Author Topic: Big Island Downwind!  (Read 8914 times)

Takeo

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Big Island Downwind!
« on: April 08, 2012, 09:20:55 AM »
Been paddling for over 2 years and have been craving some good downwind action.  Once in awhile we get a little here on the east side of the Big Island, but it's usually more upwind and downwind and disorganized ocean swells.  Headed across the island to paddle with the guys from Hulakai, thanks JF808 for the invites!  Great bunch of guys.  A few were on OC and 4 of us on SUP.  The first half of the run was pretty crazy, the GoPro doesn't do the ocean justice.  Later in the run, the swells lined up and glides were spectacular, course by then my battery died!
]https://vimeo.com/39957731
« Last Edit: April 08, 2012, 09:26:25 AM by Takeo »

RainWaves

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2012, 10:27:44 AM »
 Looks like you got a heck of a workout with all those reflected waves coming back out and cross-mingling with everything else thrown at you. Nice going!
 BTW, I sure miss that warm, blue water now that I'm back home in the 42 degree stuff :'(.  Thanks for sharing and happy Easter!
Pete.

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Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2012, 04:16:57 PM »
RainWaves,
Happy Easter!  It was one heck of a workout.  The Bullet kept getting smacked from various directions, after an hour of that, my leg muscles started to burn.  Despite how challenging it was, still stoked to be challenged.  The reward was the second half of the run, which I didn't get on video.  Next time I'm saving my battery for that section. 

SEA

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2012, 05:20:49 PM »
Howzit Takeo

Looks like FUN!!   Did you paddle with Jun ??  He's been telling me about some good places for runs on the Big Island , I guess that was one of them ?  He also told us about a place off of Kohala but he said that is usually a super radical run !! I like try !!   Can't wait to get up there and do some runs with you guys.  Maybe you gotta buy the BIG battery for the Go pro :)  What you paddling the 17 or 14 bullet looked like fun.

Aloha

Sccotty


Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2012, 06:55:51 PM »
Scotty,
Yes, paddled with Jun! He is such a great guy, so much aloha and took the time to talk to us about safety and the ocean course.  This was Keokea and it was pretty radical but heard it gets even more nuts!!!  To get out took timing, I heard sometimes you gotta punch through two sets of waves!! Getting into the wind line was tricky, had to go upwind for about 1/2 hour which was nearly impossible standing up.  I was on the 17 Bullet but even that board has it's limits when the ocean swells are not lined up.  One minute doing fine then bam!! JF808 was on OC and GPS the run at 12.7 miles. I wish I had the video of the second half, maybe one of the other guys on our run got something.  I will get the extended battery for sure now!  I think JF808 is compiling our videos. If you come up, we can find you a board for sure.  Kinda wish I had my old F16V2, could of used the extra stability during the first half, but the Bullet flew on the second half!

SEA

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2012, 08:52:18 PM »
RIGHT ON BROTHER !!!

Yah Jun was telling me at Da Hui Race last year about Keokea. Looks like good fun. I heard it gets real NUTS !!  Getting out must be nuts when there is a big swell ??  The ocean looked CLEAN !! The V2 is definitely more stable than the bullet, but the bullet glides way better and is easier to string bumps together.  Right on Brother keep it up.

Aloha

Scotty

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2012, 12:29:04 PM »
Nice Takeo.

Looked like one hell of a core workout though with the cross-bumps and rebounding waves.

Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2012, 01:06:19 PM »
The video misses a lot of the messy stuff, dang fisheye lens and overcast conditions.  Once in the wind line, there was some occasional nice glides, but it pushed towards shore with cross swells then the rebounding stuff the closer I got to shore, pretty challenging stuff! As I got close to shore, I again had to sit and paddle out into the wind again to get lined up, until finally, as I rounded the Northern point of the Big Island, the wind and swells lined up and glides were pretty endless!! By then my battery died however the glides are etched in my memories!

1paddle2paddle

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2012, 05:05:53 PM »
That's good to hear that you got to enjoy some good downwind conditions.  How far do you have to paddle until you turn the corner at North Point and head straight(?) downwind?

headmount

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2012, 05:31:03 PM »
Takeo, Where did you finish the run?  

Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2012, 06:49:19 PM »
1P2P,
I'm not sure the distance to the good stuff, left my Garmin at home but my friend on OC had his, I'll post the pic here later.  I'm curious how long the initial paddle into the wind, padde in the rough stuff, then paddle into the wind again took me before I hit the good stuff, I'm guessing 1 1/2 to 2 hours..counting some time waiting for some of the guys behind me.  The good section was quite quick, surfer stance just about the whole way and way less cross swell and rebounding waves, "real" downwind, haha!

Bill,
We got out at the Coast Guard Station.  I think it's an 11 mile run but 12.7 on GPS with all the tracking and stuff.  Another OC group went further, but once you hit the Coast Guard Station, wind can be off shore so if it's blowing hard, or your on a non-ruttered board, it's probably not worth the extra distance. 

I still got a lot to learn on this run.  Jenny Kalmbach got a short vid on vimeo doing the same run on a lighter day.

Argosi

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2012, 07:12:53 PM »
Quite the mix of conditions! I see what you mean by disorganized swell. We get that around here as well - typically when wind swell and ground swell are coming from different directions.

Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2012, 08:17:36 PM »


Here's the GPS from JF808, hope he doesn't mind I sharing.

Definitely a challenging run with very little to no early exit point on shore.  Definitely need a good group of support for not only shuttling cars but to get in and out. 

headmount

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2012, 10:03:10 PM »
You're skirting the heaviest channel in the Hawaiian Islands.  Support, a group deal? Yeah I would think so.  No light weight walk in the park.  

Takeo

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Re: Big Island Downwind!
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2012, 10:22:13 PM »
You're skirting the heaviest channel in the Hawaiian Islands.  Support, a group deal? Yeah I would think so.  No light weight walk in the park.  

Bill,
I'm new to this kind of downwind action so I was happy to be with a bunch of experienced paddlers who spent time to talk safety first.  I took my Iphone but am even thinking my waist PFD wouldn't be a bad idea.  I almost drowned last year fishing in a shore tournament after getting washed in from a wave and know that no matter how comfortable I am in the water, the ocean is a mighty force! When it's really rough at Keokea, the OC guys have jetski escort, don' t think I'm ready for one of those days yet but I will say, testing my personal limits is addicting!

I must of watched all the Maliko videos on youtube and vimeo, those have been my learning tools.  Thanks for always sharing your stuff, hope one day to get some good footage like yours and DJs.  Aloha!

 


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