First in a while, last for some time?

Well the weather wasn't great but it was better than nothing. Weak, then lully. Sigh... got to scrape the rust off the Dialer though which was needed!

Bit cold... 4/3 and 2mm gloves kept me warm enough but my feet and face suffered. Especially walking on the stones. With my feet, not my face.

More of the same... and that's a good thing. Unlike pumpkin pie which is crap.

Same as last time... except I gave up on the Bullet (and Miyachi wanted to charge me rental) and went with the Flydoor. Wind built until I could have fun on the Limited.

Can pretty much do rotations to full boost height, and am even dropping some grabs... might be able to work in a foot-out or board-off eventually. Still handed though - they're great on one tack, sucky on the other.

Bullet? Bah!

Lightish winds forecast, but it's winter so the wind should have enough oomph. Went out with the Speed3 15 and the Bullet but struggled for a while. Gave up on the Bullet, finally deciding I hate it. Took it back and got the Flydoor... much better. 

Wind picked up, switched to the Limited and had a good ol' time playing silly buggers. Foot outs are easy when you don't have a harness getting in the way of your stomach, keeping your hand from your board. Grabbing the fins though hurts.

Good long session, gonna be sore tomorrow...

Weather was reported as 6 to 12 knots, 15 degrees C.

It's Thursday... isn't it?

Missed the day before cos I forgot to check the weather. Today was supposed to be ok...

Looked good when I got to the beach, took the Speed3 15 and XB13 to the beach but the wind dropped off. I struggled for a while - was playing with the Naish Bullet 5'4" demo at the shop - then the wind picked up and I got onto the Limited for some boosting and footouts... whee!

Wind dropped again and I tried the Bullet, but I don't like it - seems hard to ride, compared to my Dialer.

Gave up and got packed up... then realized it was actually Wednesday and I am supposed to be going to work :o I was 10 minutes behind schedule but traffic went my way and I arrived on time... phew!

Shoulda flip-flopped

Great forecast, even though it was all NW. Got to the lake and there was nothing. And I mean n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Waited around and something arrived, so I got changed and took the 21 and 15m Speed3s over to the lake, with a plan to swap the 21 bar to the 15. Which I did.

Good to be back on the 15... wind picked right up as I launched it so it was full-on for a bit there. So much fun to jump! Punchy and gusty and became less fun as the wind shifted more to the west...

Came in and packed it up and got the 10m but after my first two tacks, the wind dropped right off. Gave up and went home.

Weather was reported as... tosh. Whatever it was, it was a pile of bollocks cos there was nothing when I arrived at 1:30 and I probably should have been on a 10m until the time I actually got on the 10m... then I should've been on the 15.

What I learned today...

• 6m extensions are too long for the 15.

Redialed

Actually looked enough wind to contemplate my 10m, and Miyachi had the Bandits there for demo so I borrowed the 8th edition 11m for a run. Ok powered, falling to under so I swapped it out for the XB. Bar pressure was light for sheeting, medium for turning but crisp. Flapping behind the LE robbed power when sheeted out. Vague at the zenith... didn't like it.

Had another good time on the Dialer, but fell and hit my spreader bar hook on the rail and damaged it. Dang, something else to repair but I expected to ding up my first board. And an excuse to check out a new board... or maybe a Dynabar.

Really seems I'm going to end up riding the Dialer in lighter wind and saving the TT for really good boosting day... shame I can't surf worth a damn.


Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots, gusts to 22; 15 degrees at 55%.
Wind felt like just to under powered.

What I learned recently...

• front foot pressure is important to make gybing your feet easy
• still no clue on tacking

From crap to cool

What started out as a shitty frustrating day of wind drops, tangles and swamped kites, ended up pretty bloody good. A cackle-fest on the Dialer... once the wind picked up before, during and after the rain. We rode til dark, what fun!

Farewell to Fusion?

God what crap wind. Up, down, shifted 90 degrees and back... had to walk up the beach both directions! It was so bad, even the super-stable XB hindenburged at one point.

But got to ride some in between all that. Was desperate to try out the new gear so I kept going even when I thought, "fuck this, I'm going home to finish the deck."

Got a good long blow before the rain came in. The Mystic Star seat/waist got pushed to the limit from light to way over. The new Limited had to deal with wind at 90 degrees to the chop. Both aquited themselves well.

The Star was no worse than the Fusion for wedgies, both ass and crotch. Spreader bar ride-up was better than both Fusion (probably) and Renegade, while it was easier to get it down by far. As for the back, comfort was overall better than both. When the wind is right, we'll see if I can board-off. I still think for over-powered boost-fests, I'll need a pure seat but it's good to know that I can consider the Mystic range now too... although, there's no real good place for a front leash point.

The Limited is at least as good as the 2014 but I don't have the skill to really comment.

... got some epic carves in on the Dialer... might I have started the nailing if it? Getting some air under the fins too.

The weather was borked.

Pivot session

Oops nearly forgot this.

Wind was, I guessed, good enough for a 10m but only just. So I thought I'd ask for a ride on the Pivot that's in the shop, and go out on the directional.

Wind didn't really cooperate. All session it was gusty and up n' down. I got some riding on the Pivot - but only on the Dialer - then switched to the XB, then back again for a final buzz on the P.

Re. the Pivot. Pretty good for a 3-strut kite, no flapping at all and I'm pretty sure it never deformed. Didn't really get to fly it heavily loaded or over-powered though. Good low end when worked but it got jerky in the punchy gusts, and hindenburged two or three times in lulls. Great drive through the transitions on the Dialer, really pulled you through. I liked it but would want to try it more before I bought one. Love the bar! but the swivel... didn't.

Weather was reported as 16 knots, gusts to 30! 15°C at 40%...

Jolly good fun in... 5 knots?!?!

Better than the forecast and weather reports. Headed out on the 21 and was comfy powered, but then it picked up and it was getting hairy in the gusts. Ceased to be fun, and I wanted to ride the Dialer for some reason so I dropped the 21, got out the XB13 and swapped harnesses.

Good fun but damn, falling off that board is punishing! Got the fins clear of the water for some air, nice carves too. Getting there.

Weather was reported as 5 to 10 knots... bollocks. 18°C... perfectly comfy in my new Voodoo 2.5mm short leg spring suit, while the other guys are wearing 5mm steamers!!!

A big let down

Should have been good, but it was gusty and crap. The gusts would be been great on the 16m but the lulls were too often and too long...

Did some riding on the Dialer too and while that was good it wasn't great.

Getting sick of gusty crap.

Post-typhoon ride

Crook as a dog yesterday, feeling well enough to ride today.

Gusty as hell, and the wind slowly dropped so I went from Limited to Dialer. Had a nice mellow time.

Discovered a funny mark on the Limited and lifted the footpad - huge crack :( must have happened on Sunday, but can't think of anything out of the ordinary...

Pre-typhoon ride

South to the yacht harbor. Patrick Rebstock from Slingshot is there with Seigo, so there was some great strapless riding to watch. 

I, however, got on the water at 1 and didn't get off for 3 hours. Wind was pretty consistent so it was fun... some ok-ish jumps. Was going to pack up but after chatting to a kiwi I thought I'd go back out for a bit more... it was good.

Light but fun

Managed to get to the lake and the wind looked good but was all show and no blow. I really wanted to try out my S3 15 but couldn't be assed fiddling around and just went with the 21.

Which was both good and bad.

Bad because I had to land and launch a couple of times to clear knots out of the bridle, and good because the wind steadily dropped off until I had to leave for work.

Started on the Limited and had some fun. Then swapped for the Dialer and had some fun. Then gave up.

Mr Fujii... sigh... as an example of the sort of idiot blinkered behavior that goes on here:
Both of us were heading to the shore, me slightly behind him. I assumed he would push the tack as far as possible then come about, so I was getting ready for a change of direction myself. Then he just cut straight at the beach and stopped dead in front of me, parking his kite at the zenith.

Right in front of me. There was literally nowhere to go, and he just stood there, kite at 12 and me stuck a couple of meters behind him. I couldn't dive my kite to either side of him to get away cos there wasn't the space and even when he finally walked to the shore, he still just stood there with his kite at 12 blocking me.

Gah. Now imagine that on the roads.

Typhoon FedEx

Oops forgot to update...

Named this typhoon "FedEx" cos it delivered, but it was pretty crappy with its terms of service and delivery.

Erm... I seem to remember it being a good boost fest and lots of big tricks too, but forget the details. Started on the 13, ended up on the 10.

I did manage to splash down when the wind died, unhook and - snapped the carabina of the safety leash :o had to use a FSer one - yeuch.

So that was that.

Scooz me while I kiss the sky

Oof, dang. All the internets said the wind would be lighter than yesterday and falling off.

Nope.

We got 18 to 20 knots and gusts to 28 (if the weather station is to be believed). I swear it wasnt blowing that when I arrived, decided on kit and set up.

Started off light, just going upwind on the Limited, doing some rotations (fail central) then it just went all bat-shit insane.

I forgot how much fun it is to fly and float, Flysurfer style. Or just how big you can actually go on the 21. Or just how much effort it takes to hold all that power down... but, dang, it's worth the effort!

But after an hour of huge air, just big air won't cut it. Had to go to work anyway :(

What I learned today...

• There's a bit of a trick to jumping the big Speed, which took me a time to get back. Seems to be just holding the line then, releasing the edge and popping hard. Mind you, every time I thought I had it, the same method didn't work the next time...
• I get the most giggles and cackles out of the FSers by far... along with the most hair pulling.

Mellow hits the spot

Forecast was good and with the in-laws in town, I could sneak off for the afternoon.

Wind was a bit light so I went for the Crossbow 16 to make sure of some grunt. Took the Dialer cos I thought I might like to...

Enough to get going on the Limited, just, so I forced some rotations to get back in the habit. Even nailed some doubles...

Then the wind got light but not too light, so I went for the Dialer. Rusty!

Good session, had a nice time :)

Rock on!

Surprise forecast, couple of days after the typhoon and we get a cracking good day.

Unfortunately, they're having a comp so the beach is COVERED in unused kites, lines and bars and there's literally nowhere to launch a kite, let alone set up.

Tough choice on the size, the little guys were riding 12 to 14 meters, but it's supposed to pick up continuously through the afternoon, so I risk the 13. Pump up in the grass (spiky things everywhere, look out), carry it across to a freshly vacated spot and lay out my lines, threading between other kites.

Got into the air and on the water... great! Going to be good. Spent a couple of hours whooping it up, but the wind drops off so I take a break. When I think it's picked up, I go back out... more woohoo fun, but the wind drops off again after an hour or so, so I call it a day.

Some good jumps and rotations - front rolls are rusty. Occasionally in the gusts I had to fight to hold edges, and a few times went wa-aaay downwind just a few feet off the water as I got hauled off. Great fun, much better than the typhoon day!

Weather was reported as 15 to 22 knots, gusts to 32!!! 25˚C at 64%, climbing throughout the day.
Wind felt like 50% comfy-powered, 35% WOOHOO, 10% bah-humbug and 5% Whoa Nelly!

What I learned today...

• Soh is a little bitch.
• Back is good, pain almost nonexistent and legs working as well as I can remember they can.
• Want a kite that loops better...!

Lame-ass typhoon is lame. Laaaaaaame.

Well that was the lamest typhoon to date. Took the 10m and 7m to the lake cos I was grossly over-optimistic. For the first 30 minutes it looked good, then it petered right out. Got a drink, the wind came back but it was only good in the rare gusts... a few giggles but mostly just topping up the tanks.

Got to ride the 2014 Park 10m for a few minutes in the gusts but didn't get a real feel for it. Feels a lot  like the Nitro, same light bar and rapid response but I have to say, the Nitro was more stable - kept front stalling the Park on the beach, needed a firm hand on the bar. The bar was fantastic though, loved it. Same kind of jump feel too...

Moment of the day was a front roll down loop transition then landing on a cresting wave and riding it out, slack-lined, into the new direction. Total fluke but it rocked.

Weather was reported as 19 knots, falling to 12; gusts to 24 before I got there :(

What I learned today...

• The Limited seems picky about pad placement. 1/-1 seems to be the sweet spot... or maybe I'm just adapting to the non-Door shape.
• I really don't think looping the XBs is a good plan...

Crack-a-lackin'!

Well, that's more like it. Was hoping for wind on the holiday tomorrow, but that wasn't going to happen. The wife managed to get time off work to cover me, so I could go to the lake by 4pm. Niiii-thh!

People were saying it was no good, but they were going for 12m kites and I thought it'd pick up, so I went for the Speed3 12 cos I really wanted to ride it after the fun of last night...

Went well on the Flydoor for a good while, then there was a parting of the ways in the SPL and I had a kite that wouldn't fly right... it'd stay in the sky, parked at 2pm and pull so I body dragged back to shore and packed it up.

Had the 16m XB on the beach, so up it went. I was feeling pretty good, so being over-powered that much was just FUN. Jump-fest...

Packed up after sun set... although there's a good 30 minutes of light left, forgot that.

Was probably going just as high on the 12, but it was much easier to ride so there's something in that old chestnut then I guess, after all.

Light but not lame

Not expecting much, and it delivered. Luckily, I was just in the mood for an easy cruise so it worked out well. Legs feeling better, but not perfect yet...

Just enough wind to get back to the start, and do a couple of silly tricks on the tack. Good enough to keep me happy.

I should try the Flydoor with the pads back one step, and put the new fin on. Should really get around to the repairs that need doing too :o

Back in the saddle

So, you might have noticed no posts for a while... stuffed my back again at the start of the holidays and after the crippling pain passed, my legs stopped working at full power and other weird things. Back to about 80% now so thought I could get back on the water.

Wind looks good but am a bit hesitant... suck it up and go for the 13m (want to be powered so I can just laze back against the kite) and the Limited. Good choice, mostly ok-powered and don't need to work the kite much until the wind drops off at the end of the sesh.

Could have been a good jump fest but my legs aren't responding well enough to hold and edge, and I can't "feel" my feet... so it was a bit crap but at the same time good.

Bit more time needed then...

I am the lawnmower man

There was even grass clippings in the water.

Missed a 16 knot plus session on Tuesday at Mie, today's forecast looked the same so hopefully...

Got over there just before 2... hmm, 12 knots on the yacht club. Feels like too much for the 21 so I go for the 16m XB. Go out on the Dialer; would be having fun but there's so much weed or grass in the water, it's wrapping the fins and creating so much drag I just can't ride...

Decide to put extensions on the 16 and try the TT: 6m left-overs from the old S3 21. Yeah, kinda works... mow the lawn mostly but hey it's summer - what can you do. Wouldn't riding at all without extensions...

Weather was reported as 14 to 10 knots; gusts to 18 at 2pm, 29 degrees C at 80%.
Wind felt like I should have been riding upwind - just - but wasn't.

What I learned today...

• Extensions work.
• Grass in the water sucks!
• Old skool spreader bar pad is the shizzle.

End of month pile-up

Forecast changed overnight... light wind forecast but same in Hikone and Otsu, which usually means rideable wind.

Got down the lake at 1:30, set up the S3 21. Out on the Dialer... easily riding but not going upwind. Do some walking until about 3 when the wind pick up. Switch to the Limited at 3:45... gah. Have as much fun as I can til just after 4, when I get off and head to work... just as the wind is cranking up :(

Weather was reported as 8 to 10 knots (balls), gusts to 18; 30 degrees C at 50%. Hmm.
Wind felt like I should have been going upwind to I should have been getting a smaller kite.

What I learned today...

• Wear the goddamn wetsuit. Power wedgies blow.
• Actually do need a spreader bar pad - not for the spreader bar, for the loops the webbing goes through. Ouchie.
• My elbows are killing me :(

And that's 5. Well, gosh...

Supposed to be the day today, forecast looks good... even looks good when I get to the beach. Early for once...

Should have gone for a bigger kite, but there you go. Went out on the Dialer but just wasn't in the mood. Changed it for my first Flydoor but that was too heavy and dull. Went and got the new one but that equally didn't spin my wheels. Tried to ride the Limited all the time but that was an exercise in frustration.

I did try a few very lame, very low kite loops to see if it would kill me. It didn't but the sun burn might... damn, I gotta put that stuff on in layers before I get anywhere near the lake :(


Weather was reported as 9-6-12-12-12-10 knots, gusts to 20. 28 degrees at 58%.
Wind felt like mostly underpowered with gusts to meh.

What I learned today...

• If it looks like a 13 day, rig the 16... cos summer SUCKS.
• Seems I've gone off my Flydoor - feels draggy, hard bloody work and just not fun any more :( maybe time to change the stance. What am I going to do when underpowered?
• Put the damn short john wetsuit on. Wedgie central...

Oh stop - 4 now?

Well, it was better than yesterday but just not enough to ride the Limited upwind easily... but it were better n' nowt!

Weather was reported as 9 to 12 knots, gusts to 20 after I left :-/

3rd for the month?

Lame.

Forecast was for crap and I only drove by on the way home from the hardware store cos why not. There was a bit of wind and so again, why not.

Bit of riding around to keep my hand in... lots of walking. Ah well...

Weak-ass typhoon is weak-ass.

Went to the lake expecting to ride the 21 AT BEST and having a back seat of things to meddle with to fill the afternoon. Instead, the wind was up, steady and rising. Huh...

Went out on the 16 and the Limited, and actually had a bit of fun.
The wind kept picking up and so I went and got the 13.
The wind kept picking up and so I went and got the 10...!

So that was a nice surprise. I got a little underpowered on the TT so I thought I'd change it out for the Dialer, but only got one good tack till the wind lulled enough for me to realize that I couldn't handle any walking so I decided to call it a day.

Pretty good day considering the crap forecast; the typhoon might have nailed the southern parts but we got almost none of the weather...

---

Weather was reported as 9 to 12 knots (LOL) gusts to 20; 29˚ at 67%.
Wind felt like 15 to 20 knots fairly steady. Picked up steadily, held, then dropped off...

What I learned today...

• Relearned - the 16 isn't that much of a dog as I remembered. 'Specially not after months of flying the 21!
• Find the top end of the Limited is... limited. Bottom end if fabulous so I can't complain too much but I think I might try moving the pads to the heel-side just a tad, as they're now centered or a little to the toe-side, it seems....
• I so prefer to be just powered on a smaller kite now, and seem to jump just as high.
• Now I need to stop being a chicken shit and start stunting it up.
• Loops on the XBs are tricky... sheeting all in chokes the shit out of it, sheeting right out is violent - in the middle somewhere is better.

Downwinding

Forecast was good but it failed to deliver. I barely got to ride and it was all downwinders but strangely satisfying.

Especially when the cool kids couldn't keep their kites in the air... once slamming down a few feet from my head when I'd fallen into the water. Gimp.

Weather was reported as 8 to 10 knots, gusts to 15. 27 degrees at 66%.

What I learned today...

• There's a rip on a seam and a hole in the canopy... poor old S3 21 is showing its age.

And now it's time for a bucket of sangria...

Light wind expected, but it was same in Hikone and Otsu and that usually means it's rideable.

Well, it was for a half hour or so but then it was up and down and gusty nasty - got lobbed and backrolled the "jump" riding it out - and then lulled to nothing.

So it sucked, but I hung around for as long as possible, being a sad desperate tosser. Sigh.

Weather was reported as 10 to 12 knots; 26˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like crap.

Skirting the shore

Not some clever pun about summer fashions on the girls but a statement of the distance of my tacks today...!

Forecast was worse the risk of a day without responsibilities... looked ok-ish for the 13 when I arrived at 12 but I knew it was supposed to pick up so I risked the "small" kite.

Hard work to start with, working the kite to get moving and upwind. Gets easier, and more fun.

2 hours later, I'm pretty done - arms etc sore from working the kite hard, legs etc sore from doing stuff... time to call it quits and head to work.

Wind was 8 to 16 knots when I arrived and was pushing 20 when I left. It was good... except for the sunburn.

Forgot to add: SOME-THING-IS-TOUCH-ING-ME!!!

Stood on something slippery, thick and muscled that squirmed underfoot and gave me the heebie-jeebies... I jumped and squeaked like Grant Imahara.

Improvement impresses

Another light wind day scheduled... but the wind picked up gradually and it turned out to be oddly fun, doing rotations and getting real close to perfecting back roll transitions after some pfaffing around on the Dialer.

Having to go to work meant I cut it short as the wind was picking right up... sigh.

Sigh...

A few tacks were had but it was just too light to ride much, and it was up n' down playing silly buggers with my lust.

Weather was reported as 8 to 12 knots, 24 degrees at 65%.

Too light

Wind was up, the forecast wasn't. A few of us had gathered... to be disappointed. Riding a few tacks but walking til it drops right off and dies. Oh well, at least I got out of the house for a bit.

What I learned today...

• Need to pre-stretch my DIY pigtails... yikes!
• Need to do the mixer!
• Need to learn how to make a directional go upwind when the wind is light.

Forgot but not forgotten

Eep, forgot to fill this out...

Good ride on the 21 and the Limited. Wind picked up til I was uncomfy so I swapped for the XB but then the wind dropped. A few tacks on the Dialer but it was a waste of time so I packed up and went to work...

Worth the effort

Had the day off and looking at the forecast wasn't really sure I wanted to bother with the trip... ended up glad I did though, despite having to avoid the lo-oong traffic jams on the highway by taking the "local" roads.

Thought the wind was good enough when I arrived for the S3 12 and a boost session, but I was wrong. A couple of tacks were a waste of time.

Out with the 21. Ride for a bit but then it drops. I messed with untangling the twisted mini-5th and by the time I'd done that, I was thinking the wind had picked up some.

Yeah, it had. Gradually went from holding ground to fully depowered kite.

So that was fun... gave up when I was too tired.

---

Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots, gusts to 25 :o 27 degrees C at 75%.
Wind felt like underpowered a lot to approaching uncomfortably over-powered. 25 knots might explain that...!

What I learned today...

• Have to sort the 15 out!!!
• hop-to-toeside carve transitions - need more board input, it seems.
• Orange and peach frozen sherbets are in season! w00t.

Moby Dick gets me moving

Another afternoon off... same plan as yesterday, without the having-to-go-to-work at the end of it...

Yeah, it's light. Time for the Moby Dick to come out and play again. Try the Limited - not much joy. Try the Flydoor - better. Wind drops, I take a break and bring the Dialer back.

Wind picks up, have some fun on the Flydoor... harness bugs me though and while I'm enjoying the stunting, I wish I had the seat harness on.

Pick up the Dialer to change it up and head out... I can ride it, but I'm not carving anything - kite too slow! Play with changing footing and stuff... pretty good fun actually.

Get off the water and head home... pretty good day, actually!

---

Weather was reported as 6 to 12 knots; gusts no more than 18 at 10am; 19 degrees C at 64%.
Wind felt like more powered than was comfortable with the waist harness...

What I learned today...

• Back/Front rolls - the S3 21 just lifts you way the hell up in the sky and you dangle around looking upwind for ages :)
• Need a seat harness for that mad power of the 21.
• ... maybe the 15 would have been better...

Republican Jesus* back in the game.

Got the afternoon off, the forecast looked ok so I headed to the lake. Took the S3 21, with the supplies to get it back in the air, just in case the wind wasn't happening.

It wasn't, so I replaced the broken bridle lines and replaced the pulleys. Determined to test fly it, I changed and went over the beach.

Spent another half-hour maybe sorting out the bridle - clearly, when the Z-line broke it looped through the B and C bridles and then I did knotted the two broken bits together when I packed it up... slow and steady sorts it out.

Inflates and launches fine, everything seems to work. A few crappy tacks then I have to go work...

Find a shop with blue Monster and orange juice ice on the way, so I'm double-happy ;)

---

Weather was reported as 14 falling to 8 knots... it was mostly unridable by the time I got the gear out though :-/

What I learned today...

• Still a few kinks to work out of the S3 21... notably, the too-short mini-5th.
• Sunblock time.
• Found another lose thread on the Switch wetsuit... between that and the hole in the Hyperflex, I'm a bit frustrated. Might have to brave the cold water in the short john.

* Big, fat, white, slow and saves! sessions.

Directional practice was good...

Hmm. It seems we're not past the gusty lame season yet...

Got an hours fun on the Dialer, but the rest of it was crap. Gusts too much for the 13 but in-between, not enough for the 13. Set the 10 up cos I thought I would be able to use it but... only on the Dialer.

Sigh.

Tried some kite loop preparation OMG what a waste of time with the 13... forgot the 60cm bar and it just doesn't work on the 48cm.

Weather was reported as 13 to 10 knots, gusts to 22; 20˚C at 54%.
Wind felt like crap. Uncontrolled in the gusts, just enough some of the time and not enough the rest.

What I learned today...

• Fuckin' making an LEI go upwind is a lot more work than the Speed3, especially the additional bar pressure. I'm unfit, again.
• Dialer turns better with more aggressive weight shifts, front and rear...

Gusty but crappy.

There's the full gamut.

Tsu again. Forecast was good and the wind arrived; it was just late - as in, when I was packing up.

So I went out on the Speed3 12 at 2pm but wasn't having joy. At 3 I changed to the Pscyho4 19... better. But over-powered in the gusts and being blown downwind, yet I can't really jump properly. So it was a bit crappy...

Got lazy on the landing, just thought I'd pull the safety but I misjudged the distance to a log and ripped the kite :( the old "I've decided to sell this kite" curse strikes again. Not a biggee but damn annoying...

Weather was reported as 12 to 14 knots, gusts to 22. 22˚C at 41%.
Wind felt like a little overpowered in the gusts and underpowered at the other end.

What I learned today...

• Choose your landing spots and methods more carefully.
• Choose your kite more carefully - 13m XB would have been better.
• Might be time to dig out the t-shirt and short john suit.

Gusty but scary. And fun. But scary. And fun.

Was out about lunchtime and noticed the wind was up. Huh, should've paid closer attention to the forecast. Run around organizing stuff.

Get to the lake just after 2. Wind looks ok, JMA seems to say it'll drop later so I'll go with the S3 12 and take the XB 10 just in case.

Head out with the 12... ah, this should be fun!

And so it was...! Some rather big boosts - I could see the whole of the roof at the club house, and that's a 3 story building :o about 2m up over the road too.

With the wind though came the gusts... poor kite took a beating in the punchy shifts. Yikes...

Get dropped a few times when the wind just dies at the top of a jump. Get lobbed a few times when rotations go screwy... after a particularly big lobbing, I must have unhooked myself cos a few minutes later the bar goes flying out of my hands and the kite ends up in a mess... kinda fly it back to shore, dump it and recover.

Head back out, a little less sure. Wind has dropped a little and is a little more stable, but now I'm screwing up jumps to port, like the bad old days - nearly rotating backwards without meaning too... bad combination of kicker and wind angle?

Dunno. I'm starting to fade so call it a day... and what a day!

Weather was reported as 20 falling to 8 knots, gusts to 28; 18˚C at 58%.
Wind felt like a moment of "Imma gunna die", lotsa moments of AWWW YEAH and a few moments of woohaa.

What I learned today...

• Kite handles real funny when wet.
• Elevator rides are fun but scary. Especially when the lift stops.
• So-ooo out of practice! But at least my fitness isn't as bad as it was.

Gusty but epic!

Good looking forecast today for the afternoon... hit the lake after lunch.

Take the 12m Speed3 to the lake and the Flite. But the wind is good! Too good for the 12m and the waist harness so I go back for the seat and 10m XB, just in case.

Nope don't need the 10, the 12 is boosting epic! So that's nice. Wind is a bit gusty... some nasty moments with the kite but if I keep on top of it, it's all good. Lots of great jumps and some nice rotations, although I did balls up a front spin transition and tip tangle the kite... lucky.

3 and half hours! Bloody good effort on my part... I'm going to pay for it tomorrow though.

Moment of the day was boosting off a wave, down-looping the transition and carving down the wave, running out in front of it then carving back up to boost out the top of the same wave! What fun!

Weather was reported as 10 to 14 knots, gusts to 22; 18˚C at 40%.
Wind felt like more than that! 20 to 25 I thought, in the good bits.

What I learned today...

• Don't eat lunch so soon before putting on a harness.
• Need drain holes in the legs of the Cyclone2.
• Adjust the straps on the Limited.

Gusty but good!

Forecast was iffy at Tsu but I was going anyway... the other problem was it's Golden Week holidays so the roads and beach will be packed.

Yup, the morons are digging clams out of the sand all along the beach - thousands of people in the middle of the beach. Thankfully, it's a big beach.

The wind looks good enough for another Speed3 12 day, and the water looks really flat. Huh.

One tack, two tacks, tangle a tip once, twice and... floating in. Gah, it's really gusty out here. Struggle after relaunching the kite to get back moving at all, but I guess it's just wet cos eventually I get it sorted.

Actually, despite the gusts, it's a pretty good session. Some nice jumps, fun in the waves etc. Even the kite stalling in a lull in the middle while I was standing on the beach wasn't too much of an issue. I had a great 3 hours straight on the water... and didn't get burned :)

Weather was reported as 9-16-15-12 knots, gusts to 26 at 3pm. 18˚C at 62% and... no rain!
Wind felt like never over-powered, and a little under-powered most of the time. Jumps meant I had to work to get back upwind and I spent a lot of time "downwind" in the pier corner.

What I learned today...

• Tsu can be gusty too :(
• New Hyperflex wetsuit is lovely but that gusset at the back will piss me off when I'm the only one around.
• The leaders on the kite need replacing too - I can imagine those buggers snapping as well. Sigh.

Damn working. Just... damn it.

Rush after work to get to the beach for the fading light, and the forecast fading wind. Was still pretty good when I arrived, so I took the XB10 and the S3 12 across to the lake after the fasting wet suiting up in history.

Hmm, I think I could risk the 12 and be ok and maybe get a longer ride when the wind drops but... dang, I grabbed the P4 19 instead! So I set up the 10m...

Well, it was ok for about a half hour, then it sucked. So I went back across the road for the 12... it was ok for about an hour then it sucked.

But altogether it was better than nothing.

Weather was reported as 12 to 13 knots, gusts no more than 28 which was at 12 so that's irrelevant. 15˚C at 55%.
Wind felt like ok powered falling to having to walk. Maybe, 15 knots with peaks to 20 at the start

What I learned today...

• Some stitching has come undone on my Switch wetsuit :(
• I love the S3 12 - it's the only Flysurfer that's never disappointed me in some way, usually by something breaking and the resultant mess putting holes or tears in the canopy.

Here comes the rain

Southerlies again, so off to Mie and the Yacht Harbor. Rain forecast but it's light so I may get away with it.

Nope. Wind is good but it's hosing down. Wait, what's that off in the distance...? A sail? Dang, if the pole dancers are out what excuse do I have?

Set up as the rain drops a bit and it seems good. Easy rider time. Waves are crappy and mushy, not much good for boosting off :(

Good play time; would have been a good session to try some kite loop tricks but I was feeling like a real pussy today and just couldn't commit. Did some spiffy rotations though.

90 minute session, then the wind dropped and didn't come back. So I got a soggy kite to deal with tomorrow but it was worth it.

---

Weather was reported as 19 falling to 13 knots; gusts to 28. 15˚C at 92% and 2 to 5mm of rain.
Wind felt like just powered to underpowered but getting back to my start, before just giving up.

What I learned today...

• I don't have a tow point to attach the SurfSafe too...?!?
• Need to suck it up.

You chose... wisely.

Good forecast, wind was better... lots of running around getting a babysitter and it meant I had to cut my session short to go back, but at least I got some time on the water.

Started off lightish and I hummed and barred about whether or not to go with the 19 and cross my fingers that it doesn't pick up too much... go with the Psycho4 19.

Was light but riding fine. Fun with stunts... wind picked up and it became more of a huck-fest, but the Psycho is just so powerful that I got pulled off my edge unless I was careful - a few lo-ooong low floats across the lake resulted.

Could have stayed for another couple of hours easy... would have had to swap kites though.

---

Mood of the session was ohh? ohh! ooooh!

Weather was reported as 10 to 18 knots, gusts to 22; 16˚C at 49%.
Wind felt like... well, slightly underpowered but going upwind ok, to rethinking the 19 in favor of a smaller faster, more fun kite.

What I learned today was...

• Need to tickle up the Psycho4 - bar and bridles.
• M-U-S-T sort out the Speeds!!!
• Love the Limited!
• Loops on the Psycho - lift and pull OMG!

I didn't set up the 10m.

Forecast looked good. Got the chores done then went down the lake. Miyachi watched the little guy and I went out...

Took the 10m and 7m to the lake as there were gusts blowing sand around. Thought about setting up the 10m...

Thank Jesus! I didn't set up the 10m.

As I was about to start pumping the 7m, I heard a "Help-u me" from behind and turned to see  Niki-san sliding towards me with his kite at the zenith, horribly over-powered. I grabbed the back of his harness and we walked/levitated back up the beach so he could dig himself into the sand and lower the kite to land it.

An auspicious start! Went out on the 7m and it was ok for a while, then it dropped, then it picked up.

Thank Jesus! I didn't set up the 10m.

Yeah, so, at first I had a hard time getting the big air but then I dialed in the board and kite and... yeah, fuckin' whee! That was good for a while then the wind picked up some more and gets gusty with it... start getting dropped and missing landings - need to learn - sorry man-up - to loop it.

Had to go to work so I came in after 90 minutes... long hard 90 minutes though!

---

Weather was reported as 14 to 12 to 15 knots (LOL) with gusts to 28 (at least); 13˚C at 68%.
Wind felt like 25 knots dropping to 20, gusts to more than 30. The last 20 minutes were pushing the 7m over its limit... awesome! So it was WOOHOO for 20 minutes, Hohum for 10, AWW YEEAAAAH for 30 and OMFG for the last 20.

What I learned today...

• I probably could do with a 5m.
• Thank Jesus! I didn't set up the 10m.
• Should have taken the Mako with me, but the Limited did well in the waves anyway.
• Need to learn how to loop.
• Thank Jesus!

Winter blast brings frozen face

Forecast looked cracking, wind looked good, got to the lake and... lame, it's dropped. Take my 13m over to the lake and as I'm setting up I think Hmm, maybe the 10m but by the time I launch it's dropped again.

Up and down all afternoon. Had a few big smiles from massive long glides in the gusts but otherwise the wind was up n' down the whole time.

Weather reported as 14-18-14-12 knots, gusts to 36 (!) 6˚C at 75%.
Wind felt like a little over-powered, a little nicely powered, a lot of under powered.

What I learned today...

• It was damn cold. I thought my face had frozen at one point... but the rest of me was fine!
• Need to work out how best to boost off the Limited in the choppy water...

Psych!

Forecast was awesome, and the first 30 seconds I was worried the 10 would be too big... nope.

Back home to the lully crap

Forecast looked kickin' so I was hoping to get out on my new Limited for some whoopee... was looking grand when I arrived and lasted right until I set up and launched. Dang.

Tried to get out on the Dialer but I just couldn't ride the thing... got the Flydoor... equally slow and draggy feeling. A quicker on the Limited... yeah, just a tad less low end.

Reorganize the gear depo on the beach. Ditch the Dialer and get the S3 12.

Well, whaddya know? Foils for the win again. Cruise around some then pop a jump and well I can see how That Other Kite is making it look easy. A more intense session concentrating on the kite skills to make the most of the light wind but I had a pretty good time...

The Limited shines on the lake too. Slices through the chop and reengages the edge instantly. Responsive but not harsh at all. What a fantastic bit of kit!

---

Weather was reported as 15 to 10 knots, 11˚C at 65%.
Wind felt like I should have been riding upwind easier considering the jumps but perhaps that's because foil.

What I learned today...

• I forgot how to ride a directional :o
• Speed3... what a kite!
• Limited... OMFG what a board!
• That sunblock from the skin doctor is fucking shit. I'm sunburned now >:(

But... the forecast was the same as yesterday!

Got skunked as the wind dropped while trying to ride the Nitro and then the Flite. Had a nice chat to Brendan, who turned up and set up but wisely, didn't bother...

Vanguard really is a fantastic board...!

Good show, old chap

It was that kind of forecast again, and there was wind in thw , ever so slightly in the morning and that meant, last time, that a good day would follow.

And so it was. Put on a good show for Dad, who came to watch and had a good time myself.

Wind was a bit up and down so it was a mixed bag of boosts and attempts at stunts... but it was a hoot.

Eventually I pushed my luck with a poorly timed loop transition and managed to land with my board square to the wind, digging the toe side edge and face planting with a goodly power in the kite... thought I'd taken the skin off my face I hit the water so fast :o and now ( the next day) my neck is stiff and sore :(

Weather was reported as 19 knots...

Oh please... please...

Same as yesterday, except less wind. The most exciting things that happened was the topless hippy chick sunbathing in the dunes, the hottie jiggling sorry jogging in a bikini, and the accidental dog fight.

Sigh...

Weather was reported as 20kph at 18˚C.
Wind felt like way underpowered to just riding. Yawn.

What I learned today...

• 3m extensions on the Flite actually make a difference, but the bottom end isn't improved by much. Definite must have in the kite though... now, where to buy.
• I need help with my addiction.

Other end of the scale

Desperate for a ride, I went to South Beach and set up the Nitro3 to test the low end.

Was interesting, but wasn't a lot of fun. Put in 3 hours of riding the flattest water between the widest breaks in the waves, then walking out a bit, then riding again.

Now, if I can just get the Nitro out in the wind it was designed for...

---

Weather was reported as 18kph.
Wind felt like underpowered (duh) to almost powered in the "gusts".

What I learned today...

• Shortening the rear lines on the Nitro by an inch improved the feel at the bar and got some grunt into it, without losing the upwind ability. Don't forget to remove that knot!
• Really responds well to being worked and building the apparent wind... shame the water isn't co-operating...
• Popped a few jumps - pretty impressed how well up it goes despite the lack of wind, and how easy it is to time the redirects. Good jumping kite... wonder if it would have gone absolutely mental with the tuned line at Waikuku.

Nitro at Waikuku

Due to circumstances, I had to use a different part of the beach than usual - Waikuku :o there's an estuary there that the .kml file said was usable at all tides but that's horseshit. So the beach was the only option til the tide came up.

Wind looked light for the guys on 10m kites, so I thought I could get away with the Nitro v3 14m on it's first run, with the small Vanguard... pumped up in a protected area behind the dunes and carried the kite out to launch on the beach. Would have been easier to fly the kite there :-/

Easy launch, feels like I got some power so should be good to go... head out to the water, start fine and - yikes, that's a big wave! Bit of a battle getting out through the breakers; got knocked off once, dropped over a wave and fell over... nearly had the kite tumbled by a wave when I dropped it on the water.

God, it's gnarly out here! The choppiest and sharpest breaking waves I've ever encountered. I get out the back but I'm just mowing the lawn. Boosts are bit lame but it's interesting to try out the Nitro.

Get sick of riding back n' forth and notice there's a kite out on the estuary now, so I head over there. Walk over the spit and jump in...

Better. Flatter water, bigger boosts but the kite... well, I guess it's over-powered. Nothing fancy, cos the water is only a foot or so deep :o

After a while, the wind suddenly drops and the other 3 locals make a bee-line for the set up point so I follow them in...

Not bad, I guess but I'd have had more fun on the Mako, playing in the waves.

---

Weather was reported as 30kph at 4pm, 20˚C.
Wind felt like I dunno... the trim was never touched on the Nitro and I never felt over-powered but I wasn't working the kite hard.

What I learned today...

• Vanguard - god-like. No issues with the chop and slop waves, no bogging or sinking even with the new kite I wasn't used to. Great planing when the wind died too... just a fantastic board.

Thoughts on the Nitro 3 14m

• Wind range seems great.
•  Boosts and floats as well as the XBows, although today the XB would probably have been a more violent rip off the water.
• Flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flap flappity flap.
• Folded a wind tip, while loading a down loop :(
• Bit vague through the bar, and doesn't like being told to turn when sheeted out.
• Might be something to do with the light bar pressure.
• Really flies of the front lines, eh Eppo.
• Very short run in light wind - seems to have a great bottom end.
• Need to try it when it's not horrendously over-powered.

Fancy-schmancy, look at me...

Another day of hitting the estuary in time for the tide. Wind was almost as good as yesterday, to start out with, but fell off and continued to do so all afternoon, until at about the 3 hour mark I had to work the kite... but still got back to my starting point!

So the boosts were just meh and I started to do some rotations... getting back in the groove, as it were. A few fails, noticeably trying to do multiples when the wind wasn't strong, but no slams as bad as jumping out of straps... BOOM! the mud goes flying.

Another great day, really satisfying to get back into the air style... just wish I could reach my feet :o

---

Weather was reported as 24kph falling to 20, at 21˚C.
Wind felt like almost over-powered falling to having to work the kite... but still getting back up wind enough. Damn, that's a good board!

What I learned today...

• It's so weird to be on the same size kite - or smaller! - as everyone else.
• Bottom end of the Vanguard seems to be pretty darn good... so hard to tell eh. I mean, I'm working the kite and don't have the power to actually complete any tricks, but I can still get back to my starting point. I'm sure the "flat" water helps... although I wonder what effect the in-going/out-going tide has...
• Using a flatter board to boost from ensures you don't jam the edge and get ripped off the board... and you seem to go higher. I'm still getting used to boosting off flat water... certainly much easier to go higher from a "kicker".
• There was one more thing that kept popping into my head but now I've forgotten...

Straight jackin'!

Got to the estuary before the tide peaked - skillful work on my part! Wind is doing it's thing, feels good. VERY gusty and gnarly on the launch site...

But once on the water it's a huck-fest... for the next 3 hours. Nothing fancy, just boost and glide and enjoy the view!

Spot who I thought was Adrian out on the water, also doing the boost... when he parked up, I took a break and had a chat.

Most boosts successful... now I'm feeling battered but happy ;)

---

Weather was reported as 43kph and falling... are they sure it's not actually knots? Max of 20˚C.
Wind felt like woohaa!

What I learned today...

• Yes if you redirect too soon you can send the kite back a little and recover your glide.
• Today wouldn't have been possible without a seat harness... guess there's still room for one in my gear pile.
• There's never a camera around when you want one...

Toys galore!

Same plan - if there's any wind, hit the estuary at high tide. There is some, but it looks like 17m weather. Called Adrian at Axis before I hit the water and he said he was busy but come and pick some boards up from his house... on it!

So we get talking and showing off the wares and I have to turn down some boards cos I don't have space in the car... but wave mutant thing, I'll be back for you. I set of with a Vanguard 137x42, Ultra 144x45 and a prototype light wind thing slightly larger than the Ultra.

Back to the estuary... wind is up a bit, should be fine on the 13m. Head off with the Vanguard to see how a small board goes in ok wind.

Well... I love it! Spray is pretty much nil, bottom end is actually pretty good for such a small board. Carves nice, goes edge-to-edge quick and sticks like shit on a blanket, pops happily and yes the funky channels actually work.

Can't remember the sequence of gear, but I changed kites and boards - 10m and the Ultra I ended up finishing my session with. Greatly prefer the Vanguard I think, probably due to the size and smoothness of the edge... the Ultra feels more draggy and locked on the edge like the Flydoor with the fin.... didn't stop me riding it for another hour or so.

Got a few ok jumps and one nice elevator ride... had a lot of fun but still not back in the groove.

---

Weather was reported as up to 31kph from the NE. LOL again.
Wind felt like slightly over-powered on the 13 to fine on the 10 dropping to slightly underpowered.

What I learned today...

• Where to begin :o
• Vanguard will be my next board for sure!
• The straps and pads... money!
• Carbon - you sexy beast!
• Adrian is my new bestest friend...

10m weather... crikey!

Determined to get out to the estuary at high tide and just wait for the wind... Nice sunny day and whaddyaknow, the wind is coming! From the best direction, even...

Start out on the 13m but soon I'm more powered than I'm comfy with so I change it out for the 10m. Good move... lots of fun! Not up to best standard but had a nice time.

When I was driving away, I got a call from Adrian of Axis setting up a meet. Haul ass back to the estuary... very nice to meet him and eye up his boards...

Weather was reported as 30kph i.e., about 18 knots. LOL!
Wind felt like comfortably powered on 10m, whatever that is :o

What I learned today....

• Should've had my seat harness with me.
• Need to work on my rotations.
• Gotta get a SurfLock :o

Back on The Big Stinky

Itching to get on the water, I headed out to the Estuary for high tide, regardless of the forecast. Looked ok, and the other guy there headed out so I thought I'd back him up. We did ok for a 1/2 hour of lame lawn mowing then it got gusty and shifty.

I gave up, he kept trying with lots of kites falling out of the sky.

Naturally, as we'd just finished loading our cars, the wind picked up from the NE... and I'm beginning to regret not going out again cos it looks like it's still blowing :(

---

Wind felt like 15 knots dropping to 10, lulls to nothing.

What I learned today...

• Flat water much good. Bottom end so drop.
• Jumping more difficult... but load n' pops go big.
• Sun is terribly strong - feeling burnt through my hat :o
• SunDog glasses are the goods - so like!
• The bottom is less gooey and dirty - your feet don't come up with black mud stuck all over them... but it's still squelchy.
• Launching on grass is a bit rough - you really shouldn't slide as the kite powers into the sky :o

A nice send-off

Forecast looked grand, lots of red arrows. Got to the lake and had a hard time deciding between 10m and 13m... went with the 10 and the Flydoor and the Origin.

Went out first on the Origin and it was fine. Then the wind dropped and I grabbed the Flydoor... urgh, that felt so wrong. I wonder if that center fin should be removed!

Came in for a break and took the Flydoor back and got the Dialer, but the wind had picked up so I went back out on the Origin. Wind is still iffy, and everyone else gives up... just as the wind picks up :D have some good fun then!

Very bloody tired after 3 hours on the water... no wonder I can barely move my legs. Next session will be in NZ... although the forecast looks like crap there :(

---

Weather was reported as 17 to 20 knots then falling to 14, gusts no more than 40 and that was at midnight; 7.5˚C at 52%.
Wind felt like meh powered to giggles powered.

What I learned today...

• Many different ways how not to set up a boost... thankfully, I didn't get spanked on any of them but came down hard on my bad ankle once. Ouchie.

Some is better than none!

So, the forecast was for yellow in Hikone and blue in Otsu.. that means we'd probably get lighter wind here. Looked ok on the web cam and when I arrived, but when I put the kite up and got on the water it was all show and no go.

Dicked around for a while, got some runs in and did some floating around waiting. It was ok - better than sitting around at home...

---

Weather was reported as 9-12 knots, gusts to 26 at 5am so not real useful that eh; 7˚C at 48% - jeez, it's like summer!
Wind felt like just powered 45%, barely or not powered 50%, maybe-I-need-the-Origin-after-all 5%.

What I learned today...

• The Regular S3 12 is actually pretty good too... and I'm now confident again in using such a small kite. Well, for now...
• Like a regular kite, I don't like being over-powered on the Dialer and so far my zone of comfort is pretty narrow on the board... the Speed3 of course builds apparent wind nicely when looped but that can get quite gnarly in the gusts.
• S3 12 seems to do ok for me on the directional... when the wind was enough to be powered, it floated ok-ish without deforming and the power came back on nicely when just sheeting in - better than the XB? Turned ok too - the ol' stall, rotate and zoom out the other style.
• I have gone WAY backwards at getting up on the board :o man-oh-man, what a kook.
• Fast n' ugly footwork is more effective than slow and perfect, in the gybes...

Better 'n yesterday and the snow wasn't so bad at all

So, the wind is up again. Looks like the same as yesterday...

Unbelievably, the Whale Scrot is dry :o so it's warm getting into that. Go with the 13 again, and the waist harness. Seem to have more power than yesterday but the waist is bugging me...

No fun boosts, some nice rotations but the waves are nice so I opt for the Dialer... long ol' session on that boy, trying to figure out how to do the nice carves. "Waves" were really nice and clean all along the beach... loverly!

Had a hard time with gybes and switching feet but nailed almost every switch to toe-side then carve... weird.

Snow poked me in the eyes a few times but it didn't stick around for long. 2.5 hour session - not bad!

---

Weather was reported as 14 to 16 knots, gusts to 26. 3˚C at 55%.
Wind felt like ok powered on the Origin to slightly over-powered on the Dialer.

What I learned today...

• Probably better to use a smaller kite and be fully trimmed for max AoA than a bigger kite and trimmed in... loose too much steering input it seems.
• I can carve heel to toe much better and constantly on my goofy side :o WTF is up with that?
• Really need to learn how to start to the right as well as I can to the left...
• Even with the holes, I like the WorkMan gloves more but my hands are still worn out :) happy.

Not bad. Not great though...

Good forecast, slightly not living up to the hype.

Rode the Origin ok and had a play on the Dialer but wasn't really feeling it. Did a lot of rotations for some reason...

Wind was cross-on from the NW and I ended up over the "windsurfer side" of the river... had a little fun popping over the river wall.

Switched boards a lot to make the most of the wind... really tired now. Not a bad session eh.

---

Weather was reported as 14 to 15 knots; gusts to 30 at 2am (bah!) at 5.7˚C and 71%.
Wind felt like ok powered lulling to just riding with gusts to mmm ok.

What I learned today...

• Those XCEL gloves are warm but wa-aay too thick - can barely bend my fingers in them, nor now - forearms were burning and now are non-responsive... the $9 WorkMan gloves are better :o
• Put the Sprint2/Boston/whatever-the-heck-it's-called valve in the 13 - easy enough job - and it's even better than the original!
• Threads are a bit stiff... wonder if they're just a tad off but snug is good and it held air good. No sign of damage that I can see.
• There's a way to turn the Dialer that feels like a real sharp carve on a TT but doesn't require a lot of weight on my bad ankle.
• Need some repairs to the Impervious...

Wind burn, sun burn, hail burn? Ouch.

So it's been a while. Forecast talked big and for a change could back it up... sand was flying.

Was 10m weather when I arrived then it picked up so I went out with the 7m. First launch was hairy, so I put it down with Miyachi's help and we waited...

The hail had died off some and the gusts were less vicious so we tried again.

At first, the hail in my eyes was killing me and I nearly gave up on the whole shenanigans cos I couldn't see and my eyes kept hurting even after I shut them :o but just as I thought I couldn't take it any longer, the hail stopped.

As always, with 10 or 7m weather it was gusty as hell so although the jumps were epic at times, the landing left a lot to be desired... I really gotta learn to loop for landings - this years goal.

Wanted to get some Mako-fun in so switched boards... whee!

Wind's starting to get nasty again, my legs are tired so I pack it in.

Which is probably just as well cos the cops, fire-fighters, lake police boat, and SAR helicopters are starting to freak me out... turns out a fisherman's boat was found capsized so they're out searching for the guy. Doesn't look good...

---

Weather was reported as 22 to 24 knots, gusts to 40...! 4˚C at 63%.
Wind felt like comfy powered to well-powered with a few moments of uh-oh... but I was pretty cautious with the kite most of the time.

What I learned today...

• Wear. The. Glasses.
• Seat harness is comfy. New speeder works fine.
• The waist with the clip has gouged a hole in The Impervious. Gah. Something else to fix.

Rain... no problem.

Snow... no problem.
Hail... problem. Right in the eyeballs!...

Before that bout of hail though, the wind was pretty good. Which is really good cos there was family stuff I really should have been doing...

Started off just right for the 10m, got a bit light, picked up, then went ape-shit. At first I felt a bit meh about the whole thing but eventually got into the groove - hard work with all the gear on!

Bit gusty for my taste for stunts - I got lobbed and dunked a few times, so couldn't rely on the wind to be consistent enough not to mess with me, but it was steady enough for boosting hard. Got a few that put smiles on my face... still think it's easier to go higher with the seat harness...

Came in for a break - like I said, hard work. Was sweating under my suit... ew. Got a bottle of water and the Mako, cos I was having a nice time slashing the waves...

Aw yeah! I took some fins off and it's much better ride as a mutant now. Gotta get it out in real waves!

Back in, finished my bottle then went out for a mega-boost session. Some real doozies... bet they'd really rock if I wasn't 20kg heavier with a 6/5 suit and 10L of water in my boots :D

Really tired now, come in and call it a day...

It was fine for about an hour (was worried about sunburn) then it started raining, snowing then hailing for the rest of my 3-hour session. Pretty epic day, I'm happy. Nice to be whoo-haa-ing jumps again.

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Weather was reported as 12 to 20 knots, gusts to 40 :o 3˚C at 78%.
Wind felt like comfortably underpowered (i.e. riding but thinking about taking a break) to really should have taken a break.

What I learned today...

• Might have a leak in my 10m... Miyachi is checking out the LE.
• Seat harness needs some stretching - it seems to have shrunk without use :o
• Waist harness was hard on the back today, just couldn't get it to stay put.
• Landing feet first - if the water is shallow, even chest deep, you can hit the bottom. It's jarring.
• Mako so good the way I have it set up now! Carves like a beast but isn't a pig in sliding transition cos of all the finnage. 
• Boosts well about my average height - yes you gotta actively fly the kite. When you get that elevator feeling of going straight up after you've hit your pendulum apex, bring it just back above you to control the descent till you need to finally redirect properly...

Lame gusting to crap. Whoopee.

Forecast looked ok and the wind was ok when I arrived, but instead of building, it dropped off.

Played with the settings on the Flite but again, tough to notice any difference... trying to decide what kites to take to NZ next month.

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Weather was reported as 12 to 10 knots, gusts no more than 18 at 1pm; 6˚C at 57%.
Wind felt like crap... was holding ground ok to begin with, then the wind dropped a little and I was holding ground on the Dialer, then I was going downwind and walking. Lame.

What I learned today...

• I need to put the 21 back together and risk riding that again /rolleyes.
• Would have been a good day to try out that race board...

That does it! I'm going to give you a jolly good thrashing!

Started off so well... got going with the Speed3 12 DLX and the Flydoor while the others were struggling on 12m, 10m and directionals... had about an hour of fun till a down loop transition saw the kite go flying downwind... mufuggin pigtails snapped again! I thought.

The reality was much worse... ALL the bridles on the RHS have been ripped off at the LCL and the LHS is much the same, with the added joy that there about a whole cell has been ripped off the kite.

Fuck. It's not like I was stressing the kite, what the actual fuck! So that's three out of 4 of my Speeds waiting repair...

Thinking of selling all my Flysurfers and being shot of them...

Got the XB13 and went to pump it up... but the adapter on the hose broke. Yes, the new hose that's about 6 months old. Back over to the carpark to get my 3-year-old pump's hose...

Kinda underpowered... lame jumps so I went for rotations... bit rusty eh.

Last one on the water again. What a day, eh.

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Weather was reported as 15 to 11 knots, gusts no more that 24 (3 hours before I went out); 3˚C at 60%.
Wind felt like powered enough to not walk on the S3 12 while working and then having fun, to losing ground on the 13 and having to walk a couple of times... the Speed3 is the better kite.

What I learned today...

• Maybe Flysurfers really aren't for me :(
• Which is a real shame cos the bottom end of the 12 is stunningly good.
• I've forgotten how good the Flydoor is...
• and I've forgotten how to do front-rolls.

A long 2 hours...

Good forecast, good wind. Started on the 10m but the gusts to 36 knots at 2:40 were too much to handle so I got out the 7m XB for the first time. Lulled a lot in the last 30 minutes of the two-hour session so that sucked, but the first 45 minutes out on each kite was good.

No massive boosts - think I need to get the seat harness out to hold it all down. The waist harness did a lot of riding up too which was annoying.

Only 2 hours, but I'm knackered...

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Weather was reported as 18 to 22 knots, gusts to 36; 6˚C at 65%.
Wind felt like totally underpowered 10%, just underpowered 50%, happy powered 30% OOH YEAH 18% and Imma gunna die 2%.

What I learned today...

• Front foot further forward to flatten the board for better low-wind performance on the Dialer. Maybe :o
• Really fuckin hard to fix a waist harness when it's ridden up and you're trying to keep hold of a surfboard in the fuckin surf.
• Really need to sack up and loop the smaller kites on the landings cos getting dropped sucks.
• 7m loops fast but doesn't pull like a beast.
• Didn't need the 6/5 suit today either, despite the snow.

Deeeeluxe delight!

Well, wind really delivered today. Got to the beach about 2pm and it was up - 8 and 9m kites out. A few spots of rain but I gamble on that blowing over and take out the Speed3 12 Deluxe for its first flight.

Mmm, in need to tuning the lines. And untwisting the centers! Prone to back stall... yup, small Speed - but I'm finding it easier to keep it on the boil and working. Turns better too IMO...

Wind is ok, having some fun. Picks up in the middle and really goes mad, then falls off again but I have a great time for three hours... mostly alone on the water as some guy has put his kite in a tree and everyone is helping.

Once again, an accident completely avoidable by simply pulling the QR first, and not holding on to the bar for grim death. I didn't see what lead up to it, but I saw the kite take off across the beach and his kite disappear into the trees. Mountains of time to QR... idiots.

And then, when I'm packing up, Taki strolls over to the beach and offers - repeatedly - to carry my surfboard back for me. This is the guy who walks up the beach dragging his brand new board behind him on its leash, and slammed a borrowed kite into the bushes and trash kites on the other side of the beach... FFS.

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Weather was reported as 18 to 15 knots, gusts to 28; 6˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like comfy powered to over-powered but loving it.

What I learned today...

• Fully pre-inflate the smaller Speeds... less pull on take-off.
• 4/3 suit is the bomb, but the water pools at the top of the boots - need another drain hole up in there.
• My timing was off, so the boosts weren't as huge as they should have been... that, or I'm just used to "that" much now.
• Down-looping... watch that shit! 12 is s-o-o-o fast through the window, the pull so aggressive... it's a wild ride.
• No thrust bearing on the CL is horrid.
• The alu-block is horrid.

That's one...

Wasn't really expecting to get a ride in, but I needed to take some pics of the Speed3 and Psycho4 I was to sell, so I took advantage of the sunshine and headed off to the beach. The Hard Ass crew was there waiting for the wind... I flew the kite in light wind but it's picking up, oh myyy!

So I gear up and take the Flite across the road. Hmm, Junkie Sensei is having a hard time with the Turbine... so I go back and get the XB13.

Bit underpowered for a couple of tacks then it picks up and I have enough to play with. Try some kite loops to get a feel... then do the boost thing.

Wind drops off after a while so I try the Dialer but that's not working either. Must be time to pack it in...

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Weather was reported as 11 to 9 knots... gusts no more than 24; 5˚C at 80%.
Wind felt like comfy powered to under powered on the 13... say 12 to 18 knots?

What I learned today...

• Switch 4/3 suit is just fine for these conditions.
• 13 was the perfect choice... I'm beginning to see the wisdom in not using big kites :o
• Need another drain hole in the suit above the boot line.
• Hard to fly a kite and take photos at the same time :o
• You can loop an XB so that it creates lift and you can loop it so it does nothing much... it's a fine line between the two.