First off - Happy Veteran's Day to all you veterans out there. That life is not easy by a long shot, so thank you for what you've done in service to our country and helping to preserve our way of life.
Secondly - Marlon and I got an afternoon session in. High tide at 1500 at 1.2', hardly any wind, and lots of energy still coming in from the south!
I had the 5'2" out with the HS1550. I did not eat it as much today (still did on a few waves), but I'm getting the muscle memory built for the smaller sweet spot. I love hauling butt on this foil on the straight aways, then pulling a hard turn to shift away from a breaking section. There were a lot of people out today, so a lot of turning was to avoid them (turns are fun so I'll do them regardless).
I turned off the back of one wave and started pumping back out - I got 10 yards back out and ran out of steam - a good start to pumping back out. I think I just need to figure out a cadence and I'll be pumping out soon enough.
I was batting about 50 when I took off on steeper waves (of which there were many). If the wave pitches, I didn't stand a chance. If the front had a gradual slope or had an escape route built in (gradual slope to the left or right of where I was), then I stood a chance. Awesome when I made it - awesome wipe when I didn't.
I did hit bottom once when fighting white water on the inside, but I couldn't find even a scratch. During these lower high tide days, I have been paddling the foil upside down through the break zone until I get out past head high depth. Best insurance from hitting the bottom by far.
To close off this great day, the sunset was spectacular.
Sometimes the pictures from the GoPro are unexplainable - like this one.
Such a mellow way to end the day!
I finally did get a bite - but it bite through the tippet. I believe it was a triggerfish and it took one of the oama clousers I tied a while back. That still wasn't a fish to hand so my fishless streak is still going. But as the saying goes - it ain't the fishing that is good about fishing. Here's the sunset to validate that.
This is the view from our friends' house. Not a bad view... I think the colors at sunset here are different than what the mainland experiences. They are lighter, more yellow/golden and purple than the orange and red. I think it has something to do with higher particulate count/different gaseous composition that the air on the mainland has - with more people and more machines emitting carbon dioxide and combustion products, and with the tradewinds blowing those same products away from the islands, there is a difference. Pretty in any case.
I made a decent sized omelette for breakfast, and from the same table, here is the view of the sunset. We are staying at the Waves Kitesurfing Village (run by Kitty Hawk Kites). Nice place to hang out for the week on a proper vacation (it's been a while since we've had one of those - we travel a bit, but usually stay at convenient places vice nice places)!
