Wind Snobbery Most Heinous

Winds hinted at picking up today and actually broke 20 mph average for a brief period mid-day today. 20 mph average at Kanaha is pretty much my alarm to get moving. If it's been more than a week since I've sailed, I'll muster at 18 or 19 and if I've sailed for 7 days in a row or more it will take an average of 23 or 24 to motivate me. It's been only 3 days now without sailing though, so I'm still aiming for a sustainable 20.

Anyway, since it was reading 20 and even 22 at one time, I started finishing up work to get ready to head down the hill. I looked at iWindsurf again just to verify that it hadn't dropped off and sure enough it was back down to 19. Next reading was 18, then 17. Hmm. Back to work I guess. It hung around 17 - 18 the rest of the afternoon. Kihei was showing lower 20s from NNW later in the afternoon, but that's further away so I've really got to be desparate to head there now. I probably could have sailed 5.8 and my big board at Kanaha but I'm just not that desparate yet. Wind snob indeed!

"Real World" Winds Come to Maui

You know all those people in the Letters to the Editor of Windsurfing Magazine who complain about too much focus on windsurfing on Maui instead of the "real world?"According to these people, the wind never blows more than 15 knots anywhere but Maui and Maui is just a fantasy. "Real world" sailing is done in 0 - 15 knots of wind. Well, take it from me, even Maui can get "real world" conditions.

North shore winds have been very light today and yesterday, no doubt the Formula gear fans were tripping over themselves with giddiness as winds pretty much stayed in the mid-teens - great conditions for those 14.0 meter sails and 72" wide boards.

If you're not one of them, Kihei offered a somewhat better venue, with somewhat higher winds - probably 6.0 meter stuff. Combined with a south swell - could have been some fun light-wind wave-sailing off of Maui Sunset.

For the rest of us snobs it's gives us time for our bodies to recover and to get work and errands done. Should be a bump up in wind tomorrow.

Lighter Wind Sunday

Sunday the winds mellowed a bit. I sailed briefly on 5.0 and big board, 5.8 would have been better.

Saturday's Sailing

Saturday saw nice mellow 4.5 conditions at Kanaha. Nothing epic, no waves, but perfect conditions to learn new moves, perfect techniques, etc. The wind was pretty steady until late in the day. I sailed at Uppers for a bit, but there really weren't many waves aside from an occasional ramp to blast off of. So, I worked on duck jibes and heli-tacks. My inside duck jibe percentage is going up but they still look and feel clumsy. My goal is to someday duck jibe like Robby Naish does, you know how he trails his hand in the water has he's ducking the sail - oh so casual-like. That would be cool.

Friday's Sailing

Took a break from sailing on Thursday, but it was mid-5s until late afternoon when it kicked in a notch briefly.

Friday I pretty much decided to take the whole day off. Wind was fairly light when I got to Kanaha around 11:30, but it showed promise. I rigged 4.5 thinking that it would soon build. Well, it didn't. Had to rig the 5.0 and take that out on the big board. This was barely enough until about 1:00 when it kicked in a little more for my CultWave. Sailed up to Uppers of course. Good fun for an hour or so, then the wind started backing off a bit. It never made it above 5.0 yesterday, but it was good mellow fun, not too crowded - a good way to spend a Friday.

BackLoop-a-thon

Very similar day today to yesterday. I got a call in the early afternoon that the conditions were beautiful. Wrapped up some computer work and dashed down the mountain to Kanaha. By the time I got there and rigged a squall was just moving in. Waited that out but then headed up to Uppers with my 4.5 and 83 liter wave board where again some small waist to head high waves were rolling in a small section.

I was a bit tentative today approaching any ramps after yesterday's rotational orbit, so I watched the others to see how they handle it. Seemed to be a backloop-fest today. A couple of guys were just throwing backloops all over the place, making it look easy. Other people seemed to be able to launch vertically and somehow level off without initiating the initial rotation.

After watching a bit, I summoned up the courage to go for it again. I spotted a nice vertical wall, hit it similar to yesterday, but this time I just kept telling myself, "Bear off, bear off, bear off." That seemed to do the trick. As soon as I left the top of the wave I just bore (or is that beared, bored) off the wind. That seemed to level me off and I came down into a nice tail first landing, somewhat submerged but able to get up and going again before the next wave smacked me. Cool!

It was a rather short-lived session as another squall was threatening upwind. The squall rendered a beautiful rainbow as I sailed back downwind to the launch. It's a very cool thing about sailing Maui - sailing with rainbows.

Rotational Dynamics of Backloops

So, just what are the rotational dynamics of backloops? Why do I ask? Well, after sailing full blast at an approaching head-high wave and finding myself hitting it as it goes critically vertical, launching me straight up vertically, I find that somehow that position seems to put you in a position to start rotating for a backloop. I suppose if you know how the hell to do a backloop or are wanting to backloop that's great. For me, finding myself 20' (or at least so it seemed) above the water and finding the board and rig being rotated into the wind, with me hanging down under it, is a little bit disconcerting. What to do? Hang on and land with the gear on top of you?Somehow try to recover? It's too late to bear off and recover by then. Hmmm. Time to bail. Eject! Eject! Eject!

I don't particularly like the idea of ejecting either. I don't like the idea of coming down on top of my fin or having my gear come down on top of me. So, the best solution to this little dilemma seems to be to learn how to backloop (or just to not hit those incredibly steep ramps - but what fun would that be?). Anybody out there know how to backloop? Is anybody out there at all?

Aside, or maybe because of that little adventure today, it was a spectacular day of sailing. Perfectly powered 4.5 and my 77 liter JP, sailing in the waves at Uppers.

Sunday Sailing

Yesterday was pretty windy. My initial reach was on my 4.5 and JP 77. Way powered up. Came in and got 4.0. Still way powered up. Sailed a bit, but to me the water seemed pretty churned, choppy and not that great. Others however were loving life. It was windy enough that I decided it would be interesting to try my girlfriend's set up, 3.5 and 65 liter JP wave that we call the "Pringle." I've never sailed on such a tiny board and as windy as it was I was dubious about it. But, after initially slogging a bit, the little chip of a board popped onto a plane and I sailed out fully powered. Interesting feeling on such tiny gear.

Interesting Week of Wind

Interesting week of wind. First of all, I was waaaaay wrong about the wind on Tuesday. I've been hearing all week about how epic it was at Kanaha on Tuesday, how we should have been there, yada yada yada. I thought since iWindsurf's graph was reporting wind at Kanaha from due East that it would be very gusty and holey. Apparently however, the wind was very steady and the wave's were perfect waist- to chest-high with occasional head-high sets. Hearing people describe it is enough to make me want to cry. I could have been there!

Wednesday was pretty good 4.5 - 5.0 until a squall came through and shut the wind down .The wind never really built back up to it's previous strength so I went out on my big board and 4.5 to practice heli-tacks. That's the way to learn them - big boad and small sail.

Thursday was pretty light - probably 5.8 at best for me if I had gone. Friday started pretty light but built to 5.0 and my 83 liter board.

Yesterday, Saturday, was a day where you needed just about every board and sail in your quiver. At noon the wind was very light - a marginal 5.8 at best. I opted to rig a book and wait. Within an hour the wind had built a bit so I went out on 5.0 and big board. Good combo for about 20 minutes. Then the wind began building. I noticed that there were waves upwind at Uppers and Camp One so I came back in for my 83 liter wave board. Got back up to Uppers and played in the waves right in front of Oli Oli Kai. The waves were coming in from the northeast in waist-high to shoulder-high sets. Again, the wind kept building until the 5.0 was just too much to depower - I don't know about other people but I don't like sailing sheeted out and tailwalking the board through surf.

Came back and got the 4.5 and 77 liter JP. Wind had built some more and I got back up to Uppers in two reaches. Was having great fun sailing well-powered in the waves until I spotted a big dark grey, ominous squall upwind. I was having too much fun to head in yet so I kept playing, keeping my eye on the approaching wall - knowing that just ahead of it the winds would crank up another 5 - 10 knots and then drop 20 after it passed. Not a good time to sail way out.

When the front of the squall looked to be passing through Sprecks and about to hit Camp One, I decided it was time to head in. Got back to the launch just as the winds were ramping up, and the water inside Kanaha looked like a giant Jaccuzzi. Set me gear down and looked out and it was probably blowing 3.5 or more at that point.

After the squall passed the winds abated a bit, but became rather gusty at that point. A pretty fun day. Just wish the squall hadn't put an early damper on it.

Squally Monday

Monday looked promising initially. When I got to the beach around 2 it looked like really nice 4.5. And it was for about 20 minutes before the squall came through. Squalls typically shut the wind down and sure enough I made it back to shore with about 2 minutes to spare before the wind dropped.

Waited around since often the wind will come back once the squall clears but it stayed cloudy. Stuck the 4.5 on my big board and practiced heli-tacks.

Today it's cranking at Kanaha as I type - 29 but due East. Typically that means a slog and slam scenario. Slog, ankle or knee deep to the windline then get slammed with the full force of the wind. I don't feel like dealing with that today.

Waves are making a Fall comeback. The last few days there's been small waist to shoulder high waves rolling in at Uppers. Lowers isn't seeing any of it yet.

Sensational Sunday Sailing

Sunday morning started out as a lazy morning, no real expectations for sailing based on the previous two days. Late in the morning though the wind started blowing the trees here upcountry. Checked the iWindsurf graphs and Kahului airport. Time to scamble and head down the hill.

By the time we got there the wind had backed off a bit. Rigged the 5.8 and big board and sailed perfectly powered up to the waist high waves at the first break at Uppers. My big board isn't really a wave board but it was a blast nonetheless playing around in the small waves. The wind picked up enough for me to go down a size in board and sail.

5.0 was great and once again I worked my way up to Uppers. Spotted a sweet chest high wave pitching and going vertical on my way out. Cool! Sheeted in to full speed and charged straight at it. Suddenly airborn, looking down at the water below. What an indescribable feeling that is eh! Anyway, upon landing somehow I lost a bit of control as the board hit the water, I kept moving and drove my knee into the sail. Blasted away two panels. Went through a mellow rinse cycle then got my gear turned around, waterstarted and sailed back to the launch with a gaping hole just below the booms - fully planing.

Ok, time for the 4.5 and JP 77. Woo hoo! Excellent fun. Sailed up to Uppers and Camp One. Lots of fun waist high waves with an occasional head high set. Sailed myself silly playing in the surf. This is what living in Maui is all about! Epic day despite destroying my workhorse sail.

Teasing wind again

Friday and Saturday brought more teasing wind to the north shore. Off and on clouds, squalls, and showers seemed to unsettle the trades enough to make for frustrating sailing conditions for most. Most locals at Kanaha were complaining about how crappy Friday was then yesterday were commenting that it was even worse. Kihei had higher winds, but with a NNE direction there is usually a bit of a slog to get out to the wind. Maui Sunset was probably the place to be but I haven't heard any reports to confirm that.

Post Labor Day Sailing

Labor Day came and went and with it much of the summer windsurfing crowd at Kanaha. Light winds prevailed earlier in the week and were forecast to continue through today. However, the wind decided to kick back in on Tuesday, enough for a nice 5.0 session in the afternoon at Kanaha. Yesterday it kicked in a bit more - 4.5, well-powered 4.5. Had a great session playing in the waist high waves at Camp One. If you like nuclear wind, bump and jump, Kihei was the place to be yesterday. Averages were between 30 and 35 most afternoon with gusts around 45. Today was another 4.5 day. A little gustier than yesterday, but good nonetheless. Not much to speak of for waves though. Late in the afternoon, Kevin Pritchard was practicing some freestyle moves right in front of the launch at Uppers. A small crowd of onlookers enjoyed the show. Silly me, I thought they were watching me practice my duck jibes until I saw him throw a Spocky looking trick. Oh, guess they were watching him.

Light winds bump up a notch

Light winds have prevailed this week, especially on the north shore. Kihei has seen the stronger winds on the island this week, with afternoon winds in the low to mid 20s. The winds bumped up to the sailable range for me on the north shore yesterday - 5.8 and big board. Moderately powered enough to work my way upwind to some small waves at Uppers, but just as I was downwind of the first break, the wind dropped off to about 14. Couldn't make it upwind and further to catch any waves. Limped back in. According to NWS "MODERATE TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND...LIKELY INTO THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE. A FEW EXPOSED AREAS PRONE TO HIGHER WIND SPEEDS MAY SEE WINDS AS HIGH AS 20 MPH. BUT WINDS WILL DECREASE NEXT WEEK..."