Monday 7 31 23 morning call

Thanks to Brian for the donation.

Couldn't find a photo of the Molokai to Oahu race, so I grabbed this frame of Andrew Gibbons from a reel on the M2O account on Instagram. As far as I know, everybody who is doing foiling downinders in Maui was watching the blue dots slowly move on the screen and I can't believe how exciting it was. Congrats to James Casey for winning the SUP foil division and to all finishers. Results here.

5am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1.2ft

    , 13s, S 180º
  • 0.7ft

    , 20s, SSW 205º

Lanai

• • 1.3ft

    , 14s, S 185º
  • 0.8ft

    , 20s, SW 220º
  
  

Both buoys show a little more than a foot of 13-14s southerly energy and a little less than a foot of 20s SSW energy. Below are the maps of July 24 through 27 that show the fetch that generated the latter. Nothing to be particularly excited about again, but at least something. 3 feet high tide at 3pm.

Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 3.6ft

    , 7s, E 80º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. Home guess for Hookipa is flat to knee high and windy.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.

Sunday 7 30 23 morning call

Four years ago I posted my attempt n.13 to SUP foiling donwinders. The board was a 5.8x28.5, the foil was a Gofoil Maliko 200 and both were definitely not designed for that. Two years later I did a bit better in my attempt n. 23. Better foil, but same board, so still very difficult.

Since then, now there's barracuda boards that help with the take-off. But because of my bad fingers (and because I like short boards better than long ones), I chose to go the Foil Drive way. The take off issue is completely eliminated and with a lot of practice, a couple of days ago I managed to do my first dry run: took off at the launch and foiled 14km all the way to the harbor with a 5ft board.

The other great advantage is that I can use a smaller foil that I would need EVEN if I had a barracuda board: more speed equals more fun.
Massive thanks to the Foil Drive crew for making such an excellent product (I have two in stock at Hi-Tech at the moment) and to JDFollowCam for capturing these two minutes of bliss.


Today is the day of the M2O race. Here you find the link to live tracking and race results. Wind is going to be lighter than usual (10 to 15 knots) in that channel today, foil choice will be key.

Kanaha yesterday, a mix of new and old school.

5am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1.1ft

    , 13s, S 175º
  • 0.4ft

    , 11s, S 185º

Lanai

• • 1.5ft

    , 12s, SSE 165º
  • 
    
  • 0.3ft

    , 22s, S 180º
  
  

Both buoys show some long period southerly energy. Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 4.7ft

    , 5s, ENE 65º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. Home guess for Hookipa is waist high and windy.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.

Saturday 7 29 23 morning call

Tomorrow there's the Molokai to Oahu race. This is a photo from a past edition won by Travis Grant who caught a big wave at China Walls. No waves instead this year, but a record number of foilers.

6am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1ft

    , 13s, SSW 200º

Lanai

• • 1.2ft

    , 13s, S 170º
  • 
    
  • 0.5ft

    , 17s, S 180º
  
  

Both buoys show a foot 13s of southerly energy, while Lanai also has half foot 17s. Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 4.9ft

    , 7s, ENE 75º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. Home guess for Hookipa is knee to waist high.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.

Friday 7 28 23 morning call

Jeremy Wilmotte jumping up the coast yesterday at sunset.

Before he joined Army Amrstrong for a late downwind run.


Talking about downwind runs, here's how I did two runs by 2pm on Wednesday.

5am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1.7ft

    , 13s, S 180º

Lanai

• • 1.3ft

    , 12s, S 175º
  • 1ft

    , 14s, SSW 200º
  
  

Still some southerly energy at the buoys. Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 5.8ft

    , 6s, NE 55º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. Home guess for Hookipa is waist to belly high.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.

Thursday 7 27 23 morning call

An image from one of my downwind runs yesterday.

6am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1.7ft

    , 14s, S 185º

Lanai

• • 1.6ft

    , 14s, SSW 200º
  
  

Both buoys show some 14s southerly energy. Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 5.8ft

    , 8s, ENE 70º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. If that direction at Mokapu is correct, Hookipa should be a bit bigger today in the waist to belly high range.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.

Wednesday 7 26 23 morning call

Hookipa yesterday.

4am Surfline significant buoy readings and discussion.

South shore
Barbers

• • 1.4ft

    , 12s, S 185º

Lanai

• • 2ft

    , 12s, S 185º
  • 0.8ft

    , 15s, S 190º
  
  

Both buoys show some small 12s southerly energy while Lanai also shows 0.8ft 15s.  Below are the maps of July 19 through 23 that show a bunch of small and scattered fetches. It's been a poor summer from the south swells point of view. This week should be no different, but at least not flat and with occasional days of decent waves. Today seems like one of them.


Check the Lahaina webcam if interested, for size, conditions and consistency.

North shore

Mokapu

• • 5ft

    , 7s, ENE 75º
• 
  

Only easterly windswell on the north shore also today. Home guess for Hookipa is flat to knee high.

Wind map at noon. The other ones can be found here.

Fetches map (circles legend: red: direct aim, blue: angular spreading, black: blocked, yellow: possibly over the ice sheet) from Windy.
North Pacific (about 4 days travel time from the NW corner of the North Pacific):

South Pacific (about 7 days travel time from east/west of New Zealand):

Morning sky.