Didn't look like much wind in the forecast, but the hourly data and the webcam were promising so I headed down the lake at 10 a.m., with my watch on my wrist cos I gotta work in the afternoon :-/
According to The Master of Disaster, the wind was dropping. 'K, that'll be the Psycho4 19 then... oh no it won't be, cos the endline on the old bar is holding on by a single thread only. Can't be bothered pumping up the Xbow 16 so it'll have to be the Speed3 15... but given the time I had with it last time, and the concerns I have over the mixer... le sigh.
Get to the beach and the wind has dropped. I launch easily and head out with the Flydoor, for a few tacks before the wind gives out completely. Stand around for a while waiting... wind picks up and I head out and get about 40 minutes of riding...
Varied from mowing the lawn to doing a few small jumps and rotations. Didn't have to walk at all but wasn't going upwind easily :(
Kite didn't give me too much grief--I was just thinking that it was pretty good when we got hit by a punchy bit and it twitched on me. Also managed to wrap a tip once, just like the 12 was doing... I think there's a bit of technique involved too. Easy enough to sort that one out... still want to check the mixer!
Gave up about 11:45 as the wind had dropped right off and refused to come back up--although according to the hourly data, the afternoon was awesome. My shortest session in a very long time.
:-/
Moment of the day was realizing I have totally sussed out back-rolls in one direction (effortless big ones!) and am comfortable and confident on my weak side!
Mood of the session was less than thrilled.
It sucks when you wrap your safety leash around the board's fins. And the bar. And backwards around your leg...
Weather was reported as 12-14 knots, 16°C at 56%. Max gusts today were 24 knots but that was well after I left the lake.
Wind felt like 5 to 10 knots most of the time, and no more than 15 knots in the good bits :(
What I learned today...
• I might be using bad technique on the redirect to cause the tip-wraps and stalls... maybe. Be nice to actually get flyable wind to test all this in!
• Standing on the boards flatter of foot, as it were, gives an easier ride - edging too hard causes all the spray and skipping around.
• Splashing down from a back-roll can force a massive amount of water right up my nose.
• Working the S3... best method seems to be gentle sines with consistent but gradual turns.
• Front-rolls... I have to go back to not doing using the kite :(
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