Sea Trials of the Dude Board

No photographic evidence but the inaugural sea trials of the Dude Board took place at a secret location in crap conditions in drizzling rain. "We had to undertake the trials in secret in case of failure so it had to be in crap conditions" said The Dude. The predicted 1.5m south easterly swell produced 2' dribble, but fanned by a light offshore the test team of The Dude, The Young Dude and The Mexican took to the sea just as the wind turned onshore and the surf became the worst crap you have seen. The Dude led the charge and paddled out and launched his new machine into a lumpy shore dump close out. "It was sensational" said the Dude, " my own home made hollow timber 6'8" fish worked a treat. It paddled in easily and was solid under my old fart feet, senational." the Young Dude tried it next and he managed to whip a bottom turn before the browny grey shore froth consumed him. "The old man's truly a master surfcraftsman being able to create this thing of beauty" was the Young Dude's summation. The Mexican then finished the trials with some beautiful headstands on the shallow bottom. " I almost broke my freakin' neck but it was a beautiful thing to ride over the falls".

The next day the sea trials continued in public in clean crisp sunny 4' Clifton Closeouts. This time some clean faces were scoured by the machine. The Dude's style was a sight to behold on his beautiful craft. Macho the legendary sea craft architect was there to test his scientifically designed fin placements and gave them his stamp of approval. "The Dude placed the fins perfectly and this placement is what gives the board its drive, stability and control" said Macho. "It made me feel young again just the way it slid over the surface". The Mexican, having recovered from his broken neck the day before rode a rare non closeout - a little fat left - to the beach. "The extra kilo of weight and the surface area helped me through the really really fat sections and it just kept going like a mal but with stacks of manouverability" said the Mex. Next he did a bottom turn and floated over the whitewater of a beautiful straighthander and pronounced it "cool". Afterwards, the crowd gathered in the car park and stared eviously at the beautiful craft and tried to paw its creator. Having achieved rock star status the Dude pulled on his sunnies and enjoyed his moment.