Author Topic: Adventure to the dark side  (Read 21566 times)

Southbay

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Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #30 on: October 29, 2014, 10:52:31 PM »
I am so jealous.  I knew better than to second guess you, but I still went for it....grrrr.Maliko was seriously hard work today.  To cap it off, I didn't eat any lunch and thought a banana and some coconut water would suffice...not today.  I literally turned left at the start and thought f_ck, this is gonna suck.  Probably not the best mental state for a tough run.  The result: everyone kicked my ass.  There was a guy on the shuttle that has not beaten me in a year, and I think he had changed and left by the time I got in!  Rough day....

On a better note, I have set up a lesson with Kai Bartlett tomorrow, in the OC-1.  The wind looks way better, but there is also gonna be a pretty big swell hitting.  We'll see what Kai wants to do.  Cove, there is no backing out!  See you at noon.

covesurfer

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #31 on: October 29, 2014, 11:02:01 PM »
Bad move on my part going on Maliko today. Lots of boats, SB and I decided to man up and stand up.

It was tough and obviously going to be hard from the get go. A building North swell, a bit of easterly trade swell and not much wind at all. And, I may be wrong, but it sure felt like there was an underlying current to fight as well.

I forgot my Garmin, which was probably good, as I couldn't look down and see how slow I was going. We took a fairly conservative, outside line, maybe a mile to a mile and a half out. As SB and I got in sight of outer Sprecks, we both saw a big set come into the reef and plenty of surf. We were already pretty damn far out.

The mantra for me on days like today - when in doubt, go FARTHER out. We scratched right and since we spotted the outside surf from so far away, it was no problem working out further. I do wish I'd had my Garmin so that I could see our track, as I think we must have been two miles out from the Kanaha beaches. When I got even with lowers, I finally started to slowly go left, keeping my eye on the swells. It ended up being a relatively drama free run although the last couple miles were just slow and sloppy. Then again, the whole run was pretty much that way.

I shoulda gone with HM. Sounds like an epic run on the south side. There's a possible boat lesson on the Maliko run tomorrow. If the swell fills in as predicted, I may need to download the cliff note version from SB at a later time. :o

SB, if you see this, post your Garmin track or email it to me.  I'm sore as hell.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2014, 11:04:19 PM by covesurfer »

covesurfer

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #32 on: October 29, 2014, 11:05:27 PM »
I knew better than to second guess you, but I still went for it....grrrr.

HM, for the record, it's all SB's fault.

Southbay

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #33 on: October 29, 2014, 11:22:01 PM »
I didn't have GPS either.  We were way out.  Further than we needed to be, but with that little wind I was not gonna risk it.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #34 on: October 30, 2014, 04:26:03 AM »
Sorry to hear your runs were less than ideal SB and cove.  Here's the line I took.

I was also sorry to hear that Jeremy and Kathy were looking for me out there, I assumed someone had seen me (in my neon green) turn downwind earlier than the group.  I started with Donny Abernathy.  He and I did lots of runs together when I was on outrigger.

Jeremy and Kathy were on ski.  I should have gone out further and started with them, but I was dead tired from work and those two shot out of the gulch like rockets.  Kathy is faster than me in lighter conditions.  It's a safe bet that Jeremy is too. 

I took a standard line (for me) with the low tide and north swell.  I was taking just enough energy from the bombs to keep a nice pace without zooming left.  I was lucky it wasn't peaking up more with white water.  I was able to parallel those bombs all across the reef without getting tagged or having to charge left.  There were some very nice currents on that line, so I was very lazy in there and kept ok speed.

Once off the reef (that blue section) the run opened up very nice.  That was super fun in a boat.  Very little effort, big payoffs.

Tell Ralfie I did a 1:07 and was dead tired and lazy.  That will piss him off enough to get him in a boat too!

Have fun with Kai, I'm so jealous!

     
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covesurfer

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #35 on: October 30, 2014, 03:44:23 PM »
Wow, LBP, that looks like a fairly inside line considering the occasional set waves that were rolling in. On the standups, with the wind so light, we couldn't generate enough speed to be sure we'd be able to get across the outer reef without some consequences. When we were still quite a ways up, well before Euro Beach, we could see a lot of surf breaking far outside. We just aimed right and went way outside, no breakers but what a slog. It was a great workout though!  ;D

I really wanted to go with SB on his lesson today but the surf was too big for me and I still can't see more than about 15' to 25' in front of me. I go back to the eye doc first thing tomorrow and I'm hoping she'll tell me I can at least wear temporary contacts so that I can see again! 

With binoculars, however, I can see nearly all the way to Paia from our place and there is plenty of action going on out there. The winds are relatively light and most of the coast is in a salt haze from large, breaking surf. Outer Sprecks (Spartans) is breaking with very large waves and Pier 1 is going off as well. The guys are going to need a very outside line today.  Can't wait to hear about it!

PonoBill

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #36 on: October 30, 2014, 04:55:17 PM »
Are you guys surfing??
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headmount

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #37 on: October 30, 2014, 05:21:40 PM »
Blown out

covesurfer

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2014, 05:28:13 PM »
I went to the harbor this morning. Set waves were solid head high. RR was out on his new ride so that confirms it was legit. I got there late - like 9 - and the wind was starting to blow too hard, that combined with low vision (a freaking saga of a story) shortened my set to only a half hour. I got a couple nice waves but it was too short. RR came in as I was loading up. He'd gone out at 7 - smart. He had a great session. Kanaha was pretty sloppy from what I heard.

I have eye doc first thing tomorrow so I'll try to get in the water right after if she can finally let me wear contacts again. Having good vision is kind of a cool thing, especially when you're trying to surf or downwind!

It hasn't been like last year, we didn't have much surf in October. Or much wind. We have had a couple of short-lived south swells, one in September (I think) and one after Ana passed. But the water quality after the storm was terrible and there were three shark bites on boards (no injuries) that week.

Lots of sticky and humid and a lot of decent OC1 runs but not much else. Too light for good standup downwind for the most part. This latest north (358 degrees) swell should be around until Sunday am. Interestingly, this swell was generated by Ana, as she curved around north of the islands and made her way back to the east. They keep saying strong trades, any day now, but so far, they're still on the lighter side - maybe 15 today. They'll probably kick about when the swell starts to clean up.  ::)

HM and I were hoping for a s side today but looks like a no-go. At least the pool is open and I can swim, even when I'm half blind. So, it's laps for me today.

You are probably getting here at the perfect time, you haven't missed anything in September/October.

littleray

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2014, 09:36:37 PM »
Things like what I see in this thread are why I said "Water--yes, SUP--no" in the "Are you a SUP addict" thread.  Much as I love standup, I could see myself being pretty happy in an outrigger or especially a surfski.  So much of what's good about one seems good about the other.

Except for the sitting part. I'm doing two hundred crunches every day getting ready for Maui. And I still know being in a canoe is gonna kill my back. Until I lose this fat in my gut any kind of boat without back support is going to be a challenge. One more reason to lose 40 pounds--as if I needed another.
Crunches are so old school.Pilates will build your core much more efficiently,balance the whole body and get your back ready and strong.

PonoBill

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #40 on: October 30, 2014, 10:10:38 PM »
Yeah, but you have to put up with all those smug, flatulent Pilates people.

Oh, wait, that's vegans.
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littleray

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #41 on: October 30, 2014, 10:18:24 PM »
Yeah, but you have to put up with all those Pilates people.
Easy to ignore them. Once there,it's all about you.A good instructor is key.
If she's good looking,even better ;)

Southbay

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Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #42 on: October 31, 2014, 01:54:59 AM »
Today was pretty awesome.  I set up a lesson with Kai Bartlett for me and my friend.  The wind was suppose to be cranking, but the ride up showed huge waves, but not much for wind.  Sure was glad to be on the OC-1 today. 

Waves were breaking inside Maliko, next to the boat ramp, and the mouth of the gulch was frothing with white water with massive slabs erupting on either side of the gulch.  We paddled out a good 3/4 mile before turning left, and then angling out further.  The glides were pretty decent, but could be disrupted buy massive swells from the north.  Turns out there was some wind, but the swell were so big that they must has been blocking the wind and not creating white caps.

Kai was paddling to my left and helping me by yelling "left", "right" or "paddle" helping me see further ahead what I was going to connect with.  OC-1s are so much faster that SUPs, that you really need to be looking 20+ yards ahead and not at the trough in front of you.  I am sure that is the same with SUP at some level, but I am not there yet. 

We really took our time.  My friend was gapping me easily, and Kai could drop him at the drop of a hat.  He never misses a bump.  The way these top guys can read the water is awe inspiring.  He could put 50 yards on you at any moment, and then do it again and again.  And this is on a day that was not great, for Maliko.  It felt more like a channel crossing than a Maliko run, and yet he had not problem finding connections.  Once we got outside of Kanaha, I really started to put some bumps together, turning right and left and I was feeling pretty comfortable, then I hulied.  I got back in the boart quick and tried to get going again, but didn't get the flow back quite as good as I did for that section. 

We would sit and talk for a while and rest.  It was a great pace for a lesson, and it the wind had been epic, we would have probably just run and I doubt I would have got quite the instruction that I got today.  Right after one of these rests I took off first, and then turned around and took a breath as I watched my friend and Kai paddling down the face of a open ocean swell that looked like it was 20 ft tall.  It was one of the coolest things I have witnessed in the water.  These guys were just catching swells, working down the face of a mountain of moguls.  Wish I had a camera, it was damn cool.

The finish was big and confused water, but not too hairy.  We went way outside pier 1 and cruised into the harbor.  I caught a swell all the way to the beach in front of the canoe hale.  Great day.  So here we are, its winter!  Maliko is a whole nother beast this time of year. 

If anyone is interested, in an OC-1 lesson, I would highly recommend calling Kai Bartlett.  I'm hoping to go tomorrow.  Was there wind on the southside?  Let's do this!
« Last Edit: October 31, 2014, 01:57:41 AM by Southbay »

LaPerouseBay

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #43 on: October 31, 2014, 09:35:57 AM »

Wow, LBP, that looks like a fairly inside line considering the occasional set waves that were rolling in.


It was, and I didn't want to be in there.  But I was too tired to paddle straight out, so I said 'f&ck it, if I get mowed that's just too bad'  The troughs were massive but held just enough current to allow me to sneak over the ridges.  It was two miles across the reef.   I was tired.  I knew I was in a tough spot, so I tried to relax.  I tried to feel the current pulling the boat out and got on the bumps leading parallel to the ridge.  I didn't fight anything.  I had maybe one match to burn and wanted to save it.  Sometimes a sprint can save you if white water is on the way.

We are all rolling the dice to some extent on that reef in the winter.  It wasn't really that hairy.  Please be careful in uncle biggie's old boat!

SB, south shore came up for a while, but it was short lived.  Stoked to hear you had so much fun out there with Kai!


       
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PonoBill

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Re: Adventure to the dark side
« Reply #44 on: October 31, 2014, 09:42:23 AM »
Hence my patented chicken line. Licenses are available for a nominal fee.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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