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

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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 ;)

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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.

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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 :(

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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 :(

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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...

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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!

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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.

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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...

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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.