Wednesday, December 06, 2006

I love winter...in Hawaii!

Today I longboard sailed all day at Uppers with a few friends. It was a lot of fun. We were probably the only windsurfers enjoing the waves in Maui today (the wind was very light).
I'm sure Hookipa was great surfing, but for some reasons, I'm in a deep longboard sailing space right now.
Around 3.30 the forerunners sets of the new swell started to arrive and they were extremely clean. At sunset I drove to Hookipa were it was already big.
Just to clarify, in my personal scale everything over head high is big.
It's a very blurred photo (not enough light), but maybe it's better than nothing...


The 9pm reading of the NW buoy is an impressive 13 feet at 15 seconds.

Forget about surfing the north shore tomorrow morning (too big), I could drive to the west side to score little Makaha. But maybe I'll just save my energies for the afternoon sailing. Longboard or shortboard, I'm stoked on windsurfing these days. It's like a second wind...

And here's what Pat Caldwell has to say: "Into the long range, continued high surf episodes on about a 3-day spacing next week with dominant direction NW to NNW. The models out 15 days suggest this pattern to continue past mid December"

Mum, I'm not coming home for Christmas...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me either mum, so it's pasta at yours GP

cammar said...

Sounds like a plan...
Geez, the ocean is furious today. If you want to surf without driving too much the call is the harbor... play safe!

cammar said...

Lim, go here http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Hawaii.shtml and click on the NW buoy (51001) to check it yourself all year long.
75 F the air and 77 the water...
It doesn't change much at all...

What makes the difference between summer and winter (for me!) are the big waves on the north shore.

Today's sunset session was unreal. I had a couple of those magic waves... I hope I'll dream about them tonight.

Meesh, how was your sesh?
I know how Ulli's was...

Anonymous said...

my sesh was ok but not epic. I went to explore the outer reef at uppers, but that was not working. So returned to lowers for some one turn closeout wonders. The best wave I had was because a curteous kiter pulled out when he saw me coming down the line. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for any windsurfers. There is no etiquete at Kanaha, it's a joke and I don't like this mentality. Anyway, I will go later today, as it looks too big for the home break again. See you for the sunset sesh!!

cammar said...

I hear that all the times from a lot of people.

I don't know why, but I have no problems at all, instead. Maybe because I'm one of those who doesn't give way... :-)

Forget about the rule of only one person on a wave at Kanaha. It's just too crowded, it's physically impossible. Plus it's a way longer and less critical (in terms of steepness and timing) wave than Hookipa and that means that there's more room.
So, what we do is ride the wave together.
The guys downwind should check the most upwind one and whenever it starts going down the line, they all should go too and most of the time be able not to bother the upwinders.
If I'm the most upwind guy and I want to go and the next donwind guy is too close to me or he seems not to be willing to start his bottom turn, I shout to make him aware and I just go around him.

You know what I think?
I'm defenitely a know Kanaha local smiling-hangouter. In other words, most of the people in the water know me.
In your case, they probably care less to give priority to a not particularly familiar face... especially if it's a girl.
And that sucks!
They don't know you can kick their ass...

Said this, I look forward to burn you on the next wave we catch together... eheh.

BTW, talking about kiters, a few days ago I had the lines of one of them pull my sail down while sailing... now, that's dangerous!

Anonymous said...

Hey Vecchietto! (you said it) I'm off to NYC 1st class travel! Its colder in the UK than NYC, and warm in Italy, as Carlo is still canoeing!

cammar said...

Hey ragazza! You're right about the temperature... it's all relative.
Enjoy your trip and behave... or not!