Tuesday Evening Windsurf Foiling Run

I left work late so traffic was going to be bad - no problem says the guy who packed his windsurfing wave foiling gear (me - I did that).  I was on the water by 4:30pm and had rigged up a 5.0 initially.  I did manage to get up on foil despite the lack of available power.

In the picture, it looks pretty calm and glassy even.  It did get windy and I came back in after a few runs and changed out the 5.0 for the Naish Lift 5.7.  More power for sure and up on foil a bunch.  I worked on getting back into the groove of foiling while sail powered.  I had a couple of breaches and a few spinout squirticles - I think next time I will mount up the Iwa on the tall mast to see if I can shed the spinouts.  I'm thinking I'm going too fast and that when the squirticles happen - que the Iwa.

Nukin' at Diamond Head

I dropped off Marlon at music practice today and stopped off at the lookout at Diamond Head to checkout what the wind and surf were doing.  It was pretty nuclear - there were some guys getting a few waves, but it was a lone windsurfer who was ruling the place!

Definitely made me want to rig up!

Nutcracker???

Hoping this will be the thing that cracks the windsurfing nut for La and the kids - this eliminates the rig weight factor from learning and keeps all the sail handling.

We'll see -

Shhhhhh - 5th time out on the Hypernut (Fourth Time Windsurf Foiling it)

I had to pull a longer shift on Sunday at work - and I had a family Holiday Party to get to afterwards.  But with the wind blowing, I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to continue developing my foil skills.  The wind was forecasted to hang right around 15 mph, but by the time I got to the launch, there were zero whitecaps - still some texture to the water surface, but it was probably closer to 10-12.  I decided to keep everything the same so I could see what difference the wind speed would make.  My findings were the 5.0 I rigged was marginal - most likely would have done better rigging a 5.7 (and will do that next time).  Despite the under powered situation, I did still manage to get up on the foil more than a few times and for longer consistent runs.  Several dry jibes (not on foil, but just lots of balancing to keep dry) and I was able to make it back to the launch.  I haven't had this much fun going straight in a long time!!!

And I made it to the party - but not without getting caught (La used Life360 to see where I was at)!!!

Teaching the Kids How to Windsurf

We had a free afternoon yesterday so we headed out for windsurfing lessons again (second time).  I had dug out the smallest sail I have - a 4.0 m2 Simmer Style X-Flex and rigged that up (mainly for Noe).

The wind was light (yes I did bring the hypernut and the Go Foil - but I figured it would best to focus on the kids), so we were able to focus on rigging, uphauling, and steering.  Marlon went out first -

Having a SUP out at the same time is handy for coaching and for switching out after we've drifted too far downwind.

Noe was next - since she is still light enough, I was able to stay onboard and walk her through the discussion points, instead of just talking about it.  Probably helps I've lost a few pounds ;)

We went back in I could get on the SUP and she could sail on her own.  Same drill after - swap boards - kid paddles in and I sail back upwind.  When we got back in, I had the kids practice uphauling and "drawing the sail across their body" to get into sailing position.  I probably should have started out doing that (and will do so next time).

So with the south swells pretty much done for this year, this (and foiling) has proven a great way to stay on the water.  Oh, and this truck... I can't say enough great things about this - seriously, three boards, a hydrofoil, a paddle and dry clothes for everyone - perfection!

A big MAHALO to La for taking pictures and being patient ;)

Third Time Out on the Hypernut

I had the afternoon to myself (La and the kids went to a end of the season party for their sailing club) - so I went on a foiling jaunt.  The truck was made to do this ;)

The wind was supposed to be up, tradewinds - 15 to 25 mph from the NE.  I brought the 5.0 and 4.5 sails, and the Maliko 200.  All the foils are setup for plate mounting now.

The wind was blowing 15 mph with gusts past 20.  Then it would have a few lulls below 10.  I decided to rig the 5.0 with a looser outhaul (for more power when needed).  Foiling with larger wings that are spaced closer together is different than foiling with high speed foils (smaller wings spaced a lot further apart).  So instead of using large sails, I'm using smaller ones - but I'm trying to gage the sail size from my regular windsurfing experience - and knowingly dropping a couple of sail sizes.  The launch at Hickam Harbor is perfect.  You walk out to chest deep water, flip the board so the foil is down, hop up and uphaul.  At 106 liters, this Hypernut isn't exactly a high and dry floater, but I am getting used to balancing it while getting underway.  I made several runs and initially was worried about making it back to the the launch/landing site (there is nothing but rocks everywhere else) - but after a few  runs, I was pretty confident I could make it back  without issue - the foil mast and wings act like a huge fin providing lateral resistance to drift.  I still have to sail upwind and keep conscious of the line I'm sailing, but I think I can limp back to the starting point in low wind.  

Now for the good stuff - I got the foil to lift several times.  The first time I thought "whoa - I'm way up - this is really high off the water" and I proceeded to breach the foil to windward.  There are a lot of things going on all at once - pressure from my feet, the sail rig, where my weight is relative to the foil, position of the foil mounted on the board, and others I probably haven't thought of.  On subsequent runs I kept more front foot pressure and more pressure to the windward side of centerline, sheeting out more to reduce power and I was getting longer runs.  Of note, I also had the boom a hair too high up on the mast.

The thought I have running through my mind is what would happen if I have better control of the foil (exerting pressure to control the lift of the foil and not have to have it lift at random when I'm moving fast), can I further drop the sail size?  Especially since I've seen videos of people sailing in less wind with smaller sails (I just don't know how much those people weigh).  I'll keep a log of the sessions - equipment and weather conditions - and see if I can figure this out.

 The rigging spot has really nice grass.  There is a hose with good water pressure and drainage so I can rinse the gear (while it is also on grass - at a spot midway between the rigging spot and the launch).  And the walk is pretty short from the launch to the rigging spot.  I think I'll be sailing here a lot more than Kailua (closer to work and the house, way less crowded, less chance of the truck getting broken into, less work to setup-walk-launch-rinse-walk back).

Other Things

Today is Sunday - and I didn't touch the boards.  Instead I did a bunch of other things - put the new Starboard Hypernut together, stripped off the old grips on two of my SUP paddles and replaced them with a modern version, setup a new windsurfing boom, made two foam protectors for the windsurfing masts, and cleaned up a lot of the storage boxes in the garage (getting rid of old stuff primarily). 

I also swapped out the center fin on the TJ Everyday, charged up the Scrambler battery, fixed my pirate "welcome" sign, packed up a hydrofoil kit for Charlie Bisgard, and even went surfing (next post) - all to avoid more glassing.  Despite my aversion, I really do like glassing with the rollers - more on that later.

WIndsurfing 101

Marlon (and Noe a little bit) have been asking if I would teach them how to kitesurf.  I said 'not yet, but I'll teach you to windsurf and if you can do that independently, then I'll start to train you to kitesurf'.  They were actually more excited by that prospect than the original request.  I found an old Naish Kailua on Craigslist and we finally had the time to start lessons this past Saturday afternoon.  Originally I was going to take everyone to Kailua Beach Park, but La suggested we

Have I mentioned "We LOVE this truck!!!"?

The kids already knew most of the terminology and parts from sailing.  I only had to elaborate on the small things (downhaul and outhaul being a little different, and an uphaul not on other boats).

Both kids got the sail uphauled and were able to sail around.  And with a SUP I could stay relatively close and coach.

This sail (unfortunately my smallest) is just a hair too big for Noe, but she still handled it like a champ.  Next lesson is more practice on uphauling, foot positioning, hand movements to control the sail and tacking.  The neat thing about this... I learned here too - nearly 20 years ago.

Foil Research

Checked out the Kailua shops on Saturday...

Meanwhile at the Naish Shop, they had some of the 2019 equipment in stock.  The combo SUP/SUP Foil/Windsurf Foil boards really caught my attention... One board, two foils, and my old windsurfing gear - and I can cover everything - is this the holy grail of windsports????

This is the Large Surfing Foil 

This is the XL Surfing Foil (downwinders on a shortboard, surfers over 200 pounds)

This is the Windsurfing Foil

And the tail of the Large Surf Foil

Sunday Morning in Annapolis

For the semi-annual East of Maui Windsurfing Swap Meet. Not as many people coming out this time - and it didn't seem like much equipment was moving around. The Bisgards came up to check out the equipment. Dan Stoddard also came over to check out the deals on SUPs. Trevor Mathis came to round out the Dive Side (minimum four to splash). And after a bunch of socializing, we left early to check out the waterfront. Lots of cool stickers and nautical fare... but the best part was eating lunch at the "Boatyard"! I really wanted to eat the half rack of baby back ribs and crab macaroni and cheese... but instead I opted for a salad. I had a pseudo physical on Friday and the doctor basically said I'm fat, I eat like crap and I don't exercise enough. Maybe the Navy should hire more people to balance out the workload so I can exercise more, get rid of my stress and not be fat. And while they are at it, the government should learn to set better goals for itself (like not letting sequestration happen, and working together to put a budget out) so the workforce doesn't get stressed... I'm just saying... Anyways back on topic - Sunday was a nice day getting together with friends, even if we didn't sell anything this time!

It's Coming!!!

The Hooked SUP I ordered is on it's way!!! It should be here by Friday. I've already ordered two Scotty mounts and pulled out my windsurfing equipment (mast bases, mast extensions, etc). I have high expectations of this board and will be documenting the heck out of the uses and conquests I execute with this board. I can honestly say that I've been looking at this board for a few years now - and having recently streamlined the board quiver, I am looking forward to maximize the use of just a few boards (the ULI FAQ, the Starboard Element and the Hooked SUP). It's Christmas in July (except that I recently sold off the Big Tuna, the Naish Glide and the Starboard Blend to get to this point, as well as the other boards over the past year - culling the unused was actually a really good thing - less stuff)!!!

Wind Report for Today

Solid breeze today!

Windsurfing Day

Inspired by the last windsurfing regatta and the possibility of sailing in the Hatteras Wave Jam (maybe), I decided against kiting today and to try and get better with the sail.

I was on the water by 1000 and my arms gave out by 1500.

I had a few runs where I was planing with a 5m2 sail, and a bunch of time just underpowered. I waterstarted like time has not passed (since I last windsurfed in Kailua Bay with my old setup in the days before kiting exploded).

I also did not nail my jibes just like no time passed. I can regularly get the board pointed downwind, but then I botch the sail transfer. Some things don't change....!!!!!!//#$%#@@#@#$%^%&!@$

After 5 hours of trying to get setup to BOTCH jibes, my arms were Jello and I called it quits.

I have found my golf -

The group picture is of the local crowd - they don't blow their jibes and actually they come in hot and lay down some smoke on their turns. I still have a goal to be able to do just that - fast, up on the rail transitions and to finish off by riding away on the new tack. I've got a long way to go (but at least I didn't go backwards)

Lumpia and a Windsurfing Win

Here's the lumpia that I put together a few days ago. I had a rolling party last night and tonight is a fish fry (to feed all the hungry people with the fish we've caught over the past couple of weekends).

It turned out pretty good (I think it is the chili powder).

Also today (after the morning dive and some time at work) I sailed in a Windsurfing Regatta - the 6th Annual Windsurfing Race. I got First in the Intermediate Division.

Time to eat!!!!

Triple Threat

No pictures today...

Put up the 11m^2 Crossbow and used the Stretch. Launched from a beach called Jake's Place (with the help of a sunbather). Nice and shallow on the inside - sand bottom and waist deep water. This area is sheltered a bit by a point, but as you leave the inside you get into cleaner, way stiffer air (gusts to 20+). I have to figure out where to self-land (spatially). Got some pretty good jumps and some really fast runs. I wish I had a camera with me to show this place off. It's kinda unbelievable that places like this still exist and that there are no crowds around. As long as the wind doesn't turn (after October I've been told) it'll be pretty fun.

After that, I signed up for a windsurfing race. I was in the intermediate class and came in second. I talked with the advanced racing windsurfers and turns out they are fledgling kiters. I'm going to teach them to kite better and I'm going to learn how to windsurf better from them (slalom and carving jibs).

And finally, I cast out a grub at the North tip again - didn't catch anything but did see some Manini (Convict Tangs) and Goatfish grazing in the shallows.

Pretty fun day (I am tired)! Not all fun and games though - had to go into work twice and will again tomorrow. I will try to go kiting again tomorrow.

Shifty Winds and "Look What I found!!!"

Marlon had a friend's birthday party to go to and Noe wanted to go and play with the Bday boy's little sister (her classmate), so I had a free afternoon. The winds were 8-12 from the SSW so...

I loaded up the 11'2" and the windsurfing rig and hit Long Beach. I got to the parking lot and broke out the anemometer - 9 mph on the dot. I dropped the board off at the water's edge and went back to the truck to rig the sail. As I was picking up the sail and walking out to the board, I noticed two kids and their mom hanging out where I left the board. As I got even closer, I noticed the kids were standing on something while the mom was taking their picture. And then they got off MY BOARD and she was picking it up and inspecting it...

I was ten feet away from them and they still did not acknowledge me - the only other person on the beach, and headed straight for them (actually the board) and carrying a windsurfing sail. By the time I was at the board, the mom was on her phone (I'm sure telling someone that she found this big ass board on the beach and she needed help carrying it home so they can sell it..) and I had to ask her to put the board down. She asked if it was my board and I said - yes - without being too much of a jerk (and if you don't already know, about the only thing I hate in this world is when people touch my boards). I sensed an ever so slight challenge coming from her as if she was about to break out the "finders keepers" mantra - but then I essentially walked the sail rig right past them and pulled out the mast base and started to screw it in to the board.

She then started to say she was just about to call the number on the bottom of the board to see if the owner had lost it - I told her those were the dimensions of the board and that she wouldn't reach anybody.

Man, that's the last time I bring the board down to the beach first....

Then, get this, the wind died. And I didn't bring a paddle.... I went out anyways and 20 minutes later the wind started to fill in again. An hour later - after several tacks and jibes, including a few longboardy clew jibes - I pulled up to the beach and packed up for the short ride home.

Weird day....

Elemental

Work has been brutal and so has the weather. Finally got to take a break today.

Had a bunch of stuff to do this morning - work, laundry, cleaning up, groceries - oh, and Noe went horsing around and fell backwards from the couch. After a stint at the local hospital (just to make sure everything was fine), we went back to the house and all breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I got a call from Roger - he was fixing the weight bearing bunkers on his trailer for the F28. The wind was howling and he needed a third pair of hands on the boat to get the boat back on the trailer and put away again.

Well, since we were heading to the beach AND the wind happened to be howling, we might as well PUT A SAIL UP!

We broke out the Element for the first time - La got the board in the water first and paddled it around (despite the wind) - SHE-RA!!!

Then I took it out for a sail - NICE!!! Having multipurpose boards is a wonderful thing!!!

I nailed about half my jibes (way better than I ever did before) and got several tacks in as well. Having been kiting all these years and only dabbling back in windsurfing, it actually feels fun to get the basics back (kinda like riding a bike, kinda - jibes ain't that easy...)

Did I say I love these multipurpose boards?

Oh, and Noe is fine - bouncing around again like nothing even happened.

Standing Room Only

These are from the same (paddling) session that I posted on earlier.

There's a lot of standing up going on...

;)

We'll try and get another round in tomorrow - especially the sup sailing part