Oh with less arms is easy sauce. I usually have lazy arms. I was actually vizualing having a stick and riding my bike around the bowl. I am usually guilty of having the John Johnish left arm, hanging by my side then just holding the coffee cup in my right. I can hopefully get a video of that tomorrow if it's not raining in morning.

I'd really like to get more perpendicular to the bowl, get that traditional almost laid back skate board type carve around the bowl. I think I may need more speed to accomplish which in such a tight bowl would probably have me needing to use the roll in, but it's big an scary to me still. Working on it...

But yea I can definitely do a lot less arm.

Yea, that turn I feel like it needs to be held. Skateboarders I watched when learning to ride bowls mention that a bowl is designed to be ridden a certain way, and you kinda have to ride the bowl the way the designer intended.

Towards the end of that turn is a hip, so making the turn tighter, while it can be done, puts you in an awkward position to go over the little hip that is there. Watched others and experienced eating poop trying to shorten that turn. It's awkward cause it's a small hip and where the roll in is. If you shorten the turn too much it either puts you into the flats or give you that weird angle directly at the hip. Which has a nasty habit of jack knifing your trucks there.

The company that put the bowl in actual tried talking the skateshop that sponsors the bowl Into NOT having that hip for that specific reason, being that it can give you awkward angles in and out of it. But the owner of the shop knew a lot of surfers would be too uncomfortable with a straight drop in, and really wanted the roll in/hip.

So while I do understand your point and agree with it, that particular spot almost seems to require it. The skaters better than I tend to do airs over it, but I ain't trying that yet.

Maria Molè the Machado Cado is honestly my favorite. Now that I have it I probably don't need the Sweet Potato anymore. There are reviews on YouTube of people riding the Cado in ankle high waves.

I was between the Cado and the Too Fish (also Machado board) glad I went with the Cado.

Once I stepped down from the 8'0" fun board I learned on to the sweet potato I never really wanted to go back.

I've taken out my longboard maybe 2 to 3 times in 2 years just to use it, but my goal was always to ride a shortboard so I try not ride it if I can avoid it. Plus it's a PIA to get to the beach, doesn't fit in my Jeep, hate taking it and not using it for fear someone may steal it while it's strapped to the roof.

Really only bought it so I could convince my girls to go out and paddle around with me and try to get them interested in surfing.

Highly recommend the Cado. You can catch anything on it, even ankle high junk, but it has the performance of a standard short board. Definitely my best buy ever board wise.

Current Quiver:

9'3" Log ( bought to take my kids out with me) rarely ride solo.

5'8" Firewire Sweet Potato (41L) - SUPER small wave board.

5'10" Firewire Machado Cado (38L) - Every day Board

5'9" Firewire Mashup (34L) - When it actually gets decent in South Carolina (rarely!)

Also have:

Catch Surf Retro Fish (45L) - my leave in the car board, cause if it gets ruined I don't mind too much but I can surf before work board.

Catch Surf 54" Beater- my there no waves and my kids wanna go to the beach board. My daughters ride it more than I do though.

In the future I will be buying the Firewire S-Boss Volcanic 6'0 or 6'2" (probably), this will serve as my travel board for Barbados, Hawaii, California, and if I get to go next time around the OMBE camp in Nicaragua.

According to the calendar there was supposed to be one last night... did that happen that you know of?

Can't wait to go to one. Unfortunately this year's trips happen to be the same time frame I'm closing on my new home so the trip will have to wait till next time around.

So just has Graham said would happen I am going to make a recommendation. Check out the Firewire sweet potato. It packs in a lot of volume but its much shorter than a long board.

I only recommend this board cause it is what I transitioned from a long board to. I can still catch everything, even on days only the people with logs are out, but I can turn more efficiently and get that short board feel.

Also Firewire has a "Fleets" system where you can rent the board and basically try it out for the day or two before purchasing. I am also an East coast surfer, NJ and now SC, so mushy weak is the standard and the sweet potato has helped with my progression. I've since upgraded to the Machado Cado model which is still a small wave board but more performance oriented. But I still ride the sweet potato on those really small mushy days.

Hope this helps a little.

Got a few good ones today. The wife was actually around to take some videos and after watching them I realize I still have A LOT to work on. My arms are still failing around, still too back foot heavy, still taking that intermediate line. In my defense the board I had was a rental cause I didn't wanna travel with one of mine, so volume was about 10L too much for me. But I'm still stoked that I got a few. Mixture of disappointment (in how much I still have to improve) and stoke (cause a few months ago I probably wouldn't have even paddled out). Anyways, just wanted to share. Just happy to be here. Any recommendations for my next family surf trip?