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.

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!

Third time's a PITA

Good wind but the wrong kite - not in a suitable state of tune. Nothing exciting really happened, except having such little low-end that I had to tack way the fuck out to Otsu before I could get out of the Marina bay.

---

Moment of the day was making it back to where I started from :-/
Mood of the session ranged from goddamnitmuthafucka to oh-bah-humbug.

Weather was reported as 10 to 12 knots, gusts to 18; 29˚C at 55%. Huh.
Wind felt like crap. Kite was out of tune so that didn't help.

What I learned today...
• The P4 19 is in dire need of a tune-up!
• Dialer is hard on the legs!
• The Infinity bar mod works great.

We was robbed

Forecast was good, wind looked good at work but by the time I arrived, it was crap.

Thought about it for a bit then unpacked the P4 19 to test the bar mod - get something done at least. Had replaced the single line spacer with a double, a la fsmodman, like this. Everything reattached the right way so I struggle with a launch in light wind on a very narrow part of the beach cos the rest of it is covered with kites.

Kite flies fine, the bar seems to work. Wait around some but nothing much is happening. Head out for a few tacks but it's on and off (mostly off) so there's a lot of walking up the beach.

Waiting around with the kite in the air, a front comes in. Ji-chan is telling me it'll be dangerous, so I reverse-land my kite down wind and prepare to hang on. Unfortunately, my lines are over someone else's and of course, his kite starts twitching as the wind picks up so I launch my kite, slide downwind at his lines, stop in time then joggle backwards so his can control his kite.

Notice Soh (who's been avoiding eye-contact with me since his screaming fit) having a word with Ji-chan and they're both glancing over in my direction… I've come to the conclusion that he's a whingy sissy bitch who was having a crap session and vented at me but hasn't the cajones to let it be.

The big bad dangerous squall is so weak I can only just get upwind on it for a few minutes…!

Give up, pack up, head home. 2 hours of waiting!!! A few lame back-rolls and a single front-roll transition… sad.

---

Moment of the day was a very smooth front-roll transition. And that was it.
Mood of the session was ho-bloody-hum.
It sucks when there's no wind but there is supposed to be.

Weather was reported as 14 to 10 knots; 15˚C at 80%.
Wind felt like bloody nothing to very almost under-powered.

What I learned…
• Bar mod seems fine… but… when there's no tension on the FDS line, it binds a bit. All the actual riding un-spins worked fine, so far.
• Ignore advice from others who are well-meaning but wrong.
• 3mm suit is enough cos the water is warming up… but the old one is all hard and making like it's shrunk!

Psycho saves a session

Forecast looked crappy but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. Supposed to be good from 10-12 then falling off...

Got down the lake about 10, sorted out my Speed3 21 bar and lines then noticed the wind had picked up so I hauled over to the lake...

Inflated the 17 cos I really wanted to ride it, but it just wasn't co-operating. Contemplated going to the effort of tuning the 21 bar but just unpacked the Psycho4 19 instead...

I can get up on a plane but it's not enough to ride upwind. Spend a half hour or so, riding and walking before it picks up and holds steady enough to goof off and still get upwind.

Having a good time! Rotations of all kinds and even get into foot-outs! Land a few too :) but not really enough height for anything but a quick whip-it-out, like a flasher in a public park.

Towards the end of the session, I try out the Mako. Seems so skittish when compared to the 'door! Carves like a beast... but I just struggle to get up wind. Land the Psycho and put up the Flite again, back on the 'door. Meh... not going upwind enough and I'm tired and feeling burnt, so I call it a day.

Not bad for what was a crap forecast!

---

Moment of the day was actually 2 - a big, fat, long stare backwards at the horizon on a back-roll; and a big, fat, slow-as front-roll.
Mood of the session was bemused annoyed satisfied.
It sucks when you want your lost board :(

Weather was reported as 8-14-7 knots, gusts to 20; 16˚C at 41%.
Wind felt like a rip-off - looked and felt like we should have been rocking but it was, at best, just powered.

What I learned today...
• Magic wind season is over :(
• Miss my 'radical :(
• REALLY need sunblock :( I am a tomato bobblehead.

• Mako is so loose and bouncy but DAYUM does it carve like a knife!
• Flite just HANGS at the top of the jump, and you just hover - will be a good board-off kite.
• Psycho has so much lift at the top but really pulls downwind a lot, it seems...
• The old Flydoor straps need to be on the widest setting...
• Front rolls are getting better; as are back-roll transitions.
• Did a foot-out on my "off-side"... man that felt WEIRD!

Lawn mowing but laughing

There was supposed to be wind today. It was even blowing a bunch in Ryuo so I headed off to the lake with high hopes... only to be disappointed when I got there. The surface was broken but there were very few white caps - looked like that time I arrived from Osaka so decided to head over with the P4 19 cos hey - what else am I going to do?

Seems So and Turkey have nothing better to do either - So on his 12 and Taki on a 9 FFS!

Kite is pulling a little... water start was sink, sink, sink, plan, then take off on the 5th sine. OMG I'm going! Had to do a big of a walk but on the way up, it picks up a teeny bit so I'm off again - and riding upwind!!!

Noodle around some. Hmm, the wind has picked up a little more - upwind is super-easy... wonder if I could ride the Flyradical?

I can! But there's still not enough wind to boost so I work on my rolls.

Wind drops off again, swap back to the Flydoor and keep doing rolls but there's just not enough wind.

Pack up in the dark again, all alone. Light wind, lawn mowing but it was ok anyway.

---

Moment of the day was sneaking in the last, nice front-roll before the wind completely died.
Mood of the session was heh har hum.
It sucks when the lots of wind forecast doesn't really arrive.

Weather was reported as 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 26 (LOL) 9˚C at 68%.
Wind felt like 8 to 12 knots with gusts to 15. Just powered enough to get upwind with one, maybe two stunts per tack.

What I learned today...
• Sometimes you don't have to be flying to the moon to be having fun
• Working SUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS
• Looking forward to getting my S3 21 back - thanks John at powerzonekitesports.com!
• Need to wash socks and undies

Surprise soul session in light wind

Had to go to Osaka for an annoying visit to a mendacious clinic, so hauled ass back to Shiga to see what was what on the lake about 4:30. Turned out, not very much but Junkie Sensei was doing OK so I trotted back to the car to gear up...

Run, fat-ass, run!

Into the suit, no time for boots or gloves! Light wind out there, so I took the P4 19 and the Flite over to the lake. Wife was with me so she carried the camera... and got some footage of me faffing around.

Well, it's bloody light. The occasional white cap and foot-high chop... Junkie Sensei is going upwind ok though, with his Turbine. Time is of the essence so I unfurl the Psycho4 19. It's due for a test run since I set the mixer to 0 -0.5 -1 (I think) and this'll be the first time out since it went over the trees (also I think). Barely enough wind to inflate it, so it's going to be a messy launch. And it is...

But it get up and it's pulling ok... might get some downwinder walks in though. Out onto the water...

Ride, fat-ass, ride!

Crikey! Actually feeling a little freaked out by just how grunty it is in the "gusts", as I take off like a rocket and struggle to edge against the kite, then realize I probably haven't checked the relative line lengths. Trim it some to cope... Well, going upwind is easy! Kite seems stable too - let's play! Edge it and send it...

Fly, fat-ass, fly!

Woof, not bad! Nice jumps for such light wind, I'm amazed! Back-rolls are big and floaty. Front-rolls are off though... man, for a non-light wind kite the 19 is actually doing rather well in the light wind! I clown around some for the camera... then the wife wimps out cos it's cold. Junkie Sensei has gone home, so I'm all alone.

Drop the kite once, and it lays on the water tip-on-tip, with a bit of a bend in the middle... think I'm going to have a swim, cos when I start trying to work it out, it makes like it's not going to open up at all in this light wind. I try an arc-style recovery and manage to open the center of the kite and get it LE down, but it'll only rise a meter or so off the water. Drop a line and it comes around - phew!

Swim, fat-ass... no not this time.

Enjoy myself for a bit longer, but the sun has set behind the hills (although it's still light) and the wind has dropped - I'm having to work hard and careful to get back upwind. So I call it a day... 90 minute session, which I wasn't expecting and was amazed to be riding at all! Good ol' Flysurfer!

Movie coming... eventually.

---

Moment of the day was what felt like a massively high back-roll :)
Mood of the session was wha-? whoa!
It sucks when you fly the kite wrong.

Weather was reported as 4–8 knots, gusts no more than 12 (2am)! 17˚C at 44%...
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots

What I learned today...
• The P4 19 is a beast. Seems sensitive to it's state of tune though.
• Big ol' back rolls are easy. Like, as big as a regular jumps big. Yikes!
• Don't need gloves or boots when it's been 17˚C all day.
• Front-rolls need more commitment and skill than on the Flite.
• Don't dive the kite straight down after a jump - riding towards it and sheeting out is what causes the tip-to-tip clamming.
• If you go for a down-loop transition, when you redirect the kite sheet out to send it right across the window, and when you can feel it start to pull from the side, haul on the bar for the loop. Makes a big fat loop with more constant speed and pull, with much less faffing with the bar.
• Really seems to me that Flysurfers need a firm hand on the bar...
• Gotta go over it again and check the lines.

A nice surprise...!

Well. Forecast was for absolutely nothing gusting to SFA. I'd finished the FDS bridle tune-up and reworking the Switch fifth-line as an FDS line, so I thought I'd take advantage of being an unemployed bum and go to the lake and replace all the gubbins.

Quick'n'easy to sort out... and there's a teeny bit of wind so I pull and pump the kite into the air. The FDS is MILES too long with the 3m extension so I drop it and yank it. Nope still too long... by about a 1/2 meter I reckon...

... hmm, the wind is up. I'm doing some jumps on the beach and thinking it might be good for a ride but my gear hasn't been hung out and is still sopping wet. Tall skinny guy with the Park on the directional is setting up though - and Hironobu has just arrived. All signs for a good session!

Wriggle into the suit - eek! it's cold - and lumber out to the beach where the P4 19 is still laid out. This'll be it's first run since it's trip over the road and trees...

Launch it and test it out - should be good enough. A tack out and in, one more and I have to walk the whole way up the beach. Out again and gradually the wind picks up and we're all riding upwind - just.

It's pretty funny that I can boost 3m airs but struggle to get back upwind to my starting point... the Psycho is pulling hard across the zenith, so loading the board with speed then carving and popping from the board as the kite is sent makes all the altitude.

Several times though, I boost right out of the straps. Or land with one foot in the strap... manage to drop the kite a few times too, in the process of falling on my ass/face/back. Had to launch it arc style twice, which got me a bit concerned cos it didn't really want to open up one time... had to haul in a LOT of rear line until I got air into the trailing edge, then the kite opened out LE down.

Some nice back-rolls too, both directions. Started in on the loop transitions too - so much easier to get a good lateral pull with the Psycho! Lose so much ground downwind though :D Taco the kite on a redirect only once, but keep pulling and loop it back around and into flight again... hmm...

The wind builds to a nice peak - all from the north - for an hour or so, then tails off again. As the sun sets, I'm struggling to get back to the starting point so I call it a day. The bells go off as I'm loading the car - 6 p.m. already! - must have been on the water for 2 hours... and I thought nothing was going to happen today! Sweet!

---

Moment of the day was when the picked up and I realized I could actually get out and ride - when I hadn't been expecting anything at all!
Mood of the session was surprised happy satisfied.
It sucks when you jump right outa your straps... but not much.
Song stuck in my head was You're the Voice by John Farnham. Whoa-ohhh-ooh-ohhh-whoa-oh-ooh oh! etc.

Weather was reported as 9 to 12 knots, gusts no more than 20 knots (at 1 a.m.); 9°C at 54%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20 or so. Slightly under-powered to nicely powered but wanting MOAR.

What I learned today...
• You can pop earlier, use the board to get off the water a bit before the kite starts the pull up... cool feeling to get yoinked up once you're already airborne!
• Ran the kite with about 5cm of trimmer pulled, seemed to ride the best there... might put a knot or two in the rear leader under the floats once I've tuned the lines again.
• Gotta repair the stitched stopper on the Black Rope - it's been ripped in half :o
• The best thing about FDS is that it doesn't twist when you do rotations, like the FLS does.
• Might be able to replace the Endline with the one off the 15m bar...

Luck of the Irish

So one weather forecast looked like weak crap but the other was cracking... I got myself sorted out and down to the lake (in the new kitemobile) just after 12:30-ish. It's looking ok - Miyachi says the morning was better...

Take the Psycho4 19 and Speed3 15 over to the beach with both the Flyboards... thinking the 19 should be good. So I rig up the ol' girl and launch without a hassle.

Out onto the water, with the Flyradical. Mess around trimming the kite and getting the hang of a Flysurfer again - been a while. Struggle for a bit to get upwind much... then the wind drops. I blame Miyachi, cos he just turned up on the beach with his kite.

Switch to the Flydoor and get into a groove, working upwind and throwing some jumps... then the wind kicks it up a notch! Swap back to the 'radical.

Now we're starting to have some fun! Jumps are fun but the kite is fully depowered and I'm fighting hard to go upwind... thinking maybe I should go the 15 but don't want to stop.

Have fun for an hour then the gusts start getting uncontrollable... this one time, I'm heading out way past our beach and the marina and get hit by a good gust. I start rocketing off towards Otsu and it doesn't look like it'll quit - so I boost :D ooh, it's a good 'un too! Shame I didn't land it...

So it goes, for a while. Fighting the gusts, jumping when I can... get pulled off my edge a lot.

Miyachi has landed his kite and I'm thinking I might be due to give it up too... when a gust hits again. I jump, get elevatored but bork the landing... then the gusts REALLY hits! My head is underwater and I feel the kite pulling like crazy and it's heading into the eye of the power zone - so I pull the safety.

Well.

I come up out of the water to see the kite goes to safety fine - then the line breaks (twice as it turns out) and the kite goes sailing!

I'm over 2 line lengths from the beach, the beach is about 100m from the trees, the trees line the road, the road is in front of a YMCA camping grounds with cabins, and that's in front of a paddy field - in front of some guys house...

The kite (completely folded in half) clears the trees, the road (thank god!), the trees and cabins in the camping ground, and comes to rest in the paddy field - just in front of the guys house. Ho-lee-shee-it!

Miyachi bolts after it and I fight my way out of the water and follow him... down the road, into the camping ground... then I lose Miyachi. He hollers from the field and I make a right turn to find him.

Roll up the kite and lines... amazingly, I can't see any tears. We walk back to Locus and I lay the kite out and untangle the lines (about 2 minutes!) and give the kite a once over - I can't see any tears or holes!

So, missed the road and cars, missed all the buildings and trees... woo and hoo!

Me on the 19, pre its trip over the trees

To give you an idea of how tall the trees are!

Flight path from lake to paddy field...

---

Moment of the day was boosting out of the speed run :D
Mood of the session was ooh ahh eek.
It sucks when your safety line breaks.

Weather was reported as 12 to 18 knots, with gusts to 30 :o 4 °C at 50%.
Wind felt like 10% blarg, 40% ooh, 30% yeah and 20% OMFG!

What I learned today...
• NeoWork gloves work just fine and don't stress my fingers/forearms. 5mm and sort of lined and warm enough!
• They've got holes in the side though that let the water in. Not a huge issue cos I'm a heater in my spare time - check out the sweat in my boots!
• Tip-clapping on landings - diving the kite then riding at it is the cause... either edging harder on landing, jumping more vertical and landing slower, or just leaving the kite 'up' when you finish the jump is the solution.
• Think I need to research the mixer... kite is back-stally on full trim and doesn't want to drive upwind unless it's trimmed out some.
• DEFINITELY need to fix the FDS... that'll learn me for being lazy and not adding the 5th line from my old Switch bar.

Shouldnabothered

Supposed to be blowing good all day but the web cam is showing... dead calm. Keep an eye on it all day and finally something starts to happen around 2:30pm. Load up and head down to the lake...

White caps out there. Doesn't look too strong though - decide to take the Pyscho4 19 for a test-fly anyway. Bit chilly getting dressed so I put my 3mm booties on. Contemplate the gloves but can't be bothered.

Set up on the beach... untangle the twists I put in the bridle doing the replacements. Wind is not bad, I might be able to ride after all. Try to inflate the kite by standing on the tip - doesn't seem to work for me :D so I inflate the regular way and launch.

Kite is good - mixer tune was successful, it seems. Still flying it on the old 21 bar though - eep. Wind seems rideable so I get into the water... it's way cross on though. Double eep. If the shit goes down, next stop is about 5km down stream.

Tack out, back in... come ashore past our beach in the trees bit. Naturally, the kite stalls in a lull then reopens just as I'm trying to come ashore - I get yoinked through the shallows and dance over all the nasty rocks hiding there, ripping open my boot and getting a boo-boo on my foot. Mutter mutter moan complain.

Walk back up the beach, try again. Wind is so up and down that I do that a few times. Trying to get used to the Psycho doesn't help...

Obviously, the Psycho turns faster than the Speed3 21 and makes enough power when doing so for it to be a viable low-wind option. Needs a good ol' haul on the bar though. When the wind is good, it parks nicely but likes to be given its head and let run. Still a bit back-stally but I'm betting that's the fault of the bar & line set.

So I potter around, trying to keep upwind. A few jumps but only one was exciting - and that just reminded me that I shouldn't probably be trying that with a mostly unknown kite. Miyachi comes out for a ride too. We both end up having to loop the kite to get back into shore. Then the wind picks up again...

Sun is going down, and so is the wind. I give up, pack up and head back to the warm shower. My board falls over as I'm washing it and dings the edge.

Sigh... dinged board, ripped boots, sore foot - why did I bother?

---

Moment of the day was non-existent.
Mood of the session was anxious irked resigned.
It sucks when you bang all your gear around.

Weather was reported as 14 knots; 13°C at 55%. Max gust was 40 knots (!) but that was at 1am so... so what.
Wind felt like nothing to maybe 18 knots... gusty and lully and just shit.

What I learned today...
• Boots go under the suit - otherwise, stones get into the boots.
• Psycho4 19 makes nice power when being worked - makes up for it's lack of low-end parkability.
• Bar pressure seems about the same as the Speeds...?
• Need new 3mm boots :-/
• And I probably didn't even need them - wasn't that cold.
• The new FSer straps are easy to adjust, at least.

New old toys!

Ok so there I was standing around in the garden when my 2012 Flydoor XL arrived by courier - sweet!   Doodle around for a bit then recheck the forecast... oh myyy! lets go!

Bah, light wind at the beach but 16 knots forecast... so I head out on my remaining light wind kite - the Psycho4 19 - and the new Flydoor!

Well... the FDS is too short. By a bunch :-/ kite won't even launch. So I add in a meter or so I have spare but that's barely long enough... the kite flies, but it's not fun. Take a few tacks - and walks - up and down the beach. Then head back to the car and get the bar from the 21 and use that for the Psycho4.

Mmm, launches ok but is backstalling like a mofo. Full trim helps... I know the bar is wonky but really?
it can't be that bad. Maybe the mixer is screwy...

Mow the lawn for a while, getting used to the board and the kite. Bit tricky at the bottom end... wonder how much wind we got? I'm sure I'd be riding easily on the 21...

Wind picks up a bit later, gets easier to ride but still can't trim the kite out. At least I can park'n'ride now... and get some jumps. First good one on the Psycho - yes, it's more of a yank than the Speed3's lift but it seems less floaty... but that makes landings a little more direct - but still gentle, when I get them right!

New board is nice! VERY light on the feet and in the air - so light that the wind can blow it around on your feet and upset your balance in the air. Carves nice, holds a line well, seems to go upwind better than the old one... also seems more flexible so the ride is smoother. Still can't carve to toeside without slipping out on my face though :D

So I was having a good ol' time... lots of rotations, a few double back-rolls that worked :D and of course goofing around with the jumps. Miyachi was taking pics and snapped the one of me below. I swear, I'm already on the way down ;)

Later on, I fell off the board and as I recovered it, it managed to release the QR... kite went into a loop frenzy and although the mini-5th was long enough, it was clear the FDS was what it should have had. Ended up having to walk to shore and manually unwrap a wicked bowtie. Bloody green bridle snagged on something and messed up the stitching too... otherwise, no apparent harm. Relaunched, dunked the kite a few times to wash the sand off then kept riding :D

Nearly got stuck in the river mouth a few times, trying to make up ground but being unable to resist a good boost up a wave.

Another good day. Only 3 others at the lake... must have got there about 2pm, got back to the carpark at 6!

My right knee is twinging though... I think I'm leveraging myself against it in turns or jumps - have to try carving more with my body maybe?

---

Moment of the day was that first good YOINK with the Psycho - an Aha! moment.
Mood of the session was frustrated bemused satisfied.
It sucks when Miyachi only takes one photo of moi and it's not a great one :D I SWEAR I was higher!


Weather was reported as 5-8-8-8-14-12 knots from 1–6pm, on the hour, with a peak gust of 18 knots at 5:30pm. 27–24°C, 49–69% for the same time period. Uh?
Wind felt like the above was about right... but cos I'd run out of depower already, I felt a tiny bit overpowered around 5pm - needed a smaller board cos I kept losing my edge too soon.

What I learned today...
• Need more line for the FDS - might use my left-over 5th line from the Switch bar in the interim...
• Pscyho needs the mixer set and a few bridle lines...
• Low end doesn't seem so good on the Psycho4, it doesn't seem that quick in the air so doesn't seem to make up for park'n'ride-ability with apparent wind, upper end isn't so good either.
• Should have had my smaller board at the lake too.
• Weeds stick to the center fin :-/ the drag is very noticeable and feels like sand in wheel bearings!
• A pop and kicking my heels up clears the weeds off nicely.
• Must try the Wide stance - I prefer that on the 2010 'door cos it's easier to weight the back of the board and it feels less wooden, more lively.
• The 2012 'door felt nice to ride in normal width stance though...
• Wet, sandy Flysurfers are unstable and fly badly... till they dry out.
• I'm still getting sunburned :-/

That's the ticket!

Been watching the internet forecast but ... one says it's all over by lunchtime, the other says it kicks off at 3 and the other says 6pm. What're you supposed to do? Camp out at the lake from 1pm which is what I did ... there's a Pole Dancing race on hogging the whole beach but praise the lord! that's all over by 3pm. As the beach finally clears of retards and their gear - the wind picks up. Fnar fnar!

Out on the 21 and the 'door ... nice flat water and the wind is good. Show off some reasonable jumps to the windsurfers and get some cheers. Wind picks up some more and I swap to the 'radical. Having fun, busting moves ... big smiles! This is what I wanted yesterday!

The Gloves Guy nearly got landed on when he changed direction and came in under me while jumping. Soh did the same too. Uncle Pyro nearly took my kite out cos he didn't look behind himself when changing direction. Thank god we didn't have to deal with the windsurfers as well!

Repeat ad nausea. Wind goes up and down for a while then drops off and I get the Flydoor again. Keep riding while everyone else gets off the water and packs up ... getting on to sunset so I pack up too.

Psycho4 19 is on the beach so I unpack that for a test flight. Thank god I did cos that HQ bar is fucking useless - way over-sheeted, the kite wont get off the ground unless I pull the center lines. The FDS is too short and any load on the lines and the above the bar safety releases :o sigh, going to have to moan at the seller. There's also 2 (4!) bridle lines that need replacing. Canopy seems fine but DAMN is that regular material heavy!

Got through the whole thing without hurting the ankle though - yah me!

Also got to use the new Hyperflex short john wetsuit ... I actually think it's a bit long in the body for me - but I need the 3XL for the bulge. Very comfy though, stopped the anal exploration of the harness ...

Mood of the session was happy amused slaked.

Moment of the day was popping of beautifully flat water and just floating like a leaf ... to a chorus of cheering!

Song stuck in my head was Ultraviolet by U2. Light my way!

Weather was reported as 13 knots falling to 8, gusts no more than 18; 25°C at 70%.
Wind felt like I was powered enough for decent but not awesome jumps, falling to just riding upwind if I didn't clown around.

What I learned today ...
• Those bloody "No Boats" signs are invisible if you approach them side on!!! Absolute waste of time.
• I've got my L and R straps on reversed on the Flyradical! WTF?
• End of the session when you're tired and not focusing well is not the time to do rotations ... cos you're too tired!
• Regular FS cloth is blood heavy.
• Wetsuit is great! Does what it meant to ... bit roomy around the shoulders though.
• Water goes in the top but suck in the gut for a cool refreshing dosing of the family jewels.