden in mid range good shaped waves.

5'8'' Stickleback MK1 - 5'8'' x 19 3/4'' x 2 1/4'', again a straight off the rack board, 5 lokboxes allow this board to be ridden as a quad or thruster. I always ride it as a quad. I first used it in small mushy waves, a bad wave shortboard if you will. On a few rare occasions i have rode it in good size, hollow waves, and i have to say, it absolutely flew. Thewidth in the nose allowed me to paddle in early, even when competing with strong offshores and the quad set up meant it could hold its line well and carry its speed effortlessly through sections.

Which to take with me though?, I only want to take 3 as I know that even with that many choices one won't get surfed at all...

I have decided to take my 5'8'' fastback, 6'0 shortboard and 6'3'' pintail. This should have all my bases covered.... Oh and obviously i'm taking my wooden belly board too...one should never leave home with out it...

uncle scoot's clinic

patients please................
send your problems to uncle scoot ...info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

hot hot hot

well, sorry this week's hot/not is late ,but jools has gone on holiday and ellis and I ,left to our own devices got a bit carried away (see photo)........

hot.............
chris robshaw:announced today as england rugby captain against scotland

stephen hester:the rbs chief exec. turned down his ,just shy of a million quid, bonus....

snow:the mood enhancing white stuff arrived yesterday on the tops of exmoor.

not...............
the benefits system:been in disarray for years.

beards and lumberjack shirts:hot in the sunday times yesterday, not in devon(unless you're dealing with wood)

british rail:sorry sir you can't take a surfboard on the train any longer...

Some entries for the competition

Entries have been coming in thick and fast.... Not sure how to enter?

- Either email us your photo to info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk
- Tweet it to us @gulfstreamsurf
- Tag us in the photo on Facebook, Gulf Stream Surfboards

With the photo we need your name, where the photo was taken, your e-mail address and if possible the details of the board you are surfing.

Here are a few that we have received already.....


Alec Hume, Bali, 6'1 x 18 7/8'' x 2 1/4


Archie Willis, Woolacombe on a 5’11 x 17 /4’ 2 1/8 with deep six channels '' x 2 1/4



Archie Willis, Woolacombe on a 6'2 x 18 1/4’ 2 1/8 sledging!



Chris Welburn, Capbreton 6’0 x 18 /8 x 2 1/4



Josh Witts, Woolacombe on his trusty 5'10 x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4


Ramon Allison, Boilers, Morocco on a 6'9 Pintail

ask uncle scoot: INTERNATIONAL EDITION

'allo,good evening and bien venue to the clinic.

This week we have 2 'international' queries;one from wales ,a small country just north west of bristol, and the other one from geordieland, a small country along way north east of bristol..........



firstly lets deal with Ian from cardiff.He's taken my advice and to keep himself in shape during the winter he's doing the infamous..'give me 20 press ups every time you pee' training regime from neil clifton's first training manual .....

unfortunately Ian's getting covered in pee.The answer is simple ian; pee first then do the exercises.....urinating whilst training is a whole different matter and will be dealt with later in the year when we delve into clifton's advanced manual.......



the second query is from 'marc' from newcastle.Marc ,despite having a few week old baby and having not worked for over a month has just put a deposit on a 6 8 pintail......

he's worried that when his girlfriend finds out it'll be less 'whey aye man' and more of a swift jab to the goolies....

well marc, here are a couple of plausible excuses for you ...

1. there ain't no way your new son is going to want his dad 'under
gunned' the next time croyde is 6-8 ft and firing......


2. i believe you obtained the deposit by selling a second hand board to a jesus loving christian....so perhaps look at it as payback from 'the hand of god' for maradonna's little shilton tussle in '86.............


to book an 'appointment' at next monday's surgery email your problem to info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk

at your service......

its amazing what 3 weeks of hard training and no booze has done to the GS team....

Rob Carey

For every beautifully polished board in lies the demanding task of polishing....
....This traditional 9'6'' Saunton Foil is for Rob Carey....

hot hot hot

hot.
project 69:it was a bit of a mouthful for jools but he's now lapping up the idea........

6 nations rugby:2 weeks to go chaps

hot pie:good at any time of the year

bideford strip club: 'hotter otter, when beaver simply will not do'
a 'pretend' club with professional signage attached, that ruffled a few north devon feathers....

swami satchidananda:the tom curren of the yoga world but just a little more bendy and with not quite such a good top turn................





not hot.
mid devon councillors:voted for themselves to receive a payrise of 23%..nice

costa concordia:top sailing , captain

wales:too close to north devon for comfort......(only joking)

abstinance: the discipline is at the end of its tether....

Photo Comp

I had a little think last night and decided to run a contest. It's a really simple one, all you need to do is send me a photo of yourself surfing a gulf stream board, whether it be a longboard or shortboard. We are not picking the most impressive surfing photo but the photo we like the most.

As long as its you, and you're on one of our boards.

On the 1st of March I will pick my favourite and that lucky person wins some gulf stream goodies....

How to Enter?
- Either email us your photo to info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk
- Tweet it to us @gulfstreamsurf
- Tag us in the photo on Facebook, Gulf Stream Surfboards

With the photo we need your name, where the photo was taken, your e-mail address and if possible the details of the board you are surfing.

Let me start things off....

Will Smith, Harbour rights, Fuerteventura, 6'0 Shortboard. (photo by Zac Gibson)

As easy as that.....Look forward to seeing your efforts, I will post the odd few on here as the contest goes....

just a thought........

in an attempt to 'simplify' my mental state...i've done a fair few trips to both the charity shop and the tip this last 2 weeks, I've stopped boozing and i've also decided to buy no shoes or clothes for a whole year...........I've also been doing some rather lengthy marches across the moors......perhaps I'm teetering on the edge of madness(you'll never take me alive...) but no i'm just following me old mate conor wilson's mantra.....

'there can be no freedom without discipline'


In a continuation of this vein, i thought it would be fun to tidy up my surfing quiver as well;rather then riding alot of boards, sometimes upto 10 a week,maybe i should ,for this year, ride just one surfboard in everything.....from 1 foot summer saunton to 8 foot winter croyde.


Having given this a far bit of thought my weapon of choice is going to be a 6 9 pintail, enough buoyancy to bounce around the longboarders at saunton and enough hold for when it gets jolly big...

so welcome to PROJECT 69......

now i just need to convince jools to shape it!

ask uncle scoot......

well , it appears that all's well amongst the surfing community this week...any problems,queries or advice required?mail me on info@gulfstreamsurfbaords.co.uk or else we'll have to start making up things and we don't want to do that........

Pat Le Good

Pat picking up his 7'0 semi gun, ''A mans board'' 7'0'' x 19 1/4'' x 2 3/8''....Hopefully we get some swell for it soon....

hot hot hot......not not not

hot hot hot....

new years resolution:well i've kept this quiet as i thought there's no way i can do this...but 2 weeks in i'm focussed and firmly on the rails....my resolution is to not buy a single item of clothing or footwear for the entire year!...watch the braunton charity shops gradually decline and go into receivership one by one!

sunshine:2 of the last 3 mornings have been dry and sunny when i've walked the dog at 7.30.....joy

england rugby squad:announced last wednesday....out with ALL the dead wood, except charlie hodgson and lee mears?

surfboard riding:waves on sunday/monday...could me my first dip of the year?


not not not.....

sausages:in the news today...its bad for man to eat too much sausage!really?

boozing:drinking's for losers.....and i'm a winner,honestly.

televisions:take it to the tip and do something more interesting instead.

winter:surely we can't be heading smoothly into spring's warmer days and ever increasing evenings

ask the man from uncle scoot.........

well, a couple of interesting 'problems' this week.

First we have a rather persistent problem from a rather persistent R.Van Wankle.I won't go into the gory details ,but mister R.V.W. wears incontinence pants while surfing and is having trouble obtaining wetsuits that will accomodate his pissy/pooey ,padded pants.......well, obviously i went straight to the horse's mouth and contacted Malcolm Ball ,M.D of snugg wetsuits...evidently its a rather common problem in cornwall.So if you don't mind coming into the shop on saturday we can measure you up,... over and around them...

The next problem is from a chap called William.
William writes 'dear uncle scoot,I work in retail and since christmas things have quietened down abit and so i find my self daydreaming for hours on end about long moroccan point breaks.It doesn't bother me, but my boss is getting a bit agitated by me achieving nothing throughout the whole working day'
well young william, or can I call you 'will'...i myself am often in the same situation ,though dreaming about concertinas,sailor suits and french polish, not morrocco.I find the trick is to set yourself small,managable targets interspersed with hard, physical activity, try to keep abreast of 'the boss's' movements and if all else fails twiddle one's facial hair whilst looking thoughtfully constructive......

to book an appointment at next monday's 'surgery' email your problem to info@gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk......

what's 'unbelievable'

as an addition to this week's not hot I thought that this deserved a special mention......in the news a few days ago it was revealed that over 100 devon and cornwall police officers have a criminal record including shop lifting,burglary and common assault........?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

premier hot and not

hot 2012:
abstinance:not a drop of alcohol has touched my body for 6 days now....god,i feel good and god i feel smug.....

concertinas:the coolest instrument to play in 2012...allegedly

gingers:only joking...

bob holness:the legend of blockbusters has died this week peacefully in his sleep aged 83.

new'pretty'tide tables:made and created locally by kooksurfer...available from all good surf shops and even waterstones.....

nothot 2012:
surfing:its been so long I'm not sure i'll be able to ever get to my feet again.

january bills:brace yourself as they'll soon be dropping on your doorstep.

olympic ticketing:10,000 too many synchronised swimming tickets have been sold?......

chocolate: until february 1st.

uncle scooting into 2012

happy new year,
the first monday of the new year is traditionly the most depressing day of the year.Fortunately ,this year its a bank holiday so at least most of you have the day off ,unlike me....However for those of you working today a few cheery facts...its only 9 weeks until march 1st ...spring, its only 12 weeks until the clocks change....easy surfing after work and its only 24 weeks until the summer solstice after which time we start heading back into winter...oh dear....

first on the list today is shaun from Farnham whose having trouble with his cutbacks....generally losing speed.There's a couple of things that have to be right when doing a forehand cutback...the easiest way to do 'em is look where you want to go ,open your front shoulder , and lead with your front arm (your left arm if you're a regualar foot).Also you must keep your weight and hold it on the left hand rail as long as possible, up until the point where you come round the corner and are about to rebound off the white water...that's the theory anyway!If you're surfing croyde watch out for Cotty as he has a particularly 'tasty' frontside cutty....

Next up is Felicity from Bristol who has 'short arms'.Felicity.., people quite often have trouble getting their arms around boards that are 22 or 23 inches wide, hence we can make you a slightly narrower minimal in the 21 inch width range for the same price as a stock minimal...the performance difference will be slight but you will be able to carry it under your arm which will mean getting to the sea will be a joy!....

jerome ......jerome .....jerome.....I may be hard up ,but anal gland evacuation is something I leave to the experts....

And finally this week I passed James Stentiford on the road yesterday and he gave me a cheery double thumbs up.I can only assume that his clacker calamity has been cured.......

stay cheerful,

U.S

hot/not...........

the final hot/not of 2011, the second warmest year ever recorded in the uk....

HOT.
surfers path.a proper,ethical surfing magazine containing proper ,good articles on surfing!...especially this month's issue out now!

homemade knitwear.having received a fine polperro pattern gansey (knitted 'on the round' by my mother) and 1 1/2 pairs of socks for christmas,I'll be heading for spring top to toe ,dressed in wool...

goretex.a great invention;essential material for a 'normal' british winter.

press-ups.now this might seem a little obsessive,but I'm back on my'whenever i take a piss i do 20 push ups 'routine ,inorder to fight the christmas flab(see below).This fitness regime is great for paddling and was handed over to me in a pub urinal by woolacombe's finest, neil clifton.

NOT.
weight gain.over the last 10 days I've consumed more chocolate and cake than I had done in the previous 10 months.Consequently, I've moved up a belt notch and my pants feel painfully tight.....roll on next week(see what's HOT)

recession.most economists say that a european recession is inevitable next year.....at least that means interest rates will stay low , hence there's no real excuse for not buying a new board on a credit card!......

father christmas.enjoy a well earned rest,see you next year...

new years eve celebrations.no hangover for me as I've got too much fitness to do ,starting on january the first.....

Merry Christmas

Ho Ho Ho...Merry Christmas to everyone...Enjoy the festive period, eat too much, drink too much and be generally Merry...

ask great uncle scoot......

with monday the 26th being a bank holiday and uncle scoot off to foreign climes (cornwall..) spending his christmas bonus....(I wish...)...the next surgery will be on monday the 2nd of january,officially the most depressing day of the year.So at least I'm offering a little light at the end of the tunnel and a few of your most pressing problems to be sorted.Subjects on the clinic list include:
figure of 8 cutbacks
avoiding vets bills....(thanks tom, I mean Jerome!)
living with short arms,
another update on knowle's most famous testicles
and any other christmas calamity that crops up,
'Seasonal Cheer' to everyone, I hope you're going to get as pissed up as I am over the next few days (softened with a few token 'walks')and see you all in the new year.....

merrily hotly and miserly notly

well, as today's been rather hectic...playing christmas carols ,eating mince pies, writing christmas cards and selling surfboards.....please excuse a rather short what's hot and an absent what's not(in the spirit of christmas)
Hot:
traditional christmas carols
tins of quality street
satsumas
sausages wrapped in bacon
prawn vol au vents
selection boxes
watching crap telly on christmas evening
boxing day walks
and finally mums!

Cotty's Premiere

Last week saw the Premiere of the Nazare Big wave film 'Zon North Canyon Show Documentary' as well as a Q and A with Cotty and Jools, hosted and run by the British Surf Museam.

It all went down very well, Jools had some great insights to share about the design and differences in manufacturing the board, and Cotty had some fantastic stories to tell.
Cotty also got to pick up the new tow board that we made him...looks nice and bright doesn't it...Well we want he to be visible don't we

Thanks to Rob Tibbles for the image.

The U.S clinic......

good afternoon,
welcome to this week's surgery.........
First off,great news re last week's testicle trauma,James has taken my advice seriously and immediately flown off to the french alps to get some sweet, mountain air circulating between those clammy clackers.Well done jim.Thanks also for the advice from Captain Graham Briggs on music selection for towelling(see last week).Captain Briggs recommended music by both Spandau Ballet and Level 42...advice that was passed onto James with both speedy, efficiency and miltary precision.Thank you Captain....Sir!


Dave,from Plymouth is having trouble with his top turns....he writes..
"I ALWAYS SEEM TO LOSE SPEED AT THE APEX OF MY TURN.ANY SUGGESTIONS?I CURRENTLY RIDE A FAIRLY STANDARD 6'3''?"
Well dave,like any physical pastime surfing involves preparation,practice,timing and a big enough piece of equipment......depending on your size 6'3'' sounds like a pretty small tool...The smaller your equipment ,the better you have to be with all the other aspects to perform at a high level ,or to put it another way,if you've got a big piece of equipment you can get away with murder.........
Anyway,try practicing holding the turn on the rail to maintain and increase speed,leading with your front arm and turning your head to the direction in which you wish to go.Hope this works ,if not try a bigger/wider/flatter board.


Finally, we have a rather cheeky letter from the mum of young Will Smith...gulfstream's alleged I T 'expert'.She writes "HELP MY 24 YEAR OLD SON IS BACK AT HOME LIVING AND I'M AFRAID HE'S FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FRIEND AND COLLEGUE AND WILL END UP IN HIS 40'S WITHOUT A PROPER JOB AND ONLY A DOG FOR COMPANY...PLEASE ADVISE HOW BEST TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO CHANGE HIS LIFESTYLE"
Firstly Mrs. Smith I think your letter is a bit harsh on Jools.He works really quite hard,though i admit a bit sporadically,and just to correct you he's got a cat not a dog.......................To be honest I think with role models like his Uncle Dave( and dare I say it ,your 'examples' of english grammar) he was doomed from an early age.
Please send your questions in to 'ask uncle scoot' in time for next week's christmas eve special.....

Custom Keel Fin

Take a look at this stunning looking keel fin. Custom ordered by Jago Seymour....he collected it yesterday and couldn't of been happier....who wouldn't be?

Hope you get some great waves on it Jago....

What's hot and what's not........

hot.
europe: love thy neighbour................

uncle skoot:answering the nation's problems in the spirit of claire rayner.RIP.(see next monday)

lumberjack fashion:its time to throw the sailor suit overboard and embrace checked shirts,chainsaws,rocking chairs and axes,inbreed banjo playing mute cousins optional.......

creamed honeys:possibly the coolest 70s board you could wish to find in your attic........

not.
pandas:with two giant pandas,tia tia and yang guang, now arriving at edinburgh zoo,if you own a bamboo decked surfboard ,trips to thurso in northern scotland are now decidedly more risky....

australia:being on the other side of the world its really just too far away to be of any use...........

the cost of living:levelling out.......allegedly

january:already looming....no booze,no chocolate ,no cake.....just dark nights,wet windy runs and a healthy diet....

Uncle Scoot saves the world............

We have 2 questions this week,only one involving surfing........so I'll have a go at dealing with the other one first.
James Stentiford from Knowle has sent in a common problem for men in their forties..."I have the itchiest balls ever.Its not a problem ,but my girlfriend Penny doesn't like me scratching them in public.Any advice please?"
Well James I shall do my best to help with your clacker calamity/plum problem/testicular trouble......I think intially a long course of aeration is required, consequently get them out in the elements as much as possible especially if its windy.You need to keep them dry, as I imagine your main problem is moisture which no doubt is a combination of sweat and incorrect towelling after 'sport'.....
To towel correctly:
1.roll up towel.
2.hold at each end between legs.
3.lift up to testicle height.
4.put favourite 80s record on gramaphone(duranduran 'wild boys' is my choice)
5.move pelvis backwards and forwards keeping towel stationary
6.apply talcum powder liberally.

only wear loose fitting clothing for the next 2 weeks ,such as pyjamma trousers, playsuits, or baggy pleated skirts......
let me know how it goes and oh, avoid aeration near schools , the mums rather like it....

the next query is surfboard related and comes from Debbie Hands who not surprisingly has withheld her address.....anyway I digress......
'Dear uncle scoot, with the ever rising popularity of quad and twin fin fish .What does one have to ride to get the optimum float and drive from small waves?What are your thoughts on short wide thrusters?Hope you can help a lady in need....
First off let me say I love fish ,twins and quads....I think they're great for uk waves.The general template of our retro fish and speeddialler are both short and wide with very little rocker.Consequently,you don't need much 'push' from the wave to get them going.Combine this with the fins being all on the rail and every time you do a little wiggle or correction you get ever more speed....
Short wide thrusters tend to have less nose area and a bit more rocker ,so consequently don't have the natural glide of the more traditional fish and have to be ridden more off the tail.Because of this they're better in hollow ,more powerful small waves.........
In conclusion,debbie if you want a fish for saunton type waves go for the traditional twin or speedddialler, or if you what a small wave board for little days at somewhere like croyde, perhaps a short ,wide thruster, 'the fastback' is the way to go.....

Well, hopefully that's another couple of peoples' problems cleared up.Keep sending your questions in and tune in again next monday for another 'exciting' episode.......

HOTNOT.....................

hot for this week..................

2nd hand boards: a great deal at any time of the year...just traded in a lovely 7' 2'' carpet today if anyone's interested....

Pipeline:shallow and heavy, but not in same danger league as saunton!

National Trust:firmly against the Atlantic Array windfarm(see 3 weeks ago)..I've just renewed my membership and for the first time in my life feel strongly enough to chain myself to a bulldozer.....

Neoprene-lined wellies:an absolute godsend now the weather has finally turned colder.Expensive to buy but can just as easily be made by buying some cheap wellies( 2 sizes too big..),some PVA glue and cutting off an old winter wetsuit just below the knee....

David Cameron:refused to sign over power to brussels re the euro, much to Sarkozy's irritation...


not for this week...........

Scottish Wind Turbine:Not too special when its 'windy'.....a 100metre tall turbine burst into flames in north ayrshire yesterday....................

turkeys:not a good time of year if you happen to be one....

wrapping christmas presents:I just can't ever seem to get into it....

europe(again):the ship is shipping....au revoir ,arrivederci,and auf wiedersehen pet,.....

Surfboard scrappage scheme is BACK ON!

Ok people, you probably know the deal by now-trade in ANY board against a new G.S.(off the rack or custom order), and get at least 100 pounds off. All we ask is that the board you trade in be in one piece with fins intact. This offer is on for the whole month of December. Tempted? Who wouldn't be......

ask uncle scoot

due to technical difficulties on monday last ....Ask Uncle Scoot....will now be debuting on monday 12th of december with a couple of 'interesting problems'.......
Please keep sending in your 'problems' for the following week's clinics.....

Cottys new Tow board Ep. 5

Been a bit slow on the updates with Cotty's tow board, its getting ready to have weight added to it, then glassed and sanded. Until we get some photos of it having work done on it here is a clip of him riding the old one we made him.
Short film made by www.wavedreamer.co.uk

Cotty is also doing a Premiere of the Zon North Canyon Show starring G Mac, Al mennie and his self on the 15th december at Croyde Village hall. The lovely guys at the Museum of British Surfing are hosting it and hoping to raise some money so please support. Tickets are available in our Braunton shop....

ask UNCLE SCOOT

as of this monday, the blog will have a new feature; a problem page ,primarily about surfing, but other topics can be discussed as well, anonymously if you choose........
Please bear in mind that I am a 43 year old man, with no real job,a number of failed relationships, no children, and ideals that are a long way removed from reality.However if I can't help, I can always ask my dog...........
Address emails to 'ask uncle scoot' for a fast ,efficient answer to any of lifes,niggles,doubts and queries.

apology....

I seem to have upset a few local members of the teaching fraternity with this week's not hot(see yesterday).....Sorry
your jobs are underpaid , you all work far too hard, the hours are victorian and you should have much longer holidays...in fact exotic ,foreign holidays paid for by the tax payer............

Hotly......and Notly

Hotly............
December:
Holly,Ivy,turkey and goose,
Tis the season to get rather loose...........

Sunset beach,oahu:
If you haven't surfed it,you really should......

Jeremy Clarkson:
A tall bloke ,whose fashion is so bad its so good,saying what he thought on live national T.V...Go Jezzer.....

Nazare Big Wave Surf Film Night:
December 15th croyde village hall 7.30pm.....be there......

Notly..........
Pensions:
society funded pensions should be a joy whatever their size...I'm sure that Jools has got ours covered.........

Personalised car number plates:
SM4LL K0K5

Teachers:
I wish I had 3 months off a year,finished just after lunch,had a guaranteed pension, and only had to entertain a few kids everyday............

Angela Merkel:
We now have a german woman running europe....das ist nicht gut....

Super Dad...

There are only a few chaps I know with a wife, two kids, and a dog that can still sneak off when its pumping and get a photo like this. Luckily we have one of them working for us. Ellis Beeton, Super dad....

what's jolly hot and what's jolly well not......

piping HOT:
Exmoor: only 20 minutes up the road from gulfstream HQ and the perfect excuse to drink real ale,eat steak pies and don one's best farmer fashion(see last week)......

learning a musical instrument: surely better than watching telly?

moustaches:with movember nearly over, there is some great ,local upper lip bristlage on display, and some serious money being raised for charity.My upper lip is clean,though I am empathising with a by-now ridiculous set of lamb chop sideburns.

dark evenings:the perfect excuse for an early beer after a 5 pm dog walk.

very NOT:
flipflops:still worn by some tough men...its december next week for christ's sake.....

Autumn colds:got my first viral infection of the season and its knocked me for 6...

Bamboo decked surfboards:Are they available in a different wood laminates? as they won't last five minutes in areas of high panda population density.....

Taking children to work:so says Mr.Cameron....that would mean 3 under 5s in the gulfstream factory next wednesday.Is that really a good idea David?

Lucky for some...

Here is a our very own Wilbur having some down time in Morocco. Apparently he worked really hard this summer and deserved to surf perfect empty waves for two weeks...whether he did or not, you cant argue that this looks like a lot of fun...Cheers Hassan for the Image.....

what is hot, and what is not.....

hot....
proper waves: real waves again for the weekend...wax up those pintails....

Bob Burnquist: check him out dropping into a jolly big half pipe on a 'surfboard'...(in the rain!...)

farmer fashion:'tis the time of year when the odd welly,a flash of baler twine or a tweed hat give a man a spring to his autumnal step...

a firm handshake:approach the person's line of sight,look them straight in the eye,smile, and give them a firm ,steady shake.......(on the hand...)

the england rugby league team:beat new zealand last weekend with no fuss,no mike tindall, and no rob andrew....

Not......
smoking:about 100,000 people in the UK die each year due to smoking.If you are a long term smoker your life expectancy is about 10 years less than a non smoker.Cheery news......

putsborough:fat,slow and busy at the weekends,its generally not much fun.......but, just occcasionally when the sun comes out and it hits a bit of a bank....

Martin Johnson:well, what did you honestly expect from a second row forward....

log deliveries:with woodburners popping up in every orifice, the demand for logs in north devon seems to be increasing exponentially.Consequently getting your hands on quality seasoned hardwood is both difficult and expensive.Luckily I know a chap(see 4weeks ago) with a serious wood.....

Wooly going richter....

Here's a random little clip of Woolacombe a couple of weeks ago at the peak the week long swell we were blessed with. It'll either bring back fond memories, or add to the frustration that you were at work all week and missed the lot......

what's hot and what ain't.....

HOT..........
Burger smuggling:
due to the availability of rather substandard burgers(see last week),
at the weekend I attempted the dangerous and most definitely illegal pastime of burger smuggling at an organized firework event....The bloke on the gate definitely gave me "the I can see you're up to something" look and i think, had i been a girl he would have stripped searched me on the spot.(unfortunatly he didn't....)So,despite a small relish leak,I managed to ,smuggly enjoy luxury burgers,much to the envy of the rest of the law abiding crowd...

Giraffes:
with 40% (2 out of 5) of the gulfstream team being under 5 feet 4 ,although not my favourite animal from an aesthetic perspective , the giraffe is bloody useful to have around when requiring the fetching of various items from high shelves....

Cotty:
at nazare last week he towed the GMAC into possibly the biggest wave ever ridden(see world media!)....bloody big gingery/blond legend.....

The fastback:
gulfstream's new, wide shortboard.Its a marrying of two favourite templates with a low rocker and a bit of chunk ...Jools shaped me a 5 11 a couple of weeks ago ,which I've been riding all this week in waves from 2 to 5 feet.Now I'm pretty old(in fact 43 yesterday),i've spent or wasted (in the words of my mother) most of my life surfing and messing about in the sea,and consequently over the years I've owned and ridden alot of boards ,shaped by quite a few of the 'best' shapers in the world.The joy of custom surfboards is that sometimes everything comes together and you get a 'magic' board...My new custom fastback is exceptional, a truly,magic board ,so what can I say but 'thank you julian'...............

NOT........
dufflecoats:
unless you're 8 or paddington bear, leave well alone....

Gabriel Medina:
Is he ruining pro surfing?....or am I just getting old?.......

The death of Sir Jimmy Savile:
a slightly eccentric chap(see 3 weeks ago ) with a heart of gold lame(sorry my keyboard doesn't seem to have an acute accent for the e in lame).Jim fixed it for me as a 10 year old boy to spend a fun filled day of naval seamen at devonport dockyard.He did a great deal for charity, and always had a smile and a 'now then,now then,guys and gals' for everybody.The legend has been buried at an angle of 45 degrees in scarborough cemetery, so that he always has a seaview...

europe:
Is the euro about to go down la toilette

The Fastback......

Introducing the latest addition to the Gulf Stream family, the 'Fastback'....Short, wide, bit of volume, looks to die for. Pop into the store to see them in the flesh or keep an eye on www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk for the full feature including photos, videos and testimonials....

what's hot and what's not......

HOT....

kelly slater:
congratulations old bean...11 times world champ!
pintails:
Does anything honestly feel better than pushing hard off the bottom on a long pintail semi-gun?

humble pie:
personally i prefer steak and ale pie...but just occasionally getting smashed up by mother ocean is actually a rather cathartic feeling...

autumn swells:
what a week.......real waves on narrow boards..yahoo!.....Pintails available(see above) in all lengths...order one now!!!

the C.R.S:
the french riot police threatened to strike last week after bosses decided to ban them from drinking on the job.....This elite french force have traditionally been allowed 25 cl of wine (that's nearly half a pint!) or a beer with their lunch.....No wonder no one messes with them....especially in the afternoons......

NOT
lynmouth:
probably the most crowded lefthander in the world........

bad burgers:
I love guy fawkes night...........the smell of gunpowder, bonfires and burgers.But its a sinking feeling biting into a burger at an organised firework event and tasting something that wouldn't even make a supermarket value range.....

sideburns:
so last week....after 10 days of cultivating mine ,I'm now getting so much abuse that ,despite my thick skin , they're coming off.....maybe....

holidays:
coming back to work after a couple weeks to find that your collegue has forgotten the ancient english art of cleaning.......

Cottys new Tow board Ep. 4

We have just ordered the bolts and plates to go in Andrew Cotton's brand new tow board...Here is a video of him using his old one last year at Nazare in Portugal. He is on a yellow board at 2.24ish....Ripping

Uncle Skello's 'What's Hot and What's Not'

WHATS HOT

1) Discipline - There can be no freedom without discipline.
2) Saunton - Probably the world's slowest, most crowded wave. More dangerous than pipeline....but so much fun....
3) Bellyboarding - Childhood joy....
4) Mustard - A fine accompaniment to my old favourite ham, egg and chips (see two weeks ago) and the colour to be seen in, in North Devon this Autumn.

WHATS NOT

1) Trick or Treat - Another stupid thing to sail (see last week) to our shores from the states.....grumble, moan, grumble.
2) Northwesterly Winds - Of no use to man nor beast...
3) North Devon Bakeries - Its a big, personal disappointment to me that i have to drive to Camelford to get a decent pasty (Devon Maids...the steak and swede)
4) Getting Older - Its no fun but unfortunately inevitable. My friend James, a fine chap, hits 40 at the end of this week and I swear is catching me up, looking older and getting slower every time I see him!....

Short and wide....

Here's one of a range of 80's inspired boards soon to be available from your favourite board makers. What? You didn't realise the 80's was back in fashion? Get with the program, man! Be the envy of all your buddies and get yourself one of these before everyone else has cottoned on to how bloody groovy they are.

Uncle Skello's 'What's Hot and What's Not'

WHATS HOT

Sailing - An absolute sport of chaps....nothing floats my boat more than dropping the pink anchor in bumbay....

Quads - Double winged swallow tail quads were popular in the early eighties...20 years later they're now indispensable.

New Zealand Rugby Team - Surely this time they'll do it....

Bums - Nothings more fun than a nice pert bum.

WHATS NOT

Alain Rolland - Headline grabbing referees are never good...

Beards - Really chaps if one is going to start growing facial hair now the winter is upon us, a natty moustache or some large but well groomed chops are an absolute must. Beards are for girls....

Booze - A hobby for losers...and here at GS we're winners....(except for when we get pissed....)

Playground Games - With the advent of autumn and both colder days and nights, the potential for frost becomes a real possibility. And with frost come slidey curbs, pavements and playgrounds. Be careful out there....

Cottys new Tow board Ep. 3 King Ke11y has to wait...

What can i say? Even king ke11y has to wait...

Uncle skello's you know whats.......

Whats HOT.....

OTTERS:
With Henry williamson's joyful 1927 novel "tarka the otter" set within spitting distance of gulfstream HQ,the otter certainly has a special place in the hearts and minds of the company's staff.....The eurasion otter,(lutra lutra) was a common sight for me up until recently ,but lately I haven't really seen any ,despite being up at dawn and out late most evenings.I had become so despondent with this wildlife phenomenon,that I thought I might shift my naturalistic ponchant to the snake.Devon has 3 species of native snake and actually this year I've seen 3 adders and a grass snake( a big bugger....).Then just when you think your allegiance might have changed...boom....what do I see ,but a small, beautiful otter on the outskirts of the village ,infrequently at first, but then lately the sightings have become more and more common....

MANU TUILANGI:
the best thing to have come out of england's world cup campaign........Was it just coincidental that he was england's least coached player?

THE WELSH RUGBY TEAM:
The coaches have put their faith in the yougsters,instead of the dinosaurs...Johno take note....

JULIAN WILSON:
Perhaps now ,the most complete surfer on tour.....however at 6 foot tall he's one of the least popular for you khow what..............(sticky glue)...

MATT HAWKSHAW:
Gulfstream's glasser..Admittedly at times he can be a bit down, a bit slow and a bit distracted (normally by a new bicycle....).But, he does fantastic resin tints, is a super consistent glasser, a top chap (see 2 weeks ago) and has a healthy admiration for north devon's favourite little critter ,the otter(see above)........

Whats NOT.....
THE ITALIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM:
read all about it.....its absolutely bonkers.

THE ENGLAND RUGBY COACHING STAFF:
Well,I really thought that they must have had some kind of masterplan,something great that with all my obsessive rugby reading ,I'd overlooked.But, they didn't did they...How anyone after 21/2 years in charge can go into a major tournament without knowing their best 2nd row and back row combinations ,who's their best 9 and 10 , and their best centre pairing is truly lamentable .
They deserve the guillotine, hey George..(see last week's comments...)

BEAVERS:
A bigger,hairier,american imitation of an otter....

CHAFING:
an unfortunate rash caused by ill-fitting chaps (see last week) or less often, by a badly fitting wetsuit...The answer is simple, bespoke chaps made by a decent tailor in Jermyn Street from supersoft grade A goat scrotal leather, and a new made to measure wetsuit from SNUGG....goat leather optional.

Glyn Pritchard

This lucky fella is Mr. Glyn Pritchard, and he has just driven all the way from Lincoln, yes LINCOLN on a shitty Monday in October to pick up his new board. However, the look on his face when he laid eyes on this beautiful piece of craftsmanship suggests he would have been happy to drive half way round the world to get his hands on it....

Uncle Skello's 'What's Hot and What's Not'

WHATS HOT

1) Seamen - Not the type of sailor who wears less than fashionable sunglasses and who listens to 80's music (see last week), the type of sailor who's survived a good hard blow whilst rounding the horn..
2) 24 Commando Engineering Regiment - Welcome back to North Devon Boys.
3) Dogs - They say dogs take after their owners. My dog loves to chase cats (see last week)...
4) Boxing Day - Christmas day is now only 73 shopping days away. Personally, for me most of the day is spent driving and eating meat, 2 of my favourite pastimes. However, I'm often left full, but unfulfilled. In contrast, boxing day is pure joy....
5) Ham, eggs & chips - The mark of a good pub...after a hard day of sailing (thanks Matt) myself, James and Mikey [a couple of fine chaps (see last week)] ate in the Mariners Arms in Braunton. I'm a tough judge of this traditional classic, bit it really was superb.

WHATS NOT
1) France - With the WCT kicking off in Hossegor this week, here are a few unsavoury French facts. The average Frenchie, eats more garlic per head, is less likely to groom or trim their pubic hair, and is more likely to drop 3 (metric) tonnes of pig manure in your village square following a small altercation, than any other nation in the E.U.
2) Elephants - Hopeless pets....they eat far too much veg, obviously need their own bedroom and only come in a boring shade of grey...
3) Rubbish - The laybys up above Saunton are one of my favourite places to park up and admire the view of the bay, Hartland point and Lundy Island. Yet, they are strewn with rubbish.....what kind of person does this?
4) Chaps - Not the kind of man who's into mountaineering and knows the words to Jerusalem (see last week), I mean the bottomless, leather trouser variety one wears whilst doing the dishes, when the wife's away.

Cottys new Tow board Ep. 2

Uncle Skello's 'What's Hot and What's Not'

WHAT'S HOT

1) Chaps - The kind of man, who when the weather has closed in on the north face of the Eiger, the tents collapsed and the end is nigh, looks you straight in the eye and sings a resounding verse of Jerusalem whilst tenderly caressing your frozen plums...
2) James Haskell - Allegedly the love child of Fatima Whitbread and Lawrence Dallagio "The Hask" has been dominating the back of the scrum for England.
3) Camping - Not packet food, ill fitting water-proof trousers, or smelly karrimor rucksacks I mean tight sailor suits, mirrored shades and a double album of Spandau Ballet's Greatest hits.
4) Italy - A country with a beautiful climate, great cuisine and incredible coffee....who cares that their government can't do basic maths.

WHATS NOT

1) Being over 6ft tall - It's harder to touch your toes, a definite disadvantage when playing Sticky Glue (see last week), and you're much less likely to become a professional surfer: in fact Owen Wright is the only surfer in the top 20 on the WCT over 6ft (He's 6'3'')...and i have been reliably informed that he always gets picked last when the pro's are partaking in playground games during ASP contest downtime.
2) Cats - To have one of any pet is a tie, but to be responsible for numerous pussies is both expensive and time consuming....I'm not sure I'm into pussies, so I've got a dog.
3) Greece - Next time you're on a package holiday in Corfu do NOT tip the waiter, as for the next ten years or so you're going to be paying for his nightly moussaka through your income tax.
4) Wearing Plimsoles - Plimsoles, pumps and trainers should only be worn whilst taking sport. And by sport we mean cricket...

Storm Wall

Do you know who this little fella is? His name's Storm Wall. Do you know what else? He rips. As if that wasn't enough he's young, super keen, and has fantastic taste in surfboards. To top it all off, his old man is none other than Andy Wall, undoubtedly the the most awesome-est electrician in the whole of........Croyde. This is Storm at the factory the other day having just picked up his new stick, happy as Larry, ready to take it for a spin. Go tear it up fella.......

Uncle Skello's 'What's Hot and What's Not'

WHATS HOT

1) Being only 5 foot 5 inches tall - a real advantage when playing sticky glue* in the school playground...
2) The Irish rugby team - showed Australia how to play a man's game properly.
3) Caramel shortbread - like a band of angels dancing on your tongue.
4) Sloe Gin - Pick some sloes now (if you haven't already) 1/3 sloes, 1/3 sugar, 1/3 booze. Shake it everyday and it will be ready by Christmas
5) Stack heel Boots - a great "morale" booster for the shorter man...unless you're playing sticky glue....(see above)

*(sticky glue...was a playground variation of the game 'It' from the 1970's and 80's. When touched the player stood with their arms and legs open and waited for a player to go through their legs to be released.

WHATS NOT
1) Tweed - Worn by posh people for warmth when shooting. Soaked in urine to make it softer, the ammonia in the sheep or human pee loosened the waxy lanolin in the new cloth, so that it could be removed by the milling process.
2) Popout Surfboards - Soulless, mass produced, tat.
3) The Australian rugby pack - 8 of Australia's toughest males failed to man up....again.
4) Sailor Tattoos - So last year, captain.
5) Italians - Too much time concerned with buying dark denims, black jackets and fancy loafers, not enough time worrying about their national debt...

Cottys new Tow board

Jools and Andrew Cotton discussing the finer details of Cotty's new tow board currently on order. A close surfer/shaper relationship is important at the best of times, especially when the board in question is designed to take on the kind of waves that would leave most people trembling on the sand. Keep checking the video updates on the blog to follow the progress of this board being made.

Uncle Skello's 'Whats Hot and Whats Not'

WHATS HOT?

1) Bruce Forsyth - He's back on Saturday night prime time T.V....a dancing legend.
2) Josh Kerr - Tearing the WCT apart. A genuine contender next year?
3) Round house cutbacks - No on still does them as well as Pottz did in the early eigthies...full figure of 8 at full speed.
4) Home made stuff - Anything; a cake, a lasagne, a boat, a house...nothing can beat that sense of achievement.
5) The name Julian - it can be shortened to lots of cool names like Jools, Jules or Joolz....

WHATS NOT

1) The name Will - Its a shortened version of Willy, and no one likes a short Willy
2) Wind Turbines - 21 massive structures on Fullabrook Down went ahead. This week we are facing the very real prospect of Atlantic Array...Upto 400 turbines off the coast of Woolacombe THIS side of Lundy....Make sure you know the facts
3) Courtney Lawes - Cited and banned for 2 matches...England's best forward not playing against Georgia and Romania, but back for Scotland...Step in Shawsie
4) Carbohydrate - Over rated...stick to meat and salad, and lets see those abs again
5) Lists - Its a waste of time writing them and an even bigger waste of time reading them

Weekend Forecast


Thursday 15th - 2ft Light South Easterlies (cross offshore) winds
Today is looking pretty fun, much smaller then it has been. Probably very good on a fish or long board. Check out the low tide push just after 2 and you may get a few bigger ones

Friday 16th - 2ft Variable winds
The morning should see some light south easterlies again but by lunchtime it will have swung back round to south westerly’s. This wind and the afternoon push could generate some 3ft peaks but it will be lacking in quality

Saturday 17th - 3-4ft Westerly (onshore) winds
Quite a gloomy looking Saturday with strong onshores predicted again which will push in some more swell. Yet again poor quality but no doubt there will be some surfable conditions through out the day. At least with straight westerly winds wave faces should be cleanish

Sunday 18th - 3ft North Westerly (cross onshore) winds
Cold winds coming through on Sunday. Should be some surf but it will be blown out pretty badly with winds predicted upto 30mph. Check saunton out at high for some protection.

Monday 19th - 1-2ft South westerly (cross onshore) winds
Another drop in swell today. Small and very unorganised waves could be breaking on most beaches. A few days off yet so it could change.

Should be worth being around for the weekend if your keen, bit windy but some swell should be here so get amongst it….

Video Blogs....

Ellis has a bright idea....

Weekend Forecast

FRIDAY 3FT SOUTH/SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
Looks like another windy day for North Devon. Slightly more south in the wind though so the chances of getting p-land fun are greatly increased. I would take a look there at high tide which is at about 5 o'clock.

SATURDAY 3-4FT SOUTHERLY WINDS
Typically still more wind which will see everyone at P-Land, so again best bet is to join every other man, women and dog round the headland.

SUNDAY 6FT+ SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
Possibly a massive increase in swell and wind, by the looks of the charts most local beaches will be maxed out with both wind and swell. The odd part of the day might be manageable for the hell men out there. Check some sheltered spots (I'm sure you don't need me to tell you where to look)!

MONDAY 6FT SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
It is going to be blowing an absolute gale. Still maxing out swell and wind. Not looking good for any of the beaches. Again use some knowledge to find something sheltered.

The rest of the week is looking very similar, lots of swell, lots of wind, most likely lots of rain as well. Personally I'm all over it, better then it being flat!!

Dr Martin Webb

Dr. Martin Webb and his new board picked up from the factory yesterday....
Martin is off to France in a couple of weeks and decided to treat himself to a new stick, something that would do him proud in those grinding French beaches... The result is this beautiful 6'4" stickleback, complete with 5 fin set up, single wingers, rounded pin tail, and a rich, golden yellow tint to die for.
Ooh la la....

7 day surf forecast

Tuesday the 30th is looking like it will be very small all day with light winds, pretty much un surfable . If you’re really keen look at around 2.30 when the tide is turning and it may be surf-able on the pushing tide.

Wednesday 31st will most likely be the same as Tuesday. Small but with slightly stronger off-shores. Once again the pushing tide could produce a weak 1 ft wave.

Thursday 1st September could bring us some waves. Long range forecasts show that a small but great long distance swell could arrive. If it comes in as predicted it will start building from midday so when the tide turns at 3 we could start seeing some waves ranging from 1-3ft with light offshores.

Friday 2nd September will hopefully be similar to Thursday most likely it will be in the 1-2ft range with variable winds but fingers crossed it will still be a fun wave.

The weekend as a whole looks as though there could be waves aswell. From this far off its hard to put a great prediction on it, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say it will be surf able and I think in the 2 to 3 ft range. The only issue at the moment is the winds which seem to be vary south westerly and westerly, and moderately strong. As with all these hurricane swells the wind will probably build as it approaches.

Fingers crossed that not too much changes as it seems like we may get some waves at last

Finally some waves, and the return of the magic man

Yesterday saw some 'good' waves atlast. It wasnt epic but im sure everyone will agree that the pushing tide brought us some bery whackable 3ft faces, with the odd bigger one thrown n every now and then.
Shame about today though as the swell seems to have hit last night and left us with just a small onshore wave.
Keep those chins up though as tomorrow looks set to bring us some offshores.
Also Julian is set to arrive back on tuesday so manufacturing can continue. Will get some photos of his trip us sometime soon...

Sunday Times Style

Got a lovely email from the Sunday times style magazine this morning. They want to put this tee shirt of ours in there.
How nice of them!

Promo Video

I know most of you will have seen this, and i also know it is on the site already but when it goes from the article section of the site it will stay here. So with out further ado....
''A personal insight to the world of Gulf Stream Surfboards.
Promotional video made for us in conjunction with Wavedreamer, showing both of our passions for beautiful craftsman ship and our attention to details'' Find wavedream at, www.wavedreamer.co.uk.

The Gulfstream blog has arrived

The long awaited gulf stream online shop and new look website is here. Now available a good range of boards from shortboards to fishes to noseriders all available to buy online. Also a selection of our clothing range (more will be coming very soon).

Please browse, read and learn about your favoutie board manufacturer. It has been a longtime in the making and we really hope you all like it. All and any feedback will be greatly appreciated.