Third time's a charm - means, go home.

GPV was saying that the wind would be good from 8 to 12 then fall right off. The live-wind data says 10knots but the webcam doesn't look like much. Nevertheless, I left home after 8 and headed over to Mie for the southerlies.

Well, we got 6+ knots at 10am. I'm going to give it a go anyway so I drag the Flite and Dialer out. Launch near the carpark and toddle off... with the waist harness. Few tacks barely riding then the wind fill in some. Easier riding but can only just get away from the beach on the outward tack - it's dead on-shore and the waves are pushing me in... Then the wind tips the scales and I decide I want my TT and the seat harness.

Let the disasters begin!

1. The beach, kiddie-playground and car-park is more crowded now... hmm. Try to self-launch but there are kids running out to the beach so I wait. Get ready to go, kite starts moving and then - kid runs back at it trying to go through my lines to the parents on the sea wall. :o I yell "Oi!" at the kid and wave it off but it just slows down (parents just stand there) and in the moment of inattention, I've not seen that the line is over the tip - so the kite powers and flips over onto the LE downwind some. Go to relaunch it again and - the kid rushes towards the parents (behind the kite) again... wait for the danger to pass and relaunch. I should have moved further down the beach but didn't expect it to be crowded!

Riding around on the TT is good but still pushed to the shore. Doo-dee-doo, have some fun for a while, then the wind drops off. Get on the Dialer again... feeling more comfy on it now, yeehaa! Too much wind for it, swap to the Origin again.

Ok-ish jumps, some wave-carving but nothing is up to much. Get slammed a few times trying to ride the Origin like a directional... twit.

2. Lose the board on a kicker that broke on me and swing under and front stall the kite - resulting in a good tangle around the kite right on the shore so I walk in and untangle stuff... takes some time! Also put the kite on lighter steering cos I'm tired and still want to ride. Trying to untie knots, got my hands full and guess what - Taki wants me to land his kite. Takes me a few minutes to re-untangle the line I was working on.

"Just one more... just one more... just one more..." and now for number 3.

3. Tide is out, so what used to be a deep near-the-shore band is now much shallower, as I'll discover. On my last tack - honest - and come in to the shore, getting ready to tack. Feel the fins touch down so I sheet out, ease up the edge pressure and drop onto my ass... what I don't feel is the kite going across the top of the window. But I do feel the yoink as I'm yanked at the shore - pull the QR mid-air and shoulder-check the ground. Kite has flagged out and I'm ok so I take it as a sign to go home :D

Four and a half hour session - not bad for me.

Oh bonus disaster - the drinking fountain in the park... I have a drink, wash my boards on the bottom tap. Turn them off walk away - turn around and the tap has fallen out and water is geysering out the top.

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Moment of the day was getting away with a only a mild spanking.
Mood of the session was bemused satisfied knackered.

Weather was reported as 9 to 16 knots, gusts to 20; 26˚C at 56%.
Wind felt like I mostly would have been happier on the 13.

What I learned today...

• Still getting sunburned :( use more cream. Everywhere.
• "Lightest steering" setting on the Flite in dangerously vague when the wind is up and the kite is trimmed. Better to change kites!
• Driving the Dialer - front foot more on the rail, back foot more centered or even a little over the other side. Seems to push the fins better for easy upwind, easier to carve, less beating up on my ankle (which is starting to hurt). Perhaps!
• The little waves are a good warm-up but I need more practice!
• Think I still prefer my big Door in the ocean...

Core, luv a duck!

Forecast for the same as yesterday, all day today which is good cos I have to be in Seta at 5:30pm so I head out at 12:00pm...

I'm all alone when I reach the beach and the wind is UP. I've got my Core GT 7m on the beach cos I thought I might like to play silly buggers with the 7 and hey, it's little - not too much hassle pumping up the 10 if it can't cope...

Well... it can cope. And then some. A few lulls suck but most of the time it's cracking! There's no way I can get on the Dialer again...

People start arriving... 8s and 6s go up. I think those on 8s are dreaming...

Wind is brutal in the gusts, poor little kite flaps around - it's a good lesson in fine-handling a kite. Do some jumps, ride some waves, plant some face, slam some kite... a lot of hard work, this riding!

Starting to feel tired, so I pack it in. Sand is stinging my legs on the beach... wonder what the wind is blowing at?

Even get to work on time. Good session!

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Moment of the day was actually riding my 7m for the first time... and some epic jumps.
Mood of the session was I'm ok I'm ok WOAH MY GOD WOAH MY GOD!

Song stuck in my head was "I think we're alone now" by Tiffany. Thanks Ted. Thanks a lot.

Weather was reported as 20 to 22 knots, gusts to 36!!! 21˚C at 53%.
Wind felt like barely powered in the lulls 5% to nicely powered 70% to OMFG! 25%

What I learned today...

• The Origin carves just fine - keep your speed up.
• Never felt like I couldn't control the board, even in the gusts. Really loving that board!
• And starting to get used to the straps... we'll see.
• Keep the kite low if you have to work it when "riding" a wave.
• Jumping with a small kite is, at times, like jumping off the roof of the garage screaming "Catch me, dad!"
• Splat.
• The GT 7 likes a little rear line tension to power up, and doesn't like massive bar turns - the un-loaded tip flaps like mad. I guess all kites do that to some degree, it just more noticeable in mega-wind and small, fast kites.
• Might be able to use it on the Dialer in less wind. Or at least, in more consistent wind!

You gotta come Origin-al!

Great forecast finally, and I get to go to the lake. Thought I might try the Catalyst 14 but by the time I'd pumped it up, I thought the wind was too much. Happy.

So out comes the XB10... yes should be fine so I head out on the Origin for the first time!

Quick review of the 2013 Ocean Rodeo Origin

• Does everything really well, very easy to ride
• Almost no spray in the face!
• Very little spray on my back leg!
• Don't like the straps - cover my toes too much but not the "meat" of my foot and... well, I don't like 'em
• Strong points are easy planing and upwind-ability
• Also handles chop nicely
• Wish it was orange :(

So it's gonna be good I think, I nice all-round free-ride board! Happy.

Had fun on the Origin, then the wind dropped off and and people came in for a break and I could feel it light, so I grab the Dialer and had some fun on that.

Wind feels like it's up again so I jump back on the Origin, but I'm at the bottom end of the wind range for the gear, so I just do some simple rotations and transitions...

Sun is going down... I'm the last on the water. Good session! Happy.

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Moment of the day was the effortless first big boost on the Origin! Oh no it wasn't... it was doing the kite-loop hand-drag back-rotations and not getting dunked and dragged.
Mood of the session was very satisfied.

Weather was reported as 10 to 14 knots, gusts to 20; 28˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like just going upwind powered to good powered... but not for long :(

What I learned today...

• I might have solved my "small board" problem
• I might have solved my "travel board" problem... I think the Origin has enough bottom end to allow me to use my small bag :)
• There seems to be a trick to carving the Dialer hard... but I can't describe the feeling cos I can't remember it really :D
• I was out on a 10. Everyone else was out on a 10. Goddam!
• Thorns in my foot are picked up on the path between the trees. Bugger!

Hamamatsu... why do I even bother.

Wife wanted to go to Hamamatsu for the long weekend so off we went. I was hoping to get onto the water with the surfboard...

Sunday, there was no wind. Monday we had good cross-on wind but those waves look gnarly. Glad I brought my old Flydoor... hmm, wind feels good - XB13. By the time I finished pumping, I wonder if it shouldn't be the 10... launch, no I'm ok - out we go.

Water is odd... very shallow for a ways, then with 1m+ breakers - get over them easy. The next set are over 2m :o I run at them, thinking I'll just boost over them but the pull from the kite is inconsistent and I get slammed and tumbled by the wave. Reset, try again... same result. Hmm, what's going on with the wind? I had a hard time walking upwind to the water... go canny this time, trying to time it so I can get out over the wave before it breaks.

Manage that, only to discover the even bigger waves just beyond...

I finally get all the way out! Damn, that's a lot of swell on the waves! The sea is rising and falling 3 or 4 meters in hill-sized swells around me... water is choppy too. Take my time to get used to it and go a l-o-n-g way out...

Coming back in, I come in too far and have to fight out through the breakers again - doh! Hitting the white water, my board sinks then gets grabbed and I get tumbled again... this time, my board goes through my lines, at the bar leaders :o I fight to keep the kite in the air with one hand and clear the board, but I can't do it. Kite ends up in the waves and I drag the board clear with two hands - now fighting the pull in the surf :-/

Back out, and from now on I avoid going all the way in. Jumps aren't up to much as the crests aren't sharp, but are wide and choppy. Waves out there are hard to ride, as they're going in different directions. Cruising around...

Looking at the shore - when I can see it! - wondering how I'll get back in past the mountainous, violent dumping breakers... eventually, my legs are giving out so I make a run in, timing it to ride the waves a little then use the speed to build more speed and blast through the danger. Only just works...

Give up the several hundred meters upwind I gained by doing heel-to-toe-to-heel carves in the shallow and flat water between breakers... that was nice!

Crikey, what a session! :(

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Moment of the day was the final carve-fest.
Mood of the session was AAAAAARGHH!

It sucks when you put your board through your lines - twice.

Weather was mental - over- to under-powered on the 13 - mostly just-powered when I need to be over-powered :-/ but the weather station reckoned 7 knots with gusts to 24 LOL

What I learned today...

• what a "chicken gybe" is...
• if you had a shit of a time getting out, don't come all the way back in! Idiot.
• riding down the back of those huge swells was like snowboarding! Had to be careful not to outrun the kite :o
• what my limits with waves are at this time!

Draft demo

Small chance of wind but I had to go and order replacement parts for my 60cm Cab bar . . .

Wind picked up while I was there, and Miyachi got the 17m Naish Draft for me to play with.

Thoughts on the Draft . . .

• Valves suck. Old School small diameter (but easy to pump) although they don't stay 'closed' when you pull the pump out.
• Quick 'n' easy to pump . . . kite looks small, more like a 13!
• No pulleys.
• Used a race bar . . . it needs a stopper ball. Feels like it wants to stall and fall outa the sky when you sheet right out.
• Bar pressure is . . . horrendous. Like nothing I've felt since the 2006 XB with the pulley bar.
• Turns sharp but like the XB doesn't make any power doing it.
• Apparent wind is where this kite excels.
• And that's the only area it does. All that bar pressure for that small advantage? I'll have my Flite, please. Not that impressed with the jumps or hang time and I'm not really keen to try it out in good wind when I could jump.

Lotsa walking which wasn't fun. Got to the point where I could just hold ground on the Dialler, and swapped to the Flydoor and was just going upwind. The other guys were all still waking at that stage, so I guess the apparent wind the Draft builds is good. Or better, on the flatter 'door.

Rode till dark, which now is about 6:30 :(

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Moment of the day was riding upwind.
Mood of the session was unsatisfied.

Weather was reported as 6 to 12 knots, gusts to 14. 27˚C at 67%.
Wind felt like it should have been easier to go upwind.

What I learned today . . .

• Draft is not a kite for me.
• Bottom end on the Flydoor is easier to tap than the Dialer.
• I need new shorts.

Dialer joy, Flite wins!

Forecast wasn't too spectacular, but I kept an eye on the webcam and it looked like GPV was on the ball - so worth heading to the lake.

Liiight . . . Gloves Guy is out on his brand new 2014 Zephyr - game on, Garth! And . . . the Flite didn't let me down at all! Considering how much heavier I am, there was nothing in it. And of course, my board was bigger and I'm probably better at riding under-powered . . . but it's good to know ;)

Then I thought I'd try out the Dialer, and the Flite's speed came into it's own. Man, I had a cracking good session on it! Really feeling into it, and even trying some ollies I felt so good! Only ballsed a small percentage of gybes too . . . happy!

Rode till almost dark, when the wind really died off. Two hours out of nothing - not bad!

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Moment of the day was any time I carved out a phat gybe and didn't fall in.
Mood of the session was hmm? aah! YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!!!

Weather was reported as 6 to 10 knots, gusts to 18; 25˚C at 75%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20; kite was trimmed when I was on the Dialer (a lot, at one stage) but was rocking around upwind just fine. Wind wasn't that good but the riding was epic. Ok the riding was crap but I had a great time!

What I learned today . . .
• Time for the short john, indeed.
• zomg I'm loving the Dialer!
• Togs need repair or replacement :(
• Should have taken waist harness.
• Need a smaller wave kite :D

Work tomorrow - good, I need a holiday!

Forecast was for kick-ass on JMA but GPV said otherwise. Webcam confirmed. Went out in the morning to try to get some new togs - none in stock because it's now Autumn. Oh, that's why it's over 30 degrees huh? Dumbass.

Got home, wind was up, webcam looked good - headed down to the lake.

Gonna be taking Flite 175 Fun-town I think. Iwai-san offers the 17m Draft, but I decline cos I'm worried about ruining it on all the bamboo trash I think is going to be in the water. I was wrong on that, but had a great time with the Flite.

Went out on Ol' Faithful, some nice rotations but I'm going downwind. Swap out to the Dialer - much more fun! Some lovely carving turns, was flowing some mojo today.

Give up when my legs start to give out. 2 hours on a surfboard is a work out!

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Moment of the day was all the luv-er-ly carves :)
Mood of the session was unsatisfied satisfied exhausted.

Weather was reported as 6 to 10 knots, gusts to 16. Balls. 27˚C at 67%.
Wind felt like slightly under-powered gusting to nicely powered.

What I learned today . . .
• I'm getting there! Dialer is starting to feel more natural.
• Driving the fins with weight on the back foot, board more flat, seems to be the best way upwind.
• Got some really good gybes in . . . my balance is getting better.
• Loose leg straps is less intrusive.

That makes the hat-trick!

Northerlies today, headed to the lake to get the new grip pads put on the Dialer and hit the lake.

Wind is up'n'down like whore's drawers. But I got the XB13 and Flite out to dry and de-sand so I don't mind. Picks up again around 4pm and it's steadier but still gusty as a mofo.

Big jumps, some playing in the waves; it was fun. Bit hard to deal with the herky-jerky gusts but it was all good! So much crap in the water I didn't risk the Dialer . . .

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Moment of the day was
Mood of the session was ooh crikey whoopee!

Weather was reported as 10 to 14 knots, gusts to 26; 25˚C at 70%.
Wind felt like 15 to 20 knots with gusts to 30. Seriously, it was mad at times.

What I learned today was . . .
• Need to work on the foot-outs.
• Might be a good idea to wear the ShortJohn cos the water is getting cold in spots.

That's more like it!

Forecast looked great, wind cam looked great, so I headed over to Tsu again, arriving about 11:30. The rain had petered out by the time I got to the beach. Looked good enough for the 13 and forecast was for picking up in the PM.

Perfect! Big jumps, fun carving up the waves... awesome! That went on for about an hour, then the wind got gusty and shifted to cross-shore, making getting out through the crisper breakers harder. Then it got really punchy and I came in. Then it dropped right off . . . and started raining like Noah had finished the ark.

Despite the sodden gear, well worth the trip!

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Moment of the day was getting into the big jumps again. Ok no it wasn't - it was riding down that wave, "cutting back" and "bottom turning" with the kite drifting, feeling like I was riding a half-pipe! I get it now!
Mood of the session was super-stoked, concerned, annoyed and amused.

Weather was reported as 20 knots, falling to 8 :( gusts no more than 30 knots. 27˚C at 85%.
Wind felt like perfect, building to unhappy, falling to unhappy.

What I learned today . . .
• I'm a bit rusty on the really big airs, but it comes back quickly.
• Why people like waves.
• If big rain is forecast in the surrounding regions, you should probably take a wetsuit.

New location is OK

Wind's forecast to be up in Mie . . . I'm betting Machiya will still be borked, so I'll go have a look anyway and maybe do the Yacht Harbor. The wind hasn't picked up by the time I leave at 12, so I may end up driving around just checking out both locations.

Yep, zero wind at the ocean, but there's white caps moving in from the horizon. So I might wait for it . . . car park is good, though far away from the area where the flags stop. Oh foo, a whole 5 minute walk! Problem is, what to do with my car keys.

Mmm, here's the wind. Light at the car so I go out with the Flite. By the time I reach the beach, I'm wondering if that's a good choice, but it's gusty (lully) so why not? Alone when I launch but by the time I get a tack or two in there's 3 other guys on the water; one keeps waving at me - wonder who that was?

Waves are small and almost at the wrong angle on both tack to use as boost ramps, as they're mostly too 'soft' for great boosts off them but - it's better than sitting around at home!

Doop-de-doo . . . wind is picking up, ceasing to fun and I need a drink anyway, and there's someone to grab my kite so I come in and land it.

Naturally, the wind has dropped by the time I set the XB up :-/ we all wait around for a while, the wind picks up for a brief yeehaw then drops right up . . . until I've completely packed up again. Oh well.

Only thing I don't like about that beach is all the shells. Worried self-launches will bugger the kites. Need an anchor, I guess. There's much, MUCH less trash though!

Here's the beach at the Tsu Yacht Harbor.

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Moment of the day was a rather slick cut-back (I think it was called) while surfing down a wave. I'm getting good at that. Har har.
Mood of the session was happy worried satisfied.

Weather was reported as 17 knots falling to 12, gusts to 28 at 5pm; 27˚C at 86%. 27 . . . I guess summer is over then, huh?
Wind felt like it was over 20 knots when I changed the kites then was 15 or less when I got back on the water, then struggled up to about 15 :( fickle bitch.

What I learned today . . .
• Fins on Ol' Faithful need replacing! Where ARE those damned spares?
• XB13 is just the greatest kite for doing what I like using it for; I love riding with "small" kites! Going to get a play with the Draft 14 and see . . .
• Straps on Ol' Faithful need work too.
• The Yacht Harbor beach has smaller waves than Machiya.
• Those poles with red flags delineate the swimming area.
• Watch out for old buggers with cameras who like to grab the bar.
• Need a spare key for the car.