Not your normal beach combing score... Thought it was a lump of dead octopus or a shark egg or something exciting. Nope... eww.
Storm coming through, brought some ok wind. Bit gusty but was the best for a long time... Biwako needs to step up its game!
Good blow for an hour, then it died off. Waited some, then went back out. Rain came in, hosed down for a while, then died off.
10 minutes into the second session, my frickin Fusion harness blew a strap, this time going up on a decent jump... had to hang on to the bar like grim death. Funny, cos I swapped out the CL on the bar before I started as it has holes and I was worried it'd break.
As luck would have it, had the Mystic Star in the car. Dang, lot of hard work using a waist harness... new Fusion is in-bound but goddam Dakine, an inch of stitching? Seriously...
Showing posts with label mako 150. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mako 150. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
One of those days...
I question what the hell I'm doing.
Wind so strong I couldn't I could barely get upwind to the water but couldn't get up on a plane.
Gah.
Wind so strong I couldn't I could barely get upwind to the water but couldn't get up on a plane.
Gah.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Wind burn, sun burn, hail burn? Ouch.
So it's been a while. Forecast talked big and for a change could back it up... sand was flying.
Was 10m weather when I arrived then it picked up so I went out with the 7m. First launch was hairy, so I put it down with Miyachi's help and we waited...
The hail had died off some and the gusts were less vicious so we tried again.
At first, the hail in my eyes was killing me and I nearly gave up on the whole shenanigans cos I couldn't see and my eyes kept hurting even after I shut them :o but just as I thought I couldn't take it any longer, the hail stopped.
As always, with 10 or 7m weather it was gusty as hell so although the jumps were epic at times, the landing left a lot to be desired... I really gotta learn to loop for landings - this years goal.
Wanted to get some Mako-fun in so switched boards... whee!
Wind's starting to get nasty again, my legs are tired so I pack it in.
Which is probably just as well cos the cops, fire-fighters, lake police boat, and SAR helicopters are starting to freak me out... turns out a fisherman's boat was found capsized so they're out searching for the guy. Doesn't look good...
Weather was reported as 22 to 24 knots, gusts to 40...! 4˚C at 63%.
Wind felt like comfy powered to well-powered with a few moments of uh-oh... but I was pretty cautious with the kite most of the time.
What I learned today...
Was 10m weather when I arrived then it picked up so I went out with the 7m. First launch was hairy, so I put it down with Miyachi's help and we waited...
The hail had died off some and the gusts were less vicious so we tried again.
At first, the hail in my eyes was killing me and I nearly gave up on the whole shenanigans cos I couldn't see and my eyes kept hurting even after I shut them :o but just as I thought I couldn't take it any longer, the hail stopped.
As always, with 10 or 7m weather it was gusty as hell so although the jumps were epic at times, the landing left a lot to be desired... I really gotta learn to loop for landings - this years goal.
Wanted to get some Mako-fun in so switched boards... whee!
Wind's starting to get nasty again, my legs are tired so I pack it in.
Which is probably just as well cos the cops, fire-fighters, lake police boat, and SAR helicopters are starting to freak me out... turns out a fisherman's boat was found capsized so they're out searching for the guy. Doesn't look good...
Weather was reported as 22 to 24 knots, gusts to 40...! 4˚C at 63%.
Wind felt like comfy powered to well-powered with a few moments of uh-oh... but I was pretty cautious with the kite most of the time.
What I learned today...
- Wear. The. Glasses.
- Seat harness is comfy. New speeder works fine.
- The waist with the clip has gouged a hole in The Impervious. Gah. Something else to fix.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Rain... no problem.
Snow... no problem.
Hail... problem. Right in the eyeballs!...
Before that bout of hail though, the wind was pretty good. Which is really good cos there was family stuff I really should have been doing...
Started off just right for the 10m, got a bit light, picked up, then went ape-shit. At first I felt a bit meh about the whole thing but eventually got into the groove - hard work with all the gear on!
Bit gusty for my taste for stunts - I got lobbed and dunked a few times, so couldn't rely on the wind to be consistent enough not to mess with me, but it was steady enough for boosting hard. Got a few that put smiles on my face... still think it's easier to go higher with the seat harness...
Came in for a break - like I said, hard work. Was sweating under my suit... ew. Got a bottle of water and the Mako, cos I was having a nice time slashing the waves...
Aw yeah! I took some fins off and it's much better ride as a mutant now. Gotta get it out in real waves!
Back in, finished my bottle then went out for a mega-boost session. Some real doozies... bet they'd really rock if I wasn't 20kg heavier with a 6/5 suit and 10L of water in my boots :D
Really tired now, come in and call it a day...
It was fine for about an hour (was worried about sunburn) then it started raining, snowing then hailing for the rest of my 3-hour session. Pretty epic day, I'm happy. Nice to be whoo-haa-ing jumps again.
Weather was reported as 12 to 20 knots, gusts to 40 :o 3˚C at 78%.
Wind felt like comfortably underpowered (i.e. riding but thinking about taking a break) to really should have taken a break.
What I learned today...
- Might have a leak in my 10m... Miyachi is checking out the LE.
- Seat harness needs some stretching - it seems to have shrunk without use :o
- Waist harness was hard on the back today, just couldn't get it to stay put.
- Landing feet first - if the water is shallow, even chest deep, you can hit the bottom. It's jarring.
- Mako so good the way I have it set up now! Carves like a beast but isn't a pig in sliding transition cos of all the finnage.
- Boosts well about my average height - yes you gotta actively fly the kite. When you get that elevator feeling of going straight up after you've hit your pendulum apex, bring it just back above you to control the descent till you need to finally redirect properly...
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Hey bartender, hit me with a double!
Forecast was for N-O-T-H-I-N-G… nothing at all! There was a tickle after work though so I thought I'd chance it. Down to the lake!
Hmm, looks a little lighter than yesterday. Oh well why not? Same gear over to the beach… launch the 21—oh yeah, that'll do nicely!
Straight back into the double rolls like yesterday :D little less power actually makes it tricky, cos it's too easy to stall the kite being ham-fisted. So the success rate is down but the fun rate is off the charts!
Even manage a double back-roll at one point, and very nearly land several triple fronts—having trouble getting the kite in the right place for them on landing though.
The wind seems good so I switch boards. Bit of diddling around then I click with the Mako. Oh wow, it really does fly upwind! It loves the magically flat water though, slices through the chop, and just carves lovely. Can get skatey when you do… something… and carves wicked fast when you edge. It'll be surprisingly floaty as a mutant, I think…
Wind has dropped and I have to walk. Get the Flydoor and… what the hey—I'm not actually making that much more ground upwind! Struggle for a bit, worry about dunking myself and the kite, throw a stunt per tack but lose so much ground that I'm thinking of giving up.
So's arrived and… he's bought the wind with him! Keep on riding, throwing some one footers, till after dark again. The moonlight on the water is magic and I'm having great fun stunting but I'm getting tired and hungry. Fight back upwind to the start and call it a night.
A session from nothing… Jesus saves!
Moment of the day was the double back-roll.
Mood of the session was aw HELL yeah again!
Weather was reported as 6 to 12 knots, gusts to 20 (!) at 6pm; 22˚C at 49%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, and less: walked a couple of times but never felt over-powered like 20 knots worth!
What I learned today…
• I can do double back-rolls too!
• Might even be able to do triples :o
• Mako rocks upwind and slices through chop but needs board speed—flat water helps, it really doesn't like bouncing around. You can ride it pretty flat too.
• Would I like a King more than a directional?
• Kite skills for landing the stunts are vital. Lost it a bit as I got tired… but was still chuckling!
• Nearly landed an accidental double front-roll kite-loop :o
• One-footers are so easy when you have days of hang-time! Getting used to doing tail grabs the other way too.
• Shore water is warm but it's still chilly out in the depths.
Hmm, looks a little lighter than yesterday. Oh well why not? Same gear over to the beach… launch the 21—oh yeah, that'll do nicely!
Straight back into the double rolls like yesterday :D little less power actually makes it tricky, cos it's too easy to stall the kite being ham-fisted. So the success rate is down but the fun rate is off the charts!
Even manage a double back-roll at one point, and very nearly land several triple fronts—having trouble getting the kite in the right place for them on landing though.
The wind seems good so I switch boards. Bit of diddling around then I click with the Mako. Oh wow, it really does fly upwind! It loves the magically flat water though, slices through the chop, and just carves lovely. Can get skatey when you do… something… and carves wicked fast when you edge. It'll be surprisingly floaty as a mutant, I think…
Wind has dropped and I have to walk. Get the Flydoor and… what the hey—I'm not actually making that much more ground upwind! Struggle for a bit, worry about dunking myself and the kite, throw a stunt per tack but lose so much ground that I'm thinking of giving up.
So's arrived and… he's bought the wind with him! Keep on riding, throwing some one footers, till after dark again. The moonlight on the water is magic and I'm having great fun stunting but I'm getting tired and hungry. Fight back upwind to the start and call it a night.
A session from nothing… Jesus saves!
Moment of the day was the double back-roll.
Mood of the session was aw HELL yeah again!
Weather was reported as 6 to 12 knots, gusts to 20 (!) at 6pm; 22˚C at 49%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, and less: walked a couple of times but never felt over-powered like 20 knots worth!
What I learned today…
• I can do double back-rolls too!
• Might even be able to do triples :o
• Mako rocks upwind and slices through chop but needs board speed—flat water helps, it really doesn't like bouncing around. You can ride it pretty flat too.
• Would I like a King more than a directional?
• Kite skills for landing the stunts are vital. Lost it a bit as I got tired… but was still chuckling!
• Nearly landed an accidental double front-roll kite-loop :o
• One-footers are so easy when you have days of hang-time! Getting used to doing tail grabs the other way too.
• Shore water is warm but it's still chilly out in the depths.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
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.
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!
• 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!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
You won't believe what I seen...
No pogo-sticks - the lunatics were at the end of a kite... I'll get to it in a bit.
Forecast was for epic all day but we got crappy gusting to gravy instead. Dropped the wife off at that train station (she's going to Singapore in the school hols) and hit the lake... got on the water about 2, I guess.
Dennis the Menace was there too and was thrilled he wasn't alone... I wasn't so sure. He put up his 9, and I put up my 13 and thought I was making a mistake... too small!
Played for a bit on my 'radical, then got on the Mako cos I really wanted to try it out again. But the wind was up'n'down like whore's drawers and I ended up walking and getting on the Flydoor - yes I took all three over to the beach!
Some nice backrolls - I'm really getting my goofy side sorted! - but for the life of me, couldn't land a frontroll that wasn't UGLY. A few nice jumps but a lot of the time was spent mowing the lawn back upwind... really needed more sail in the air - probably could have gotten away with a 15m :D loop transitions were iffy cos the wind was erratic... did a lot of chicken loops tee hee!
As the afternoon wore on, So turned up and broke the wind, then Skinny Naish Dude turned up and fixed it. Had another hour of hee-haws then I started feeling sick from lack of food and drink so called it a day. It was 6pm when I got into the car :o long session!
Now for the derp... Dennis the Menace of course.
First up, he drops his kite at the shore break (numerous times) but gets it tangled and twisted... so he marches in from the water, picks the kite up, straightens out the bowtie and... lobs it downwind :o it tumbles till it reaches the end of the lines then he spins the bar to sort it out.
Next, he's fucking around on shore again and is trying to tether-launch. He's at the right hand side of the window, setting up the kite - I look away briefly, and when I look back, the kite is making its own way to the LHS of the window... slam!
So he finally gets the kite in the air and there's a bloody stick - not a twig or weed - a STICK jammed in his front line bridle. Does he land and pull it out? No way man! just keep riding till it falls out... or kills him.
Lunatic!
Moment of the day was hard to choose - no jumps that really made me go woohoo, no really awesome stunts, no great wave rides... lets just say riding powered was an achievement.
Mood of the session was grr gar aah.
It sucks when the kite stalls when you sheet out, it stalls when you sheet in, but the wind is blowing leaves off trees...
Weather was reported as 16 to 12 knots, 6.5˚C at 45%. No data on gusts that's reliable, cos we had 50 knots at midnight and we only get peak gusts recorded so... I measured 15 to 20 knots on the beach when I arrived, so I bet that's the best we got.
Wind felt like 40% aah 40% bah 20% argh!
What I learned today...
• Sometimes, you should go with your gut and rig big.
• Sunburn! Hey Zeus, I need to go with multiple coatings.
• Need to check the bar tune on the Cab 65cm.
• Also need to start taking the 2L thermos to the beach... damn the 6mm sweat suit!
• Going from the Flyboards to the Mako... the Fly's seem so locked into the edges, the Mako more loose. Still struggle to get it upwind in light conditions...
• Can fit three boards and all the gear into the car nice and snug, with no knocking or abrasion. It matters.
• Take your shades and wear them!
• I'm sure there was something else...
Forecast was for epic all day but we got crappy gusting to gravy instead. Dropped the wife off at that train station (she's going to Singapore in the school hols) and hit the lake... got on the water about 2, I guess.
Dennis the Menace was there too and was thrilled he wasn't alone... I wasn't so sure. He put up his 9, and I put up my 13 and thought I was making a mistake... too small!
Played for a bit on my 'radical, then got on the Mako cos I really wanted to try it out again. But the wind was up'n'down like whore's drawers and I ended up walking and getting on the Flydoor - yes I took all three over to the beach!
Some nice backrolls - I'm really getting my goofy side sorted! - but for the life of me, couldn't land a frontroll that wasn't UGLY. A few nice jumps but a lot of the time was spent mowing the lawn back upwind... really needed more sail in the air - probably could have gotten away with a 15m :D loop transitions were iffy cos the wind was erratic... did a lot of chicken loops tee hee!
As the afternoon wore on, So turned up and broke the wind, then Skinny Naish Dude turned up and fixed it. Had another hour of hee-haws then I started feeling sick from lack of food and drink so called it a day. It was 6pm when I got into the car :o long session!
Now for the derp... Dennis the Menace of course.
First up, he drops his kite at the shore break (numerous times) but gets it tangled and twisted... so he marches in from the water, picks the kite up, straightens out the bowtie and... lobs it downwind :o it tumbles till it reaches the end of the lines then he spins the bar to sort it out.
Next, he's fucking around on shore again and is trying to tether-launch. He's at the right hand side of the window, setting up the kite - I look away briefly, and when I look back, the kite is making its own way to the LHS of the window... slam!
So he finally gets the kite in the air and there's a bloody stick - not a twig or weed - a STICK jammed in his front line bridle. Does he land and pull it out? No way man! just keep riding till it falls out... or kills him.
Lunatic!
Moment of the day was hard to choose - no jumps that really made me go woohoo, no really awesome stunts, no great wave rides... lets just say riding powered was an achievement.
Mood of the session was grr gar aah.
It sucks when the kite stalls when you sheet out, it stalls when you sheet in, but the wind is blowing leaves off trees...
Weather was reported as 16 to 12 knots, 6.5˚C at 45%. No data on gusts that's reliable, cos we had 50 knots at midnight and we only get peak gusts recorded so... I measured 15 to 20 knots on the beach when I arrived, so I bet that's the best we got.
Wind felt like 40% aah 40% bah 20% argh!
What I learned today...
• Sometimes, you should go with your gut and rig big.
• Sunburn! Hey Zeus, I need to go with multiple coatings.
• Need to check the bar tune on the Cab 65cm.
• Also need to start taking the 2L thermos to the beach... damn the 6mm sweat suit!
• Going from the Flyboards to the Mako... the Fly's seem so locked into the edges, the Mako more loose. Still struggle to get it upwind in light conditions...
• Can fit three boards and all the gear into the car nice and snug, with no knocking or abrasion. It matters.
• Take your shades and wear them!
• I'm sure there was something else...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Me, Miyachi and Mako
Yesterday Miyachi said there'd be wind today and he was right. Wind looked steady all day on jma.co.jp so hopefully, it won't be gusty madness like yesterday. Got myself organized, got myself a coffee, and got myself down to the lake about midday.
Had a bit of a chat with Miyachi while I finished my Joe. Can't get a bead on the wind so I take the XB13 and the Flite over to the lake - gonna pump one of them up before I get into the wetsuit cos it's hot. Measure the wind as 8 to 12 knots at the edge of the lake, gusting to 16... but it's cold and every time I turn my back on the lake, it hits like more than 20. Rig the 13 to be safe, take the Flydoor and the Mako (for a change) over when I'm changed...
Start out on the Mako, easily powered but the wind is up and down. Swap it and the Flydoor a few times during the next 90 minutes. Just me and Miyachi for the whole time I'm riding too - lake to myself, basically!
Now that the mutant holes are plugged in the Mako, it's much more pleasant to ride. Spend some time getting used to it, trying to figure out how to get upwind best. Board is much more pleasant in the rough with the pads in the 'normal' stance width. Still bounces a bit much if you don't soak it up a bit with your knees, which makes for a very smooth ride. Board jumps easy too, with a slightly different technique than the flatter boards. Carves and glides down the "waves" like a boss - this is going to be a hoot in mutant mode!
Wind is not really cooperating - it's up'n'down and I have to keep swapping boards; loosing ground while playing then riding the gusts to get back upwind. Gack.
Nothing much to report otherwise, had a nice time till 2:30-ish when, at the peak of a jump, I heard a sproing and felt something give - looked down and yup, the spreader bar has broken again. Only on the right hand side, so I try to land myself without loading the kite, the make it back to shore very gingerly. Land the kite without drama... huh, the remaining side is actually pretty solid - I can't wiggle it to break it at all. But I have no spare so my day is over... only advantage is I can get another coffee.
Good session; rediscovering the Mako, having a gentle play, enjoying some moderately good air... gravy!
Moment of the day was the first big easy boost on the Mako.
Mood of the session was confused amused bemused.
It sucks when you break ANOTHER spreader bar, and have long since stopped putting the spare in your car...
Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots, gusts no more than 32 but that was at midnight. 7˚C at 44%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20. Tops. 63% comfy-power, 25% slightly under-power, 10% about to walk, 2% glad I didn't rig a bigger kite.
What I learned today...
• Best way to ride the Mako seems to be bend both knees thus weighting the front, not edging too hard thus riding the concave and fins, keeping as much of the board planing as possible. Maybe.
• Jumping doesn't need a lot of carving upwind, just loading the rear and actually jumping off the back of the board, as it were.
• Need sunblock :(
• Sunglasses, too.
• Also need to start carrying spare spreader bars FFS.
• Those thin gloves from Workman do just fine. When you're body-dragging, you feel the cold water but it's not uncomfy and once you're out, they're just peachy. Win!
• Could do with a 15m :D
Had a bit of a chat with Miyachi while I finished my Joe. Can't get a bead on the wind so I take the XB13 and the Flite over to the lake - gonna pump one of them up before I get into the wetsuit cos it's hot. Measure the wind as 8 to 12 knots at the edge of the lake, gusting to 16... but it's cold and every time I turn my back on the lake, it hits like more than 20. Rig the 13 to be safe, take the Flydoor and the Mako (for a change) over when I'm changed...
Start out on the Mako, easily powered but the wind is up and down. Swap it and the Flydoor a few times during the next 90 minutes. Just me and Miyachi for the whole time I'm riding too - lake to myself, basically!
Now that the mutant holes are plugged in the Mako, it's much more pleasant to ride. Spend some time getting used to it, trying to figure out how to get upwind best. Board is much more pleasant in the rough with the pads in the 'normal' stance width. Still bounces a bit much if you don't soak it up a bit with your knees, which makes for a very smooth ride. Board jumps easy too, with a slightly different technique than the flatter boards. Carves and glides down the "waves" like a boss - this is going to be a hoot in mutant mode!
Wind is not really cooperating - it's up'n'down and I have to keep swapping boards; loosing ground while playing then riding the gusts to get back upwind. Gack.
Nothing much to report otherwise, had a nice time till 2:30-ish when, at the peak of a jump, I heard a sproing and felt something give - looked down and yup, the spreader bar has broken again. Only on the right hand side, so I try to land myself without loading the kite, the make it back to shore very gingerly. Land the kite without drama... huh, the remaining side is actually pretty solid - I can't wiggle it to break it at all. But I have no spare so my day is over... only advantage is I can get another coffee.
Good session; rediscovering the Mako, having a gentle play, enjoying some moderately good air... gravy!
Moment of the day was the first big easy boost on the Mako.
Mood of the session was confused amused bemused.
It sucks when you break ANOTHER spreader bar, and have long since stopped putting the spare in your car...
Weather was reported as 12 to 16 knots, gusts no more than 32 but that was at midnight. 7˚C at 44%.
Wind felt like 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20. Tops. 63% comfy-power, 25% slightly under-power, 10% about to walk, 2% glad I didn't rig a bigger kite.
What I learned today...
• Best way to ride the Mako seems to be bend both knees thus weighting the front, not edging too hard thus riding the concave and fins, keeping as much of the board planing as possible. Maybe.
• Jumping doesn't need a lot of carving upwind, just loading the rear and actually jumping off the back of the board, as it were.
• Need sunblock :(
• Sunglasses, too.
• Also need to start carrying spare spreader bars FFS.
• Those thin gloves from Workman do just fine. When you're body-dragging, you feel the cold water but it's not uncomfy and once you're out, they're just peachy. Win!
• Could do with a 15m :D
Monday, August 27, 2012
Mako's up!
Wind's up again. Headed over to Mie...
Forecast was much the same as yesterday but when I got there, it was a bit stronger. I went for the XB 13m... nobody else around except some pole dancers so I self-launched... which nearly turned into a disaster when the bar jumped out of my hand and looped back to the left and slammed into the concrete footpath :( no damage at all though!!!
Head out on the Mako to start with - determined to get to grips with it. Bit hard to get moving - the board likes speed but the water is so choppy is very bouncy out there... pads hurt my feet some too - both the sore on the RH foot and general arch pain. Seems a bit easier to get through the rough stuff though and rides nicely... just bouncy. Upwind is a bit of work (although jumps are fine) so I go back in for the Flydoor.
Easier to ride slower with the bigger board, but it's less fun. Jumps are just too crappy - no flat water to boost from and no decent waves to kick off. I play with the waves some which is fun and even manage a gybe turn without thinking about it!
Give up when my legs get sore. Self-land by attaching the kite to a big log. Much easier than I thought it'd be! On the water for about 2 hours...
Mood of the session was relaxed, intrigued, irritated.
Moment of the day was floating through the air while the fish leapt out of the water under me. Got a good look at them this time...
Weather was reported as 16.6 knots steady, 31°C 68%. Gusts to 21 knots...
Wind felt like I could have gotten away with the 16 but not without an assist on launch/land.
What I learned today...
• Mako is FAST when it gets going... which makes it bouncy. If you go slow, it's more sinky. I think it'll be better on flatter water. Maybe; I might just have to get used to it! Does carve awesome and ride through and down waves really nice though.
• Flydoor feels like a bus in comparison... but I think I knew that.
• It's just not worth trying to do big jumps or tricks when the water is that chopped up - better to surf?
• Need mutant fins for the Mako...
Forecast was much the same as yesterday but when I got there, it was a bit stronger. I went for the XB 13m... nobody else around except some pole dancers so I self-launched... which nearly turned into a disaster when the bar jumped out of my hand and looped back to the left and slammed into the concrete footpath :( no damage at all though!!!
Head out on the Mako to start with - determined to get to grips with it. Bit hard to get moving - the board likes speed but the water is so choppy is very bouncy out there... pads hurt my feet some too - both the sore on the RH foot and general arch pain. Seems a bit easier to get through the rough stuff though and rides nicely... just bouncy. Upwind is a bit of work (although jumps are fine) so I go back in for the Flydoor.
Easier to ride slower with the bigger board, but it's less fun. Jumps are just too crappy - no flat water to boost from and no decent waves to kick off. I play with the waves some which is fun and even manage a gybe turn without thinking about it!
Give up when my legs get sore. Self-land by attaching the kite to a big log. Much easier than I thought it'd be! On the water for about 2 hours...
Mood of the session was relaxed, intrigued, irritated.
Moment of the day was floating through the air while the fish leapt out of the water under me. Got a good look at them this time...
Weather was reported as 16.6 knots steady, 31°C 68%. Gusts to 21 knots...
Wind felt like I could have gotten away with the 16 but not without an assist on launch/land.
What I learned today...
• Mako is FAST when it gets going... which makes it bouncy. If you go slow, it's more sinky. I think it'll be better on flatter water. Maybe; I might just have to get used to it! Does carve awesome and ride through and down waves really nice though.
• Flydoor feels like a bus in comparison... but I think I knew that.
• It's just not worth trying to do big jumps or tricks when the water is that chopped up - better to surf?
• Need mutant fins for the Mako...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Mellow top-up session
Been watching the weather forecast since Saturday, even the long range one ... getting desperate. Today there was a slim chance of a ride, so I went down the lake. Got there about 4pm (thanks to idiots at work insisting on a meeting in the middle of my lunch hour) and it looked doable.
Headed over to the lake with the S3 21 and the Flydoor and Mako, just in case. Nice quick set up but the launch went haywire because something got tangled in the bridle. Couldn't dump the kite on the ground cos ASSHOLES had left the gear they weren't using strewn across the beach so I had to fly it between their shit and then stall it to the ground. No bad skills for a kite that wasn't flying properly. Untangled that mess then got it back in the air ... bastards.
Started out on the Mako but I've yet to click with that ... going downwind too far. Get on the Flydoor - much better! More board speed means better jumps ;) I work on my load'n'pop take-offs. A few nice big jumps when the wind gusts up around 5 I guess.
Now I'm more powered, I change back to the Mako ... but the holes for the mutant setup are squirting water directly into my eyes. Dafuq? Give up on that and ride out the rest of the mellow session on the Flydoor.
Do some rotations, mess with the backroll transition ... might have that down, we'll see.
The Master of Disaster and dropped his kite TE down and is drifting up the river. Miyachi rescues him with his the SUP board. Uncle Pyro has dropped his kite on the shore and wrapped lines around my Mako - that'll learn you for leaving your shit over the beach. Other kites are dropping. Auntie is going downwind. People are giving up. I'm still riding. In fact, yet again, I'm the last one riding and I'm still going upwind. Huzzah Flysurfer!
This should keep me going for a few more ... days.
Mood of the Session was cranky satisfied mellow.
Moment of the Day was getting the load'n'pop ju-ust right and rocketing up in the air!
Weather was recorded as 12 knots at 3pm, 22°C 44%, falling to 5 knots at 6. Gusts of 16 knots at 1pm.
Wind felt like I was slightly over-powered on the big board few a while, comfortable most of the time, falling to mowing the lawn. Was surprised to be riding without white-caps but still able to get right back upwind ... so long as I didn't jump or anything.
What I learned today ...
• Yes, the back-roll transition - stop pulling on the bar once the kite has moved to the other side of the window.
• But digging the new direction's front tip into the water is a silly way to face-plant.
• MUST replace the straps on the 'door! That LH one is hacking me off ...
• Good load'n'pop makes for good jumps with lots of drift ... hard edging on load'n'pop gives a more UP jump with little cross-wind drift.
Headed over to the lake with the S3 21 and the Flydoor and Mako, just in case. Nice quick set up but the launch went haywire because something got tangled in the bridle. Couldn't dump the kite on the ground cos ASSHOLES had left the gear they weren't using strewn across the beach so I had to fly it between their shit and then stall it to the ground. No bad skills for a kite that wasn't flying properly. Untangled that mess then got it back in the air ... bastards.
Started out on the Mako but I've yet to click with that ... going downwind too far. Get on the Flydoor - much better! More board speed means better jumps ;) I work on my load'n'pop take-offs. A few nice big jumps when the wind gusts up around 5 I guess.
Now I'm more powered, I change back to the Mako ... but the holes for the mutant setup are squirting water directly into my eyes. Dafuq? Give up on that and ride out the rest of the mellow session on the Flydoor.
Do some rotations, mess with the backroll transition ... might have that down, we'll see.
The Master of Disaster and dropped his kite TE down and is drifting up the river. Miyachi rescues him with his the SUP board. Uncle Pyro has dropped his kite on the shore and wrapped lines around my Mako - that'll learn you for leaving your shit over the beach. Other kites are dropping. Auntie is going downwind. People are giving up. I'm still riding. In fact, yet again, I'm the last one riding and I'm still going upwind. Huzzah Flysurfer!
This should keep me going for a few more ... days.
Mood of the Session was cranky satisfied mellow.
Moment of the Day was getting the load'n'pop ju-ust right and rocketing up in the air!
Weather was recorded as 12 knots at 3pm, 22°C 44%, falling to 5 knots at 6. Gusts of 16 knots at 1pm.
Wind felt like I was slightly over-powered on the big board few a while, comfortable most of the time, falling to mowing the lawn. Was surprised to be riding without white-caps but still able to get right back upwind ... so long as I didn't jump or anything.
What I learned today ...
• Yes, the back-roll transition - stop pulling on the bar once the kite has moved to the other side of the window.
• But digging the new direction's front tip into the water is a silly way to face-plant.
• MUST replace the straps on the 'door! That LH one is hacking me off ...
• Good load'n'pop makes for good jumps with lots of drift ... hard edging on load'n'pop gives a more UP jump with little cross-wind drift.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Blah
Forecast was cranking, hourly wind reports was cranking, wind LOOKED like it was cranking the flags. Unfortunately, it was all show and no blow :(
Put up the big Speed3 21 expecting to be nicely powered but couldn't ride either the Mako or the Flyradical so I went back to the the car for the Flydoor. Meh, still mowing the lawn but at least I'm going upwind occasionally. And getting the odd nice jump ... shame I'm so close to the shore - nearly had a close call there!
Despite being so underpowered, I stayed out for just over an hour. Naturally, just as I start packing up the wind picks up again ...
Mood of the Session was blah blah blah.
Moment of the Day was that back roll that was totally supporting by the kite moving around over-head :D funny!
Weather was reported as 12 knots falling to 9 (BULL-SHIT!) at 12°C 79%. Bloody cold, wind-chill was nasty - water felt warmer!
Wind felt like I should have been at least a little powered ... but wasn't :-/
What I learned today ...
• I should have asked Miyachi to borrow one of the race boards - would have been a good day for it.
• My theory with the waves seems to be a good one.
• Good speed and pop can still produce surprisingly good jumps in light wind.
• As does sending the kite properly.
Put up the big Speed3 21 expecting to be nicely powered but couldn't ride either the Mako or the Flyradical so I went back to the the car for the Flydoor. Meh, still mowing the lawn but at least I'm going upwind occasionally. And getting the odd nice jump ... shame I'm so close to the shore - nearly had a close call there!
Despite being so underpowered, I stayed out for just over an hour. Naturally, just as I start packing up the wind picks up again ...
Mood of the Session was blah blah blah.
Moment of the Day was that back roll that was totally supporting by the kite moving around over-head :D funny!
Weather was reported as 12 knots falling to 9 (BULL-SHIT!) at 12°C 79%. Bloody cold, wind-chill was nasty - water felt warmer!
Wind felt like I should have been at least a little powered ... but wasn't :-/
What I learned today ...
• I should have asked Miyachi to borrow one of the race boards - would have been a good day for it.
• My theory with the waves seems to be a good one.
• Good speed and pop can still produce surprisingly good jumps in light wind.
• As does sending the kite properly.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
\m/
ROCK ON! Epic session! Forecast was for heaps and that's what we got. Of course, it was better before I got there :-/ Frickin' work - who needs it?
Hauled ass out from the wrong side of the train lines and finally got to the lake around 4:40pm.
Everyone looked under-powered on their 7 to 10m kites - I guess it was even better before I got there. I got changed in a hurry and took my 13m XB and 15m Speed³ cos ... well why not, the wind is forecast to drop and I want to jump BIG. For a change :D
Unwrapped and launching the Speed, although the wind felt fine on the beach it was a something else again once I got up and moving. And it was punchy too ... I was a bit worried for a few minutes.
First big jump I screwed up the redirect and slammed into the water; I can see how people break ribs. From then on though, it was absolute BUT-TAH!
Could I do anything wrong? Not really :D I borked a (very) few landings but that was down to either enjoying the view for far too long or doing something silly with the board, like falling off it. There were some ugly landing: flailing around trying to get into a balanced position but for the most part I landed and rode off like A BOSS. Several times I over-did the launch and ended up sailing through the air backwards ... but still landed it.
Fear is the mind killer.
From then on, it was all shits and giggles. Well, cackling like a lunatic anyway. And lots of WHEE! and AW HELL YEAH and I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM HERE and even an AHOY ME HEARTIES AAARGH! yeah, I dunno where that one came from ...
Hironobu gives me a thumbs-up while I'm flying a few times :D
Took out the Mako for a run early on but was too over-powered - it bounced me around like a toy but when the wind lulled, I got a nice smooth ride out of it and some nice pops. It really does carve well ... maybe I need a 140 too :o
So when I swapped back to the 'radical, it got me thinking about how lazy I was being with my load'n'pops - I wasn't really using my legs. I worked on that for a while and got some smoother launches ...
But the wind is dropping now and lulling down ... soon, Hironobu and Soh give up and I'm only riding across wind. So I pack it in ... my legs are tired but I had an awesome session!
I was in the car loaded up for home by about 7:30 so I guess I got 2 solid hours on the water ... great!
Mood of the session was jubilant cracked weary.
Moment of the Day was yet again another jump. This time though, it wasn't the highest or longest; it was the most backward-flying. And not getting pasted on the landing which is nice.
Weather was reported as 15 knots falling to 9 then climbing back to 11 knots by the time I quit; 15°C at 70%. Gusts no more than 30 knots - peak was recorded at 1pm. That data was recorded at the weather station at Hikone, about an hours drive north of Locus ... 1pm to 4 at Hikone was 17 to 8 knots; FWIW.
Wind felt like I was comfortably over-powered (on the Flyradical but fighting too hard for control on the Mako) and having fun; falling to being unable to ride upwind. After about 6pm, the wind got very lully, and as it dropped the lulls got longer till I gave up around 7pm.
What I learned today...
• You can (probably) gauge the wind by the height and "quality" of the waves.
• Free your mind and your ass will follow. Look where you want to go!
• My load'n'pops are getting VERY lazy. That *may* be down to sore legs from working out this week but most launches were very average - thank god for kickers!
• Mako needs less power than the 'radical but it's bottom end usefulness drops off sooner. I think 0_o
• Perhaps I need a 140 after all :D er, Buzz ... got any left?
• Speed3 15 has a great range! Easy to hold a good posture and ride over-powered with good YOINK when you boost. So much less back-stally than the 12 too ...
• Seems I jump both ways fine but it depends on the direction of the wind and waves ... I might be better one way than the other due to the above conditions.
• Sheeting out on the redirect speeds the kite across the window then sheet in just before you touch down - fast and butter-smooth landing!
Hauled ass out from the wrong side of the train lines and finally got to the lake around 4:40pm.
Everyone looked under-powered on their 7 to 10m kites - I guess it was even better before I got there. I got changed in a hurry and took my 13m XB and 15m Speed³ cos ... well why not, the wind is forecast to drop and I want to jump BIG. For a change :D
Unwrapped and launching the Speed, although the wind felt fine on the beach it was a something else again once I got up and moving. And it was punchy too ... I was a bit worried for a few minutes.
First big jump I screwed up the redirect and slammed into the water; I can see how people break ribs. From then on though, it was absolute BUT-TAH!
Could I do anything wrong? Not really :D I borked a (very) few landings but that was down to either enjoying the view for far too long or doing something silly with the board, like falling off it. There were some ugly landing: flailing around trying to get into a balanced position but for the most part I landed and rode off like A BOSS. Several times I over-did the launch and ended up sailing through the air backwards ... but still landed it.
Fear is the mind killer.
From then on, it was all shits and giggles. Well, cackling like a lunatic anyway. And lots of WHEE! and AW HELL YEAH and I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM HERE and even an AHOY ME HEARTIES AAARGH! yeah, I dunno where that one came from ...
Hironobu gives me a thumbs-up while I'm flying a few times :D
Took out the Mako for a run early on but was too over-powered - it bounced me around like a toy but when the wind lulled, I got a nice smooth ride out of it and some nice pops. It really does carve well ... maybe I need a 140 too :o
So when I swapped back to the 'radical, it got me thinking about how lazy I was being with my load'n'pops - I wasn't really using my legs. I worked on that for a while and got some smoother launches ...
But the wind is dropping now and lulling down ... soon, Hironobu and Soh give up and I'm only riding across wind. So I pack it in ... my legs are tired but I had an awesome session!
I was in the car loaded up for home by about 7:30 so I guess I got 2 solid hours on the water ... great!
Mood of the session was jubilant cracked weary.
Moment of the Day was yet again another jump. This time though, it wasn't the highest or longest; it was the most backward-flying. And not getting pasted on the landing which is nice.
Weather was reported as 15 knots falling to 9 then climbing back to 11 knots by the time I quit; 15°C at 70%. Gusts no more than 30 knots - peak was recorded at 1pm. That data was recorded at the weather station at Hikone, about an hours drive north of Locus ... 1pm to 4 at Hikone was 17 to 8 knots; FWIW.
Wind felt like I was comfortably over-powered (on the Flyradical but fighting too hard for control on the Mako) and having fun; falling to being unable to ride upwind. After about 6pm, the wind got very lully, and as it dropped the lulls got longer till I gave up around 7pm.
What I learned today...
• You can (probably) gauge the wind by the height and "quality" of the waves.
• Free your mind and your ass will follow. Look where you want to go!
• My load'n'pops are getting VERY lazy. That *may* be down to sore legs from working out this week but most launches were very average - thank god for kickers!
• Mako needs less power than the 'radical but it's bottom end usefulness drops off sooner. I think 0_o
• Perhaps I need a 140 after all :D er, Buzz ... got any left?
• Speed3 15 has a great range! Easy to hold a good posture and ride over-powered with good YOINK when you boost. So much less back-stally than the 12 too ...
• Seems I jump both ways fine but it depends on the direction of the wind and waves ... I might be better one way than the other due to the above conditions.
• Sheeting out on the redirect speeds the kite across the window then sheet in just before you touch down - fast and butter-smooth landing!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Nice end to the week!
Finally get a day with decent wind ... maybe I won't have to swim this time! Good chance to break out the 16m Xbow ...
Get to the lake after a LONG day and everyone tells me how awesome it was an hour before I got there :-/ nice one guys. Still looks good but I know it's forecast to be dropping. And everyone is riding 10m kites ... I think I'll try the Speed3 12 ... would prefer to use the 15 but the bridle line I need to replace is a whole lot more intricately connected than I thought it would be, so that's still awaiting repair. Take only the Mako over to the beach cos I don't think this is going to work and bet I'll be heading back to the car soon.
Hmm, maybe not - the 12 is lifting me good and the whee! boing! warm-up is impressive! On the water it's a bit different though ... tough to get the kite making power - keeps wanting to back-stall. I try to adapt my style but the wind is lulling so much that I end up walking back up the beach :( man, that kite can jump though!!! Just time the redirect correctly :o
Stand around scratching my head ... oh well, I'll try the 16m Xbow after all. Find 4 holes in the canopy setting up :-/ not so happy. Once it's in the air though - oh yes, it feels better than the 2010! On the water ... it's faster, more responsive and less bar pressure. Jumps really well too!
Spend the rest of the session on the 16 and Flyradical - swap once back to the Mako but I can't yet go upwind as well on it and nearly have to walk. Have a great time jumping, then start doing rotations. Oh my, easy! And even better - I start doing sent front-rolls! Getting some nice height on them (feels like anyway) and using the kite redirect to pull me out of the spin.
Everyone else packs up but the wind is ju-uuust ok so I keep riding till after sunset ... I been waiting for a good session all week! Pack up in the dark and hump 2 kites and 3 boards back over the road ... phew!
Mood of the session was frustrated satisfied stoked.
Moment of the Day was the first front-roll that I went up, had enough hang time to go "Hey! I'm doing a good front-roll!" then redirect out of it and ride away ... awesome!
Weather was reported as 8 knots 17°C 52% from 4pm, falling to 4 knots by 7 but that just aint right either. Gusts of 20 knots at midnight ... huh.
Wind felt like I was almost over-powered with fully trimmed kite but lulling to walking!
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 12 ... needs really good technique or nukin' steady wind. It might be an ok land kite for me, cos once you get speed up it hauls nicely but it's a mare to get to that stage.
• Above kite was very back-stall-y especially during turns near the water. Huh? How you supposed to work it, if it won't turn without stalling?
• 2011 16m Crossbow is an improvement on the 2010 for sure - new bridle design I bet is the answer.
• The blue actually looks really nice IRL although it looks lame in pictures.
• 60cm is a lo-ooong bar ... maybe I need a 48cm for my 13 after all ...
• Using the kite for rotations is fun. I'm getting ok at it :D
• Jumps are no problem it seems - with the Xbows. I think I only screwed one landing and I even rode away from the splash down!
• Need to spend some time in the hols this week doing maintenance :(
• Switching from the Flyradical to the Mako - the 'radical feels more slicey when riding but the Mako feels more carvey when turning.
• Mako pops of its edge easier when jumping when is, in the chop, a bad thing.
• I can't go upwind as easy on the Mako ... yet.
• Mako certainly is a nicer ride through the chop.
• Both boards feel light on the feet; the 'radical feeling a little more mobile, especially when in the air. It IS shorter though ...
• Feel like I'm riding more on top of the Mako too. FWIW
Get to the lake after a LONG day and everyone tells me how awesome it was an hour before I got there :-/ nice one guys. Still looks good but I know it's forecast to be dropping. And everyone is riding 10m kites ... I think I'll try the Speed3 12 ... would prefer to use the 15 but the bridle line I need to replace is a whole lot more intricately connected than I thought it would be, so that's still awaiting repair. Take only the Mako over to the beach cos I don't think this is going to work and bet I'll be heading back to the car soon.
Hmm, maybe not - the 12 is lifting me good and the whee! boing! warm-up is impressive! On the water it's a bit different though ... tough to get the kite making power - keeps wanting to back-stall. I try to adapt my style but the wind is lulling so much that I end up walking back up the beach :( man, that kite can jump though!!! Just time the redirect correctly :o
Stand around scratching my head ... oh well, I'll try the 16m Xbow after all. Find 4 holes in the canopy setting up :-/ not so happy. Once it's in the air though - oh yes, it feels better than the 2010! On the water ... it's faster, more responsive and less bar pressure. Jumps really well too!
Spend the rest of the session on the 16 and Flyradical - swap once back to the Mako but I can't yet go upwind as well on it and nearly have to walk. Have a great time jumping, then start doing rotations. Oh my, easy! And even better - I start doing sent front-rolls! Getting some nice height on them (feels like anyway) and using the kite redirect to pull me out of the spin.
Everyone else packs up but the wind is ju-uuust ok so I keep riding till after sunset ... I been waiting for a good session all week! Pack up in the dark and hump 2 kites and 3 boards back over the road ... phew!
Mood of the session was frustrated satisfied stoked.
Moment of the Day was the first front-roll that I went up, had enough hang time to go "Hey! I'm doing a good front-roll!" then redirect out of it and ride away ... awesome!
Weather was reported as 8 knots 17°C 52% from 4pm, falling to 4 knots by 7 but that just aint right either. Gusts of 20 knots at midnight ... huh.
Wind felt like I was almost over-powered with fully trimmed kite but lulling to walking!
What I learned today ...
• Speed3 12 ... needs really good technique or nukin' steady wind. It might be an ok land kite for me, cos once you get speed up it hauls nicely but it's a mare to get to that stage.
• Above kite was very back-stall-y especially during turns near the water. Huh? How you supposed to work it, if it won't turn without stalling?
• 2011 16m Crossbow is an improvement on the 2010 for sure - new bridle design I bet is the answer.
• The blue actually looks really nice IRL although it looks lame in pictures.
• 60cm is a lo-ooong bar ... maybe I need a 48cm for my 13 after all ...
• Using the kite for rotations is fun. I'm getting ok at it :D
• Jumps are no problem it seems - with the Xbows. I think I only screwed one landing and I even rode away from the splash down!
• Need to spend some time in the hols this week doing maintenance :(
• Switching from the Flyradical to the Mako - the 'radical feels more slicey when riding but the Mako feels more carvey when turning.
• Mako pops of its edge easier when jumping when is, in the chop, a bad thing.
• I can't go upwind as easy on the Mako ... yet.
• Mako certainly is a nicer ride through the chop.
• Both boards feel light on the feet; the 'radical feeling a little more mobile, especially when in the air. It IS shorter though ...
• Feel like I'm riding more on top of the Mako too. FWIW
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Gnarly... and cold.
Wicked looking weather forecast - great front whipping through from the north, clearing out the southerly and rain...
Well, it was supposed to arrive at 2pm but didn't. I was down at Locus all set up with my Xbow 13 and Mako & Flydoor... got some runs on the 'door and some on the Mako then the front TRULY arrived! I landed the kite about 10 seconds before massive gusts came through... kites were sliding down the beach, guys with 7's up were tea-bagging, sand was stinging exposed skin... it was gnarly!
There was supposed to be a course racing practice and although lots of people got out, nobody had much joy. Flysurfer guy was here again too, on a S3 12 DLX but as the bad gusts came in he dropped the kite and (apparently) broke a line... but he didn't self-rescue, he just floated in until the kite snagged on the river mouth walls. Odd fellow... does odd things when I tried to land his kite for him too...
I got to ride though, and got the feel of the Xbow again so that was nice. Water and wind were every which way though so it was survival kiting... I labeled the wind as 'crappy' cos it was so freakin gusty, making riding a real trial! Looking at the weather, you could say there was a delta-V of 30knots :o looked like snow was falling later on too... yikes what a day!
Moment of the Day was surprising myself that I could get out riding upwind on my 13 and Flydoor while Junkie Sensei struggled on his 9 and directional!
Weather was recorded like this...
2pm... 11knots
3pm... 7knots
4pm... 8knots
5pm... 22knots (with gusts to 38knots!!!)
6pm... 11knots
and temperature of 8°C falling to 5... around 77% humidity. That'll be why I'm cold then :o
What I learned today...
• The forecast is usually about an hour off in this season.
• When NW but the waves are coming from the N, it's going to be rough riding...
• But when the wind switches to N and the waves to NW then there's massive gusts coming.
• If all you can see at the blow line is white, then get the kite landed and secured.
• Harden up and try that 7 out!!!
Well, it was supposed to arrive at 2pm but didn't. I was down at Locus all set up with my Xbow 13 and Mako & Flydoor... got some runs on the 'door and some on the Mako then the front TRULY arrived! I landed the kite about 10 seconds before massive gusts came through... kites were sliding down the beach, guys with 7's up were tea-bagging, sand was stinging exposed skin... it was gnarly!
There was supposed to be a course racing practice and although lots of people got out, nobody had much joy. Flysurfer guy was here again too, on a S3 12 DLX but as the bad gusts came in he dropped the kite and (apparently) broke a line... but he didn't self-rescue, he just floated in until the kite snagged on the river mouth walls. Odd fellow... does odd things when I tried to land his kite for him too...
I got to ride though, and got the feel of the Xbow again so that was nice. Water and wind were every which way though so it was survival kiting... I labeled the wind as 'crappy' cos it was so freakin gusty, making riding a real trial! Looking at the weather, you could say there was a delta-V of 30knots :o looked like snow was falling later on too... yikes what a day!
Moment of the Day was surprising myself that I could get out riding upwind on my 13 and Flydoor while Junkie Sensei struggled on his 9 and directional!
Weather was recorded like this...
2pm... 11knots
3pm... 7knots
4pm... 8knots
5pm... 22knots (with gusts to 38knots!!!)
6pm... 11knots
and temperature of 8°C falling to 5... around 77% humidity. That'll be why I'm cold then :o
What I learned today...
• The forecast is usually about an hour off in this season.
• When NW but the waves are coming from the N, it's going to be rough riding...
• But when the wind switches to N and the waves to NW then there's massive gusts coming.
• If all you can see at the blow line is white, then get the kite landed and secured.
• Harden up and try that 7 out!!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Right kite, right board!
Now that's more like it! Wind looked good all day so I headed home at lunchtime to grab my mostly dry gear. Ripped down to the lake after work... and it's blowing fine! Take the S3 21 and 15 over to the lake, with the Flydoor and the Mako.
I'm a bit dubious about the wind but it was warm this morning so I'm guessing a thermal is due soon... up goes the 15. Jump into the water with the Flydoor and I'm rocking so it's all good! Nice board speed, nice big jumps...
Feeling more powered now so I swap to the Mako. Oof, bouncy-bouncy! Can't get a good balance of speed and edge control; bit tough adapting after the easy riding of the 'door. Got the power though so settle down into it... having fun, doing rotations and of course, jumping!Jumps aren't as monster as they were with the bigger, faster board. Hmm...
Ride it out til the sun has sunk below the hills... last one on the lake again! Packing up in the dark... great session!
Moment of the Day was getting up and powered with the 15, feeling the pull through the harness without having to work the kite. Just a nice feeling :D
Weather was 10 to 12 knots at 7.8°C 44% with gusts no more than 26 knots. Hmm, I reckon it was closer to 15 fairly consistently... but smooth!
What I learned today...
• Perhaps some kites and boards don't work well together... I'm thinking that the S3 points too far upwind for the Mako to build and hold speed, and pushing it back into the wind makes too much speed and the board skips around. So the flatter boards like my Flydoor and Flyradical work well with the Speed, and the Mako goes better with kites that sit back in the window more like the Xbow. Hmm...
• Over-sending the kite is too easy with a faster kite, but then so it correcting it ;) sometimes!
• And the swinging left and right under the kite is fun - so long as you time it right and don't get slammed.
• Putting your hand out before hitting the water doesn't do much... please break that habit!
• Properly bearing off and load'n'popping is the key to really good, controlled jumps.
I'm a bit dubious about the wind but it was warm this morning so I'm guessing a thermal is due soon... up goes the 15. Jump into the water with the Flydoor and I'm rocking so it's all good! Nice board speed, nice big jumps...
Feeling more powered now so I swap to the Mako. Oof, bouncy-bouncy! Can't get a good balance of speed and edge control; bit tough adapting after the easy riding of the 'door. Got the power though so settle down into it... having fun, doing rotations and of course, jumping!Jumps aren't as monster as they were with the bigger, faster board. Hmm...
Ride it out til the sun has sunk below the hills... last one on the lake again! Packing up in the dark... great session!
Moment of the Day was getting up and powered with the 15, feeling the pull through the harness without having to work the kite. Just a nice feeling :D
Weather was 10 to 12 knots at 7.8°C 44% with gusts no more than 26 knots. Hmm, I reckon it was closer to 15 fairly consistently... but smooth!
What I learned today...
• Perhaps some kites and boards don't work well together... I'm thinking that the S3 points too far upwind for the Mako to build and hold speed, and pushing it back into the wind makes too much speed and the board skips around. So the flatter boards like my Flydoor and Flyradical work well with the Speed, and the Mako goes better with kites that sit back in the window more like the Xbow. Hmm...
• Over-sending the kite is too easy with a faster kite, but then so it correcting it ;) sometimes!
• And the swinging left and right under the kite is fun - so long as you time it right and don't get slammed.
• Putting your hand out before hitting the water doesn't do much... please break that habit!
• Properly bearing off and load'n'popping is the key to really good, controlled jumps.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
And then there was one...
Good forecast, hit the lake early. Probably got on the water by 4pm.
Hmm, tough to judge the wind - Soh is under-powered on his 9. I go for my 13 and the Mako.
Wind is gusty as hell and although initially I get off the beach, I end up back on it again. Switch to the Flydoor... ah that's better! Upwind...
Mmm. Gusty. Really choppy water, current going different directions - tough to get clean launches off them. Have some fun though! More landings this time, but get massively over-powered.
Soh dumps his kite at the shore break and can't relaunch, and the other guy packs it in - I'm all on my own now, having a lark boosting as the gusts hit :D Feeling pretty good so I just don't stop riding till the wind drops off again...
Reckon I got 90 minutes riding, mostly on the 'door. Not bad for a sick guy. I feel better now too!
Moment of the Day was actually a back-roll this time, using the kite to loft and then pull me out of the spin. All the neater cos it was intentional! And with the Flydoor :)
Weather was recorded as 20 falling to 16 knots with gusts to just over 30 at 8°C 44%, falling to 6.5°C 50% when we packed up. No wonder I was over-powered at times!
What I learned today...
• The Mako really flies upwind - so long as it's powered good. Need to work on the bottom end technique a bit...
• Truly is a great freeride board too - slashing waves, jumping, carving turns... it's so light on the feet it's easy to flick around!
• The 'door ain't bad though! And I'm getting used to adapting between them... I think!
• With the faster, smaller LEI kites you gotta really use the speed across the window to soften the jumps - most of my landing were slappers today. If they weren't butt-first splash-downs.
• Seems the LEI really prefers to make height out of board speed and sending it aggressively behind you - when you really feel the pendulum (rather than the yank) that's when you go UP.
• Should swap to a smaller board sooner :D
• Damn cold - first time I've had numb fingers since the first session this year in February. Winter isn't letting go without a struggle!
Hmm, tough to judge the wind - Soh is under-powered on his 9. I go for my 13 and the Mako.
Wind is gusty as hell and although initially I get off the beach, I end up back on it again. Switch to the Flydoor... ah that's better! Upwind...
Mmm. Gusty. Really choppy water, current going different directions - tough to get clean launches off them. Have some fun though! More landings this time, but get massively over-powered.
Soh dumps his kite at the shore break and can't relaunch, and the other guy packs it in - I'm all on my own now, having a lark boosting as the gusts hit :D Feeling pretty good so I just don't stop riding till the wind drops off again...
Reckon I got 90 minutes riding, mostly on the 'door. Not bad for a sick guy. I feel better now too!
Moment of the Day was actually a back-roll this time, using the kite to loft and then pull me out of the spin. All the neater cos it was intentional! And with the Flydoor :)
Weather was recorded as 20 falling to 16 knots with gusts to just over 30 at 8°C 44%, falling to 6.5°C 50% when we packed up. No wonder I was over-powered at times!
What I learned today...
• The Mako really flies upwind - so long as it's powered good. Need to work on the bottom end technique a bit...
• Truly is a great freeride board too - slashing waves, jumping, carving turns... it's so light on the feet it's easy to flick around!
• The 'door ain't bad though! And I'm getting used to adapting between them... I think!
• With the faster, smaller LEI kites you gotta really use the speed across the window to soften the jumps - most of my landing were slappers today. If they weren't butt-first splash-downs.
• Seems the LEI really prefers to make height out of board speed and sending it aggressively behind you - when you really feel the pendulum (rather than the yank) that's when you go UP.
• Should swap to a smaller board sooner :D
• Damn cold - first time I've had numb fingers since the first session this year in February. Winter isn't letting go without a struggle!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Film THIS, fruit loops!
EDIT: I forgot to add - the dead dog floating at the shoreline that I nearly stumbled over may have given me a day's fun with vomiting and diarrhea too. Whee.
Having to work Saturday PM seems to be a recipe for great winds... determined not to miss another session, I decided to try the beach in the morning...
Got down there about 9.30am to discover an odd collection of cars in the carpark and - on the beach :o Miyachi informs me that someone is filming a TV drama (either called "Akai Kaze" or "Atsui Kaze" meaning "Red Wind" or "Hot Wind" but both are equally stupid names for a show filmed on a freezing cold lake shore) on the beach "but only for a half-day". Naturally, it's the half-day I want to use the beach :-/ Miyachi said, so long as I stay out of the shots, they don't mind. Well that's nice of them... but I won't go into that rant here.
Thought it might be a good day for a Xbow 13/Mako combo... geared up and tried to ignore all the film-crew standing around staring at me like dogs that have been shown a card-trick. Miyachi launched me and I jumped in the water.
Dead on-shore wind, big chop and it's tough to work it out away from the shore. I try a few tentative moves but I'm not feeling it... slowly warm up into the groove...
The wind is up and then down. And then up. I swap boards a couple of times (getting to used to switching from the Caddie to the Lotus) and make the most of it. I've got my launches sorted to the jumps are big, but I'm not landing and riding away from many :( Having fun though, that's the main thing!
Wind drops off again, and as I'm floating around in the shallows waiting for it to pick and trying to decide if I've had enough, Miyachi waves me off to the other end of the beach - I guess, after 2 hours setup, they're finally ready to film... I decide I've had enough and leave the water, getting Miyachi to land me. It's only after I've packed up that they actually start filming - all 20 seconds worth :o
Moment of the Day was, you guessed it, the monster air! That one moment when board speed, gusts, kite sending and launch timing all came together for the height and float that makes you go "Ahoy!" Well, it does me anyway...
Weather supplied 8.5°C 66% and 6.7m/s to 7.7 with gusts to 14!*
What I learned today...
• Yes the Mako really can jump!
• Mako is so much less inclined to spray in the face and really does slice through chop better.
• It does, however, seem to need a tad more speed to plane... sorta stop'n'start in the big chop as you bounce over waves. That may just be down to my familiarity with it - or skill level. As in, lack of.
• You CAN have a great session in the morning!
* Now a while back, I questioned a Professional Expert National-level Inter-discipline Sponsored kiter over his smarts of putting a hi-performance foil in the hands of a "new kiter" in winds with a delta V of 20 knots - basically, questioning his premise that cos the newbie got scared by the foil in wild wind, the foil obviously is a crap kite...
I mention this because a 20-knot differential is basically what we had today... and so it was on my mind.
Even the rock solid and stable with 7 struts Crossbow was a wild ride in the gusts... I could cope with it fine cos I'm used to it and was mostly underpowered, but if it had been a foil and it was last year and the average wind was 10 knots higher, then I doubt the newbie would have enjoyed himself.
Does that mean the kite is crap? Obviously not. Despite what my narcissistic and scholastically-challenged insisted...
But then... I'm not an expert.
Having to work Saturday PM seems to be a recipe for great winds... determined not to miss another session, I decided to try the beach in the morning...
Got down there about 9.30am to discover an odd collection of cars in the carpark and - on the beach :o Miyachi informs me that someone is filming a TV drama (either called "Akai Kaze" or "Atsui Kaze" meaning "Red Wind" or "Hot Wind" but both are equally stupid names for a show filmed on a freezing cold lake shore) on the beach "but only for a half-day". Naturally, it's the half-day I want to use the beach :-/ Miyachi said, so long as I stay out of the shots, they don't mind. Well that's nice of them... but I won't go into that rant here.
Thought it might be a good day for a Xbow 13/Mako combo... geared up and tried to ignore all the film-crew standing around staring at me like dogs that have been shown a card-trick. Miyachi launched me and I jumped in the water.
Dead on-shore wind, big chop and it's tough to work it out away from the shore. I try a few tentative moves but I'm not feeling it... slowly warm up into the groove...
The wind is up and then down. And then up. I swap boards a couple of times (getting to used to switching from the Caddie to the Lotus) and make the most of it. I've got my launches sorted to the jumps are big, but I'm not landing and riding away from many :( Having fun though, that's the main thing!
Wind drops off again, and as I'm floating around in the shallows waiting for it to pick and trying to decide if I've had enough, Miyachi waves me off to the other end of the beach - I guess, after 2 hours setup, they're finally ready to film... I decide I've had enough and leave the water, getting Miyachi to land me. It's only after I've packed up that they actually start filming - all 20 seconds worth :o
Moment of the Day was, you guessed it, the monster air! That one moment when board speed, gusts, kite sending and launch timing all came together for the height and float that makes you go "Ahoy!" Well, it does me anyway...
Weather supplied 8.5°C 66% and 6.7m/s to 7.7 with gusts to 14!*
What I learned today...
• Yes the Mako really can jump!
• Mako is so much less inclined to spray in the face and really does slice through chop better.
• It does, however, seem to need a tad more speed to plane... sorta stop'n'start in the big chop as you bounce over waves. That may just be down to my familiarity with it - or skill level. As in, lack of.
• You CAN have a great session in the morning!
* Now a while back, I questioned a Professional Expert National-level Inter-discipline Sponsored kiter over his smarts of putting a hi-performance foil in the hands of a "new kiter" in winds with a delta V of 20 knots - basically, questioning his premise that cos the newbie got scared by the foil in wild wind, the foil obviously is a crap kite...
I mention this because a 20-knot differential is basically what we had today... and so it was on my mind.
Even the rock solid and stable with 7 struts Crossbow was a wild ride in the gusts... I could cope with it fine cos I'm used to it and was mostly underpowered, but if it had been a foil and it was last year and the average wind was 10 knots higher, then I doubt the newbie would have enjoyed himself.
Does that mean the kite is crap? Obviously not. Despite what my narcissistic and scholastically-challenged insisted...
But then... I'm not an expert.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Leap Day lays on a sweet sunset session!
Wasn't thinking about getting a ride in today but when I opened my browser to check mail, the weather tab was open and showed a cracking forecast. I refreshed the tab thinking it was old data but no, the weather has improved over-night! Woot! Luckily, I still have my gear in the car from the aborted session on Monday...
Wind is good up north where I was working, but when I arrive at Locus there's SFA. Looks like a front coming in though... stand around chatting with Soh for a bit then as the wind definitely has picked up, get changed and hit the water!
Head out on the Mako and initially, I'm powered fine but then I'm losing too much ground in the jumps that I can't jump AND get back upwind, so I come back in for the Flydoor.
Better... I enjoy some jumps that all seem to end up as transitions cos I have to downloop the kite to stop from borking the landing.
Soh is riding upwind ok but packs it in slightly earlier than I do. I keep going and the wind picks up even more - BIG jumps now! Having trouble sticking the landing - think I'm redirecting too early and getting turned to the side.
Have a great session though and come in to pack up in the dark... must have been 90 minutes on the water. Excellent.
Moment of the Day was the "kite loop" that I did on purpose and actually felt the lift and pull downwind... just like a real one. Ok I lie - the big jumps are still giving me wood.
Weather was recorded as 6.2 knots at 5pm, 8.1°C 73% BWA-HAHAhahahaha whatever!!!
Gusts to 16 knots at 10 minutes past 5--yeah that seems more like it.
What I learned today...
• The disadvantage of having loose footstraps is that your feet slip out mid-jump.
• The advantage of having loose footstraps is that you can slip your feet back in--after they slip out mid-jump.
• The Mako isn't really great at going upwind. Well, not as good as the Flyboards... wonder if it's the rocker or the curved rails?
• The kite going to the edge of the window IS what's pulling me around to land backwards.
• I need wrist straps to stop water going up my sleeves and my gloves being peeled off.
• Miyachi sells wrist straps.
• I bought wrist straps.
• On the rooly big jumps, I'm being rotated to land backwards because I'm redirecting the kite too early.
• Maybe.
• Soh broke his wrist over the New Years in Okinawa.
• Miyachi rode on Monday but it was very shitty conditions - I didn't miss anything worth not missing.
Wind is good up north where I was working, but when I arrive at Locus there's SFA. Looks like a front coming in though... stand around chatting with Soh for a bit then as the wind definitely has picked up, get changed and hit the water!
Head out on the Mako and initially, I'm powered fine but then I'm losing too much ground in the jumps that I can't jump AND get back upwind, so I come back in for the Flydoor.
Better... I enjoy some jumps that all seem to end up as transitions cos I have to downloop the kite to stop from borking the landing.
Soh is riding upwind ok but packs it in slightly earlier than I do. I keep going and the wind picks up even more - BIG jumps now! Having trouble sticking the landing - think I'm redirecting too early and getting turned to the side.
Have a great session though and come in to pack up in the dark... must have been 90 minutes on the water. Excellent.
Moment of the Day was the "kite loop" that I did on purpose and actually felt the lift and pull downwind... just like a real one. Ok I lie - the big jumps are still giving me wood.
Weather was recorded as 6.2 knots at 5pm, 8.1°C 73% BWA-HAHAhahahaha whatever!!!
Gusts to 16 knots at 10 minutes past 5--yeah that seems more like it.
What I learned today...
• The disadvantage of having loose footstraps is that your feet slip out mid-jump.
• The advantage of having loose footstraps is that you can slip your feet back in--after they slip out mid-jump.
• The Mako isn't really great at going upwind. Well, not as good as the Flyboards... wonder if it's the rocker or the curved rails?
• The kite going to the edge of the window IS what's pulling me around to land backwards.
• I need wrist straps to stop water going up my sleeves and my gloves being peeled off.
• Miyachi sells wrist straps.
• I bought wrist straps.
• On the rooly big jumps, I'm being rotated to land backwards because I'm redirecting the kite too early.
• Maybe.
• Soh broke his wrist over the New Years in Okinawa.
• Miyachi rode on Monday but it was very shitty conditions - I didn't miss anything worth not missing.
Monday, February 27, 2012
In which I spill the Kool-Aid
:(
Looked like today would be a good time to try out the Infinity in the kind of winds it's supposed to be used it. Pumped it up to 7-8psi or so, nice and firm - tends to flop on its tips otherwise. God I hate those small valves, so much more effort than the big ones!
Got out onto the water and started... then I dropped it in a lull. Now it all starts to go wrong...
I pull the LH steering line and the kite scoots over to the RHS of the window, pops up onto its tip fine then - flops together in a clam :( I wait for it to open for a second but instead, it tumbles back onto its TE and tumbleweeds back into the center of the window.
It opens up on its LE so I'm about to grab the steering line to send it to the edge again when it whips up and down in a loop - WTF? I can see the LH rear leader is wrapped around the tip.
Quickly consider the options (QR, OS handle, hang on for dear life etc) and figure the best thing to do is give the rear lines slack - I pull the QR (with both hands) but it loops again. I start hauling in the depower line to manually pull the center lines but it loops for a final time - and the canopy unzips from TE to LE :o
The power has gone from the canopy now so I can wrap up the lines as the kite drifts to the beach and pack it up. Near as I can tell, the ring on the main bridle (!) conspired with the rear pig-tail and between the two of them, looped one around the other then over the tip during the tumble downwind.
Great. So now I gotta replace the kite and even worse, have to tell the dude who so kindly lent it to me. Man, now I remember why I don't borrow other people's sporting gear!
So I get out the Xbow and go on to have a great session anyway. Started off on the Mako but as the wind fell, swapped for the Flydoor. Man, I can't get over how I'm hating the Flydoor now :o
Got some good jumps in on the gusts, getting the Mako under control now...
Was wearing my long-sleeved rashgaurd under my wetsuit, my rainsuit jacket from the DIY store over the wetsuit then my orange t-shirt over that. I was actually quite warm and I guess cos my torso was warm, my body had extra blood to spare for my hands cos they were warm too. The only chilly thing I noticed back at the beach was my legs...
Mind you, pumping up 2 kites probably kept me warm too. Despite the snow drifting by :o
Moment of the Day was seeing Glove-giver Guy attempting back-spins - way to go that man!
Weather was reported as 14 to 16.2 knots at 3°C 57% but it gusted on either side, mostly lulls towards the end of the session.
What I learned today...
• Don't borrow gear :(
• Those open delta C things are as horrible for me as they are for everyone else - freakin' tumbleweeds!
• You CAN jump the Mako 'in the regular fashion' but it requires aggressive footwork; extra effort from the rear leg needed.
• Ra's al Ghul was right - Keep your core warm and the rest will take care of itself.
Looked like today would be a good time to try out the Infinity in the kind of winds it's supposed to be used it. Pumped it up to 7-8psi or so, nice and firm - tends to flop on its tips otherwise. God I hate those small valves, so much more effort than the big ones!
Got out onto the water and started... then I dropped it in a lull. Now it all starts to go wrong...
I pull the LH steering line and the kite scoots over to the RHS of the window, pops up onto its tip fine then - flops together in a clam :( I wait for it to open for a second but instead, it tumbles back onto its TE and tumbleweeds back into the center of the window.
It opens up on its LE so I'm about to grab the steering line to send it to the edge again when it whips up and down in a loop - WTF? I can see the LH rear leader is wrapped around the tip.
Quickly consider the options (QR, OS handle, hang on for dear life etc) and figure the best thing to do is give the rear lines slack - I pull the QR (with both hands) but it loops again. I start hauling in the depower line to manually pull the center lines but it loops for a final time - and the canopy unzips from TE to LE :o
The power has gone from the canopy now so I can wrap up the lines as the kite drifts to the beach and pack it up. Near as I can tell, the ring on the main bridle (!) conspired with the rear pig-tail and between the two of them, looped one around the other then over the tip during the tumble downwind.
Great. So now I gotta replace the kite and even worse, have to tell the dude who so kindly lent it to me. Man, now I remember why I don't borrow other people's sporting gear!
So I get out the Xbow and go on to have a great session anyway. Started off on the Mako but as the wind fell, swapped for the Flydoor. Man, I can't get over how I'm hating the Flydoor now :o
Got some good jumps in on the gusts, getting the Mako under control now...
Was wearing my long-sleeved rashgaurd under my wetsuit, my rainsuit jacket from the DIY store over the wetsuit then my orange t-shirt over that. I was actually quite warm and I guess cos my torso was warm, my body had extra blood to spare for my hands cos they were warm too. The only chilly thing I noticed back at the beach was my legs...
Mind you, pumping up 2 kites probably kept me warm too. Despite the snow drifting by :o
Moment of the Day was seeing Glove-giver Guy attempting back-spins - way to go that man!
Weather was reported as 14 to 16.2 knots at 3°C 57% but it gusted on either side, mostly lulls towards the end of the session.
What I learned today...
• Don't borrow gear :(
• Those open delta C things are as horrible for me as they are for everyone else - freakin' tumbleweeds!
• You CAN jump the Mako 'in the regular fashion' but it requires aggressive footwork; extra effort from the rear leg needed.
• Ra's al Ghul was right - Keep your core warm and the rest will take care of itself.
Friday, February 24, 2012
First epic session of the year!
First one at the Home Beach, anyway...
Yesterday had a front or something come through and brought big wind with it - but also a bunch of rain. Despite being forecast to stop raining in the PM it kept right on raining so I came home instead and went out this afternoon.
Took an hour off work, arrived about 3:30pm and got changed... dragged the Flydoor, Mako and Crossbow 13 and Speed3 21 over to the lake - wind was a little up'n'down so kite choice was tough. I opted for the S3 21 and the Mako and it was a good choice - fully trimmed out for power and I was ju-uuust over-powered but loving it!
Just me, Miyachi and erm that other guy there - they're both on surfboards and 7.5 and 10m kites...
Noodled around a bit to 'warm up' then started launching jumps... oh my-yyyy they're all over the place - to someone watching, I bet the launches looked like I got tazered :( messy. Can't figure that board and the water out... got a few epic jumps in, but most were ugly. Best results seemed to be from moderate upwind carve and then just jumping up with both legs - the usual pop from the Flyboards just didn't work ... I think :D
Back-spins worked fine but water is too cold to risk front-spins heh. Wind is dropping and I'm not going upwind easily enough to make up for the massive downwind drift of the jumps, so I swap to the Flydoor. Wow, it's totally like getting on a lump of wood :o smooth riding and edging upwind easily but it's SO HEAVY feeling! Jumps are a little easier to launch but I've still messed myself up but good I think...
Miyachi and the other guy have disappeared already, so as the sun sinks towards the horizon I call it a day... a great day too!
Moment of the Day again has to be either that one perfect huge jump I remember clearly or realizing that I've gotten to grips with the Mako... well riding it at least!
Weather was reported as 7.6 falling to 6 knots - utter bollocks. It was more like 13°C too, not 7. 61% humidity - I have no idea about that :D
My best guess - 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20... I was powered but reverse landed fine, then just walked hand over hand down the lines to secure the kite... can't do that in big wind and can just drop the kite and walk to it in 6 knots!
What I learned today...
• A week and a few degrees C makes a huge difference in comfort - road sign said 13 and my hands weren't cold at all. I could probably get away with 3mm boots too.
• Simply wearing boots make my feet hurt :(
• The Mako is a nimble, light board.
• The 'door is a plank :o
• I'm weak in the legs after a few weeks off - burning thighs!
• Over-sending the kite causes me to spin around backwards - finally confirmed after all these years! But get it right, and it's fun swinging around under the kite and BUTTAH smooth landings result.
• Flysurfer Speed3 has MASSIVE usable wind-range!
Yesterday had a front or something come through and brought big wind with it - but also a bunch of rain. Despite being forecast to stop raining in the PM it kept right on raining so I came home instead and went out this afternoon.
Took an hour off work, arrived about 3:30pm and got changed... dragged the Flydoor, Mako and Crossbow 13 and Speed3 21 over to the lake - wind was a little up'n'down so kite choice was tough. I opted for the S3 21 and the Mako and it was a good choice - fully trimmed out for power and I was ju-uuust over-powered but loving it!
Just me, Miyachi and erm that other guy there - they're both on surfboards and 7.5 and 10m kites...
Noodled around a bit to 'warm up' then started launching jumps... oh my-yyyy they're all over the place - to someone watching, I bet the launches looked like I got tazered :( messy. Can't figure that board and the water out... got a few epic jumps in, but most were ugly. Best results seemed to be from moderate upwind carve and then just jumping up with both legs - the usual pop from the Flyboards just didn't work ... I think :D
Back-spins worked fine but water is too cold to risk front-spins heh. Wind is dropping and I'm not going upwind easily enough to make up for the massive downwind drift of the jumps, so I swap to the Flydoor. Wow, it's totally like getting on a lump of wood :o smooth riding and edging upwind easily but it's SO HEAVY feeling! Jumps are a little easier to launch but I've still messed myself up but good I think...
Miyachi and the other guy have disappeared already, so as the sun sinks towards the horizon I call it a day... a great day too!
Moment of the Day again has to be either that one perfect huge jump I remember clearly or realizing that I've gotten to grips with the Mako... well riding it at least!
Weather was reported as 7.6 falling to 6 knots - utter bollocks. It was more like 13°C too, not 7. 61% humidity - I have no idea about that :D
My best guess - 10 to 15 knots, gusts to 20... I was powered but reverse landed fine, then just walked hand over hand down the lines to secure the kite... can't do that in big wind and can just drop the kite and walk to it in 6 knots!
What I learned today...
• A week and a few degrees C makes a huge difference in comfort - road sign said 13 and my hands weren't cold at all. I could probably get away with 3mm boots too.
• Simply wearing boots make my feet hurt :(
• The Mako is a nimble, light board.
• The 'door is a plank :o
• I'm weak in the legs after a few weeks off - burning thighs!
• Over-sending the kite causes me to spin around backwards - finally confirmed after all these years! But get it right, and it's fun swinging around under the kite and BUTTAH smooth landings result.
• Flysurfer Speed3 has MASSIVE usable wind-range!
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