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.