A day of weirdness

The forecast I thought was for lightish wind... but it was a bit more when I got to the lake. 8 degrees, but sunny... I went with my 4/3 wetsuit and it was fine, til water got blasted down the neck hole.

Enough wind for the 13 and the foil, I think. Or at least to body drag out to the deep water...

That part of the plan worked. Got out into deep water ok, but just discovered new sand banks in the process. Did manage to get a bunch more time on the board though, up and riding for longish tacks with some foiling up and down in the middle. Felt so very precarious up there, in control but sorta not. Moved my back foot forward in the strap; set them up on the widest positions so I got it forward an inch or so from the middle position. Also had the time to play with foot position, rail to rail. Can't be right, weighting the heel side edge....

Very uncoordinated goofy, stance must be the problem as I'm rolling over my toes downwind of the board and having to bail, sometimes tweaking my feet in the straps, sometimes narrowly missing the foil, and once donking my head on something. Still seems to be bleeding, might have to wear a helmet next time....

Wind picked up, and the speed got unmanageable and very, very scary. Discovered the trick to going downwind is sheet in hard, drag the board with the downwind hand.

Back on the TT. Holy moly this feels weird! Every push on the front foot has my brain thinking that the whole thing is going to rise out of the water, and I can't edge properly. Add to that, the broad feels slow, draggy and totally dead, like a big lump of wood. Weird!

Doesn't look like the fuse bent any more so that's good. Plan B is cutting it down to 900mm and retapping the threads when I buy the longer fuse...

Fat Bastard strikes again

Plan was to use the light wind to get some time on the foil, ready for summer.

Good decision: using the 6/5/4 suit and 5mm gloves n' boots. Spent a lot of time in the water.

Bad decision: not squaring off the bottom of the mast :-/

So the wind was good when I hit the lake, but after 20 minutes fighting out to chest-deep water, an attempt or two, the wind just dropped right off. I kept playing with the gear but it was frustrating; progress was hampered by fighting to keep the kite in the air, and the foil hitting the bottom.

Found a hole in the lake bottom down near the new breakwater... it's not very long, but if I could get up on a foil, I could fuck off upwind from there easily. The problem is of course, getting up on the foil....

Got back to the beach and thought the fuselage was bent. Yup, sure is. Dammit....

Think I got body dragging with the foil sussed out though. And the feel for the foil again, although goofy is very goofy indeed.

Little bit light

Should have been good, but the wind didn't shift until after 3, then it was light wind puttering around. Oh well, at least I coukd still get back to shore.

Much better

Good wind, easy power on the 10.  Adrian was there, so I returned the Vanguard (sniff) and got a wee run on a fat rail Limited 138... Nice!