Surfers, for the most part, aren’t all that open to change. Not life changes; no, no, but changes to equipment. Shortboarders don’t longboard. Longboarders don’t shortboard. And between the long and short, there are a myriad of subgroups. Oh, not every surfer is like that — hopefully, you’re one who likes to dabble in different methods of having fun — but a lot of them are. That’s why, for the most part, surfboards look a certain way. That certain way morphs and shifts over the span of decades, but man oh man, does that change take a long time to catch on with the masses.
When it comes to big wave boards, “testing” is a whole different ball game. The consequences are higher. Everything is more difficult. It’s all ratcheted way, way up. Testing out new equipment for surfing big waves requires a tester with an incredible amount of skill and experience. A person like, say, Mark Healey.
In the latest installment of Healey’s Strike Missions, he breaks down a strange-looking experimental big wave gun. Healey got together with a shaper by the name of Ron Meeks... and lo and behold, it worked.
Learn more from Mark in Mark Healey’s Guide to Heavy Water, designed to help you push yourself, keep calm, and build confidence in the ocean and heavy surf. Enter code INERTIA15 at checkout to save 15%.
