How much effort in a down wind run.

[surf monkey]

How much effort do you put into the down wind runs, people post some great runs from Hawaii and Aus. So what happens before and after, How do you pick your day/time what's your favorite wind speed,do you solo or have a group, how do you set up the shuttle, how long is the run time/miles, what is the total time to shuttle verse the paddle time, what's a good distance to shoot for I figure 5 miles is around a hour paddle so I would think 5-10 milers would be good depending on temperature and skill. What's your favorite run and why?  For me the logistics seem to be the hardest part like to see how people work it out.

Thanks.

[1paddle2paddle]

Are you sure you have not done a number of DW runs? You identified most of the issues you need to consider when doing a DW run.

The biggest factor IMO is time. Due to the requirement of shuttling vehicles, a 90 minute DW run will easily require 3 hours of your time once all is said and done.

Places like Maui have such consistently good conditions that a shuttle runs most days, permitting paddlers to exhange time for $ - $10 for a ride to the starting point, probably saving an hour of time. Oahu has a shuttle but it does not run everyday.

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[stoneaxe]

Best way is to have someone that wants to go hang at the beach where you're landing, Get dropped off and go, meet at the beach for a beer. If its positioning cars add whatever time it takes to drop of and pick up in your area, traffic, ease of access, etc..all factor in. A good downwind run will be faster than 5 mph and anything under an hour is hardly worth it if you are doing car drop offs and such.

[surf monkey]

Yea I've done a few, it always seems It takes 3 hours to get an hour paddle in if i have someone to go with and finding a good run is always a issue. The shuttle sounds cool, I have found doing the local downwind races is a good way to find some courses with a safety net. I have used a boat for some runs and that seems like a good way to go It limits you to less wind depending on the boat.

[H2Oman]

The transpo is one of the biggest challenges for sure.  We're going out in a couple hours from now.  For 3 of us its gonna work like:

- 2 of us drop boards at the start and leave with my wife to watch (PV)
- drive both cars to end point (San Pedro)
- leave cars and get picked up in SP by 3rd paddler coming from Dana Point
- drive back to PV and park and drop his board.
- paddle to San Pedro
- load 3 boards between 2 cars and drive back to PV
- cross load one board to other vehicle
- find wife
- grab beers.

With only 3 board, we could do it with 1 car at each end, but its nice to load everything when your finished the run and not have to deal with it anymore.  Its a full afternoon for sure.

[DavidJohn]

Here's a typical DW day for us.
10.30 meet at finish spot.. (maybe 4-10 of us)
After loading boards onto a couple of cars we drive to the start point and start run about 11am.
Arrive at finish about 12.30. (10klms/6miles)
Most just head off home from there and one of us will drop those who drove to the start back to their cars.
Easy peasy.. Even easier when Jonathan has his big board carrying trailor.

DJ

[CHill]

I run solo 95 % of the time , my beach gets really fun DW because of the thermals.
1- Tell wife you are going (safety)
2- Leave bike at shop with IPhone and ear buds for ride back to truck
3- Drive back to starting point (7-9 miles)
4 - Most important plenty of Hydration for run and bike ride

The plus side is the bike ride back is great training
Downside is playing by yourself but I'm in the water daily so all is good

CHill

[PonoBill]

DW logistics is an issue, but there are a lot of solutions. Having someone shuttle is prefereable, then there's no drive back to the start to retrieve rigs. My wife does it sometimes, in Maui there's Kelly Moore's Watertime Shuttle, and I do the bicycle drop thing quite a bit on the southside. Great workout.

Most efficient is to meet at the destination, drop a rig, load all boards and peeps in the truck--go to start, do the run, shuttle the truck driver back to start. That adds about 40 minutes to the total time if you're efficient.

[headmount]

Prime time for launch is usually 12-3PM... sometimes later in the summer.  In winter, sometimes a very narrow window around 12-2.  

We get wind from high pressure but it's accentuated by ground heating.  I think the Gorge is the same way.  That's why clouds are usually iffy.

[Simondo]

Effort = rewards 

[surf monkey]

OK sounds like I'm on the same program, DJ i was thinking the run you guys do starting out under the pier was longer than 10k it seems like a fun run.

Thanks

With my friends it's always an event to do a DW and a cross of surfski and prone boards, prone boards are the same speed so no big deal but the ski's are so fast it's hard to stay in a group and the shuttle with the ski is a issue, can't stack em.

[JF808]

Here's a typical DW day for us.
10.30 meet at finish spot.. (maybe 4-10 of us)
After loading boards onto a couple of cars we drive to the start point and start run about 11am.
Arrive at finish about 12.30. (10klms/6miles)
Most just head off home from there and one of us will drop those who drove to the start back to their cars.
Easy peasy.. Even easier when Jonathan has his big board carrying trailor.

DJ

Transit times are always different depending where you live, traffic etc. For the most part we do it the same way DJ does his runs. Or my wife comes along and she shuttles my truck around drop off and pick up, or like DJ again, we use the trailer at the end of the run to shuttle back to the start for a second or third run. Solo runs are hard unless you can find a driver, other wise your always gonna go with friends unless you live on Maui, I would shell out $ for a Moore time shuttle no prob.... It does take some time but totally worth it.

[DavidJohn]

I've not done it yet but often thought about dropping a bike (bicycle) off at the finish.. Then driving to the start.. doing the run.. Leave my board at the end and ride my bike back to get my car.. Then drive back to get my board.

Also.. There's the option to just drive straight to the start.. Do the run.. Leave my board at the end and get a taxi back to get my car.. and hope I'm not dripping wet.. 

Also.. Our runs can finish at three places so we can have short. medium, and long runs.. and for those doing the calculation about our 10klm/6mile run taking 1 1/2hours it's because we often stop off at a beach along the way to re group (and chat) and a non stop run can take us about only 50 minutes on a good day (to do the short run).

DJ

[1paddle2paddle]

DJ's first post makes it clear - the majority of the people get to drive home immediately from the end of the run.  But unless a shuttle is used, or someone's relative/significant other is willing to do the shuttling, then there is the person who's vehicle is at the start of the run and needs a ride back, and there is another person who needs to give that first person a ride back.

[Old School]

I'll sometimes leave my bike and mule at the end point (relatively close to the house), and then have my wife drop me off at the start.  Adds just as much time and still requires coordination, but that way i can make a run by myself and just bike home.