Basis Surf Podcast

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Central Coast shaper Shea Somma (@sheasomma) is known for surfboards that make the most out of whatever the ocean throws at you. In this episode, we get into the DNA behind his designs like the Mini Super, a Mini Simmons inspired groveler built around an optimal length-to-width ratio that he reverse-engineered into a unique user-friendly board. He also breaks down how he won Best in Show at the 2023 Boardroom with his Bonzer-based Panza shape. We also talk about the most common mistakes surfers make when buying boards, and why the current obsession with surfboard volume might be one of the most misleading trends in the industry right now.

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Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:13 Shea's Central Coast Waves & Shaping Origins
04:13 Sharks, Colors, and Surfboard Superstitions
05:59 The Mini Super: A Mini Simmons Evolution
12:26 Fins, Concaves, and Hydrodynamics Explained
16:35 How the Simmons Design Spread Across Surfing
19:21 Winning Best in Show with a Bonzer
25:04 Building the Panza: Groveler to Step-Up
30:10 Twin vs. Twinzer: What It Actually Feels Like
36:19 Ocean Beach Guns: The OBG and the Judah
40:02 Biggest Mistakes Surfers Make Buying Boards
44:21 The Truth About Volume
47:04 Good and Bad Trends in Surfboard Design
48:59 Shea's Current Quiver, Board by Board
54:38 Upcoming Film Project and France Art Show

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

Ever wonder why some surfers seem to improve twice as fast as everyone else, even with the same amount of time in the water? In this video, Basis Surf founder Van Vu breaks down the "surf progression funnel" — the step-by-step system that determines how many real reps you actually get on a wave, from spotting it to completing a turn. Using a simple side-by-side comparison, Van reveals how one overlooked, land-trainable skill can snowball into a dramatically higher wave count per session, per day, and per weekend, explaining why elite surfers like Laird Hamilton and Billy Kemper quietly train this exact thing behind the scenes. 

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Chapters
00:00 How to 10X your surf progression
00:45 Elite pros secretly train their paddling
01:30 The surf progression funnel explained
02:13 Ocean knowledge & reading waves
02:50 Paddling: the highest-leverage skill
03:32 Why paddling is trainable on land
04:11 Pop-up: train it before you need it
04:49 Speed, line, and the turn
05:33 Surfer A vs. Surfer B: the numbers behind 10X
07:54 The Shohei Ohtani lesson: master the fundamentals

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

Moose Huerta is a longboarder from the Northeast who took a 4-month break from surfing before heading to the Mentawais. He still managed to surf 3-7 hours a day for 10 days straight all thanks to a month of paddle training beforehand. In this episode, we get into surf trip preparations, what keeps him out of the water in winter, what made him skeptical about the Basis Paddle Trainer at first, and what changed his mind. We also talk about how his longtime surf travel partner quietly got a paddle trainer without being asked, and why Moose believes that identifying the surfer you want to be in 10 years is key. 

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Chapters
2:01 Meet Moose Huerta — Northeast longboarder
2:11 Growing up surfing in Pensacola and Jacksonville, Florida
3:21 Competitive surfing through the ESA and living 100 yards from the break
4:25 Flagler College, the surf team, and surfing on a budget
5:18 Traveling the contest circuit and life as a semi-pro surfer
7:36 Moving to California, Nixon Watches, and the film Sprout
8:46 Discovering the Northeast and landing in New York City
11:04 Traditional vs. high-performance longboarding and the Sprout era
13:09 CJ Nelson, gliders, and evolving surf style with age
14:17 Plateaus, equipment access, and lessons from competing young
17:53 Gliders, pigs, and the 6'8" egg — finding the right board
21:52 Why Moose got the paddle trainer before the Mentawais trip
27:55 First impressions of the trainer — skeptic to believer
38:29 The Mentawais trip — 10 days of 3–7 hours of surfing a day
46:27 Advice for surfers on aging gracefully and keeping the stoke

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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Alex Novoa of Surfing Your Fears has been surfing for 38 years and coaching for nearly two decades. Our conversation goes deep on what actually holds surfers back from becoming independent in the water. Alex breaks down why fear never fully disappears but can be worked through, how smart positioning beats hard paddling every time, why your pop-up habit will either cost or save you hundreds of waves, and why paddle fitness is less about catching waves and more about surviving the ones that hold you down. Beyond the technical side, Alex also shares a perspective that's hard to find; someone who has nearly drowned twice, rebuilt his confidence, and used that experience to shape how he coaches others through the same thing. 

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Chapters
2:33 Alex's Background & 38 Years of Surfing in El Salvador
3:48 Still Surfing 8 Hours a Day at 50 - The Secret to Longevity
5:22 The Reverse Liters Strategy: Staying in Shape as You Age
6:36 Surfboard Evolution: From Boogie Boards to Shortboards to Longboards
9:28 Does Board Sequencing Matter for Learning?
11:34 Embracing Being a "Kook" - Why Starting Over is Valuable
12:59 How Trying New Boards Keeps the Love for Surfing Alive
16:36 Why the Program Is Called "Surfing Your Fears"
20:21 How Alex Defines a Beginner Surfer
26:39 Overcoming Fear: Internalizing What You're Actually Afraid Of
31:21 Wave Positioning Tips for Independent Surfers
36:02 Reading the Ocean: Sets, Intervals, and Wave Size
39:42 Time in the Water Is Everything - Why Fitness Matters
47:10 Alex's Near-Drowning Experience & How It Shapes His Coaching
57:34 Pop-Up Technique: Why Getting It Right from Day One Is Critical

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

Stab in the Dark X winner and the shaper behind Kelly Slater's boards, Dan Mann joins the Basis Surf podcast. We get into whether Kelly actually knew which board was his during the event, what Dane Reynolds and Zeke Lau noticed when he was riding it, and why Dan sees the whole thing as bittersweet despite coming out on top. From there we dig into the design differences between the DRK and FRK, what changed and why, and how those decisions translate for everyday surfers, not just Kelly. Dan also breaks down his approach to fins and why keeping one constant across every board you ride matters. We also discuss Dan’s different models and I share why the Dominator Pro has genuinely changed my surfing.

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Chapters
0:01:46 Welcome & Stab in the Dark X Introduction 
0:02:10 Was Winning Bittersweet? Dan's Honest Take 
0:03:44 Stab as Entertainment vs. Competition
0:05:43 Did the Show Manufacture the Drama? 
0:07:18 Watching Kelly Surf Other Shapers' Boards 
0:08:25 Kelly's Competitive Mind & the "What If" Factor 
0:10:20 The FRK's Origin Story & Kelly's Loyalty Since 2017 
0:12:15 Did Kelly Know Which Board Was His? 
0:12:47 DRK vs FRK: What Actually Changed 
0:22:41 Breaking Down the Full FRK Lineup 
0:26:16 What Makes Dan Mann Boards Distinct 
0:38:01 Fins & How to Tune the DRK 
0:44:45 DRK vs Dominator Pro: Which Board is for You? 
0:55:48 The Dominator Pro's Impact on Everyday Surfing 
0:59:03 What's Next: Spun Honey Groveler & Materials Innovation

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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