Stupid winter

Great forecast, but the wind died right as I arrived at the beach. Turned gusty (lully) and inconsistent.

Had about 30 minutes on the TT trying to ride, but the only excitement was the micro-gust that took me stratospheric :o needed a heli loop but I was close to the shore.

Got a single powered tack on the Angry Swallow then just gave up on the silly show.

Autumn unawesomeness

Got a half hour of good fun on the AS then it dropped off and just sucked ass. I could ride the AS but I wasn't having fun.

Grr. Double Grr.

Gusty nasty nasty crap. Nothing was much fun and didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the SB, although it was what I thought it would be . . .

The Double Agent on the other hand, wasn't that good. Slow and draggy. Stable and boring. Board might be interesting though . . .

Otherwise I got very annoyed. Could be worse -- Miyachi tweaked his ankle on the foil.

Then the wind dropped

Gah. Another "why did I bother" day as the wind was up and mostly down and nothing went according to plan.

I got 15 minutes on the Duke. Then the wind dropped.

I went out on the foil with the 7m but that sucked cos it's really too small. Then the wind dropped.

So I got the 10 again and that was ok, but the riding wasn't up to much. Then the wind dropped

I gave up and went to work.

I need a bigger surfboard

Brilliant forecast. Total let down. Well, not total cos I stayed at the Yacht Harbor for 3 hours and did manage to hit some good "waves" but it was up and down again, and I spent a lot of time going downwind and being annoyed. Wanted a break from the foil and wanted to ride the waves, but the weather had other ideas. . . .

Oh it's a holiday is it?

After turning up to the kind and finding it closed--despite having made a booking the day before--I went to the lake anyway in the hope that Miyachi's wife could look after the boy.

Although I had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't going to be worth all the messing around . . .

. . . and I was right :( gusty crappy wind. Never the right amount to be of any use. Bloody annoying.

Well!

. . . that was without a doubt the biggest waste of time in a very long time. 15 knots gusting to 36.  Ha ha.

Really wanted to ride the Mako and practice feet changes and tacks but it wasn't happening.

The Pivot is the nastiest twitchiest unstable bag of crap I've had the misfortune to fly in gusty conditions. Putting the XB up right after it was night and day :o

Tried to get the RPM up in a lull, but then it tried to drag me down the beach so we gave up on that. Sigh.

Took me a long time to be convinced that I was wasting my time, but at least I was sure of my decision when I packed up. Bloody hell.

One hit wonder

Should have been cracking, but it was gusty crap. Tried the TT but gave up and built the foil. That was a bit weak too, but a rain front came through and I got 5 minutes of great boosts--totally way over-powered but it didn't last. Sigh.

Tease

Cracking when I arrived and jumped out on the 10m but soon the wind dropped and I stood around with my thumb up my ass. Decided to get the 15 and the wind came back, so that was nice. Big gap of nothing in the middle but it ended nicely.

Heh...

Epic forecast, but when I arrived at the lake just after midday, it didn't seem up to much so I headed out with the Speed3 15...

... oops. It was so gusty that "couldn't keep planing" was violently contrasted with "speeding out of control". Somewhere in between, I did some jumps. Some really big ones too -- getting my head almost level with wing tips of kites parked at 12. I need a Woo or a Xensr...

After some time doing that, the beach had cleared out some so I went to land the kite... needed help, so overpowered, glad Jun was there.

Took the Speed back to the car and got the 10 and 7m XBs. Went back out with the 10 and the Limited for some more yeehaas. The wind was up and down, so when I next came in I went out on the Dialer. Then changed to the Lim when I got overpowered, then back to the D when the wind dropped to wind the session down on a high note.

Tough conditions, but I had a nice time and enjoyed the 10m XB with the D.

Twice in a row was too much to ask for

Forecast better than yesterday but it was worse -- more range in the gusts, even less low end, long time no blow.

Started off on the TT as the photo dears were there again and they wanted the action. Started on the 10 but it wasn't working, so I hit the 15 and it was better but not like yesterday. Not by a long shot. Hope they got some shots of the bottom of the board so I can share on Axis FB page.

Tried again later on the Dialer and the 10. Surprisingly good, but it didn't last... Shame.

Dynabar intro

Thought I'd done this already. Can't remember the details, but I seem to remember it being acceptable and having a nice time playing with the Dynabar...

... in which I just can't choose the right kite

Gusty. Couldn't get the timing right for which kite to have in the air, for all but a short time.

Nitro just isn't working for me. Lovely, smooth and stable in its actual wind zone - but I'm underpowered, but too twitchy and hot when it's overpowered and I can park n' ride. Shame, cos it's an awesome bit o' kit.

First in a while, last for some time?

Well the weather wasn't great but it was better than nothing. Weak, then lully. Sigh... got to scrape the rust off the Dialer though which was needed!

Bit cold... 4/3 and 2mm gloves kept me warm enough but my feet and face suffered. Especially walking on the stones. With my feet, not my face.

Farewell to Fusion?

God what crap wind. Up, down, shifted 90 degrees and back... had to walk up the beach both directions! It was so bad, even the super-stable XB hindenburged at one point.

But got to ride some in between all that. Was desperate to try out the new gear so I kept going even when I thought, "fuck this, I'm going home to finish the deck."

Got a good long blow before the rain came in. The Mystic Star seat/waist got pushed to the limit from light to way over. The new Limited had to deal with wind at 90 degrees to the chop. Both aquited themselves well.

The Star was no worse than the Fusion for wedgies, both ass and crotch. Spreader bar ride-up was better than both Fusion (probably) and Renegade, while it was easier to get it down by far. As for the back, comfort was overall better than both. When the wind is right, we'll see if I can board-off. I still think for over-powered boost-fests, I'll need a pure seat but it's good to know that I can consider the Mystic range now too... although, there's no real good place for a front leash point.

The Limited is at least as good as the 2014 but I don't have the skill to really comment.

... got some epic carves in on the Dialer... might I have started the nailing if it? Getting some air under the fins too.

The weather was borked.

Pivot session

Oops nearly forgot this.

Wind was, I guessed, good enough for a 10m but only just. So I thought I'd ask for a ride on the Pivot that's in the shop, and go out on the directional.

Wind didn't really cooperate. All session it was gusty and up n' down. I got some riding on the Pivot - but only on the Dialer - then switched to the XB, then back again for a final buzz on the P.

Re. the Pivot. Pretty good for a 3-strut kite, no flapping at all and I'm pretty sure it never deformed. Didn't really get to fly it heavily loaded or over-powered though. Good low end when worked but it got jerky in the punchy gusts, and hindenburged two or three times in lulls. Great drive through the transitions on the Dialer, really pulled you through. I liked it but would want to try it more before I bought one. Love the bar! but the swivel... didn't.

Weather was reported as 16 knots, gusts to 30! 15°C at 40%...

Jolly good fun in... 5 knots?!?!

Better than the forecast and weather reports. Headed out on the 21 and was comfy powered, but then it picked up and it was getting hairy in the gusts. Ceased to be fun, and I wanted to ride the Dialer for some reason so I dropped the 21, got out the XB13 and swapped harnesses.

Good fun but damn, falling off that board is punishing! Got the fins clear of the water for some air, nice carves too. Getting there.

Weather was reported as 5 to 10 knots... bollocks. 18°C... perfectly comfy in my new Voodoo 2.5mm short leg spring suit, while the other guys are wearing 5mm steamers!!!

A big let down

Should have been good, but it was gusty and crap. The gusts would be been great on the 16m but the lulls were too often and too long...

Did some riding on the Dialer too and while that was good it wasn't great.

Getting sick of gusty crap.

Post-typhoon ride

Crook as a dog yesterday, feeling well enough to ride today.

Gusty as hell, and the wind slowly dropped so I went from Limited to Dialer. Had a nice mellow time.

Discovered a funny mark on the Limited and lifted the footpad - huge crack :( must have happened on Sunday, but can't think of anything out of the ordinary...

Typhoon FedEx

Oops forgot to update...

Named this typhoon "FedEx" cos it delivered, but it was pretty crappy with its terms of service and delivery.

Erm... I seem to remember it being a good boost fest and lots of big tricks too, but forget the details. Started on the 13, ended up on the 10.

I did manage to splash down when the wind died, unhook and - snapped the carabina of the safety leash :o had to use a FSer one - yeuch.

So that was that.