Author Topic: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish  (Read 5572 times)

Off-Shore

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Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« on: May 22, 2015, 08:38:37 AM »
It was howling all day yesterday around 25 knots but by the time we got off work and to the downwind section, it was dusk, and the wind had dropped considerably to downbreezing weather. What also appeared in their 1,000s was the Lion's Mane jellyfish (Cyanea Nozakii)

This large, flat-topped jellyfish can grow to 50 cm / 20" in width with 8 bunches of 70 to 120 stinging tentacles that can trail up to 10 m / 33 feet. These tentacles can still sting even when they break off or are torn from the main body (though they lose potency over time). We were not prepared... I was in shorts and my friend in a farmer john wetsuit.. This is one place you would not want to fall off at night and lose your board and have to swim through these stingers in your shorts... Youch...

Despite falling twice my friend amazingly did not get stung, and I, who did not fall, got stung half way down my inside forearm somehow through my rashie... Must have been a tentacle that somehow got scooped up with my paddle and went down my sleeve..

https://youtu.be/qSTuxkudsAU
GoPro 4 Headmounted
« Last Edit: May 22, 2015, 08:42:07 AM by Off-Shore »
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SeaMe

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2015, 09:43:15 AM »
Cool paddle and the GoPro handled the low light really well. It seems like you get a decent amount of ambient light from the buildings to paddle with. Do you carry a marine light for your board just in case it gets really dark?

Hope the jellyfish sting wasn't too bad. That was some serious bad luck getting stung when you didn't even fall in. :o

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covesurfer

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2015, 11:01:12 AM »
Nice way to end the day! After about 4 weeks straight of winds over 20 every day, we are finally in a lull. Downbreezing may be all that's in store for a while for us on Maui. Or surfing....I can hope. Going in search of soon.

Those jellies are nutz! You can see them everywhere in the water. Good on you for going. Hope the sting abates quick. Thanks for posting the vid, carry on!

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2015, 11:03:08 AM »
SeMea. Yep the GoPro 4 seems to handle low light well. I don't carry a marine light, but I do have a waterproof white light attached to my CamelBak which was on the whole way, and a back up waterproof headlamp. If I was anywhere else outside this bay, I'd use a marine light. We both carried whistles and I had my usual phone, and PLB with me.

I stayed with my friend the whole way, and when she fell in, got quickly down on my knees on the board and stayed with her until she got on her feet again. I was worried she'd get stung and freak out, but she hardly got the top part of her in the water by grabbing the board as she fell and getting back on it in seconds.

The ambient light from the buildings is okay, but only up until dusk. When it gets dark it all goes black out there. Nearing the shore the Dragon Boat centre has two big halogen lights that shine on the dragon boat courses in front of it, and there are usually people out practicing at night with these lights on. Once we get close this really helps light up the area and are a good thing for us to aim for.

Those stings are quite something. The welt usually lasts for months so we were lucky..

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Off-Shore

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2015, 11:15:09 AM »
Nice way to end the day! After about 4 weeks straight of winds over 20 every day, we are finally in a lull. Downbreezing may be all that's in store for a while for us on Maui. Or surfing....I can hope. Going in search of soon.

Those jellies are nutz! You can see them everywhere in the water. Good on you for going. Hope the sting abates quick. Thanks for posting the vid, carry on!

Cove, Yep, it was a great way to end the day, but man I have never seen so many jellies that size. We have Paddle for the Planet next weekend, and there are usually a few open water swimmers who swim the course together with all the OCs, Surfskiers, rowers, dragon boaters, SUPs and kayaks who come out... I don't think so this year..
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YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/HksupaHk_SUP_and_Downwinding

covesurfer

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2015, 11:18:08 AM »
How long do they persist in your water? Until winds or tides change?

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2015, 11:52:52 AM »
Cool video. How do the speeds of the Bullet 14v1 and F16 compare in those conditions?

And coming from a cold climate, we never bother to wash our boards with fresh water after using them. Nothing happens if you don't. So, what happens to your boards if you don't?

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2015, 01:13:01 PM »
Nice O-S... glad no big stings!

I still have a mark on my arm from a TINY, eensy-weensy sting at Ragland, NZ in 1984. Hot flashes, strobes up and down my spine. Nasty!!!
Can't imagine getting whacked at night, by a full wrap-up with one of those critters.

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2015, 01:57:55 PM »
Do see some jellyfish the odd time - and are always concerned with stings.  Good that your sting did not welt up much.  Those creatures are nasty - all floaty and harmless looking - but can pack a punch.  :o  :'(
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Off-Shore

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2015, 06:07:15 PM »
How long do they persist in your water? Until winds or tides change?

We usually have these for 2-3 months from May but some last longer into the end of the summer. Turtles eat them, but there are few of them here anymore.


And coming from a cold climate, we never bother to wash our boards with fresh water after using them. Nothing happens if you don't. So, what happens to your boards if you don't?

We always try to wash them off, mainly the tiller mechanism on the F16, the leashes to stop seawater rot, and then the boards in case there is scum from the sea. Since we get a lot of rain at this time of the year a lot gets washed into the sea, and with the heat this rots and leaves this foamy scum on the surface. Once this dries on the board it can be hard to remove

Cool video. How do the speeds of the Bullet 14v1 and F16 compare in those conditions?

In those conditions I prefer the Bullet 14v1. I think the F16 is faster but the Bullet 14v1 more fun.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2015, 06:09:44 PM by Off-Shore »
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Area 10

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2015, 04:24:22 AM »
With my Naish 17, I have to stand pretty much on where the rudder arm fittings are to get into the bumps when conditions are marginal like that. So I removed the rudder mech and put a fixed fin in, and now it works for a much wider range of conditions. I'm considering buying a F16 but I'm worried that I'll face the same issue (of needing to stand where the rudder arm is in small short-period stuff). Do you find this a problem at all? How much would you use the rudder in "downbreezer" conditions?

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2015, 05:00:46 AM »
With my Naish 17, I have to stand pretty much on where the rudder arm fittings are to get into the bumps when conditions are marginal like that. So I removed the rudder mech and put a fixed fin in, and now it works for a much wider range of conditions. I'm considering buying a F16 but I'm worried that I'll face the same issue (of needing to stand where the rudder arm is in small short-period stuff). Do you find this a problem at all? How much would you use the rudder in "downbreezer" conditions?

Area 10, in Downbreezing conditions I stand with my left foot to the side of the rudder (which is on the left) and my right foot slightly forward, and I find that works well. My friend pictured here who is relatively new to downwinding thinks the rudder gets in the way even though her production F16 has a way to shorten it.

I find that standing closer to the centre in light winds means the board glides better, and I have got used to standing like that and not using the rudder.
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Area 10

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2015, 05:37:43 AM »
Yeah, that's what I thought, thanks. The rudder in those situations is a useless PITA because you don't use it, it gets in the way of where you want to stand, prevents using a fin tailored to the conditions, will pick up debris, needs maintenance, and you have to wash it after using it. I like the longer DW boards, and the glide on them once they get going is addictive. But they all have rudders... I want a 16ft DW board with a fixed fin... in the confused, rippy, shallow, short period stuff I DW in, the fun is in finding perfect trim and walking all over the board to achieve it. You are not in the same position on the board for more than a couple of seconds at a time, so if you are standing with one foot on the rudder arm you are going to be waiting stationary a very long time between bumps watching your friends disappear over the horizon.

Off-Shore

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2015, 10:36:29 AM »
Area. The tiller arm on the SIC boards has a self centering mechanism that means you don't have to have your toes on the controls at all to keep the rudder dead centre. So in these conditions I place my left foot in the space between the tiller and the rail near the centre of the board. I don't use the tiller at all to steer and it works fine. We are lucky where we paddle. that there is no weed so I don't have that issue.

SIC make a weed fin for the board and on the F16 production you can also lock the rudder in position. You are right though that no matter what you do you still have the tiller in the way for walking around the mid section of the board.
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

covesurfer

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Re: Downbreezing at dusk with stinging Jellyfish
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2015, 11:30:34 AM »
Personally, I have not heard good things about that 'weed fin' rudder from SIC. The grumbling I've heard is that it doesn't really do any of the stuff it's supposed to very well.

In areas with weeds, the SIC standard rudder fin is a liability because it will catch stuff and with no sweep (it is pretty much a vertical skeg style) once something's on it, it stays there. But, as I mentioned, the 'weed rudder' doesn't get good reviews as an alternative.

With my F16, I find with the auto centering rudder, that I can skootch forward quite a bit and just not worry about the rudder when it's flat and there's no need to use the steering. I've used electric connection heat-shrink wrap to cover up the sharp metal parts of the steering system to lessen the chances for cuts or scrapes when standing up there but also when falling or otherwise doing something you shouldn't.

Area 10, the real issue with downwind rudder boards in flat conditions isn't (just) the rudder, which is really superfluous outside of open ocean/downwind conditions, it's the board shape. The boards are not designed for flat water - you are not getting the advantage of glide that you think you would with such a long waterline when the nose is rockered up so that it won't poke. Also, with the nose rocker, the boards 'push' water in flat conditions. Even the flatter boards, like the SIC Bullet V2 are not going to perform in flatter conditions like a displacement nose board would. Furthermore, the hulls are designed to perform best when planing, as when surfing swell in downwind conditions. The rail and bottom shapes are optimized for surfing swell too.

The SIC boards are dedicated downwind boards and if your conditions are not suitable for the designs, you'd actually be better off looking into an unlimited raceboard with no rudder and just a fixed fin. Pono Bill has a 19 foot, fixed fin Speedboard that is a hoot to paddle in flat conditions. Rail shapes are typically much softer, the rocker is flattened and bottom is not concave as on downwind boards. Lastly, you aren't limited in your fin choices like you would be with a downwind rudder board. You can also make those long, flat unlimiteds work in downwind conditions and you'll definitely get to hone those walking around the board skills that are so fun! Some of the designs are surprisingly fun to surf downwind.

As far as washing sea water off, no matter what the temperatures are, leaving salt water on your gear is a bad idea. Once there is salt on something, it attracts moisture. It will also stain your gear and can leave mineral deposits that get really hard to remove. Of course it will eat anything metal eventually and a lot of the 'stainless' that is in use these days will oxidize with exposure to sea water. Leash parts are also vulnerable. Anything that you care about and that you want to last should be rinsed with fresh water as soon as possible after you get out of the ocean.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2015, 11:39:11 AM by covesurfer »

 


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