And so it begins

Light wind, just enough to ride. Got a bit of practice in on the Dialer... There's a ripped cell in the right wing tip too, great. Going to fix it with Dacron tape and be done with it. Poor old girl...

Rode from about 5pm to past sunset. Temp dropped under 30 and so we get out first whining about the cold... Gotta wonder what is wrong with these people eh.

Not as good as last time

Hoped for the same as last time, and took the Limited to the lake and out for the first run, but was lighter than last time and a bit limp. Need to do the mixer...

Unprepared for a warm welcome

Back in Japan, the wind is finally blowing.  Got to the lake only to realize that I'd forgotten my hat and glasses in a suitcase somewhere. I hope. And my Limited is in the shed...

So I took the Dialer and the Flydoor over to the lake, with the 21. Nope. Too much wind for the big beast, go back for the 15.

Good choice. Wind was a bit Lully but some fun was had.

Hard work, all this chop. I'm out of shape, it seems: spiked by flat water, light wind, big boards and beer on the beach...

Met another gringo too, which was nice.

So long, Samui

Probably last chance day - don't want to face wet, heavy gear at check-in again.

Start out on the 21 and the Slayer, doing fine in the light wind but I can see big black clouds behind me. I keep an eye on them but decide too late that I need to drop the kite. Get tea-bagged in the gusts and call it a day with the QR again, timing it right so the kite drops on the sand bar; honest, I meant to do that. I pack up the damp (but not sodden) tangle and leave it for another day to sort out, chase down the abandoned Sector and head back in for the XB and the Limited.

Boosting fun for a half hour until the wind drops off so I get back on the Slayer.

Slayer goes through chop fine, probably less bouncy than the Dialer but is harder work going edge to edge and carving gybes are like squating 400lbs, and holding it there.

Wind drops off again, so I haul the gear back to the beach and pack up. Sit around drinking and talking, then the wind picks up but I've got a date to get too. Moo thod samun prai and pad thai noodles, mojito and sex on the beach...

PS. In Japan, we loaded all our luggage on the scales at once so all my careful packing to get 23kg in each bag was pointless. Figured they'd do the same here, so I dumped all my kite gear in the kite bag for easy packing... 36kg on the scales, as they weighed them individually. We instantly agreed to pay the excess baggage and it went through without a hitch. Fnar!

Wedding photos photobomb

Sat around waiting for the wind, was supposed to be good so had the "small" kite pumped up on the beach, after abortive efforts to do... anything.

Wind came up close to sunset and Tim convinced me to try his 2012 Slayer 60.

Tide was up so I rode right off the beach. Very nice board, super stable and fast off the fins. Easy to ride and not so dead for such a large and well-finned board. Good upwind too... Fun!

Someone was taking wedding photos out on the spit, with the stormy skies in the background (uh?) and possibly a big fat farang too.

Back again after back blow-out

Pulled a muscle in my back bending over to change a nappy, and spent the day in bed with Voltaren and ice packs. The next day was a quite one too, although greatly improved. One more to be sure, then a tentative session in light wind today... No problems!

Not quite the same

Almost the same as last time, but slightly less wind... Took off and landed on the beach, so I can do that.