Parawing Session - 9/15/2026

There are distinct whitecaps blowing in this picture - but it is side onshore and there were thick clouds moving through the area.

I didn't have a charged Foil Drive battery - so I opted to bring my light wind setup (from the experiences from the last parawinging session).  I had also considered bringing the J Splee Big Fish with the Neal Purchase canards - but I wanted to test the wind range on the new parawing.

No.42, AFS Enduro 1300/HA43, UHM 80cm mast

Power provided by the BRM L1 6.5m

Second session on this parawing.  It definitely flies and powers up differently than the S3 parawings.  Prefers to go more with the wind and I feel it likes to be pumped up onto foil rather than pulling you up onto foil.

I did manage to get up in this light wind and even retracted the big parawing and rode three waves to the inside lineup.

The lines running to the NNW are the retracted PW rides.

This is the chart from Kalaeloa - which I feel is typically 5mph short.

That would put the wind around 10 to 15 mph while I was out.

Not a bad ride profile considering the light wind.  In my mind, if I'm taking out the BRM L1 6.5 I should also be taking out No.42 if not the AFS Enduro 1300.

Tomorrow should have stronger winds and more waves!!!

PF:11/W:3/PW:108/FD:65/S:25

Parawing Session - 9/11/2026

We are in between storms and the wind and surf are also somewhere in-between...

On the drive home the wind looked like it would be good for a parawinging session.

At the beach, it did look like the wind line was a bit further out, but it was there.

Nice higher tide and mellow waves -

Made for a good day to try out the new BRM L1 6.5m!

Paired it with the AFS Enduro 1300/HA43 on No.44

I probably should have taken out No.42 instead of No.44 - not really the board's issue, just shitty wind.

In fact, this inaugural run of the L1 6.5m was originally headed for stinky skunk.

But, the wind did gust up a few times and I salvaged the run

But despite getting up, it kinda felt like I was really just bobbing around.

When the wind did pick up, pumping the L1 felt more like using a paddle to power up.  There was a rhythmic pumping which was pretty different than how the S3 powers up (more the wing developing pressure and pulling you up onto foil).

Obviously being the first time out, there is a lot to learn - and this is going to be fun!

I'm going to be paying a lot of attention to the wind range of this particular parawing.

And all through the session, I never felt overpowered.  I'd say this was a great start!

Waves and wind are going to be small and light for the next several days...

PF:11/W:3/PW:107/FD:63/S:25

Parawing Session - 7/13/2026

When I got to the beach, there was wind.  It was further out, but there was wind and whitecaps.

There were still some decent sized waves breaking and the tide was super high.

Despite what I saw, I did not trust the wind.

I rigged big - AFS Enduro 1300/HA43 with the BRM S3 5.3.

But even that gear could not make the swirly wind any easier to get up on foil with.

Prayot came out with parawing and paddle.  Alex was out on Foil Drive.  Brent was out prone foiling.  And Derek was launching his Manta when I was packing up.

The wind just plain sucked.  Both too light and too swirly.

I did manage to get up, but it was work.  If anything, I'm getting more experience using the BRM S3 in underpowered conditions and getting up.

This is Hickam's chart.  The wind at WP follows this pattern but is often a touch lighter and a hair more north.

That is a long-worded way of saying it sucked.

At least I did not get skunked and the wind picked up enough at the end to get me back to the launch point.  In that regard this was a successful session!

I am going to take a rest day and work on the boards.  But I'm also going get the Foil Drive ready to go.

PF:8/W:3/PW:77/FD:53/S:20

Parawing Session - 7/3/2026

Had the day off today - opted to skip the dawn patrol and wait for the wind to come up.  Prayot said he was going to Hickam at 12.  I kinda thought the wind would be better at 2 - but I had other things to do also, so 12 it was.

There was texture on the water - but just like the past several days, it was up and down (and swirly all around).

Big stuff - AFS Enduro 1300/HA43 on No.34 and the BRM S3 5.3 (today would have been good for a Flysurfer POW V2 5.5...., or the big Triple Seven PT Skin 7.2 that Kalani and Norm have).

Early on the wind was too light.  I was out on the water for a bit before I started recording data - just floating around waiting.

Eventually the wind came up, but it was still up and down.  Prayot made a beeline out to Firsts and Seconds.  I stayed inside because I didn't trust the wind.

More north than east also meant skillful navigation was required to avoid the paddle.

Way up and way down.

I mainly worked on light wind get ups and down loop jibes.  I didn't even try tacks because I didn't want to have to do the work to get back up on foil if I botched it.

More time down and up today - but it's been that way for the last few sessions.

I'm going to hit Kailua on the dawn patrol tomorrow to get around all the parking lot nightmares (Happy 250th Birthday America!!!!) 

PF:8/W:3/PW:68/FD:53/S:20

Parawing Session - 5/28/2026

Same thing as the last post, internet issues so this is a day late.

There was wind at the airport, and clouds moving in and out of the WPB area - so it was going to be a crap shoot.  Curt decided to just go out on his regular SUP.  No one else came out for wind powered activities. 

Good thing because I was doing more waiting than riding.  And there were some decent waves coming through so timing was everything.

I used the insurance policy - AFS Enduro 1300/HA43 with No.34 and the BRM S3 5.3

I sat for about an hour before the wind filled back in enough to get up on foil.  Once on foil I didn't have a problem staying up.

Honestly I was just glad to not get skunked.

The Enduro 1300 is such a beast - I could slow down to almost nothing and it still doesn't stall.

And it looks like I got lucky with a push of rideable wind pulling through.

The wind is starting to fall off and will be lighter for several days.  Probably good - so I can recover and rest (Foil Drive-ing doesn't use the same muscles!!!)

And I just got the BRM S3 4.2 - I'll have to wait several days before I can take that parawing out.  Time to Foil Drive - 

PF:8/W:2/PW:55/FD:37/S:17

Parawing Session - 5/17/2026

Stu and I were planning to hit Kailua after he picked up his wing from the repair shop (Brenda).  But asking folks that live that side if there was wind, they said no - and we shifted to Hickam.

When we parked, the wind was there, but it still felt light.  We said we were there already so might as well go -

I setup the big stuff (No.34, AFS Enduro 1300/HA43) and packed the BRM S3 5.3

Surprisingly the wind did fill in and I had a great session!!!

With the high tide, I just sailed across the reef, hit a wave and came back to the shore side.  I did this a few times - not wanting to get stuck outside if the wind dropped.

The high light of today for me was getting my first toe-side tack on the BRM S3 (which was surprisingly drama free), several more toe-side tacks (some not so drama-free), a few heel-side tacks onto waves, and several more toe-side tacks turning by the buoys.  Tack attack day!!!

I also got in a down loop jibe - so I got in every transition I currently know now using the BRM S3.

The time off foil was likely because I messed up a turn and had to reset/wait for a gust.

Stu got in 3 back-to-back moving jibes - which really was the goal for today for him.  Once that becomes muscle memory, then he can start going to WP-PV without losing ground.

Tomorrow heading in through the week should see dependable wind!!!

PF:8/W:2/PW:44/FD:37/S:17

Parawing Session - 5/2/2026

Another day of good wind signs everywhere - but really fluky winds at WP.

I went in the afternoon and the tide was nice and high.  Surprise was the swell - some mackers coming through on the sets!!!

Same stuff as yesterday - but switched back to the Triple Seven PT Hybrid 5.7

Kalani was out with the Triple Seven PT Skin 7.3

Prayot was out with the Ozone Power Pack 4.3

And to further make it difficult, Prayot was also demo-ing the F4 Orca 800

I did not get skunked, but I also spent a lot of time drifting around.

I was barely making jibes - so I didn't even bother with tacking today.

After a rough start, the wind and I found a happy medium and I had some good runs.

There were a few waves in particular that were pretty awesome.

The wind wasn't this strong... this is Hickam's anemometer.  But this was the general pattern.

Which is pretty much reflected on the graph below.

I thought the wind was going to stick around longer.  Time to charge up the FD battery again.

PF:6/W:2/PW:37/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 5/1/2026

Looks like two female monk seals pupped at WPB.

Giving them space is key.

Decent wind - more easterly and less gusty (when I went out)

High tide and fun sized swell.

Same stuff as yesterday.

Stu was already out when I parked.  Roland was setting up.  And Norm launched pretty late.

I had some epic rides!

Marlon was flying the drone - I hope he got the ride where I doused and got to ride a good sized wave carving up and down for quite some distance.

Marlon was really out to film Roland (and Stu).

I got in a bunch more tacks today - pretty much flowing with the incoming waves (SO MUCH FUN).

The BRM Maliko 5.1 felt really good today - less rough than yesterday (I'm not sure why - but glad for it).

This peak speed came from the wave ride (so awesome)!

I recently sold the Flysurfer POW 4.0

The POW was really good at "drifting" - following along depowered while riding a wave into the wind.  The Maliko fights me if I douse after transitioning onto the wave.  I'll have to jump back to the 777 Hybrid to see what that does again.

Lighter, but still doable winds over the weekend.

PF:6/W:2/PW:36/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 4/30/2026

Good conditions today!  Whitecaps were scattered across the field when I pulled up (but classic WP - as soon as I got in the water, the wind lulled), and decent sized waves.

Nice high tide again as well.

Big stuff again - but notched down the parawing to the BRM Maliko 5.1

Once I picked up a gust and got up on foil, I was able to stay up (unless during a jibe I got a bridle line tangled up in the Dakine harness hook).

I got in multiple tacks with the Maliko - felt really good!

Roland and Kalani both launched at WP.  I could see another wing down at PVs - that was Norm.

The Maliko was perfectly powered except when riding a wave - there was a lot of north in the wind and it made it hard to depower the parawing.

This run of wind and surf should last for several more days!!!

PF:6/W:2/PW:35/FD:33/S:14