Saturday 12 7 18 morning call

A SUP foiling and a windfoiling session for me yesterday. First one was fun as this photo by bruddah Chris shows. It actually shows it only to foilers, who know how much fun it is to ride small imperfect waves like that. If it looks lame to you, I understand. As a surfer and before I started foiling (thanks to Dave Kalama's evident stoke after a session at the same spot), I judged it lame too. But how can you judge something that you don't know at all? Best way I found to describe the foiling feeling is that of a bird gliding in the wind without flapping his wings.


Love the face expression.


After the session, I took some pics of the kids practicing for the upcoming HSA contest that will be held at the harbor Jetty on Sunday. I hope this little cute one will wait another year before entering, because, just like last year, the waves are going to be pretty big.

Don't know this young lady, but her coach did a really good job with the placement of the arms. So good, it deserves a 5 photos sequence.

 

 Abby's game (arms and everything else) is excellent too.

Stylish kick out with smile on the face after a shared ride with a friend.


Here's the tentative schedule of the contest.


With no windsurfing happening at Hookipa (I think I saw a sail or two on the webcam later in the afternoon), Jimmie Hepp went to shoot the windsurfers at Kanaka. Probably the worse place in Maui where to take photos of windsurfing because of the long distance and lack of elevated points, so I picked this one out of the gallery he posted. Got lucky with the light on that one, Jimmie!


My wave windfoiling session was totally epic. I'm discovering the potential of this new discipline and of a spot I never sailed before. When I finally decided to take the gopro out, I only had energy left for one more wave and of course it happened to be an average one, but what the hell, here's the video anyway. What I do in it could also be called "wind assisted SUP foiling", as it is MUCH more similar to that than to what regular (or freeride) windfoilers do going back and forth on a straight line without using the energy of the wave.
Btw, the more I look at it (specially on the waves), the more I feel like I should learn kitefoiling... god no, there's no more room in my car!


4am significant buoy readings
South shore
No indication of southerly energy at the buoys.

North shore
NW001
6.8ft @ 14s from 343° (NNW)

Hanalei
8.7ft @ 8s from 8° (N)

6.2ft @ 14s from 323° (NW)

4ft @ 12s from 320° (NW)

2.7ft @ 11s from 326° (NW)

Waimea
6.1ft @ 14s from 326° (NW)

5.3ft @ 9s from 334° (NNW)

4.3ft @ 11s from 327° (NW)

Pauwela
6.3ft @ 13s from 326° (NW)

4.2ft @ 8s from 7° (N)

2ft @ 4s from 60° (ENE)

1.9ft @ 11s from 335° (NNW)

This second Jaws swell is still hanging around at remarkable levels. When I read 6.3f 13s from 326, I immediately know what to expect at each single north shore spot. That's because I've been reading the buoys for many years and comparing the readings with the height of the breakers.
If you check the buoys before you go surf, you'll build your own knowledge base and soon you'll be able to select the spot where to go based on the buoy readings which, since they tell you what's in the water, are much more reliable than the spot specific forecast of any website.

Notice the presence of short period northerly energy at all the buoys. That is the energy coming out of the head of the northerly fetch that is very close to the islands right now (see map below). The longer period one from a bigger distance will show up tomorrow. Surfline's offshore swell forecast (MUCH more reliable than any spot specific one) calls for 12f 15s from 345 at noon. IF that will happen (seems a bit exaggerated based on the fetches I posted, but don't forget I only sample those every 24h), Honolua will be obviously gorgeous, and the kids in the harbor will have plenty excitement. Harbor likes straight north the best, but at that size and period, there should be plenty energy sneaking in.

Below is the forecast I just talked about (link n. 15) for the next three days (that's what you get without subscription). I only look at the graph of the different swells. They make an effort to translate the swells into face height of the waves, but the immediate question is: where? The same swell will produce completely different waves (height and shape and steepness) at Hookipa, Paia bay, Sprecks outer reef, Kanaha, Harbor, Waiehu, Honolua and so on! It seems to me those heights are for Hookipa, but, as I just wrote, I encourage you to just look at the offshore swell and build your own knowledge.


Wind map at noon calls for wave windfoiling again.


North Pacific shows that the fetch north of us is already almost entirely aiming to the east of us. Unlike the current one, Sunday's swell is going to last only for a couple of days.


Not much on offer from the South.


Morning sky.