No treats this Holloween - Marginal day at best

Thursday 10/31/2013
Day 40 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC

Started windsurfing around noon with forecasted winds to 30 mph in the afternoon. A wind squall came by and kicked winds up to 30 plus for about 15 minutes then after squall past it was 10-12 mph. The forecast didn't come through as squally shifty light winds blew most of the day.
Kited from 3:00 - 6:30 with marginal SSW and then toward the end the wind shifted to SE side off making getting in before dark difficult. Had to derig kite with darkness and mosquitos, not fun..

Highlight of the day  - Kiting and Battling the Mosquitos

Sail Time:  3.0 - 6:30 3.5 hours Kite

Gear:  5.5 sail  101 board, 11 meter kite
Conditions: Flat water conditions
Weather:  Rain Squally 70s, water 60s
Wind: 30 at peak
Schooled: Slide turns
Images: Wind data for the day

Marginal Windsurfing Day OBX

Tuesday 10/29/2013
Day 39 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC

After a long layoff with calm weather since Friday. The forecast was marginal for today at best 10-15 from the north.
Eventually it peaked at 2:30. Larry went out on an 8.5 and got the rest of us looking.
I tried kiting only to find out it was to fluky on the inside to make it worthwhile. So I grabbed the rigged 5.5 and slogged out to wind line and made it work for about 2 hours worth of marginal windsurfing.
Lou and Harry 7.5 and 8.5 sail sizes. Big stuff for the big boys.

Highlight of the day  - just getting on the water after a long layoff.

Sail Time:  2.0 hours, 4-6 PM

Gear:  5.5 sail  101 board
Conditions: Flat water conditions
Weather:  Clear, 60s, water 60s
Wind: 18 at peak from north
Schooled: Ripping in the peak winds and light air tricks in the lulls
Images: Wind data for the day
 

Another near perfect waterman day

Friday 10/25/2013
Day 38 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC

Four for six for this fall trip to OBX - Again perfect kiting from 11:30-1:00, perfect windsurfing 1:00-2:30, Perfect kiting from 2:30-4:00 and perfect windsurfing 4:00-5:00.
 
Highlight of the day  - dialing in the slide turns

Sail Time:  2.5 hours
Kite Time: 3.0 hours

Gear:  11 meter and 5.5 sail  101 board
Conditions: Flat water conditions
Weather:  Clear, 50s, water 50s
Wind: 20s at peak from north west
Schooled: Ripping in the peak winds and light air tricks in the lulls
Images: WS, Kiting ,Wind data for the day

Early morning and post sunset sessions

Thursday 10/24/2013
Day 37 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC

Three for five for this fall trip to OBX - some dawn patrol from 9:00 - 9:45 and a surprise post sunset 5.5 sailing from 5:30 - 7:00. Short but sweet sessions.
 
Highlight of the day  - Watching the sun set while ripping in 5.5 conditions

Sail Time:  2 hours

Gear:  5.5/ 101
Conditions: Flat water conditions
Weather:  Clear, 50s, water 50s
Wind: 20s at peak from west to north west
Schooled: Ripping in the peak winds and light air tricks in the lulls
Images: Wind data for the day

Perfect Kite session and a bonus Windsurf session

Wednesday 10/23/2013
Day 36 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC



Two for four for this fall trip to OBX - after a 2 day layoff the winds and warmth came  back for a full slate of action.
Kited - 9:30 - 11:30 and 12:30 - 2:00 with winds SW to SSW to W. I would say a nearly perfect Kite board session for me.
At 2:30 a dark cloud appeared from the NW  increasing the wind speed and changing the wind direction NW. Hurried and rigged the 4.5 with the 85 liter board sailed that from 3:00 - 4:00. Then the winds slacked to 5.5 conditions so I pulled out the rigged 5.5 and 100 liter board and sailed till 5:30 missing the sunset by 45 minutes

Highlight of the day  - Almost perfect kite session

Sail Time:  Kite session 3.5 hours, Windsurf session, 2.5 hours

Gear: Gear that worked 11.00 Z Kite with 140 board and 4.5/ 85 and 5.5/ 101
Conditions:  Smooth conditions for kite boarding and chop and hop for windsurfing
Weather:  Mostly sunny, near 70, water 60s
Wind: Wind gust peak 27 mph at 3:51 PM, SW clocking to NW
Schooled:  Kite, pulled off a few sliding turns on inside tack and numerous high speed hero duck jibes windsurfing.
Images: Board Room and Wind data for the day

Fall in Rodanthe Day one

Day 35 of the 2013 season
Liquid Rush, Rodanthe, NC
10//20/2013 Sunday

First day in OBX.
Kited - 9:00 - 10:30 NNW varying to NNE. Decent  KB session although fluky on inside high powered on the out side.
Windsurfed - 11:30 - 2:00,  Winds NNW to 25.
5.5 /101 liter, flat water conditions.
Good WS session on the outside mainly, with slightly off shore wind.
Around 2:15 wind lightened up and I called it a day.

Highlight of the day  - Ripping with the Buds

Sail Time:  Kited 1st session 1.5 hours, Windsurfed 2nd session, 2.5 hours

Gear: Gear that worked 11.00 Z Kite with 140 TT board and 5.5/ 101 board
Conditions:  Flat, shallow waters with shifty winds
Weather:  Sunny, near 70, water 60s
Wind: N to NNE to 25 mph
Schooled:  Kite practice and numerous hero duck jibes
Images: Gear and Wind data for the day

Kiting Day at "Da local Island"

Day 34 of the 2013 season
Harsens Island 10/16/2013 Wednesday

Thought today would be a good day for kite boarding the flat water of Harsens Island on Big Muscomoot Bay, AKA "The Moot".
With forecasted winds from SW to W at 10-20 it should be a perfect newbie day for kiting.
I Rigged up the 11 meter kite and was on the water by 12:30. Started off with up and down wind speeds so it took some work to get going. Had plenty of good runs mowing the lawn and not losing ground until kite crashed and tumbled wrapping the lines around the kite at least one time. Didn't know what to do so I unhooked and pulled the kite toward me to untangle the lines. Then as I was pulling kite toward me some how it got into a hot launch position and started to hot launch - I grabbed for the bar and quickly realized it was to much power to hold onto so I made a grab for the chicken loop and missed it. The kite and lines were blowing downwind unattached and way out of my reach. All I could do was watch it go, possibly heading to the rocks on shore. Luckily the water wasn't deep so I could walk and paddle toward the shore but I doubt if I could catch the kite before it was to late.
By now the kite was 150 yards away and lucky for me Keith happened to see what happened so he raced downwind with his kite to intercept mine saving it from the rocks. He held on to it until I got there  - THANK YOU KEITH!

Highlight of the day  - Have to admit it was the dramatic save by Keith.
Larry, Harry, Keith, Rick, Chris and the Master kiter Craig all showed up for a sweet day.

Sail Time:  1st session 1.5 hours, 2nd session, 2.0 hours from 12:00-5:00

Gear: Gear that worked 11.00 Z Kite with 140 TT board
Conditions:  Flat, shallow waters with somewhat steady winds
Weather:  Sunny, near 60, water 60
Wind: WSW- W to 20 mph
Schooled:  Learning the kite stuff
Imaged: North Channel crossing on the ferry, some big winds blowing against the current. The general scene at the launch site

First decent session at MB this season

Day 33 of the 2013 season
Metro Beach 10/7/2013 Monday

The forecast was right on with small craft warnings of 15-25 with gusts to 30.
Arrived on site at 12:00 rigged and on the water by 12:30 with the 5.0 and 85 liter board.
Decent SW-W conditions from 12:30 - 2:30 with the normal lulls. Finally at 2:30 a big lull hit and we thought it was done for the day but by 3:30 it came back up to overpowering 5.0 conditions, 4.5 would have been better but I hung on until 5:00 when the wind shifted and lighten up.
Up to a dozen windsurfers and 6 kiters showed up.
Highlight of the day  - flat water hero antics on the inside shallow area.

Sail Time:  1st session 2 hours, 2nd session 1.5 hours from 12:00-5:00

Windsurf Gear: Gear that worked 5.0 with 85 liter board
Conditions:  Fairly flat with chop hopping conditions outside and hero antics on the inside flats.
Weather:  Sunny, near 60, water 60
Wind: WSW- W to 35 mph
Schooled:  Hopping the chop
Pictures: SCS wind data
 

Finally got it right

Day 32 of the 2013 season
Lake Leelanau 10/1/2013 Monday

With the forecast looking promising for the past several cycles I planned on hitting a different spot. But after seeing Empire beach in all it's glory I couldn't resist getting in probably the last warm, comfortable session of the season here.
I rigged my 5.0 with what looked like south winds, side shore of 15-20 mph and solid whitecaps.
Launched to lite winds on the inside with large shore break, trying to get through was difficult with the lite wind but I got lucky and made it. Once out I found it way over powering with the 5.0 but played  around a bit and probably scored one of my biggest jumps of the season, hit a wave launched upward and the wind lifted me up higher yet I felt like I was 15 feet above the trough of a wave. Landing the board tail first and almost immediately off on a plane. After that turned around and came in to rig the 4.0.
Ok time to go out through lite inside winds with huge shore break. First try ended in immediate disaster. The first big breaker was at least 5 feet which crushed me and all of my gear. Drifted in way down wind and tried again with the same crushing results by now I'm 100 yards downwind on the beach and launching in these conditions look to be unattainable for me. So I derigged on the spot and walked down to get my car drove my car to my gear and loaded it up and headed to my original spot on Lake Leelanau.
1 hour later I arrived to medium SW winds on Lake Leelanau a long narrow lake which runs north and south in the middle of the county. Looked to be perfect 5.0 so again rigged the 5.0 and headed out to gusty 20-35 mph conditions with nice swell/wind direction. Perfect for riding down the line on some of the nicer organized rollers. I soon realized the 5.0 was to big so came in a rigged the 4.0 and finally got to enjoyed the next 2 hours of riding the waves and winds. Some of the best down the line sailing in a while as the small 2-3 foot waves formed almost perfectly and aligned to the wind direction for almost perfect down the line riding.
After 4 re-rigs finally got it right.
Highlight of the day  - smooth rollers and perfect jibes in between the rollers.


Sail Time:  Empire .5 hour, Lake Leelanau 2 hours,  from 11:00 - 5:30, 2.5 hours of sailing time

Windsurf Gear: Gear that worked 4.0 with 85 liter board
Conditions:  Lake Leelanau nice swell with winds of 25-35 mph.
Weather:  Sunny, near 80, water 70
Wind: SSW to 35 mph
Schooled:  Riding down the line
Pictures: Launch at Bingham township park and GTL wind data,