Tattoo, Skimboard or???

Yeah, good point. The place I am going to is the most "reputable" spot in the area. I moved out of socal and I live on Hilton Head Island, SC. There are really only a few places. Like I said before, the whole reason that I didn't get the ink last year is because I got an appointment a few weeks out. I had everything mapped out, drew it myself basically and went in there thinking, okay, lets do this. The guy looked sketchy, the tattoos on his body were terrible, so an hour later, after he and I are going back and forth and he tries to convince me to do something completely different than what I wanted, basically covering the ink I already had, I just said that he and I should take some time and think about. I shot him some emails with ideas and stuff and dude didn't get back to me. I looked up all the artists there and when I called in to go with someone else, the chick was like, ohh well **** was working on that wave tattoo for you. He is out of town this week. We should wait and see what he came up with. I was like, I haven't talked to that dude in months, if he had done any sketches or had any ideas he would have called me. So, basically, I just was over it at that point. There were enough waves last summer that I didn't want to be out of the water for a couple week, which I was instructed to do by my previous artist.

Anyway, long story short, I found the right guy, I think at the right place and I'm ready to go. I'm not getting a crazy amount of ink, just the shoulder. Probably however much I can get for around $300. Don't need it all up on my shoulder blades and down my arm.

 

Haha. I almost break my ankle using the POS skimboard I have and I know the difference between a $90 foam top from costco and a legit fiberglass board for 6 times the price, so I dunno if $300 is too much for a quality skimboard, but I could see paying about 2 bills for one that will hold up and actually ride properly.

As far as the shoulder thing, I already explained it earlier. Already have SOME ink there, want to make it better. Been talking about finishing it for about 8 years.

As far as the good swell, I'm okay on that right now. Going to PR for work next month and will get plenty of time to explore the coast. Other than that, not trying to vacate the lil' one long enough to fly to a far away land.

just saying, the cheese wiz and everything else sounds good, but that sounds more like a regular weekend to me =)... Im just tossing around what to drop a few bills on. I got tons of "memories" of great waves in far away places. I just want to drop 300 on something that I will make good use of many times to come.

 

Just got a call back from the local shaper here. He has a 9'2 in his shop that is used but in great condition. He told me to swing by the shop tomorrow morning to peep it. He wants $350. Its a little over my current budget, but dang, I could pull another hundred outta the old ATM and justify it to the wife.

Leaning back towards the LB now, but man, like someone said, it's not very often that you have justified tattoo money in your pocket either. Surfing is like my religion and the wife always knows that surfing always take up most of my play money. But tattoos are harder to come by. I'm entitled to a new suit or board at least once a year.

 

Ohh, and there is no such thing as "high grade" here in the south. More like lawn clippings.

 

now your talking.

 

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/spo/4460274103.html

This looks like a pretty sick deal. Board looks like its in great condition too. Not sure if would last to the weekend so I could take a 2.5 hour trip down to the south side of Jacksonville though...

But that is a gem. Quad, Single or Thurster setup.

 

Wow, thats crazy... Nice work. Yeah, I have the sketch at home I think on my laptop. I printed a picture of my actual arm, with the current tattoos on it, and I drew it out around it. I even said, there is room for interpretation, I.E. textures and whatever the guy is thinking otherwise. But it was pretty self explanatory. Don't know why this guy was having such an issue envisioning it on my arm... Im like, dude, look at the f'ing picture. I DREW IT FOR YOU! What's to interpret? Its basically a wave going up overtop of my current tattoos and the lip coming down towards my Bicep... Plain and simple. Not color. Black and white. I showed him how he could blend the current tattoos into the wave face and everything...

I mean, at the end of the day, Im glad the dude didn't just wing it. There is nothing worse than an uncomfortable looking tattoo artist... Well, maybe an nervous surgeon.

Anyway, ill post a pic if I can find it.