Rip Curl Titanium Ocean Search Watch Review

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	£224.99
	£249.99

Tide functions
The watch comes preset to 200 surfing locations from continents such as, Asia, America, Europe and Oz. These presets are pretty useless out of the box because when i checked Newquays tides they were well out. However, you can turn useless into useful by adjusting the tidal information to the correct settings. Don’t expect the tide information to be very accurate out of the box you will need to adjust this. Depending on how accurate you want to keep the tide times you will have just adjust this settings every 2 weeks or so. I adjust mine every 4 to five weeks, but if i surfed a reef, or a break which depended heavily on points of tide, i would keep it more up to date. Setting up tides wasn’t that straight forward, but if you read the manual you will get there.
Another great feature is that you can set tide information to any location, so my local break (Porthtowan) isn’t found in the 200 preset breaks. By using the nearest preset beach to Pothtowan which was Newquay, I adjusted the offset function to set the correct tide for Porthtowan. So for example Porthtowans tides were about 45mins off Newquays so I adjusted the offset to -45. After this was set I simply used the rename function to display Porthtowan on the watches display. This procedure now gives me the correct tide times for Porthtowan. If you aren’t located near any of the 200 preset breaks you can use the ‘spot x’ function which enables you to adjust the tidal setting to your local break.
The tidal information given is very good, displayed is the tide height, moon phase, and tide range which is given in metres. All this information is very useful at the glance of the wrist! I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with Rip Curl Automatic Tide System, I have used other tide watches like Nixon and Quiksilver and these don’t even compare to the Rip Curls system.

Other functions
This watch is well built and feels like a very good quality sports watch, the titanium casing makes the watch feel solid and not cheap feeling like some sports watches. The watch has been taken on and off every day and the strap has no signs of wear and tear.

The Titanium Ocean Search watch comes with all the bells and whistles you would normally find on most digital watches, time, stop watch, alarm, DST function and timer. The watch also comes with a built in digital compass which I rarely use, but could come in handy if I get lost on the way home from the pub!

Verdict 9/10
I have owned and used this watch daily for nearly 4 years and on occasions i have lost the watch in the house and I have missed it dearly. Luckily i always find the watch again, but there’s days where i can’t simply glanced at my watch to see what the tide is doing. This is most irritating when I’m out and about and can’t use my Iphone to get the information. I live in Cornwall with the worst mobile phone reception in the world. So far I haven’t even had a battery replaced, and I surf with the watch on and it’s never leaked. The only reason I didn’t give it a 10/10 was because it has a pretty hefty price tag. However, I do feel that due to the quality and robust nature of the watch, I feel it is worth every penny.
For people who don’t want to spend £250 on a watch, Rip Curl makes an Ocean Search range for boys, men and women. These watches are made from plastic and have all the same features as the Titanium range apart from the compass. The starting price for these watches is around £110.00.

Rip Curl Trestles Watch comes in other colours

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	£99.99
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Rip Curl Steph Watch comes in other colours

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	£94.99
	£105.00

Surftech K Star Rapoza Review

I learned to surf on a longboard because I found it my surfing progression much faster compared to learning on a mini mal. The first longboard I surfed on was borrowed from Pete Ash from Widemouth Bay, the father British pro surfers Reubyn Ash and Joss Ash. This longboard could take off on waves with a flick of the wrist. I think Pete was reluctant to lend it to a kook learner, but I perused him because I didn’t get on with the Mini Mals. I’m so glad he did lend it to me because I may not have had the opportunity to go back to my longboarding roots today.

I was out of the water for around 16 weeks due to a surfing injury and I found it physically hard to get back on a shortboard due to being so unfit. So I borrowed my friend’s longboard and found this better to gain my fitness back. However, I didn’t like the way my friend’s longboard surfed. There wasn’t any aggression, or speed like you get from a shortboard.
Everything seemed to be slowed down and about grace. I started to look at performance longboards; I wanted a longboard which I could surf like a shortboard. I went over to Newquay and had a chat with friend and I picked up a custom performance board shaped by Keith Bedoe 9’0 x 22 ¼ x 2 7/8 with pin tail and 2 plus one fin set up. This board suited me well, I could throw it around, bottom turn sharp and it felt fast. However, due to the light glass on the board it didn’t fair very well in heavy surf. I creased and snapped the board, and after getting it repaired the board didn’t feel the same and I snapped it again a few weeks later.

Even at trade prices longboards aren’t cheap if you are going to snap them every 6 weeks. So I thought about getting a surftech longboard due to having a really light and strong epoxy construction. I have owned 6’2 Santa Cruz Tuflite for nearly 8 years now and it’s still going strong, with this in mind I set out to get a surftech longboard. The problem was getting something I liked; it was a nightmare because you can’t have surftech surfboards custom shaped. I was finding boards which had the right length, width and thickness, but the board would have a squash tail instead of a pin tail. There was always something to put a spanner in the works with regards to choosing the right spec. I was without a surfboard for 2 months and I was back to borrowing my friend’s slug just to get in the water. I thought enough is enough and decided to contact surftech in the UK to see if they could help.

I spoke to a guy called Richard and told him want I wanted and about my dilemma. He suggested I go for the Town & Country 9’1″ Rapoza K-Star, he said this board was the best performance longboard surftech make and Sam Bleakley won the Euro championships on it. I thought if this board is good enough for Sam Bleakley, its good enough for a kook like me. The only reservation I did have is that the board had a thrusters set up instead of a two plus one. However, I asked if they would send me the board to review and if I liked I would buy!

The Review

Dimensions
Length : 9’1
Nose : 18
Middle: 21 7/8
Tail : 13 1/2
Thickness: 2 5/8
Fin set up: Thruster

When i took delivery of this board i was amazed how extremely light weight it was for a 9’1, the board was way lighter than my 9’0 glassed board for sure. I noticed the tail was pin sharp which i liked the look of because this would help with swift bottom turns.

The K-Star had loads of rocker right through the board, from nose to tail. The board came with a set of FCS G5 fins which i replaced with my FCS K3 fins because these are larger and i felt they would be better for holding turns and stop the board skipping out.

The first days surf was down at Gwithian with nice glassy 4-6 foot clean waves, perfect for testing the board out. At first it took me a few waves to get the hang of the board, i found that standing right over the centre fin you could get some really decent snappy turns. I was dubious about the thruster set up for a longboard, but i have to say i really think it helps speed and ease of movement. The board felt very stable and lose at the same time giving the board a progressive feel, i could move this board just as well as a shortboard due to the fin set up and how lightweight the board was. So far i had a massive grin on my face because i had found a board which was performing very well, it was easy to paddle, wave count was good and this thing could turn!
On the smaller waves this board still performed and i even managed to get a nose ride out of it. It was easy to plain up and down the face of the wave to gain speed and real easy to paddle into the wave. The K Star was ticking all the boxes up until i took it out in quite strong winds, about 17-20mph. Longboards aren’t the best to surf in strong winds anyway, but due to being feather weight this board was virtually impossible to get into the wave. At one point i got to my feet on the board and the wind blow the board up over the top of the wave with me on it!
I took the board out on 8ft board snapping waves and i was a little nervous because i didn’t want to call Surftech up and say i had snapped the board. However, the board got mashed by some pretty heavy white water and close outs and it hasn’t got a scratch on it. I can say for certain that my glassed board wouldn’t have come out of these conditions in one piece.

Verdict
I would say if you want a longboard which isn’t a log and want to do some radical surfing rather than cross stepping and nose riding i would highly recommend the K Star. I have had so much fun on it I’m going to buy one because it suits my style of surfing. The K-Star feels light weight for sure, but it also gives you added strength and a more robust feeling due to the Tuflite construction. My Santa Cruz Tuflite fish is a good board but it was one of the first Tuflite boards and it feels pretty stiff. However, the K Star has just as much flex as any glassed board i have ridden. The only let down was in the strong winds where i felt it needed to be heavier to cope with the force of the wind. However, due to all the fun i have had, this is minor and nothing really to moan about.

I would give this board an 8/10

Sean from the Wetsuit Centre reveiws the new Rip Curl E Bomb Pro wetsuit. We have asked the Wetsuit Centre to provide us with a test wetsuit so we can see how the e bomb pro performs in the water. They have kindly agreed to send us a E Bomb wetsuit soon and we will publish our finding as soon as the water warms up!

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	£199.00

I normally only wear a 4mm wetsuit down here in Cornwall and for previous seasons I have used the Rip Curl E Bomb Pro. I really rated this wetsuit; it was very warm, extremely light weight, super flexible and fitted like a glove. However, with all these factors in the E Bombs favour, the wetsuit just didn’t last that long. The most I got out of the Ebomb was a couple of seasons until the neoprene and the stitching came away at the back of the upper arms.

However, I saw the Quiksilver Cypher and thought this looked a much better wetsuit than the E Bomb Pro. The Cypher had a fleece lining inside the wetsuit, and it had taped seams on the inside of the wetsuit.

Also the collar was a rounded collar on the Cypher and felt a bit more robust than the E Bomb collar, which ended up loosening up after time and letting flush in. The collar fits over the head to fasten up the wetsuits chest zip.

In the end I had to go with a 5mm Cypher instead of a 4mm because Quiksilver didn’t have my size in stock. I wouldn’t normally dream of wearing a 5mm wetsuit down here in Cornwall, but the Cypher seemed light weight and just as stretchy as my 4mm E Bomb Pro.

The Review

Conditions:  Wind SE 17mph | Temperature – Sea 11°c – Air 0°c

Wetsuit Accessories: Wetsuit Boots

No Wetsuit Gloves, No Wetsuit Hood

1. 1.      Getting on and off

The Cypher has is the similar zipper system to the Xcel Drylock whereby it pulls closed without fastening the zip up.

At first I felt Cypher zipper system was hard to get over the shoulder, but after putting the wetsuit on and off a few times, it got easier. However, I could see that blokes who are big up top may find it hard to get this wetsuit on due to the zipper obstruction.

Score 8/10

1. 2.      Fit, Stretch and weight

The wetsuit fitted really well, even though it did look more like a small rather than a MS. I guess Quicksilver’s sizing is a slimmer fitting to Rip Curl and I think if the Cypher was a back zip I wouldn’t have fitted into the wetsuit. The neoprene’s stretch was really good despite the fact that the wetsuit was a 5mm. In fact I would go as far as saying it was the most flexible 5mm neoprene I had worn over the years, it felt more like a 4mm wetsuit. The wetsuit over all was very light weight despite the edition of the polypro inside the wetsuit.

Score 10/10

1. 3.      Warmth

On the face of things the Cypher feels like a really well built and quality wetsuit, that’s until I got it in the water! I have always been warm enough in the water with a 4mm wetsuit. Also this season has been very mild compared to last season and I always wear no gloves and hood. However, the Cypher really let its self down when it came to warmth. I thought because the wetsuit was 5mm and had the polypro lining inside it would be warmer than my previous seasons Ebomb in the 4mm. In fact in the Cypher felt cold in the body, the cold seemed to be coming from the panelling underneath the arm area known as the paddle zones. This panelling feels like its 3mm and doesn’t have the polypro lining, this would explain the cold. The rest of the wetsuit felt warm, but it’s hard to maintain a good body temperature if the core of your body isn’t kept warm. I feel that if the polypro was applied to the paddle zone it may have reduced the cold. However, the panelling maybe 4mm without the poly pro, either way it feels noticeably colder without the polypro or thicker neoprene in this area.

Score 5/10

1. 4.      Verdict

What let this wetsuit down dramatically was the penetration of cold. I would have scored the wetsuit a good 9/10 if I hadn’t felt the cold. However, the wetsuit was still useable, but still on the cold side. I won’t drop any names, but I’m also friends with one of Quicksilver’s team riders and he was in the water at the same time as me. I asked him how he felt in his Cypher and he agreed on the points I made regarding being cold. He was wearing a 6mm as well!!! However, on the other hand there was another guy in the water wearing last season’s Cypher and he said we was really happy with his and didn’t feel the cold. Did quicksilver do something wrong with this season’s wetsuit?

If I were to buy either the E Bomb Pro or the Quiksilver Cypher I would choose the Ebomb Pro. If Quiksilver address the cold for me I would wear the Cypher over the E Bomb for sure. I can’t comment on Cypher’s durability because I have only owned the wetsuit for a month. However, I will write back in a season’s time and let you all know how it performed.

Score 7/10

Hi Folks,

A few weeks ago i got my hands on a box of Matunas surf wax and i have used it on my board to see if it’s any good. I’m always dubious about trying out new brands of wax because nine times out of ten some new brands i have tried just aren’t up to the job. I always use sex wax, or palmers these brands have always served me well. Some other brands i have tried don’t give lasting grip on the board, or its too clumpy when applied especially when using cold water wax which has to be softer.
Lucky for me i had a new surfboard delivered so i could wax up a brand new stick to see how the wax would apply and perform. Unlucky for me there was no surf for over a week before i could test both the board and the wax!
Most surfboard waxes are petroleum based and not biodegradable based which isn’t very cleaver for the environment. Matunas wax is Eco friendly and is non-toxic, biodegradable and petroleum free. So what is this wax made of if it isn’t petroleum based? Well, the Ingredients consist of Clay, beeswax, jasmine, raspberry, coconut oil, tree sap, aloe and honey of course! Sounds almost good to eat!

Matunas Surf Wax the Review

1.    Application

First of all I applied some Matunas Base wax to the deck of my new surfboard. The base wax was really, really hard and I didn’t think it would apply to the shinny surf tech Epoxy surface of my board. However, with a little pressure the base wax was applied in no time and all looked good.
For my top coat I used the cold water wax because we are now in December and the water is defiantly frigid down here in the south west of Cornwall. I unwrapped the wax from its Eco soya ink and recycled paper sleeve and gave it a smell! I don’t know about you but I love the smell of surf wax. I was pleasantly surprised that the wax smelt very nice indeed, probably down to all the lovely ingredients! The wax applied easily and evenly giving a nice layer of sticky bumps and traction to the board.

2.    Use and verdict

I have used the wax now for well over a month and I have to say I’m more than impressed with it. I would say it works just as well as the other brands I normally use; it lasts if using a wax comb and importantly gives great grip and traction on the board. Would I use this wax again? I most certainly will use this wax again and I will replace my normal branded wax with Matunas because its eco friendly.

3.    Score 9/10

Story Update

A variety of surf wax manufacturers such as Matunas surf wax located within Santa Cruz, California have been targeted by a rival brand which tried to discredit Matunas organic credentials. Although this particular tactic has obviously been an behavior centered with business oriented benefits from the rival it has provided Matunas the chance finally prove that their products are nothing but 100% organic.

Impartial tests were completed by S&N LABS which put Matunas wax through an extensive number of tests to be able to verify the formula within the wax. A small sample was examined for the presence of petrochemical based products within the wax. The final results from the tests were decisive, scientifically demonstrating the fact that the ingredients of Matunas surf wax come from a orginic and natural source.

Matunas Wax ingredients are cultivated on the farm and the whole thing is 100% natural, together with aromas from proper strawberries, raspberries and jasmine flowers. Matunas have formulated products which is exceptional compared to paraffin and chemical-based surf waxes by producing a non-toxic, naturally degradable wax wrapped in 100% recycled paper, printed with organic ink.

Look at the full laboratory test result supplied by Matunas   http://www.surfersvillage.com/documents/Labresults_matunas.pdf

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Today i tested a bottle of Rip Curl Piss off wetsuit cleaner is it any good?
Firstly, this product isn’t a shampoo it is a disinfectant which claims to eliminate stench cuased by bacteria build up and of course urine. My wetsuit is rinsed and hung up to drip dry after every use and still after a month or so it starts to smell funky. So when i was delivered some of this Rip Curl Piss off stuff i was banking on it removing the damp, rubbery smell from my once nice smelling wetsuit.

As i opened the bottle i took a smell of the liquid inside and to my surprise it smelt really nice, i was expecting a kind of Dettol smell, or hospital ward but this wasn’t the case! I placed my wetsuit in a bucket of cold water along with a cap of the piss off solution, gave the wetsuit a good sloshing around and left over night submerged in the water. When i came to take the wetsuit out of the water i could smell a nice aroma, my wetsuit almost smelt new again. I left to dry over 4hrs and came back to give it a sniff! To my surprise the wetsuit smelt wonderful, piss off had got rid of all the nasty odours and i was really impressed.

I would recommend this product highly for under £7 a bottle it’s a good price. I reckon you good get around 20+ washes with it as well.

Rip Curl G Bomb Ladies Long Sleeve Shortie 2012

£79.94

O'Neill O'Zone Toddler Spring Suit

£13.99

O´Neill Skins Rash Vest - White/Blue

£19.99

ELEMENT KINGSTON TEE Aloe Green

£13.50

Ready For Summer - MEN - X-Fire 20 - Quiksilver

£55.00

O'Neill Superlite Toddler Wetsuit - Petal Pink/Pink

£29.95

Roxy Board Shorts - Roxy Monica Dot Board Shorts - Neon Blue

£24.99

Animal Yikes Black Rash Vest

£19.99

ROXY GIRLS DINGO BOARDSHORTS Chocolate

£14.50

Roxy Board Shorts - Roxy Roxy Girl Long Board Shorts - True Black

£39.99

O'Neill Superlite Toddler Wetsuit - Pacific Blue/Crip Blue

£29.95

Billabong Revolution Chest Zip 3/2mm Mens Spring/Winter Wetsuit 2012

£169.95

 

 

Surf Shop

Ride On Surf Shop is a website which aims to provide readers with information, reviews on surf related products and topics. If you are looking for a new wetsuit we provide wetsuit reviews so you can choose the best in wetsuit technology. Also we offer a product comparison store to make shopping for your surf gear easier! We would rather be out surfing and not shopping around the high street, or endlessly searching the internet for the surf equipment we use. The Ride On Surf Shop comparison offers a quick easy solution so you can find the products you want. Search thousands of products from loads of retailers. We host loads of surfboards, wetsuits, surf clothing and loads of surf equipment.

After each surf i rinse my wetsuit with cold water and hang up to drip dry! That’s such a lie! I sometimes perform this caring task, but other times i get changed in the garden and throw my wetsuit on the floor and forget about it for a few days. This kind of behaviour contributes to my once nice smelling wetsuit, smelling like something has died inside it. I often clean my wetsuit with neoprene disinfectant and this stuff gets rid of the damp smell for a few uses.

The guys at extreme horizon kindly gave us one of these Bamboo Charcoal Deodorisers from Overture to review. I was hoping that this little brown bag filled with Charcoal would end the days of dead rat smells coming from my wetsuit. I’m always impressed with products which have a minimal impact on the environment and don’t cause excessive waste when discarded. If it didn’t live up to expectations I could always use it to BBQ a nice Aberdeen Angus burger!

The deodoriser claims to do the following.

1. Help maintain the life and health of your wetsuit and wetsuit accessories.
2. Absorb odour creating toxins from the surrounding area whilst also balancing excess humidity and preventing bacterial growth.
3. Charcoal bags have a life of approx 1 year and after that period the bag contents can be cut open and spread on soil improving its acidity.

Main Features:
SEASONAL STORAGE: Hang charcoal inside body of wetsuit / accessories.
ACTIVE SEASON: Place inside board bag / backpack or car for a sanitary travel experience.
Place in direct sunlight every 3-6 months to rejuvenate charcoal.
Release charcoal into garden after 1 year.
Bag is made from secondary/by-product plastics, and the packaging is made of recycled card and printed with Soy inks.

Test 1

Normally i will disinfect my wetsuit at least 2-4 times a month; this is simply because I’m one of the dirty people in the line up who urinate in their wetsuit! Yes, i know it’s disgusting, but I’m not getting out of the line up in cranking waves to walk all the way to the public toilets to urinate!

Over the month i gave my wetsuit a rinse after each surf, and hung up to drip dry. Sure enough after a few weeks use my neoprene buddy started to stink and putting it on was like wearing a dead man’s rotting flesh!

Would using the Charcoal Deodoriser finally put an end to the wetsuit funk?

After surfing i placed the bag inside the wetsuit where it is harder for moisture to evaporate and where all the bad smells build up. After a few days i came back to the wetsuit to give it a nose and a whiff. To be honest i wasn’t impressed; though it smelt a bit better it still smelt like i should burn it just in case it was growing some deadly bacteria. I repeated this process over a period of a month and found that the deodoriser didn’t have that much effect. I’m not saying it didn’t work at all, but not to my expectations.

However, i began to think there’s possibly nobody in the world that would urinate in their wetsuit, rinse with cold water and leave for a month without wetsuit cleaner? I needed to stand back and think less extreme.

Test 2.

I washed my putrid wetsuit with some of my favourite wetsuit disinfectant Rip Curl Piss Off and this got rid of the decaying matter aroma from my wet suit. After each surf i rinsed my wetsuit and hung up to drip dry with the Charcoal Deodoriser. After a few days there wasn’t any smells, it was quite pleasant. This process went on for the next month and i was pleasantly surprised that a combination of the initial use of wetsuit disinfectant, rinsing the wetsuit and the Charcoal Deodoriser worked very nicely.

Test 3.

The final test involved the use of the Charcoal Deodoriser on its own, alongside regular rinsing of the wetsuit and hanging the wetsuit to dry for a good length of time. The winter season has come and it is now time to hang up my summer wetsuit. Without turning the wetsuit inside out and reversing this process, so both sides of the wetsuit dry, i let the wetsuit hang for around a month. Over this time i came back and for sure the inside of the wetsuit was nice and dry with no odours. The Charcoal bag had done the job of exterminating the funky smells.

Verdict. 7/10

I think this is a good product and well worth £11.99. I would suggest rinsing your neoprene, and using the deodoriser alongside a wetsuit disinfector for maximum stench relief. I found using the charcoal deodoriser alongside wetsuit cleaner worked well because it reduced dramatically how many times I would need to use wetsuit cleaner. Normal use for me is 2-4 times a month, but I have only used the cleaner once since using the deodoriser.

The deodoriser worked really well when the wetsuit was hung to dry over a long period of time.

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£11.99

Found that you have put a nasty tear in your new wetsuit, or your wetsuit is on its last legs and you want to give it one last chance of survival? Well, instead of throwing the wetsuit away you can repair it your self. We have a few products which will get your wetsuit, or dry suit repaired and back in the water in no time.

View all wetsuit repair products

Black Witch

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Neoprene Queen