SW 25 down wind session

Fun evening surf session tonight in strong wind.

I picked up my new Dakine Matrix vest in XXL size this afternoon. Perfect fit. To give you an idea about how undersized these vests are, I wear XL shirts.

The paddle shaft with Redeck grip is fantastic! It's like the difference between windsurfing with NO non skid versus with non skid. You perform like a super hero with grip.

Paddle Shaft Grip

I added windsurfer non-skid to my paddle shaft today. Waxing the shaft was getting to be too much work. I grew tired of hitting the water only to discover I should have renewed the wax on the shaft.

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Problem solved now.

SUPing in a Northeaster (wind 20-25)

This video shows the hellish conditions for SUP when it blows northeast at 20-25 side on shore on the east coast.

I paddled out on my knees to help me beat the wind. The wind was so strong it flipped the board.

I caught one wave and ended up 1/4 mile down the beach. We call that northeaster current!

At the end is a bonus shot of my friend Z slashing a wave on my Stretch quad using his kite. I'm still not kiting due to my broken rib.

Nice Morning Session

Jacky on the 9'6 PSH in all photos.

It feels like summer again!

Water is 60 degrees. Wetsuits are comfortable again.

We launched at the KB church. One of the best waves in KB. Then drifted with the wind catching every wave between the church and home. With a stop at the pier. Another sweet spot, that we'll loose access to when the pier reopens this Spring.

2 Miles Downwind in 15 knots

Summer is back! We did our favorite 2 mile surf session tonight. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to make the trip, catching every wave along the way. With a little more time spent surfing next to the KB pier as we pass.

Waves were waist high a few times, but mostly knee high. I need to retire. I'm missing all the good waves.

The thrusters are leaving us giddy with each ride. They are so loose! I'm worried about what will happen in real waves. It should be exciting.

New Photos Coming

Since I'll be resting my ribs when it comes to kitesurfing for a few more weeks, I decided it was time to break down and buy that long camera lens I've been putting off for almost 2 years. The new lens is 18-250mm. It should take some nice shots of kitesurfing and SUP in the near future.

Thrusters

We caught a short session in 10-12 mph on shore slop. The thrusters are a hoot to ride. It makes the board so free and wild. Harder to paddle in chop, harder to surf because it is so free, but a blast. Jacky's having fun with them too.

All Kooks Tonight

We finally got back in the surf tonight and both of us kooked out. Wow, are we rusty not having surfed in awhile. For me it's 20 minutes surfing in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Waves were head high, choppy, and a little windy. We parked the truck for quick 1 mile down wind surf session, but aborted after only a 1/2 mile. We feel like kooks.

My chest has a burning fire right in the middle after this session. The ribs feel fine. I guess where everything attaches in the middle, it still needs more heeling.

The thrusters felt great. FAST and loose!

The paddle felt bad at 9" over my head. Great for upright cruising, but powerless and terrible when going for a wave. I'll test 8" over my head next session. If that doesn't thrill me, we'll be back were we started at 7" over.

Grounded by Wind

No surfing this weekend. Way too much wind. Watched Jacky kitesurf. I don't want to risk wearing a harness with my ribs still heeling.

I decided to extend our Kialoa paddles. I cut the shaft, install 7/8 diameter dowels and glassed them 2" longer. Pretty easy modification. A 7/8" dowel is a perfect tight fit inside the shaft.

I also sanded away my ding repair on the 10' PSH. I had used sun cure epoxy on it. It had a slight green tint to the cured resin. This was not acceptable. I love my PSH too much to tolerate that. I bought some better resin and now have a clear repair.