Day 33 of the 2017 season: Empire beach - Not your typical Empire beach session

Not your typical Empire Beach session. Another side shore south breeze 12-25 mph, squally condition type of day. At one time I counted 4 rain showers crossing the lake.
Managed to stay dry on the second hour of my session - that is no showers were landing ashore.
I had the entire beach to myself...just an ugly weather day but at least there was some decent riding to be found.
That's 4 Empire Beach sessions so far this year...that might be record territory.


TOB:   6:00 - 8:00 pm
Gear:    13M, TT for and hour and directional for an hour
Water Conditions:   Fairly flat
Weather:   Cloudy, rain squalls. lower 50s  
Wind:  side shore south winds 12-25 mph
Highlights: got a good workout on the directional board with the straps, it saved the day in the lighter wind conditions. Did a run halfway to Empire Bluff and worked the surf board carving it downwind in basically small choppy conditions.

Empty beach with cold, wet weather

Day 32 of the 2017 season: Nearly a Classic Empire Beach session

Nearly an empty beach on this Memorial weekend holiday.
Good news, some of the beach areas have gained 20-30 feet more space.  Makes it easier launching and landing kites.
Rigged the 13M and the 11M because it was hard to tell the wind speed with the side shore wind direction. Started with the 13M and stuck with it for the entire 2 hours. Mostly in half depowered mode.  The riding was nearly perfect steady side shore winds. Hardly any worthwhile waves due to the side shore conditions.  Took a trip upwind to Empire Bluff then did the down winder back to the beach in fairly flat conditions, not your usual downwind carving the inside up conditions.
Watched as a storm formed and moved across the lake toward me, eventually blocking out he sun and coming ashore. Thinking it was going rain I came in to take cover, but the stormed fizzled, the wind did drop and that ended my day.

Last summer this area was just 2-4 feet of  sandy beach

TOB:   4:30 - 6:30
Gear:    13M and TT
Water Conditions:   Fairly flat
Weather:   Mostly sunny 60 degrees 
Wind:  side shore south winds 15-25mph
Highlights:  Easy pleasy day - made it upwind to Empire Bluff then did the down winder to the beach

Day 31 of the 2017 season: Is this the new normal for Lex

TOB:  2:00 - 5:00
Gear:   11M Z1 and TT
Water Conditions:  more like a slick then the normal waves you'd expect. Some clean swells just off the pointe were available to play in but not what I would expect with the NNE winds.
Weather:  mid-40s and mostly clouds.
Wind: not the steadiest northern winds with some east, but Craig and I made it work.  Estimated at 15-25mph.
Highlights: fun day playing in the slicks near the wall and inside the harbor where the wind was the steadiest.

Port Sanilac wind data

Day 30 of the 2017 season:: A short but spicy Empire Beach session

Started out with a perfect launch with a side shore wind and forgetting to zip up my drysuit.... quickly I came in and zipped it up after taking on some shore break and sand.
Back out on the water it was every bit as good as yesterday. Shorted lived due to some ugly clouds heading toward the coast. Upon the ugly cloud arrival it produced a quick wind direction switch, increased wind speed and instantly dropping to 45 degrees.  Tough landing the kite when my anchor was set up for a side shore launch...made it work by pulling a center line when I  put the kite down on it's edge....a few scary moments with a small space in between some smoldering fire pits, (last nights beach fires), to land the kite.

TOB:   1:00 - 2:15
Gear:   11M Z1 kite and TT
Water Conditions:  organized  southwest swell cleaning up on the inside
Weather:  mostly cloudy with a squall ending the session, temperature went from 65 to 45 with the wind switching from SSW to W..... ugg..
Wind:   started SSW ended west 20-30mph
Highlights:  Another fun short lived session with carving in the clean shore break

Day 29 of the 2017 season: Classic Empire Beach Day

A Classic Empire Beach Day, a very rare day with mid-70s, sunny and an empty beach. I was able to launch from the most primo spot on the beach.

Rigged the 11M Z1 and was perfectly dialed in playing in the waves, good lift heading out, great olling heading in with some clean swell on the inside to carve up. 

Headed up wind near the bluff and found it extremely gusty close to shore. Carved my way back to the beach to take a break and maybe rig my 9M. After the break I rigged the 9 only to have the wind lighten up, came and decided to wrap it up and check back later. Later in the day the wind was side off shore and to chancy to rig up.

TOB:  10:00 - 12:00 and 2:00 - 2:30
Gear:  11M Z1 and 9M Z with TT
Water Conditions:   mostly organized southwest swell, fairly clean on the inside
Weather:  mid-summer day, mid-70s, side shore, SSW wind and mostly sunny
Wind:  SSW to 30mph, gusty upwind by the bluff, steady in front of beach
Highlights:  first wave carving day of the season

Day 28 0f the 2017 season: HI lights up like never before

Craig slashing with my 6.5

Good call by Keith, sprinkles, cloudy, cold and windy. What else is there to do on such an ugly day but rig up our smallest gear and go for a ride.
Probably the windiest conditions I've ever kited in. 25-40+ mph winds from the WSW, punchy but solid enough. Fully depowered with the 6.5 at times and half depowered on average.
Near epic day with Keith instigating todays action, Craig flying a 6M Z kite, Chris and Keith on their 7s and Tom on his 6.5 LF....doesn't get much better, well maybe 75 degrees and sunny would of been a plus.

Gusting over 40mph

TOB: 1:30 - 4:00
Gear: 6.5 and TT
Water Conditions:  choppy to some nice rollers 
Weather: 50ish and cloudy
Wind: WSW 25-40+
Highlights: love that little kite

Chris continues to amaze with the strapless