- Wing ▾
- Foil ▾
- Kitesurf ▾
- Windsurf ▾
- SUP ▾
- Surf ▾
- More Gear ▾
- More Info ▾
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at SHQ! Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the festive season with us.
-GIft Vouchers and Ideas
-Freight times and deadlines
-Festive opening times
Whether you've got a loved one you're trying to get onto the water with you, need to find something for one who has everything, or the in-laws just don't know what to get you we've got you covered! The SHQ MEGA-Voucher is your one stop solution. With the flexibility of being accepted in 5 different locations, the same voucher can be used for a new helmet in store, SUP rental in St. Kilda, or a Kite lesson at Inverloch to name but a few. The vouchers never expire, and our friendly team of experienced riders are always happy to pick up the phone and have a chat about how you can put them to good use.
As a guide please bear in mind the following last order dates for our shop elves and delivery company reindeer to get your toys out in time for the 25th:
Melbourne Metro area: 15/12
East Coast Metro areas:11/12
For any West Coast or regional deliveries please place orders asap and ask us about depot collections - rural and coast-to-coast freight can take up to a month at this time of year, but we'll do everything we can to try and arrange something as speedy as possible.
Please do bear in mind that this is in no way a guarentee - complications with freight, especially of larger items, are part and parcel of the festive season. Depot collections are usually quicker, and if there's anyway that you can collect from our Sandrinham or Caloundra stores that speeds things up massively!
We had heaps of fun on Sunday getting some wingers up on a board for the first time.
Below are some of the pictures from the day
Setting a fixed lengh paddle to size is an easy job, but one that you want to get right as there is no going back once its cut!
Follow the below steps to cut and fix a paddle to lengh.
1. Choosing the length:
Generally flat water paddles will be set a little longer than wave paddles. This is due to flat water riders needing long smooth strokes to maintain speed while wave riders want short sharp powerful strokes to maximise acceleration.
The best way to find your paddle length is to use an adjustable paddle for a few sessions which lets you play and figure out what works for you.
Alternatively, as a rough guide, for wave riding we generally recommend total paddle length to be a persons height plus the length of a closed fist, while flat water is a persons height plus the length of and 2 closed fists.
2. Mark where to cut.
Remove the handle and measure the height that will sit above the paddle shaft. Mark out the total length you want the paddle to be set at on the shaft and remove the lenght of the handle. (Note: some paddles are cut at the blade end of the shaft)
We advise measuring twice and adding 1cm to the length before cutting - a too long paddle can be shortened, but once its cut short thats it!
3. Cut
We use a jig to ensure a 90 degree angle on the cut. Without a jig, this can be achieved by marking the shaft and cutting carefully with a sharp hacksaw.
Sand down the cut with fine sandpaper (watch out for carbon splinters).
Test fit the handle and re-measure the total lenght. Cut shorter if required.
4. Fixing
Once you have the right length set then handle needs to be set into place.
Try to remove all carbon dust from the area as this will reduce the sticking potential of the glue.
Ensure that you have the handle facing the right way - the recess for your fingers should be in line with the front of the blade.
For first fixing it is recommended to use hot glue. This will alow you to make adjustments later (by heating the paddle and popping off the handle). Be wary of leaving the paddle out on a hot day as this can melt the glue and the handle could pop off.
Once you are confident on the size you can use araldite to fix it perminantly.
6. Clean up
Remove any excess glue from around the handle with a sharp knife.
You can then use a heat shrink wrap (or electrical tape for a more basic finish) to cover the gap left between the handle and shaft.
Your paddle is ready to go out and shred!
Wing boarding is taking over the wind sports industry. With such a massive influx of new riders and a rapid development of gear there is a strong second-hand market. However, it pays to be wary when buying second hand wings. There are a few key issues to look out for.
Wing boarding is a very new sport and there has been lots of research and development put into the equipment. This means that in general, most older model wings are simply not as good as a current model wing. They may be less powerful, less user friendly and/or more uncomfortable to use.
These older model wings should be avoided as they will actually slow your progression and make the learning process harder.
As there is such a fast development in the equipment, not all wings are created equally. There are many different designs, in shape, handle type, materials etc.. It is always worth doing some research on a wing before you purchase it, there are plenty of resources online with reviews and guides to help make the decision.
You should also pay attention to the brand of the wing and how common it is in your location. If lots of people are riding this brand it implies that spare parts and repairs may be easier to get than if it is a more unknown or unpopular brand.
Although wings look similar to kites, they tend to age much faster. With regular use a wing can lose its performance in just one season. This is partly due to pumping the wing when getting onto foil stretching the canopy material. In the store we call a well-used wing 'bagged out' as it begins to feel loose like a plastic bag.
While still usable, you need to be aware that a 'bagged out' wing will be much less efficient when making power through pumping. This means you will need more power (stronger wind) for a comparable wing size. If you are after a light wind wing, avoid anything well used as it will make getting on foil so much harder.
With experience you can feel how 'bagged' a wing is by pumping it when inflated. But as a general rule of thumb, a wing that has had regular usage over one season will produce less power, and a two-season old wing may be very inefficient to pump with.
Wings take a beating. Especially from beginners, freestylers and strong wind riders... You know what, wings take a beating from basically all riders!
It is very common to stick a foil tip through a wing, if you are lucky just through the canopy, if unlucky it may pierce the bladder also.
When buying second hand always look for repairs. One or two small and/or professional repairs to the canopy may not have much impact on the wing's performance or lifespan. But multiple repairs may be because careless rider, or a particularly eventful crash, both of these can indicate performance issues.
Repairs to the leading edge or strut tubes will almost always be associated with a pierced or broken bladder. You should be very careful when buying wings with bladder repairs, as this type of damage can be hard to fix and guarantee. A wing with a slow leak is not going to be any good to use on the water. When buying second hand wings, always inflate and leave it up for minimum of 30 minutes to ensure that it doesn't have a slow leak.
A golden rule is always: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Wings have value, if you see one being sold at a low price, it is very unlikely that the owner is selling it below its value, and much more likely that the wing is not worth much due to age, model type or damage and will hinder your development in the sport.
In a perfect world we would all be able to buy a new, current-model wing. But if you need to go second hand to meet the budget remember to work through the following points:
- Model & age
- Model and brand popularity
- How well used it is
- Damage to the wing
- Bladder issues
Subscribe to our newsletter and always be the first to hear about what is happening.
shq@shq.com.au
© 2024 SHQ Boardsports. Sunshine Coast Boardsports
