First Day 2005
Got up this morning and checked the weather on the computer. I was shocked to see that Kihei was reading 29.5 SSW on iWindsurf (incidentally, what is up with iwindsurf and their new feature of reporting wind in 1/2 mph increments? Like it's really so much more helpful to know what it's only blowing 29.5 instead of 30! Give me a break!). Anyway, I hurriedly got some website updates done for a client and charged over to Kihei with my windsurfing wahine.
Got there around 10:15, before the throngs of wind-starved windsurfers, and got one of the few remaining parking spots at Ohukai. Wind was side-onshore (almost dead onshore). Even though iWindsurf was reading 30, it was much lighter - I rigged 5.0. I'd say that iWindsurf sensor at Kihei reads 8 - 10 mph too high, at least on a southerly. Got on the water around 10:30 with 5.0 and CultWave and was only marginally powered. Let out downhaul and outhaul and went out again. A bit better - until I landed a jump on the peak of the next breaking wave and managed to break the fin-saver nut holding my fin in. It's an interesting feeling planing along sideways over 6 foot swell. My fin was still in, but dangling precariously. I somehow managed to jibe that sucker and planed in sideways, waaaaaay downwind from the launch. Hiked up to the launch and got another fin and headed back out. The wind came up again and I sailed pretty powered up.
Lots of people there today. The wind was pretty consistent. There were some fun wind swell and waves. The tide was incredibly low. I managed to ding a chunk out of the nose of my board as I went through the rinse cycle with my gear in about 2 feet of water. Luckily I didn't get any reef cuts, but my board was pretty much done for the day so I called it quits.
Interesting day overall. Forecasters were calling for 15 knots south today. The high pressure ridge which usually sits to the north of the islands and generates the trades is actually south of us. That combined with some low pressure systems to our northwest seems to have generated today's wind. Might get another couple of days of conditions like this over the weekend. We're still expecting a 25 foot northwest swell sometime this weekend. The direction on this swell is supposed to have a lot of west in it so Jaws may not go off, but northshore Oahu should be huge. We may even see some wrap around swell on the south side of Maui,. Combine that with some south wind and it could make for some interesting south side sailing in a few days. We'll see.
Got there around 10:15, before the throngs of wind-starved windsurfers, and got one of the few remaining parking spots at Ohukai. Wind was side-onshore (almost dead onshore). Even though iWindsurf was reading 30, it was much lighter - I rigged 5.0. I'd say that iWindsurf sensor at Kihei reads 8 - 10 mph too high, at least on a southerly. Got on the water around 10:30 with 5.0 and CultWave and was only marginally powered. Let out downhaul and outhaul and went out again. A bit better - until I landed a jump on the peak of the next breaking wave and managed to break the fin-saver nut holding my fin in. It's an interesting feeling planing along sideways over 6 foot swell. My fin was still in, but dangling precariously. I somehow managed to jibe that sucker and planed in sideways, waaaaaay downwind from the launch. Hiked up to the launch and got another fin and headed back out. The wind came up again and I sailed pretty powered up.
Lots of people there today. The wind was pretty consistent. There were some fun wind swell and waves. The tide was incredibly low. I managed to ding a chunk out of the nose of my board as I went through the rinse cycle with my gear in about 2 feet of water. Luckily I didn't get any reef cuts, but my board was pretty much done for the day so I called it quits.
Interesting day overall. Forecasters were calling for 15 knots south today. The high pressure ridge which usually sits to the north of the islands and generates the trades is actually south of us. That combined with some low pressure systems to our northwest seems to have generated today's wind. Might get another couple of days of conditions like this over the weekend. We're still expecting a 25 foot northwest swell sometime this weekend. The direction on this swell is supposed to have a lot of west in it so Jaws may not go off, but northshore Oahu should be huge. We may even see some wrap around swell on the south side of Maui,. Combine that with some south wind and it could make for some interesting south side sailing in a few days. We'll see.
posted by Jeff at
8:18 PM
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