Messages

16

Downwind and Racing / Re: Brutal Downwinder

« on: June 06, 2017, 12:14:53 AM »

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/or/nwis/dvstat/?site_no=14105700&por_14105700_113459=546282,00060,113459

Blue crab, this is the historical mean discharge for The Dalles Dam. It looks like historically the flow will drop about 60k cfs in the next month. That would only get us down to about 400k cfs, which is still ripping pretty good. I don't know how low the flow has to get for the shuttle to run, but right now they have it shut down for safety reasons.
At least by then the water temp will be up a bit. Early summer is still likely to be suitable only for self sufficient intermediate and above paddlers. I'd take a solid strong teenager right now, but it's going to have to back off a bit before I'd take someone smaller or less experienced.

Thanks. Very helpful & cool. The average drop in flow from August to September is astonishing.  My kids have done runs on or around 7/4 over the past couple of years so we should be ok. We'll be bringing mountain bikes & maybe skis to cover our bases. First world problems.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

17

Technique / Re: F16 tiller and paddle questions

« on: June 06, 2017, 12:05:26 AM »

The F16 is a great board but it does take some time to dial in.  I would suggest not tinkering too much with other variables (paddle length, tiller length) until you've done >5 runs and really have a feel for the intricacies of the board. I had all of the symptoms you describe when I first bought the board (shoulder pain, leg fatigue leading to falls) but these dissipated as I was able to relax on the board. I never did get around to adjusting my paddle length.

My major first step with the board was realizing that I didn't need to paddle as hard, or as often, as I had on my 14'.  This was the key take home point from my time in Maui with JR.  The F16 wants to get into troughs, and will do so with little effort if you position it properly. Don't kill yourself sprinting for each and every bump.  Use the rudder to position the nose of the board right at the crest of a passing bump.  If a bump is accelerating out of reach, don't sweat it. Just inch in so the next one is easier to catch.  On really good Viento runs last summer, I'd get into a full out sprint fewer than 5 times per run. The board really does a lot of the work for you.

18

Downwind and Racing / Re: Brutal Downwinder

« on: June 05, 2017, 04:20:12 PM »

Sorry for your loss Bill.

Your post gives me anxiety. We are doing our annual family week in HR from 7/1-7/7.  I need that current to calm the hell down so I can get my kids on the shuttle.  They are all for catching glides but it will be bad times if they are out there grinding it our for 3 hours.

19

Downwind and Racing / Re: Late spring downwinder

« on: June 05, 2017, 04:11:57 PM »

Indeed, is that an F16 board?

Thanks JEG, It is indeed a V3 F16 which is the narrowest custom version of the board. It is a delight.

20

Downwind and Racing / Re: high wind limits

« on: May 26, 2017, 11:09:13 PM »

I have been following this thread with interest.  My take is that really big winds are simply different and more treacherous in the open ocean than in closed bodies of water. 

I have only done 2 Maliko runs, both during a trip a winter a few years ago.  The second run was with Jeremy and he said it was off the charts, even by Maliko standards.  I think gusts were in the high 30s and there was a northern swell.  I certainly have not experienced anything like it since.  I recall being very close to the other members of the group but not being able to see them for 10-20 seconds at a time due to the huge swells.   I also remember being so sad when it was over, but also a bit relieved. The sight of the breaks to our left was too freaky.  It was really the only time I have felt a bit of fear during a downwinder. I wouldn't want to experience anything stronger in the open ocean.

That being said, we periodically get >40 mph days in Seattle during the winter, and I have done at least 4 runs in >50 (if Windalert is to be believed).  This is not meant as a statement of bravado as I am nothing special out there.  However, these conditions are just so good that many of our local paddlers head out during storms this severe.  The safety issues are real.  As mentioned, it would be bad for a leash to snap or to take a catapulting board to the head following a fall, particularly given our 45-50 degree waters.  The other major safety issue is just getting the board on & off the water.  Thankfully, both our Puget Sound (long fetch, no swell) & Lake Washington (no fetch, no swell) runs have extremely protected put in and take out spots where there is literally no wind, even during massive systems. Lately, I have switched to full pfd and double leash on these really big days, based on stories of lost boards on this site.

Despite the heightened risks, the truth is that down winding actually becomes considerably easier when the winds get over 40.  It requires far less effort to get into swells and the board planes even in the absence of swell.  The swell pattern also gets so clean with almost no side chop, particularly on the lake.  I have seen a number of moderately experienced guys, whose timing was slightly off before, totally figure out the sport in these bigger conditions.

On our local runs, there is a linear relationship between wind strength and amount of fun.  Put simply, 50 is better than 40 which in turn is better than 30.  When gusts hit 50 on the Lake,  the intense noise, the rapidly moving clouds and the insane water patterns are mesmerizing.  I am quite sure that all the people chiming in on this thread would thrive in these conditions.

To me, the gorge is more or less the same story.  I have probably done 30 or so Vientos over the last 3 years.  A handful of these were in the 40 mph gust range (again per WindAlert), and these were undoubtedly the best runs.

21

Downwind and Racing / Re: Late spring downwinder

« on: April 17, 2017, 10:22:59 PM »

Nice vid crab!

Thanks moonsup! Looks like the video is still not embedding but the web address is visible with the reply feature.

22

SUP General / Re: The 24?

« on: April 17, 2017, 10:20:24 PM »

Troy Nebeker started 24 in Seattle. Wonderful guy and wonderful cause.  It is great to see this positive stoke spreading around the country and the globe.

23

Downwind and Racing / Re: Late spring downwinder

« on: April 14, 2017, 09:45:31 PM »

Thanks for that detail and thanks for the offer!

Anytime. You probably know this already but there are a handful of downwind crews in Seattle (Ballard, East Side / Lake Washington, Burien, Vashon) most of whom stick to their own territory based on the short winter days, limited number of days with suitable wind and traffic. 

In West Seattle, there are 3-4 great guys who go out when we can, despite busy work and parenting schedules. For this reason, at least half the time, I end up going solo at odd hours, and rely on my very generous wife to pick me up. Recently, I was out there alone in 45 mph winds having a blast, but also wondering if this was really the wisest thing.  In any event, we would love to build our numbers.

24

Downwind and Racing / Re: Late spring downwinder

« on: April 14, 2017, 03:53:54 PM »

Blue Crab, where did you start and end on that run?

Hi there Dusk,  We usually put in at Brace point. There is a nice, somewhat protected put in spot SW 98th Street and then just head to Alki.  The run from from 3 tree point to Lincoln Park often has cleaner swells. Even better is 3 tree to Alki. However, it is a bit of a trek from West Seattle to 3 tree, particularly in winter when we are often cramming these runs in after work and dealing with issues of impending darkness.

If your timing is perfect, you can also do Brace point to Alki and then head to Duwamish head (with great food and beer at Marination) or even downtown Seattle (SAM sculpture park) as the winds turn westward.  The run along Alki during a westerly generates huge, beautiful swells and is probably the most fun run around West Seattle. The drawback is that this run is relatively short.

If you ever want to do a run, give me a buzz.

25

Downwind and Racing / Re: Late spring downwinder

« on: April 11, 2017, 08:07:34 AM »

Thanks NightWing. It sounds like vimeo isn't embedding on the site at the moment.  I'll take a stab at reloading once I am able to view vimeo on the site.

26

Downwind and Racing / Late spring downwinder

« on: April 10, 2017, 10:41:39 PM »

We've had a weird downwind season in Seattle this year. It has easily been the best powder year I've experienced: I think my boys and I got >10 days with fresh tracks.  It has really been special.  Usually snow storms in the mountains correlate with wind in the valley. Not so much this year. On multiple occasions, the wind was forecast as really strong, but may of these days ultimately turned into duds. 

That being said, there have also been some epic days with very intense and unpredicted bursts of wind which developed unexpectedly over over a few hours.  A couple of weeks ago I got in a day on the Sound with winds consistently above 45 mph. The conditions were perhaps the best I have experienced anywhere. However, the wind only lasted a few hours.

Last Friday was the first day where the forecast predicted a great day and it actually happened.  I therefore brought the GoPro out.   I slowed down the first half of the video to highlight how complex our run can be, particularly at high time.  The choppy conditions can be tiring.  However, a bit of patience pays off:

27

Downwind and Racing / Re: Downwinding - How to unstick a 14' board in 25 knot offshore conditions? - vid

« on: February 09, 2017, 11:10:26 PM »

OS, Thanks for posting yet another great set of videos. I second A10's assertion that the concept of an UL not fitting in tight swells is a myth.  I've been riding an F16 & Bullet V1 for the last year, often in the same conditions on the same day. In the Pacific NW, we have all manner of DW conditions, groomed lake runs, open ocean-ish semi choppy conditions with large underlying swells, step peaked swells & the gorge which offers a mixed bag. While I love both boards, I think the F16 outperforms the 14 foot board in every capacity including initiating glides, sustaining glides & connecting bumps. It is even easier to surf left and right as it keeps its momentum going, pivots easily on the tail and is stable on the rails. I wouldn't sweat getting stuck on the 14 footer and just enjoy your F16!

28

Downwind and Racing / Re: Cracking downwinder ~50knots

« on: December 03, 2016, 09:34:28 PM »

Gorgeous video dk78.  Expert surfing.  We had a nice steady 25 mph day today.  It was my first downwind in weeks so I was really pleased about this until I saw your video. Now I am just jealous.

Two to three times per winter in Seattle we get days with >50 knot gusts and constant winds at >40.  It is just so exhilarating to be out there in those conditions.  It is deafeningly loud and the water makes these incredibly beautiful patterns which are captured so well in your video.  Typically, I am too chicken shit to go out on Puget Sound (salt water), particularly if the tide is high and the water looks messy.  Alternatively, we have a low fetch lake run which builds with time after the first mile.  When things get >45, the crests of the swells tend to blow off with fresh water so the troughs are not as deep as in your video.  However, there are times when we connect extremely long glides even when the water is almost flat. The last time it happened, a buddy and I were carving figure 8s by steering our SICs with the rudder. The cool thing about such high winds on a lake is that, minus the fear factor, it is actually a relatively easy set of conditions.  Just paddle (rarely), get back on the tail, and scream for joy.

It is also always jarring to get back to shore on days like this.  There are usually trees down everywhere and the electricity is out. 

29

Share the Stoke / Re: Beginning SUP - Chronicles of Remickulous

« on: October 20, 2016, 12:02:47 AM »

Remick, The community in Seattle is amazing.  Rob is a great place to start. He hosts a race in Ballard every Monday. Urban Surf hosts a race every Wednesday. There are also a few pods of downwind groups who try to make it happen when it is windy.    I think you'll find it to be a really welcoming & kind community. Good luck!

I personally rarely make it to the races / events because I am too damn busy with work & kids.  More often than not, I paddle alone just for a work out & to enjoy nature / solitude as Bulky describes. I even do most of my downwinders solo these days as my wife is really cool about helping shuttle, and I can get the whole thing done most quickly by myself.  I agree with the others that a bit of fear is a good thing. keeps you on top of things...

30

Downwind and Racing / Re: Board length

« on: October 17, 2016, 08:54:17 PM »

Good luck with the board search Stefan.  If you are willing to go used, you can get some amazing deals in the PNW.  My Kings & custom F16 were used.  Considering that the F16 is my single favorite possession in life, I am pretty stoked about this.

I bought my V1 Bullet from the SIC guys up in your neck of the woods for wholesale pricing: it was also ironically cheaper because nobody wanted the rudder on a 14" board (it is a great feature).  All together, these 3 boards were less than a new All Star would be. So if you go used, you can get a whole quiver. 

Also, Big Winds sells their downwind rental fleet at the end of the year: this is probably the cheapest path to a V2 that I am aware of.