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.
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.
posted by Jeff at
8:59 AM
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