Downwinding across shipping channels?

[Off-Shore]

And here is a very short clip as I entered the shipping channel, showing today's conditions taken when I was NOT paddling, as I did not have my GoPro with me, and was using a SONY handheld waterproof Cybershot Camera whilst kneeling on the board

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For those interested in the speeds across the channel (when I was standing and paddling), here is a screen grab from my Garmin. Windspeeds were around 35kph (19 knots) gusting to 45kph (24 knots) -Apologies for the low tech of this all.

[coldsup]

 Hey Off Shore....where you stashing all this gear?


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[Off-Shore]

Hey Off Shore....where you stashing all this gear?

Okay... you asked for it. I can see all you Maui, SA, Oz, and Gorge guys thinking, WT#? But I'm a guy who used to carry a spare Universal Joint in a fanny pack / bum bag amongst other things, in my windsurfing days as I broke a few of them landing badly in waves... floating to shore through the surf with a board separated from my rig was not something I wanted to repeat too often

This is a pre-production 2012 CamelBak Baja, so has many more pockets in it than the production ones, including one with a zip (essential to stop losing stuff from it when conditions are big). This is how the gear was stashed on yesterday's run

A. CamelBak
1. Right Chest Zipped Pocket - Floating Knife + Gel
2. Left Chest Pocket - Steel Diving Lanyard, Waterproof light, phone in waterproof case
3. Right lumbar pocket - Energy Bar + Gel
4. Left lumbar pocket - Gel
5. Main Back pocket - 2 litre CamelBak bladder - Paddling in 30 Deg C / 85-90 Deg F heat I go through 1 litre per hour

B. Fluid Waist Type inflatable PFD
1. Top Zipped Pocket - Gel
2. D-Ring - S type Clip + one of those bendy PVC covered aluminum cables (good for tying down stuff)
If conditions are really big I wear a normal paddling PFD over the CamelBak

C. Tied to my shorts drawstring
1. Left Pocket - Marine Whistle + Waterproof phone pack - inside carry cash + ID card (in case we are stopped by marine police, or end up on the Mainland)
2. Right Pocket - Sony Cyber-Shot Waterproof Camera

[coldsup]

You worked out yet where the VHF radio is going 

[Off-Shore]

You worked out yet where the VHF radio is going 

Coldsup, you are right, I have not thought this through properly yet... oh wait, there's one pocket I haven't yet used in this CamelBak, at the back between my shoulder blades is a net pocket with a drawstring. I have no idea what CamelBak were thinking when they designed this, as it is impossible to reach into without taking it off, but it is definitely big enough for the VHF! I sometimes carry a spare 1mm wetsuit top looped through it when it gets colder here.

Actually what I was thinking is switch the camera for my phone in my right pocket, and then put the VHF in the left chest pocket. Might be painful falling on it though.. any other ideas?

[Board Stiff]

Off shore,  that middle back pocket isn't completely impossible to reach, though I nearly separated a shoulder the one time I had to pull an energy drink out of it while wearing it during a race! ;-)

[Off-Shore]

Off shore,  that middle back pocket isn't completely impossible to reach, though I nearly separated a shoulder the one time I had to pull an energy drink out of it while wearing it during a race! ;-)

Board Stiff. I hear you. Maybe some SUP yoga practicing our cow face arms would help? ;-)

[PonoBill]

I use the back pocket of my baja for my slippahs.  I carry a iPhone in a life proof case inside a waterproof bag. Tied to the lanyard of the built-in whistle. A chunk of sex wax and a leatherman micra

[Off-Shore]

Back to downwinding across shipping channels... This is the longest downwind run I've done here. It starts at Stanley on Hong Kong Island across the East Lamma Shipping Channel and then goes south of Lamma Island and then on to Cheung Chau Island. That's around 23kms / 14 miles. My next goal is to get to Lantau Island where our airport is. This is around 35kms / 23 miles but entails crossing another shipping channel for the Hong Kong Macau high speed ferries. These are turbocats and jetfoils which don't kick up much wake but are way much faster than the container ships. Way. And there are a constant stream of them... When you could do with that personal rescue drone that just follows behind you and picks you up and carries you to safety when needed.

[Off-Shore]

And this is why we take a safety boat, as in a north easterly if we miss Lantau Island there are a few Chinese Islands south west and then the next land we'd get to would be Hainan Island some 430kms / 270 miles away.

[Off-Shore]

And zooming out a little more...

[Off-Shore]

I use the back pocket of my baja for my slippahs.  I carry a iPhone in a life proof case inside a waterproof bag. Tied to the lanyard of the built-in whistle. A chunk of sex wax and a leatherman micra

PB, Good to see another downwinder carrying tools! The double bagging of the iPhone is a good idea as those cases don't last forever. I change mine as soon as I see any sign of moisture creeping inside.

I'm telling one of my downwind buddies here about the slippah pocket on the baja.. as you can see in the vid below he carries his Keens on the front of his SICMaui Bullet 17.4.. in typhoons too.. Most unsightly.. but if he falls (which for him, is rarely if ever) at least there is some extra padding on the deck I guess

For the record this Hong Kong downwind run is 10km / 6.25 miles and is not through a shipping channel.

[Off-Shore]

You worked out yet where the VHF radio is going 

Finally managed to get an ICOM VHF Marine Transceiver IC-M92D with built-in DSC and GPS. Bit big for the CamelBak but does fit and floats.

Now how to figure out how to licence for use here and get someone to take me through the basics in case I ever have to use...

[coldsup]

Nice one.....are you stashing it in the back of the Camelbak? I am booked into doing the course to get my licence for the VHF......not that I am doing much downwinding yet! A good investment for touring along the coast too....you never know when you might need it.

[Off-Shore]

Nice one.....are you stashing it in the back of the Camelbak? I am booked into doing the course to get my licence for the VHF......not that I am doing much downwinding yet! A good investment for touring along the coast too....you never know when you might need it.

..not quite sure yet. It fits in the left chest pocket, but will probably get in the way of paddling. Also if you fell on it I think it could be rib breaking... It also has a belt clip so I'm thinking it could go on the waist belt of my pfd with a safety lanyard. When there is a group of us I will put it in the safety boat.

The one I have you can enter an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) code into the device, and so that when you press the DISTRESS* key on the reverse of the receiver it will transmit the owners details and the GPS coordinates for 23.5 hours (assuming a full charge).

*Never make a distress call if your ship or a person is not in an emergency. A distress call should be made only when immediate help is needed