Scots starting to downwind

[coldsup]

After seeing Offshore's stunning polar express DW vid last night - I thought twice about posting our wee tame downbreezer vid. 

But then again...you got to start somewhere and our wee crew is doing just that - getting out and doing our own thing and learning and picking up experience as we go. This is only our second DW/downbreezer trip so far...but we all got glides even though it was just about 20 mph winds.

[Off-Shore]

Aye! Lookin' good out there! I'm stoked for you having a route planned out and a crew in the making. Great to see!  Downbreezing is a great way to start and build technique and confidence for a particular run. I'm looking forward to you getting this all sorted out so we Zoners can come and downwind with you.

"Heid doon. Arse up!"

[yugi]

And so it begins...

I thought the wind howled in Scotland in winter. Sure did when I visited Orkney!!!

What's that Soviet "Red Star" secret weapon? Looks like a JL M14 in the water.

[Muskoka SUP]

A nice wee downbreezer that was... Thanks for sharing Cold Sup.

[coldsup]

Thanks folks...

"Heid doon. Arse up!"  yup - can relate to that 

The board with the star - yes it is a JL M14 2015 version. He did the best out of all of us - connected a few bumps together which was his first time he has been able to do that. His first outing on the board too!

Yugi - yes - it howls here a fair bit but getting it to howl in the right direction for us is a bit trickier. It also howls sometimes too strong for us newbies.

[yugi]

... It also howls sometimes too strong for us newbies.

No such thing! (well, unless it's well over 40 kn)
Try it!

[Eagle]

Those are perfect DB conditions coldsup.  Looked like you were getting some nice glides along the way.  Good on you mate!

Definitely those M-14s can handle a lot of breeze -> so with a bit more time DW you will very soon crave for big wind days.  Once you get those boards to unstick and fully plane on a few bigger swells -> you will just want more and more of that.   

[Area 10]

... It also howls sometimes too strong for us newbies.

No such thing! (well, unless it's well over 40 kn)
Try it!

40+ knots is not particularly uncommon in many coastal parts of the UK, including Scotland. I live at the opposite end of the country where it is generally less windy, but the wind is still forecast to be gusting well over 40 knots tomorrow.

I think that when you are starting out, it is best to stick to 30 knots and below. A consistent wind of 30 knots is still very strong, and if something went wrong there is still a vague hope of rescue. Once you are getting to 40 knots and above in coastal regions even the emergency rescue services might not be able to help you. Cut your teeth for quite a while in 20-30 knots before going out in nuclear conditions, would be my advice. In fact, sometimes the best runs are in 30-35. That's quite enough to generate great bumps, but not so much that you have only one direction you can go.

[coldsup]

... It also howls sometimes too strong for us newbies.

No such thing! (well, unless it's well over 40 kn)
Try it!

40+ knots is not particularly uncommon in many coastal parts of the UK, including Scotland. I live at the opposite end of the country where it is generally less windy, but the wind is still forecast to be gusting well over 40 knots tomorrow.

I think that when you are starting out, it is best to stick to 30 knots and below. A consistent wind of 30 knots is still very strong, and if something went wrong there is still a vague hope of rescue. Once you are getting to 40 knots and above in coastal regions even the emergency rescue services might not be able to help you. Cut your teeth for quite a while in 20-30 knots before going out in nuclear conditions, would be my advice. In fact, sometimes the best runs are in 30-35. That's quite enough to generate great bumps, but not so much that you have only one direction you can go.

Absolutely.....the old saying don't run before you can walk springs to mind. thevrun we did will have great bumps in winds a bit stronger....that's more than enough for practicing

[Area 10]

Winds are forecast to be gusting 80-90 mph tomorrow in N Scotland. That would be a record-beating downwinder! But, just as I would sit out a big swell at Peahi, I would also sit out a 80 knot gale in freezing cold winter Scotland. That really would be perhaps the most extreme thing anyone could do on a SUP.

[Off-Shore]

Winds are forecast to be gusting 80-90 mph tomorrow in N Scotland. That would be a record-beating downwinder! But, just as I would sit out a big swell at Peahi, I would also sit out a 80 knot gale in freezing cold winter Scotland. That really would be perhaps the most extreme thing anyone could do on a SUP.

If only I were there... Actually if I was, I'd find a wee shallow loch running in the right direction and see what was possible. Does not need to be long. Just 1km or so would be enough...or even 500m.  Loch Leven comes to mind. When I windsurfed in Tiree in the 80s if the wind was too strong there was a wee loch there we used to sail on. Can't remember its name..

[Area 10]

Haha! That's easy to say from the comfort of nice warm Hong Kong, where 35 knots constitutes a hoolie. But the reality of 80 knots in snow in Scotland with water temps only just above freezing might prove less appealing, perhaps. It's difficult to know how you'd even get your board to the water in 80 knots, or stay on it once you did. But I'd love to see you try, and please take video if you ever do. I find 50 knots quite worrying enough, never mind 60-80. I was downwinding in 50 knots a couple of years ago and there were a few sustained gusts of 60-70 knots a couple of miles from where I was, and it actually blew some brick walls down and completely levelled a nearby caravan site. Fortunately I must have been sheltered from those blasts at that point (I was downwinding up an estuary), although the water spouts in front of us were quite intimidating and the sky went all black locally like something out of some film of the apocalypse.

[Off-Shore]

"Nice warm Hong Kong" was recently 1 deg C. Never been that cold in the 25 years I've lived here, but I have seen 80knot winds here in a Typhoon or two and seen road signs bent over like they have melted at their bases, and seen the aftermath of windows being sucked out of apartments together with their contents. Scary stuff, but we don't have any wee lochs here to try downwinding in those conditions You are right though, it would be nire impossible to keep a paddle in your hands let alone a board underfoot. Maybe you'd need one of those tow-in surfboards with footstraps. 

[yugi]

^ Bft 12. I doubt 3 or 4 people could even hold a board to get to the water.

[Off-Shore]

^ Bft 12. I doubt 3 or 4 people could even hold a board to get to the water.

..but I would still like to see this tried...