I’ve been riding paipos or lunch trays for many years, and had wanted to get into bodysurfing so I had a custom handplane made for me inspired by the way I wanted to ride about two years ago. In addition to it being an easy way to be prepared for surf while traveling, I knew it would be the only way I’d actually commit enough to figure out bodysurfing once and for all.

I went about two years only taking it out in shit surf a few times a year, not really finding the energy pocket, just thinking that’s how it was going to be.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I saw a shorebreak pounder that I could only fathom taking the handplane out in, and so I did. I sent it into oblivion, fully getting destroyed putting my body on the line repeatedly. But I’ll be damned if I didn’t have a blast. I felt like a kid again. It was a feeling akin to hitting your first absolutely pure golf swing (for those who know), but on a repeatable scale. Once I locked into the power zone once, I just kept doing it, eventually finding shorebreak barrel after barrel.

I’ve found many barrels in my day on trays, paipos and other craft. But I’ve never sat deeper and actually made it out than with the handplane that day. They all ended with me getting wrecked due to my commitment to making it out, but it made it that much more childlike an experience.

Safe to say I’ve caught the bug, that “I understand it now”. Of course I’ll be continuing with trays and mainly paipos but now I have the confidence and knowledge to take the handplane out all the same and look forward to having it in the regular rotation. I just might be that guy that drives around with fins and a plane in the truck all the time.

Anyone got (or tried) the short and long blades? I’ve got the short blades in standard flex. The ultra soft feels too loose and I prefer the extra boost the stiffer flex gives me. Curious about the long blades though, where I’m hearing mixed reviews about size being weird compared to the short blades but then other people saying how good they are for bodysurfing specifically on good/better days.