Saturday 2 10 18 morning call

SUP foiling downwind attempt n.3 for me yesterday, first time in Kihei and first time with the Maliko 200. It went better than the previous attempts, as I was able to make it foil 4-5 times (as opposed to never!), but only for max 20 yards. Despite how easy the good guys make it look, it remains one of the most difficult things I've ever challenged myself with. SO technical!

There's technique involved in everything: the way you paddle, the angle you must have when trying to catch a bump, the position of your feet, the pumping of the board, the reading of the water. I'm not going to get into details, but I could write a whole article about the importance of all those things and how everything has to come together to get a lift off without a proper breaking wave behind you. And on top of that, it's also extremely physically demanding.

But as Dave Kalama says:"Learning is fun, improving is fun", so I did have fun. Also because I saw the potential of how much more fun it will be once I learn. Looking forward to having something to do in those windy and flat summertime days. When I'm not in Indo, of course.

Here's some photos taken by Jeremy Riggs., starting with Kathy Shipman riding a small bump. It was pretty gorgeous out there.


SIC's Mark Raaphorst is a very experienced downwind paddler and his superior technique helped him greatly to take off almost without a bump behind.


Here he's pumping and paddling, that's what you have to do to keep foiling in the flat sections. It was windier than it looks and that obviously helped.


Thanks to all my foiling buddies for taking a slow novice like me in the group and waiting for me several times out in the ocean. Other than Mark's (riding his own design), all the foils were Gofoil Maliko 200's.


4am significant buoy readings
South shore
No indication of southerly energy at the buoys, the Surfline forecast calls for 0.5f 12s.

There should be some small waves this weekend, as the there were some fetches down under a week ago. Below is the collage of the maps of Feb 3,4,5 and 6.


North shore
NW101
3.7ft @ 13s from 300° (WNW)

3.6ft @ 10s from 314° (NW)

3.5ft @ 8s from 22° (NNE)

 

Waimea

6ft @ 9s from 346° (NNW)

3.5ft @ 14s from 319° (NW)

3ft @ 11s from 323° (NW)

2.8ft @ 7s from 10° (N)

 

Pauwela

6.5ft @ 9s from 356° (N)

6.1ft @ 13s from 323° (NW)

4.1ft @ 11s from 334° (NNW)

 

Plenty energy of different periods at the buoys, with the addition of the onshore wind, the north shore will have poor surfing conditions again. I live 2 minutes from Hookipa and I'm not even going to check it.

 

Wind map at noon shows onshore wind on the north shore and it should be another good Kihei downwind run. Too bad this time I can't do it.
 

North Pacific shows a WNW fetch which swell will miss us to the south, a small NW one and still a N windswell one.


Nothing in the South Pacific.


Morning sky.