Wind has been blowing all day and I could swear that it's going to be on-shore . . . so after a nice lunch, I thought I'd chance it and go look at the lake.
OMG it's kite-able! And there are people kiting! So I park the car, drag the 16 & 13 XB over the lake . . . wind is cracking, should be good. Gloves Man is on his 10, should be good. I pump up the 13m and rig it--badly, have to redo it--then I head back to get changed.
By the time I wiggle into the whale scrotum suit and gloves and boots and get over to the lake--you got it, the wind has dropped. Damned if I'm going to pump up the 16 in all this gear . . . so I'm just going to try it with the 13.
Well, even the Flydoor can't help . . . I'm foundering. Slowly, the wind picks up a teeny bit--Gloves Man pack it in--then the wind comes on enough that I can occasionally make it upwind and jump a little.
But it's gusty, I'm heading almost perpendicularly out from shore, and am losing and gaining ground like crazy. It's not awesome but it's riding. Jump the gusts, work some upwind, work the kite to hold what I've made up . . .
Until I have to body-drag in twice, then I decide that I don't want to risk the swim and pack it in. Crappy wind from the NW and W, almost off-shore . . . hope the year doesn't continue like this!
Moment of the day was the semi-decent jump-downloop-change direction.
Mood of the session was argh ooh hehehe.
Song stuck in my head was the theme from The Big Bang Theory.
It sucks when you land face-first and drive a liter of water into your suit.
Weather was reported as 15 - 16 knots, gusts to 36; 3˚C at 66%.
Wind felt like 10% gak I'm going to have to swim in, 20% I might have to walk, 30% ho-hum, 30% aaah, and 10% woo-hoo.
What I learned today . . .
• The suit . . . is phenomenally warm. Even the dribbles of cold water down the neck were welcome refreshments from the sweltering.
• But it might need drain holes above the boots. Squelchy.
• Gloves are good--despite having to work the bar almost constantly, I didn't suffer forearm pump until the last few minutes. Which is amazing, considering just putting the wrist straps on was exhausting.
• Boots are great but my right foot big toe was cold. Go figure.
• 3 degrees, still toasty. Who cares if it's snowing?!
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