Parawing Dawn Patrol - 6/7/2026

The forecast for Kailua led me to head back this morning - better than most other spots for parawinging.

But driving through the H3 tunnel, there was thick cloud cover on the freeway, which meant the wind was going to be less than stellar at the beach park.

Yesterday was better -

With the breaching yesterday, I decided to try out the Evolution Cedrus Surf 77.5cm mast - when measured against the other masts I've been frequently using, this is actually the longest.

With the small variance in mast height, I'm thinking it is less the mast height and more the particular situation that led to the breaching.

I went ahead and setup the Cedrus today to see how it differed.  Otherwise everything else was the same as yesterday

With the wind down a notch from yesterday (despite the forecast that called for much stronger winds), I did not bring out the S3 5.3 - I did have the S3 4.2, so today was a test of it's lower end and how to get up in less than ideal conditions

The wind was flukey the whole session.

It was ok at first but then fluttered just above 4.2 doable range.  Then a giant squall came through and made me glad I had the 4.2

The wind then shifted to the north and I could not for the life of me get up.  I was downstream of the higher pressure area (you could see if blowing about a hundred feet north) and just bobbed around.

Eventually a solid gust came through and I got up headed in towards the beach, did a quick jibe in the surf and headed out only to BREACH.

I drifted for a bit again - eventually repeating the pattern but this time I got out into the cleaner, more consistent wind (which had started to blow normal again) and I was able to make it back to the launch. 

I didn't catch many clean riding waves.  They weren't as big as yesterday and the wind was really swirly.

The Waimanalo meter at Bellows is down and the site I pulled this from does not have the higher resolution.  It did not pick up the northerly shift.

I did manage to complete three tacks near the launch (so heel side).  I did not foil out of them, but I did pump the parawing to keep going on two of them.  Progress!

The forecast looks like there will be wind this week and the weekend will see slack wind (so Foil Drive time again)

PF:8/W:3/PW:59/FD:41/S:18

Garage Works - 6/6/2026

I advised the guy I'm repairing the kites/wing that the kite was holding air, but that considering the state of the other valves, it might be worth it to go ahead and glue up the last two valves that were holding air.

He said yes please go ahead and fix everything.

I pulled the bladders and the valves were half on - half off.  The strut sleeves these came from are small diameter and when pressurized, there really isn't room to move - so these were compressed to hold the air.

But as a kite flexes in flight, you never know.

I got them glued up this afternoon.  I'll get them installed tomorrow after I get back from the dawn patrol.  I'll also change the one pump tubes and get the valves zip tied.

Then I'll pressure test the whole kite again.

This one should be done after that.  I'll move on to glueing up the Cabrinha Apollo strut valves while I wait for the leading edge valves that I ordered to get delivered.

Parawing Session - 6/6/2026

Dawn patrolled Kailua -

Wind was definitely up!

From the beach the waves at Jump City didn't look too big.

Setup the Cabrinha Prestige!

And I wanted to give the Larrabee Stash Belt a try with using a smaller parawing - BRM S3 4.2

Kalani came over to do the dawn patrol also.

Jump City was actually pretty good - all the riding was geared towards riding those waves (triangle course).

I picked up a few just over head waves, but most were chest high.  Long rides with the parawing retracted.

Most of the redeployments were drama free (credit to the S3 design).

I did try tacking at the Park buoys - but the wind was gusty and I got it around (but didn't sail out).

This was the MCBH meter - Kailua was higher by about 5mph.  For this first outing with the BRM S3 4.2, the wind range tested the low and high ends.  There was a lull where I had to wait it out, but for the rest of the session the parawing powered well based on what wind was there.

I did breach three times riding waves - I may have to use the prestige with the Cedrus mast to gain a little more mast height.

You can see where I breached, where the lull was and even the rides (speed spikes) - such a cool way to look at the chart!

Super fun session!!!

Will probably go back tomorrow morning (using the smaller Maliko parawings and the Cedrus mast).

PF:8/W:3/PW:58/FD:41/S:18

Parawing Session - 6/5/2026

Did a downwind run from WP -

down to PVs

Norm and Stu used wings (Norm used a 4.0m - Stu on a 5.0)

I used No.34 with the AFS Enduro 1100/Mako Carve Pro

Power provided by the BRM S3 5.3

Initially I thought the 5.3 would be too much PW for the wind that was blowing through.  It actually was just a bit above perfect for most of the session.

And the surf hadn't quite settled as much as the forecast said it would - still some head high sets running through the course.

The wind angle was more into the wave trains - that makes retracting the parawing tough.  I mainly rode swell while drifting the parawing.

I wondered if the 4.2 would have worked in the wind present.  This graph is the wind over at Hickam - it would be 3 to 5 mph less over at WP.

Honestly I was still a little iffy from the Tuesday session out at PVs.  I stuck to simple jibes to make sure I didn't come off foil (not wanting to experience the current drag again).

Kalani also set out to do the DW run, but 1/3 the way down his rear lines pigtail connector broke.  He turned back and made it back to WP.

Norm had a hard time starting - but once he got up on foil he was able to stay up.

It was a good run, but I need to shake this ghost...

PF:8/W:3/PW:57/FD:41/S:18

Garage Works - 6/4/2026

And after getting back home, I inserted the repaired center strut bladder, got the inflation tudes back on then set about to pressure test the kite.

The strut bladder held, but the main fill valve sounded like it was bleeding by.

I went ahead and used a valve trap on this one.

All fixed!!!

I'll contact the owner and let him know the first two are completed.

Parawing Session - 6/4/2026

After work I picked Stu up and we hit Hickam.

The wind would fill in, hang out and then drop off. When it was on, it was nice and strong.

I bolted on the Prestige 905/160

And I took the BRM S3 5.3 out using the Larrabee stash belt/pouch.  There was a little more room in this pouch than I had initially thought.

Today I just wanted to go out and rebuild my confidence - after yesterday, I really didn't feel like taking too many risky challemges.

I mostly practiced my transitions - down loop jibe, regular jibes, and tacks both ways.

I also tried speed run on the inward tack.

s

Typical Hickam wind - way up.... way down.

I did confine myself to the inside - but I didn't think any less of the exercises I was running.

And when it lulled - it was really light.

Stu did a series of jibes so he checked off an objective.  He did drift downwind at one point - but he picked up a gust and ultimately didn't have to paddle in.  Winner winner, chicken dinner!!!!

PF:8/W:3/PW:56/FD:41/S:18

Garage Works - 6/3/2026

This was the valve I glued on two evenings ago - nice and tight repair!

I got the leading edge bladder reinstalled with Marlon's help.

And it held pressure....

Until I heard a slight leak from the center strut...

I pulled that bladder -

And got the valve glued up.

It's been glued together - I'll let it cure for a day and get it back in the strut sleeve.

At this rate I should probably just glue the last two strut valves and then this kite should last another several years.

Wing Foiling Session - 6/3/2026

It seemed like the trades were filling back in - but it was kinda up and down (mostly down).  And with the big surf rolling in, I had originally thought PVs would have been a safer bet (not having to paddle through breaking surf).

My mistake was overestimating the wind strength and putting on a foil I have not yet gotten wet (Cabrinha Whippit 850/Tweaker 390/140)

Norm made wiser calls on wing and foil size (and he had a great session).

I on the other hand spent my session trying to make it back to dry land in one piece.

I did get on foil early on.  The foil felt squirrely so I stopped to move it forward.

If you stopped, the longshore current would grab you and drag you down the coast pretty fast.  By the time I figured that out, I was already in front of the Coast Guard Admin Building.

I tried paddling back, but got disheartened seeing despite my best efforts I was still getting dragged out and over.

Just to my right was double overhead pitching waves (which I had intended on staying on the inside to avoid).  To my left was a shallow reef (but lucky for me it was a full high tide).

I was drifting towards Bunkers when a gust blew through.  I had stopped recording so the track below was filled in by me.

I rode that gust as far I as could looking for a filled in area of wind - if I botched the jibe.... who knows how I would have gotten back to shore.

I made the first jibe and was trying to pull further upwind.  I saw I was back at the Admin Building, so I opted to jibe and head back out.  The wind was better so I took the line further out to gain more ground.

I made my outside jibe and headed back in - I made it to the first breaking line and a wave stood up in front of me.  And I got backwinded.  At least by this point I was inside the first breaking line and the current was not as bad.

I took a few whitewater walls to help push me even further in.

I got to the flats and started paddling in hard.

It seemed like the wing was a large part of the problem - I could actually feel the wing pulling me back when the less than strong wind was blowing.  And it is nothing but pure drag when paddling.  I felt like I was working triple duty and barely moving.

The peaks above 15 were where I was able to get up on foil.  

So now I know this foil needs a lot more wind than the Prestige does.  I am going to try it out next on Foil Drive (where I think it will excel).

I still like winging - but it's sessions like this where I question my judgement.  It would have been way less stress on Foil Drive.

PF:8/W:3/PW:55/FD:41/S:18

Evening Session - 6/2/2026

Noe is home from school - so we took a field trip to WP to see if her spirit animal was hanging out -

And it was!

The surf was big and pretty unruly.  I spent my first 30 minutes just trying to get to a stable lineup.

I brought the Firewire Machadocado 5'10" with the NVS Wolverines screwed in.

I caught two really good (for today's conditions) waves, and another where my feet got wrapped up in the leash.  Not many options given the conditions.

Before going to WPB, I did check out PVs to see how it was handling the swell - if the wind were stronger, it would have been fine for parawinging/winging.  The break is offshore much further and there is sufficient runway to get up on to foil.  That may be the call for tomorrow -

PF:8/W:2/PW:55/FD:41/S:18

Garage Works - 6/1/2026

I got the valve repair placed back in the leading edge of the kite I have in the garage for repairs.

It held, but then I could hear the valve on the other side of the kite leaking. 

In order to get to that valve, I had to pull the center strut valve and the main fill valve.

The center strut valve was also coming off the bladder.

It looks like someone already fixed the main inflation valve.

I'll let these sit and cure for 24 hours and then get the bladder reinstalled and pressure tested.

The valves in the struts don't have nearly as much room to move around - so those typically don't let go like the leading edge valves.  But we shall see.