The Greener Surfer explores handplanes

The glide of a handplane © The Greener Surfer

The Greener Surfer

The Greener Surfers explore fair trade, the benefits of hemp and more

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 October, 2012 : - - Matt makes a case for (and against) the homegrown quiver. Gina explores the concept of fair trade and Tony is at the International Hemp Building Symposium in Switzerland. The Greener Surfer bloggers Matt, Gina and Tony continue their month long quest in October to become more environmentally conscious, to uncover and share the best green practices and to inspire others to do likewise.

Check the full stories at The Greener Surfer

To test out the new handplanes, we head south to camp and bodysurf with my brother Aaron at an isolated series of beach breaks north of Santa Barbara. The waves are small and the water is cold, but its offshore and dredging on an inside sandbar, and while the rest of the surfers in the lineup struggle to find a rideable wave, Aaron and I get barreled basically every wave—and even manage to sneak out of a couple.

The handplanes all ride as well as expected, if not better. They are fast and maneuverable (for what they are), and seem to hold into the face well, even when it is concave and draining. They are fun as hell, and best of all are about as close to green as a surfcraft can be .

I’ll be the first to admit that bodysurfing—as rad as it is—will never completely replace stand-up surfing for me. But the success of these handplanes and the fun we had using them proves to me that—should we be so inclined—it is possible to turn surfing into a green—or at least greener—pursuit. If worse came to worse, I could bodysurf for the rest of my life and be happy doing so—and, besides a pair of swimfins and a wetsuit (or budgie smuggler if the water is warm!), do so with minimal impact on the environment.

Check thegreemersurfer.com to follow the journey. If you would like to share best practice or make a contribution to The Greener Surfer that might inspire others please email john @ thegreenersurfer.com. thegreenersurfer.com is a Big Ocean Media Bros initiative.