Thursday, June 18, 2009

oahu day 15 - finally some fun wavesailing

This little video will tell more than my words. Not epic, but fun. Finally fun. The place can get better, I'm sure. But tomorrow there's a NW swell...


It was the first day that I didn't surf in the morning and that made a difference. I was able to have two sailing sessions, the first of which was definitely better because wind and waves were better. Plus after the other guy left, I was completely alone for most of the time. 26 waves, not bad.
The second session was so and so and it even got crowded! (lol)
8 is the highest number of windsurfers I saw in the water at the same time since I got here...
How many people will be sailing Hookipa tomorrow in the late afternoon? Can someone count and let me know?

Wave count up to date.
windsurfing: 136
surfing: 178
total: 314
average per day: 21

PS. This post is dedicated to an american citizen, hoping that it won't hurt him too much...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

how come there is no one else on the water?

Jeff Henderson said...

less than 8 I assure you unless the "swell" hits.

cammar said...

Anon, the main reason is that there's no many windsurfers over here. And the reason for that is that it's not easy. Very offshore, gusty and light on the inside. Hard to learn windsurfing on the south shore. Hard to learn on the north shore too, I assume.
Perfect conditions in Kailua, instead. In fact, THE ONLY windsurf shop is over there (there's another one, but it's more focused on surfing).
Overall, here surfing is the national sport and that makes sense because surfing is really awesome. The windsurfing community instead is very small. That adds to the enjoyment... as long as you can handle the conditions, which, again, are quite difficult. I broke the mast two days ago, because I got caught on the inside without a breath of wind.

Hot, that's what I mean of course: in case the swell hits. And it actually is hitting. I predict head high sets at Hookipa...

Anonymous said...

thanks for the post dedicated to me - it kind of hurts but i'm fine since i got some waves today at ho'o - 4.5/4.7 weather, side to sideon, waves up to logo-high in the sets, "only" about 20-30 people out, kind of choppy...

aloha,

http://www.cannibalthemusical.net/ta/america.htm

Ray said...

Looks like fun. Better than my day swimming on the rocks at hookipa and breaking my boom!

cammar said...

Ah, up to logo high, 20-30 people, broken booms on the rocks... I knew the swell was going to be decent! ;)

Nice video, btw.

meesh said...

Wave looks really fun in the vid! Any kiters there GP? I'm assuming not, as the probably could not get off the beach if the wind is so flukey. Probably all on Kailua side eh?

cammar said...

Meesh, correct: no kitesurfer because the wind is too light and on/off on the inside.
That place is not easy even on a windsurfer. If you fall on a wave, you get stuck on the inside in one to two feet of water (and plenty sea urchins underneath), no wind to water start and steady supply of white water coming at you.
The only strategy I figured so far is to wait for the current to eventually take me to a slightly deeper place and there pray for a gust or try to uphaul... freaking difficult!