OBX Day 9, Final day for me with near Epic conditions

OBX - Liquid Rush

Day 9 at OBX

4/25/2013 Thursday, Rodanthe, NC

Perfect conditions with the 4.5 sail with 85 liter board.
North winds to 30
Mostly sunny conditions - this was perhaps the best day of the 3 weeks in OBX.
Steady Hatteras winds, fairly flat conditions on the inside and chop hopping on the outside.

Gear: Perfect 4.5 conditions - 85 liter board
Sail Time: One session 11:000-1:45
Conditions: Mostly sunny slightly side off winds
Weather: Air 60s water 50s.
Wind: Mainly NNE winds maximum of 20-30
Schooled:  Hero Jibes
Images: Wind Data for the day and long arcing jibing conditions.
Picture of partial crew (Larry, Keith, Tom, Al, John, Brent, Craig, and Chuck.
Not pictured Dave, Jerry, Chris, Mick, Ron and Karen, Dean and Rick.

Video: NA

OBX Day 8, Go-Pro video

4-23-2013 Tuesday

OBX - Liquid Rush

Day 8 at OBX

4/23/2013 Tuesday, Rodanthe, NC

Same as yesterday - gray, cloudy, misting, ugly day but happy to sail.

Picked up the rigged gear from yesterday, 4.0 and sailed with the 85 liter.

Quickly rerigged down to the 3.5 with the 85 liter board. Even with the 3.5 I was overpowered and the 85 liter was to big. Today’s session wasn’t pretty but I did manage several nifty high wind transitions. Working crew out along with Chuck and Dean.

Video camera mounted on the boom recorded the consistent 8 second gybes from unhooking to re-hooking in. In the 45 minutes of go-pro recording 37 jibes were completed.

 

Sail Time: Morning session 11:00-12:30, Afternoon session 1:30 3:30

Gear: 3.5 with the 85 liter liter board

Conditions: Gray, cloudy, misting

Weather: Air 50s water 50s.

Wind: Mainly NNW winds maximum of 20-40

Schooled: High wind stuff

Images: Wind Data for the day

Video: 8 seconds of gybing 

 

 

 

 

OBX Day 7 - A Happy Birthday Session short and chillin

4-22-2013 Sunday

OBX - Liquid Rush

Day 7 at OBX

4/22/2013 Sunday, Rodanthe, NC

Gray, cloudy, rain, mist ugly day but happy to sail. I have sailed in worst conditions in Michigan.
Picked up the rigged gear from yesterday and sailed with the working crew that arrived Saturday.
Sailed the 4.0 with the 85 liter board. Not much to write home about but at least I got a birthday session in.
With mid-50s air and chilly water, I played it very conservatively
The NNE winds were gusty and eventually lightened up when a rain squall hit.

Sail Time: 1.5 hour from 3:30-5:00

Gear: 4.0 with the 85 liter liter board

Conditions: Gray, cloudy, rain, mist

Weather: Air 50s water 50s.

Wind: Mainly NE winds maximum of 10-30

Schooled: Speed runs on the flat water

Images: Wind Data for the day

Video: NA

 

OBX Day 6, Where is the water?

OBX - Liquid Rush

4/21/13  Sunday, Rodanthe, NC
Day 6 Liquid Rush.

The bad news, the strong all night NE winds and low tide caused a low water level alert.

The results of the low water was a long walk out to find deep enough water to launch in.

The good news,  four epic short session’s throughout the day.

Each ending sooner than later due to cold hands. But a quick dip in the hot tub between sessions got the hands warmed up enough for another session.
4.0 all day no re-rigging any other sails, used the 85 liter board with my favorite fin.
Each session I felt I gained more confidence with the high winds. Did a lot of the normal jibes which I really don't do much of anymore due to duck jibing 90% of he time.

Sail Time: 6.0 hours from 10:30-6:00

Gear: 4.0 with the 85 liter liter board.

Conditions: Flat inside and chop outside
Weather: Air 50s water 50s, Sunny
Wind: Mainly NE winds 20-40 mph
Schooled: Relearning the jibe
Images: Wind Data for the day, Where there was 3 feet of water on Friday now was the beach launch.
Video: NA

 

 

 

 

OBX Day 5 - After a light winded week - finally a day 5 with 4 riggings from 5.5 down to 3.5

A week off in OBX

4/19/13 Friday, Rodanthe, NC

 It's been a week of light winds which were mainly from the east.

East is not a desirable direction at this site. Although I got out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on light wind gear, 6.0/109 RRD but mostly non-countable marginally conditions. I did manage 2 of my best downwind 360s to date on Wednesday and some practice on light wind freestyle.

Finally a Day 5 - Liquid Rush

Session 1: At 7:30 AM rigged in the 5.5 with the 101 liter RRD. A quickie pre-breakfast session for Larry and I, done by 9:00 and sitting at the Atlantic Cafe by 9:30.

Session 2: By 10:00 back to LQ rigging the 5.0. The winds are slowly ramping up typical Hatteras style. At 10:30 sailed with the 5.0/85 liter until 11:30. The 5.0 became to much to handle at this point.

Session 3: Now rigging the 4.0 while wind is starting to rage to 30+ mph. Back on the water by 12:00 this lasted until 2:00.

Session 4: Final rigging of the day, my smallest sail 3.5 which was purchased 2 years ago. Now I finally have a chance to use it. This lasted from 2:30 until 5:00.

All sessions had excellent chop hopping conditions along with some slicing and dicing with the rarely used FSW fin that originally came with the JP.

With 80+ degrees and a partly sunny sky, raging winds with uncharacteristic Hatteras gusty conditions made for an challenging day.

The S winds were steady until 6:00 when it started to lighten up and the sailing day was then over for me.

 

Sail Time: 7:30 - 5:00

Gear: 5.5, 5.0, 4.0, 3.5 with the 101 and 85 liter liter board.

Conditions: Classic Hatteras

Weather: Air 80s water 70s.

Wind: Mainly South winds maximum of 20-35

Schooled: Chop hopping

Images: Wind Data for the day

Video: NA

 

 

                     

                                       

                                         Long arcing jibes

OBX Day 4 - Storm winds over the sound

OBX  - Liquid Rush

4/12/13 Friday, Rodanthe, NC

Day 4 back to Liquid Rush as Storm winds brewed over the sound.

 

Session 1: At noon I rigged in the rain the 4.5 with the 85 liter JP. By the time I completed rigging the wind already dropped. So I put out the 101 liter RRD and had a good 1.5 hour session before  the rain squall ended thus ending the wind.

Left the rigged gear on the beach hoping for more later.

 

Session 2: As it cleared up the wind slowly ramped up and by 3:30 it was sunny and capping. The rigged gear on the beach was ready to go and fit the bill perfectly, 4.5 with the 85 liter JP.

Good chop hopping conditions, good to practice the infamous downwind 360s along with some slicing and dicing with the rarely used wave fin on the JP.

 

With 70+ degrees and a partly sunny sky, perfect 4.5 conditions made for an excellent day.
The S winds were steady until 6:00 when it started to lighten up and the sailing day was then over for me.

Dean 4.8, Larry 5.0, Tom 4.5 and Harry 5.0 all were 100% planning all day.

Sail Time: Session 1: 1.5 hour from 12:00-1:30

Session 2: 2.5 hours from 3:30-600
Gear: 4.5 with the 101 and 85 liter liter board
Conditions: Storm winds
Weather: Air 70s water 60s.

Wind: Mainly South winds maximum of 20-30
Schooled: The downwind 360
Images: Wind Data for the day

Video: NA

OBX Day 3 - Back to Salvo

 

 

4/11/13 Thursday Salvo, NC

After missing a 5.0 day on Wednesday due to a recent shoulder injury I was back at it with some pain but sailing was doable.
 

Back to Salvo launch site today, this uncrowded site offers a grassy rigging area 60 yards from the beach.
 

Again typical Hatteras it started out lite at 1:00 so I rigged the kite and practiced actual riding. I got several good tacks going out, felt good with good upwind mobility. The tacks heading in for some reason I couldn't keep upwind enough and eventually had to do "the walk" when wind became to much for me to handle

By 4:00 I rigged the 5.0 with the 101 RRD and enjoyed near perfect 5.0 flat water conditions 1.5 hours of sunny warm steady winds. Completed 50% of the downwind 360s I attempted that's about  average.

Called it a day at 5:30 after wind let up a tad plus playing it conservatively due to injury.

Mick 5.5, Dean 4.8 and  Tom 5.0 - 100% planning all day.

Sail Time: 2.0 hours from 2:00 - 4:00
Gear: 5.5 with the 101 liter board
Conditions: Classic Hatters OBX
Weather: Air 70s water 70s.
Wind: South winds maximum of 15-25
Schooled: Worked at the downwind 360 and slicing and dicing small chop

Images: Shallow Flat Water Paradise and local wind data for the day.

Video: NA

 

  

OBX Day 2 - Welcome back to Liquid Rush

4/9/13 Tuesday, Rodanthe, NC

 

Day 2 back to Liquid Rush as Larry and Harry checked in and welcomed us aboard.

Day 2 started out light so I rigged the kite and practiced self launch, relaunching,  riding normal side, goofy foot and body drags.

By 2:00  with typical Hatteras style the winds picked up so I ditched the kite and rigged the 5.5 with the 101 liter RRD. Enjoyed the next 2 hours of sunny, warm steady winds.  Getting back into the groove I left back in November of 2012. Succeeded in 50% of the downwind 360s I attempted.
 

With 70+ degrees and a bluebird sky and slightly overpowering 5.5 conditions made for an excellent day.
 

Called it a day at 4:00 after a crash which tweaked my shoulder causing a familiar pain. Buckets of ice and inflammatory medications are now being taken.

Mick 6.5, Dean 5.5, Larry 6.5/5.5, Tom 5.5 and Harry 6.5 were 100% planning all day.

Sail Time: 2.0 hours from 2:00 - 4:00
Gear: 5.5 with the 101 liter board
Conditions: Classic Hatters OBX
Weather: Air 70s water 60s.Wind: South winds maximum of 15-25
Schooled: Mainly worked at the downwind 360 with 50% success rate - getting there..

Images: Larry passing the sunken barge

Video: NA

 

OBX Day 1 - Opening Day 2013

4/8/13 Monday, Salvo NC

Opening Day 2013, 60+ degrees bluebird sky with marginally 6.0 conditions. SSW winds 10-20 through the morning and by 3:00 the winds ramped up to 22-25.  
Arrived at 1:00 and rigged the 6.0, found out it wasn't quite enough so I rigged the kite and got some needed experience on it.
At 3:00 the wind picked up enough for 6.0 sailing on the 109 RRD board. Sailed until 5:00 and called it a day, a good easy day to start the season. 
Mick 9.5 and Dean 7.5 were 100% planning most of the day.

Sail Time: 2.5 hours from 3:00 - 5:30
Gear: 6.0 with the 109 liter board
Conditions: Classic Hatters OBX
Weather: Air 60s water 60s.Wind: South winds maximum of 10-20+
Schooled: Getting the sea legs back

Images: Dean and Mick at happy hour and the Jelly fish were out in small numbers.

Video: NA