Topics

16

Downwind and Racing / As the wind blows

« on: December 13, 2016, 04:49:49 AM »

Like wind and waves? Foils maybe?

Anyone following the Vendee Globe solo round the world race with crazy fast foiling monohulls? The pack following the leaders are coming into 50 to 70 knot winds and 10 meter waves. Helllooooooo. Batten down the hatches.

Anyone have any idea what that’s like? Well that’s between beaufort force 11 and 12.

Let's hear some wind stories.

[In Knots or Beaufort please. If you aren't accustomed to it get used to it. This is a watersports forum. it's really weird to hear people talk about wind in mph or kmh, means nothing to a waterman. Miles and Kilometers are for landlubbers.]

Plenty of wind scales available. Here is a good one:
   www.windfinder.com/wind/windspeed.htm

17

Downwind and Racing / Dugouts for downwinds

« on: December 05, 2016, 02:48:38 AM »

Dugout style is so popular for those races. Top 10 it looks like.

https://www.facebook.com/supracerr/videos/1188492054568177/

http://www.supracer.com/2016-king-of-the-cut-results/


I’m still not a fan of dugouts, I’m in this game for the planing feel and love to carve turns while downwinding. But I keep my eye on this trend and stay curious.

I know Titou also used to prefer an Allstar to an Ace when with Starboard because he like to work the planing. To see him in a dugout now means theres a good reason for the switch. Hmmmm.

Young gun (15) Clement Colmas, 2nd, looks set for a bit of career. He was on a custom Ace it seems. I know he’s proved that one can carve an Ace DW. In the video (yellow shirt) he pulls the most elegant glides. I hadn’t realised his father, working at Starboard, was on the Ace design team.

A 14’ took line donors. There’s some chatter with a lot of top racer support to have more racers in unlimiteds for this race. Strange this race favours dugouts and yet racers are keen to do it on unlimiteds. Anyway, between planing 14’s, dugout 14’s and unlimited the paddler still makes the biggest difference. 1st woman was on a Naish Maliko.

18

Random / developing world dynamics

« on: November 25, 2016, 01:03:45 PM »

watch:

Nairobi governor elections.


A little pre debate banter: [hey, just warming up]
   https://youtu.be/SOU29ne_SYE

Debate
   https://youtu.be/AZz6ksGn0ys
   
Remind you of anything?

</duck>

19

Technique / Leave no trace

« on: November 23, 2016, 02:46:33 AM »

Clean stroke

… and great interview
   https://www.facebook.com/supracerr/videos/1174595722624477/
   
As a sailor I know turbulence is the telltale sign of something slowing you down. Standup paddling is pretty damn simple: all we have is the contact with the water. Any turbulence with our contact with water leaves a trace.

I’ve always noticed how smooth Kai Lenny is. One see’s here how he doesn't bounce the board (a la starboard flex theory). What is amazing with this footage is that his paddle doesn’t leave the slightest trace in the water. Not once. Even in that last all out stretch.

Think about it!

20

Downwind and Racing / new [tiny] inflatable pdf coming

« on: November 17, 2016, 04:23:00 AM »

I'm putting this in the DW and racing section as it's always a good idea to have this with you but the more experienced riders rarely do since they feel safer.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/660538636/restube-ultralite-inflatable-life-jacket-and-swim

I use the classic Restube. Keeps my local law enforcement happy even though it's not a full lifejacket (they are just happy we make an effort). They check a lot more and insist more the last years.

So small and out of the way I've just gotten in the habit of always carrying it. Which, at the end of the day, makes all the difference. The fact it's with you.

To be honest I will still prefer the simple tube. The likelyhood I'll use it to help someone else or to use as a visible signal is still greater than me needing a lifejacket. Just the visibility of the tube floating behind you is a very valuable thing in case of the need to swim in. Even if I carry a phone I'd most likely just be swimming in (knock on wood).

edit to add: the more experienced riders set the example. Once they all carry one then the intermediates begin too. Then beginners. It's a natural cycle I've witnessed with helmuts in biking and skiing.

Swiss lifeguards use the classic Restube and it has proved a valuable tool to save lives. I know Switzerland doesn't conjure up images of huge beach breaks which is the classic lifeguard image. However the interesting statistic is that there are more deaths from drowning per year in Switzerland than by avalanches. Yet we get skiers flocking here from the world all over doing what seems to be their best effort to kill themselves in avalanches. I lose 1 or 2 friends/acquaintances a year to avalanches and despite being a waterman in summer I don’t know anyone who has drowned. So that stat really speaks to me how dangerous water can be. And, yes, I am a certified lifeguard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0RWLxOFGLY

21

Downwind and Racing / noses

« on: November 15, 2016, 12:06:53 PM »

checking the worlds
   http://isaworlds.com/sup/2016/en/live/

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e5EwIyOWsA
   
Prone heats now. No more boof noses
   

22

The Shape Shack / drying EPS

« on: September 21, 2016, 01:01:49 PM »

I’ve had to open my whole deck. With age it broke and water was getting in. I cut around the whole deck pad and peeled it off. Gouged out a bunch of the wet eps. Got most of the really wet stuff out.

So, heres the question: how do I best dry any residual humidity that there is in the remaining EPS?

I was thinking to put the board in the sun upside down and let it heat, then at night here it is cold. Etc to let it breath. Or right side up, exosed EPS to sun?

Or other tactics?

23

Downwind and Racing / Hand blisters during a long paddle.

« on: August 23, 2016, 02:10:34 PM »

Doing a 30 mile paddle this coming weekend. Will be a long day out. Should be ready. My only worry is blisters. I don’t blister much during the season. Has happened early season and a few weekends ago where I did 2 consecutive days of about 15 miles paddling, but all on one side. (quartering wind)

Will take a small roll of 3M Micropore surgical tape with me. Nothing else planned. Any other tips of something to bring along just in case blisters start?

This week should I be putting cream on my hands? Or leave them dry?

24

Downwind and Racing / Gorge race

« on: August 21, 2016, 02:18:29 PM »

Any online coverage?

Or at least some vids taken?

25

Gear Talk / breathing life back into a coiled leash

« on: August 04, 2016, 12:05:38 AM »

my coil leash got a bit stretched out the other day unfortunately. Is there any way to get to have it's spring again?

26

SUP General / silly SUP skis

« on: July 28, 2016, 02:21:31 AM »

important question!

I'm looking for that video introducing those horrible Standup Paddle skis that look like boxes. It was on a thread in the past couple of months but I can't find it.

Yes, I did try search "silly" and have already blown my browsing time budget and while much wiser for it I didn't find what I was looking for. Searching "skis" didn;t help me either.

Anyone have a better memory than me? I so need to share it with friends who are having a silly discussion on the best boards.

27

Downwind and Racing / Dear Jimmy

« on: May 18, 2016, 07:10:33 AM »

Please can we have a 16' by 25 Rail! Ice blue if possible. Nuff sed!

Just long enough to be faster than a 14', just short enough to not need a rudder, just different enough to not qualify for races so we can still feel like rebels even if we are getting grey hair.

We promise to be good and ride it every day. [edit to add:] And we promise to race them anyway.

Thanks for the idea, Badger. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before.

28

Random / Amazing drone POV piloting skills

« on: January 27, 2016, 11:17:54 PM »

Here's one for Pono and other drone pilots. I've little experience but know via you guys how tricky drone POV flying can be. Enter the generation of kids who grew up spending hours a day on video games.

http://qz.com/602230/theres-now-a-drone-racing-league-that-feels-like-pod-racing-from-star-wars/

29

Downwind and Racing / 2016 Starboard Allstar 14 x 25

« on: January 26, 2016, 03:48:55 AM »

I’m still super curious what that low rocker central channel combined with rockered large side chines is doing for you.

I had a Cobra (260 and 290 radical) windsurf board with a similar heavily conceived hull. It rocked for turns. Engage the heavily rockered side chines and it turned like crazy. We called it the jibe machine. It was also very comfortable in chop. However those heavily concaved hull shapes fell quickly out of favor in windsurf boards as flat, or very lightly concaved, bottoms were much faster to plane.

This Big Winds video review is interesting:
   
I'm actually not that surprised for pure flatwater speed testing.

Pray tell, Big Winds (or other), what’s the scoop on the new hull shape of the 2016 version for:
A) stability in chop? Because apparently that's a big plus for the 2016 version.
B) turning? As in carving when on a plane [downwinding].

30

Downwind and Racing / Hawling Island Downwind, M14 and Rail

« on: December 01, 2015, 07:49:39 AM »

Just found this. This any one of you guys?

Festive fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpavQyrf6eI

Wish we saw more of the Rail. If it's one of you guys, or your buddies, lets see more of the Rail please.