The 85L stick gets a workout

Sam and I caught some nice SW action 3 straight days at Canadian Hole last weekend.  Friday was 85L/4.7, Saturday was 112L/4.7 in the Avon Ocean followed by 5.2/85L back at the Hole and Sunday was 85L/4.2.  Sam is lovin that 104L Cross and had his first ocean sail with it Saturday morning.  The wind was really light and hit-miss but it counts.  I put the gopro clew mount on Friday for a while.  We'll try to get some of that action out sometime soon.  Same broke out his gopro later Friday and caught 1 great run out in the sound.  Cool double view bump and jump action.  Here is a sequence from Sam's vid.

This was a long overdue trip.  It left Sam feeling wax eloquent too.

Lake Boarding. Dust off your shortboard.

We had a nice family vacation at the lake this past weekend.  Leah, Jennifer and I took out old greeny to make a little wave.  We paddle surfed the 10'5 Drive, wake boarded and towed a 6'2 surf board which was everyones favourite in all the choppy water.  The board has glassed in thruster fins that are way too big for me but dang that thing is fun to rip.  Add in some pumping and the resistance from the tow goes pretty low but we certainly didn't have enough wave to toss the rope. 

We even got Jennifer riding a surf board for the first time.

Saturday evening we did some flat water paddling with the Mana, Fly and Drive.  Lots of folks out on their deck starting or continuing the partying noticed and showed lots of interest.  My neighbors are stoked about SUP and learning to sail so hopefully we'll eventually have a group there. 

South End Wave Sailing. Nicely Powered.

Alan, Donald and I wave sailed near Ft Fisher Friday.  Nice SE swell and sideshore wind.  It was cloudy enough to keep the temps moderate and the water was perfect.  Fishcamp showed up after work and even broke out a kite when there was a lull in the wind.  That little surf board was pretty cool.  It was sooo nice being on the plane and jumping on the trips back out.  Not to mention having enough swell to cruise upwind coming in for the ride.  I was riding through the best conditions so no pics to mention.

I'm pretty sure Donald got some better shots.  I hope he did.  Here's Alan on a calf slapper.

Wave Sailing the 10'5 SUP. Not so much light wind.

I hope all the dads had a great fathers day. 

We got to OIB around 2:30 Sunday and brought a t-storm with us.  We waited in the car about 20min for it to skirt by with a beautiful lightning show over the Atlantic.  Of course this cleared the beach and we had the place to ourselves until sunset.  Not to mention perfect temps after the oppressive heat- a little cloudy and just plain perfect.

I don't know if it was left over wind driven waves or a combination of that big t-storm laying offshore but the swell was coming in SSW and way nicer than I expected.  The waves were jacking up on the mid-outer bar and mushing gradually as they made it toward shore.  Great drops on steep faces with a few turns and then a fairly easy jibe or quick tack back out.  The wind was on side on but clocking sometimes on shore or a little more side side on- it was a good opportunity to practice holding clew first on the wave after the bottom turn.  As sunset approached the wind ramped up and the waves got more punchy.  I could have certainly broke out the Kode but had to head back to my parents.  No complaints after a surprisingly good SUP wave sailing sesh! 

Jennifer took these photos after a little body boarding.  Love you sis.

Wave Sailing Sunday. More haste less speed.

Hatteras magic all right.  It has been hot hot hot and windless inland.  When Sam and I drove across the Alligator River there was no wind or swell Thursday.  That was weird and I was a little worried.  Once on Hwy 12 heading south we took our time and stopped by the Salvo day use.  Good luck wading through all the kites stretched across the little beach to launch your windsurfer.  There was a little breeze though and we struck out for Avon.  After checking in and rolling into the hole we rigged 5.8s and hoped for the best.  We got the best.  The wind ramped up pretty quickly and we sailed hard until sunset.  Friday was a repeat performance. 

Saturday the wind backed off quite a bit so we scouted around and ended up in Frisco on the beach for some SUP wave sailing and SUP paddle surfing.  Sam got his first taste of side on wind and we both got some fun rides.  Just a note- if you do plan to surf or sail on any of the beaches get there early.  Tons of people out there from Frisco to north of Avon.

Sunday was the real highlight day of the trip.  We checked out and got out earlier for low tide wave sailing.  Luckily some of the SE swell was already coming in and we got rock star parking in front of a great break.  We both rigged 5.8s and Sam used the 10' SUP while I used the 112L Kode.  The wind was light and side side off blowing hit and miss but man did we have fun.

Sam's first sailing waves. 

Trolling for surfers 

I tried some gopro helmet cam video.  Clew mount would have been much better but it is great reliving some of those waves either way.  It took lots of concentration with air that light but it makes you appreciate the rides that much more.  Can thigh high waves and no planing wind be that much fun?  You bet your skinny mast it is.


Light Air Wave Sailing- Windsurf and SUP Sail OBX, NC from r d moore on Vimeo.

Light Wind Freestyle Sailing on SUPs

So officially May was one of the least windy in recent history which is quite a let down following an amazing April.  So far June has been more like August but lets hope that turns around.

The past couple weekends have been SUP weekends.  Sure we did lots of flat water paddling but we've also gotten into light wind freestyle.  A couple weeks ago Leah learned to heli tack and the upwind 360 on the SUP with a 4.7 in really light south wind.  Yesterday I used the 7.5 on the SUP in really really light NE and had a blast working on sail 360s, heli tacks, upwind 360s, backwind wake rides and anything else that popped up.  Andy got out and learned back wind sailing too- we were having so much fun we didn't notice how much the wind had clocked east so at the end of the day we both got to swim our kits in.  Totally worth it!

In the recent issue of Windsurf Magazine Josh Sampiero wrote an article questioning if SUPs possibly hurt windsurfing.  It was a great writeup on the subject and generates good discussion.  My opinion is that SUPs that can be sailed can only help grow windsurfing.  In inland summer wind a SUP with cushy padded deck is awesome for lightwind mucking about.  Working on sail handing using the SUP as a platform will make you a better sailor.  Compared to Formula or longboard windsurfing I think the fun factor is higher without compromising much on upwind ability.  When you factor in being able to paddle and surf the thing when the wind goes to 0 you just can't beat it. 

Rob, Mac, Mark, Addict circa 2009.  Rob and Mac's photo.

A phone call from Mark reminded me of this trip when Awesome Bill from Yadkinville learned to SUP.

Where did that come from?!!!!!

The sesh

YES.  Finally.  We were blessed with wonderful wind on Belews.  It started SW through morning and clocked S toward mid afternoon.  I did another one of those old enough to know better too young to care things again.  Sailed LIT from just after 1 straight to 5pm.  I just kept thinking is this real?  It could stop at any time so I'd better not.  Nobody forecasted this in advance and I completely got skunked my previous 3 attempts at lightwind seshes so this was too good to be true.  5.8/112 with SW swell on a S wind making for big flowing jumps. 

When the wind was SW it was heavenly sailing in front of the launch.  As the wind clocks S at Belews there is a trick to staying in the thick of the power.  The secret is upwind efficiency- get upwind between the 2 islands.  As it goes further S go further upwind in the big dig bone area S of the islands.  There's probably a neat scientific word for it but I'll not use it.  The wind flows around the eastern most island and you end up with a sw wind on the eastern shore.  Between the island you get the pinch and more of the punchy s flow.  It is pretty cool since your routes take a boomerang shape.  Excellent ramps for jumps this way too.

Not long after I launched I saw some folks come out and SUP.  Maybe a man and a woman?  They turned the corner and paddled the northerm most point of the lake out of the wind.  I didn't recognize them but it was really cool seeing SUPers.

LIGHT WIND FREESTYLE...

Sam and I have been working on lightwind freestyle on the SUPs and I've also been using the 112L.  It is great fun and the SUP is the perfect board to get started.  So far I've gotten helitacks, push tacks, upwind 360s and back wind sailing (front to sail).  I spent lots of time yesterday doing the heli tacks in planing wind.  Wow!  When you get it in stronger wind things happen really fast.  So much more fun than the fast tack!  When I did go back to the fast tack the heli tack made it even better.