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

Parawing Session - 4/29/2026

Better than yesterday - better (high) tide, more wind (still full of holes), and bigger (oxymoron) surf.

Prayot is in this picture somewhere along the horizon waiting for a strong gust.

Big stuff day (probably could have used No.42 also).

I actually had a decent session.  I was able to stay up on foil until I had to turn and the wind would lull out.

Transitions were good - jibes, down loop jibes and heelside tacks - no drama (until I started getting tired - then everything went to shit). 

And towards the end I drifted into the dead zone and had to wait a long time before getting back up on foil and getting back to the launch point.

Some pretty good lulls in there...

Hopefully the wind fills in stronger over the next few days.

Roland came out way late.  Wind was almost gone by the time he got out.

Fun session!

PF:6/W:2/PW:34/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 4/26/2026

I'm still fighting a cold/flu....

And I also needed to get some stuff done around the house so I opted for an afternoon session.

Roland is in this picture and he is up and riding on his winging gear.  There were whitecaps on the outside -

Big stuff with No.34

The wind did have some ups and downs, but it was better than worse.

I still needed the gusts to get up, but once up I could stay on foil even when the wind got lighter.

I didn't try and tacks today - I actually really should have just stayed home to get rested.

But I did stick all but a couple of my jibes - where I historically have had some challenges with this big wing.

Roland and I got close only once - towards the end of the session.  He said he was going in - I said I'll do the same - but then Derek showed up and we both stayed out for a little bit longer.

Fun session!!!!  I even took a chance and rode all the way to the sand next to the swim only area so I wouldn't have to paddle far.

Going to the ocean is never a mistake!

PF:6/W:2/PW:33/FD:32/S:14