Author Topic: Slow learner in Fast company  (Read 7733 times)

PonoBill

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Slow learner in Fast company
« on: January 25, 2015, 06:52:51 PM »
We finally had a downwinder today. Yay. It's been much too long. It was nuking pretty well on the south shore from the north wind storm we're having. All the non-pro fast folks went...  ...and me. I figured on getting left in the dust, but I didn't figure on being a mile behind by Sorrentos. Sheesh. We gotta get some other old slow people to go on these downwinders.

I fell four times before Sorrentos, and just about at the four Season I fell and my leash cuff pulled off. Man, what an adrenalin rush. I dropped my paddle and sprinted for the board. I was just about to give up on the sprint when the board turned sideways and stopped. I swam like a madman after it, and got the leash cuff. I wasn't all that freaked out about my safety--I was uncharacteristically close in, probably no more that a few hundred yards out. But I didn't want to lose this sweet new board and be back on my 38 pound V2.

I got up on the board and turned around, the there was my paddle, getting blown across the water. No more than twenty feet away.

I finished the run, but I was even slower after the runaway. I think my flailing swim with camelback sapped my energy. I finished the run and everyone was already loaded up, in dry clothes, shooting the breeze. Ralph and Bill H were long gone. I've got to pick up my pace, this is getting silly. I misread my GPS on the beach and thought I averaged 7MPH, it was actually six. But still-average 6MPH and finish a mile behind everyone? Fast company.

The slow learner part is the leash--more specifically calf cuffs. I've had four leash cuffs pull off this year--three surfing and now this. All calf cuffs, all from worn velcro. I think calf cuffs don't have enough velcro wrap, and maybe the hooks break off quicker. Whatever the cause, there's no reason to have a breakaway cuff on a downwind leash. We're not pulling into waves where there are circumstances when you want you leash to release. At least not on purpose. I need to make someting much more secure. Certainly no more worn out calf cuffs. That was more excitement than I need.



The third downspike is where I lost the board. Didn't lose that much time, Or actually I can reverse that and say I'm much too slow to get back on the board most times, so it didn't make that much difference. Spike two is exceptionally slow because nature called.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 06:56:00 PM by PonoBill »
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.

covesurfer

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2015, 08:14:49 PM »
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/682908794

It was fast today. My Garmin shows some very fast mile splits, several over 8MPH and one mile almost 9 (8.7MPH)(!) And still, Ralf and Southbay SMOKED me. At least they were in sight at the end. Fast company indeed.


I was nervous about the end, that fat groundswell seemed to come out of nowhere. I saw a large swell coming as I was getting ready to exit and had to paddle back out, then charge in quick. It was a relief to not have any tourists or kids in the water near the beach. When it rolled in, those were, potentially, waves of consequence, as HM would say. Consequences being a likely broken board. And a pretty horrible walk of shame if you timed it wrong. It was look like a waterman or look like a complete fool at the get out.

PonoBill

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2015, 08:37:53 PM »
Those big rollers added a bit of excitement at the end. I was thinking that after Salt Creek they were well inside my wheelhouse--not pitching like the Salt Creek waves were. But they were nothing to sneeze at. I was a little surprised not see some fiberglass. That beach is a small target in big waves, and I was VERY glad not to see a bunch of clueless tourists bobbing in the whitewater. "Oh look Martha, one of those SUP people. No, don't get out of the way, we have as much right to be here as they do."
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.

Off-Shore

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2015, 03:04:34 AM »
The slow learner part is the leash--more specifically calf cuffs. I've had four leash cuffs pull off this year--three surfing and now this. All calf cuffs, all from worn velcro. I think calf cuffs don't have enough velcro wrap, and maybe the hooks break off quicker. Whatever the cause, there's no reason to have a breakaway cuff on a downwind leash. We're not pulling into waves where there are circumstances when you want you leash to release. At least not on purpose. I need to make someting much more secure. Certainly no more worn out calf cuffs. That was more excitement than I need.

PB, I have noticed that the leash I use on my SIC F16 (a RedPaddle Coiled Leash made in Spain or Portugal) has a cuff made for calf AND ankle use. When I use in "calf mode" not all the velcro is engaged, but when I put on my ankle it is (as it is less circumference (thankfully)).. So when conditions are big and scary, I ankle cuff, and when it is normal, I calf cuff, if that makes sense. Losing a board downwinding because a leash breaks is my worst nightmare... so I am glad you got back to yours before it flew off..
SB 9' x 33' x 4.1" - RPC 9'8" iSUP - SB All-Star 12'6" - Blue Planet Bump Rider 14 - SB Ace 14 x 27 - RedAir 14' Elite Race - SIC Bullet 14v1 TWC - SICMaui F16v3 Custom

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HksupaHk_SUP_and_Downwinding

Southbay

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2015, 12:29:42 PM »
Whoops, I went and resurrected the old Southside thread....anyway, as said above, terrific conditions and great company.  It was my best run ever on the SUP.  http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/683291986

Ralf, Cove and I battled it out along side the skis for most of the run, but they smoked us at the end.  I pushed really hard to try and keep up with Ralf, but he beat me by a few hundred yards, 10.4 miles later.  Ralf never fell once, and I fell 3 times.  I had a 7.9 MPH average, and 3 out of 10 miles I averaged 8.9 MPH (6min 35sec miles).  I got way too far outside at the end, and had to make a 90 degree turn, and actually paddle upwind for a bit, but the waves were just too tempting, and I kept thinking I could gain on Ralf!  haha....

Pono, you kick ass!  I hope I can compete the way you do when I am in that bracket.  Huge respect.


Oh, and yeah the surf at the end could have been a disaster.  Getting caught inside with a 4 "Cove" long board is no joke!

PonoBill

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2015, 12:42:05 PM »
Oh dear, it appears we have a new unit of measurement. "Double Over Gregg"  (DOG) was bad enough, but a Cove?  4.35 feet? I'm sure he's taller than that. At least 4'6".  I guess that makes a DOG an eight foot wave.

I have to say Southbay that I liked you better on that old heavy board you used to have. You were also a lot kinder back then.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2015, 12:44:51 PM by PonoBill »
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.

Southbay

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2015, 12:49:42 PM »
I'm taking it out on Cove because I can't go today!  It looks good too. Ugh. Apparently my pregnant wife wants me to pick her up at the airport. Geez....

PonoBill

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2015, 12:51:46 PM »
In all the excitement I forgot about the whales. By the time I got to Sorrentos it was four mature whales and a pup. They were all doing breaches, tail slaps and fin slaps. I was thinking how much Headmount would have enjoyed that. He loves threading through the conga line  ;D :o

I considered heading out to swing around them, but I know where the double reefs lie that they seem to like, and you have to go a long way to really escape. So I put my head down and just trusted them to not want to squash the haole.

Those women are so demanding, haven't they heard of taxis?? Where's their sense of priority?
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.

DavidJohn

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2015, 04:44:27 PM »
You were lucky Bill.. Hope that never happens to me..  8)

covesurfer

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2015, 06:33:08 PM »
I'm taking it out on Cove because I can't go today!  It looks good too. Ugh. Apparently my pregnant wife wants me to pick her up at the airport. Geez....

It ended up that I couldn't go either! So, you've abused me almost as much as would be the case had I actually shown up for a run, but, I didn't even get the pleasure of surfing downwind for 10+ miles, dodging whales and hoping not to get creamed by a wave 3 Coves OH at the end! ;D

HM and Pono went, but they get almost no grief. Well, I take that back, I'm pretty hard on Pono in person. But, he likes it.

And, yeah Pono, we all liked SB better back when he went slow. He's killing every one of us now except for Ralf and he's next I think. At least we can commiserate about how young SB still is. He'll still be younger than I am now when I'm around 80.

PonoBill

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2015, 07:05:16 PM »
You were lucky Bill.. Hope that never happens to me..  8)

It's my second time, I hope this isn't one of those things that run in threes. The first time was on a Maliko run, and yes, the cuff came off. Fortunately Boyum was nearby and caught my board. Unfortunately he refused to paddle the two boards back into the impact zone of the wave that got me, so I had to swim quite a ways, My thrashing didn't impress Bill and he started giving me swimming lessons the next day.

We don't have any handy big red buoys to climb on, not that the one you got up on looked like all that great a place.
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.

PonoBill

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2015, 10:24:03 PM »
Nice, easy money Southside run today. The wind wasn't strong but it lined up perfectly. First half of the run was great fun, with lots of deep trenches to drop into and turn along. Boyum and I were booth just kind of goofing, trying things. But I was falling and he wasn't. Second half the going got a little tougher and I had to work for glides. Serious paddling and a lot of intense wave reading, but it worked well. I actually quit falling once I stopped farting around. We did the run to Sorrentos (6.7 miles) in 1:03. Not bad for screwing around and falling six times. Bill beat me by a minute or two.
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.

PT Woody

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2015, 05:01:23 AM »
You were lucky Bill.. Hope that never happens to me..  8)

It's my second time, I hope this isn't one of those things that run in threes. The first time was on a Maliko run, and yes, the cuff came off. Fortunately Boyum was nearby and caught my board. Unfortunately he refused to paddle the two boards back into the impact zone of the wave that got me, so I had to swim quite a ways, My thrashing didn't impress Bill and he started giving me swimming lessons the next day.

We don't have any handy big red buoys to climb on, not that the one you got up on looked like all that great a place.


Yellow.


Dwight (DW)

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2015, 06:40:09 AM »
I think Velcro quality varies so much. Year to year, brand to brand.

Right now, this season, FCS leashes have the super grabby Velcro. Grabs so hard, its almost hard to tear off.

headmount

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Re: Slow learner in Fast company
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2015, 08:43:28 AM »
Of course they were yellow.  No Naish guy would jump on a red buoy.  Only a Fanatic would do that.

 


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