My first 40 knot down-winder.

[DavidJohn]

Our plan was to head off from St Kilda beach and head downwind all the way to Rickets Point at Beaumoris..Shown here with the yellow dots..and the red arrow being the wind direction.



My first sight of the water was rounding the corner at Mentone in my car..It was solid whitecaps and at least 30 knots.



I met Dave at Rickets Point and threw his 11'6" C4 on top of my 11'6" Naish.



We drove up to St Kilda beach and got ready to head off..and the wind was getting stronger.



Time check..10 to 12. and we hit the water.



Once on the water the wind was gusting over 40 knots and some gusts were like someone slapping me on the back sending me stepping forward on the board.

The wind graph shows peak gusts going off the chart.



I thought it would be cool to paddle under the St Kilda pier because it was directly on our way..Getting close to those big wood poles and with the water chopping up had me thinking that maybe it was not such a good idea afterall..We made it through..Just.

I thought a strong wind downwinder would be easy going..Wrong again..Jeez I was glad that I had my big board and it was constant moving around the board and non stop paddling to help keep my balance...At about the half hour mark I had my first fall..I had let go of the paddle for a second to wipe my nose and had a wobble moment and not having the paddle in both hands I fell in..Bugger.

Getting back on my board I put my paddle across the board in front of me while I untangled my leggie and woosh..My paddle took off in the wind gust like a feather and landed 20 feet in front of me..Bugger.

Once up and going it seemed that my friend Dave was a little quicker that me..I think because I had less sail area with my skinny legs...I would paddle hard to catch him and not be able to close the 50 feet lead that he had on me and then woosh..I'm surfing a runner and it brings me right along side of him..Beauty.

I had many of these runners and I would often hoot and holler and hold my paddle above my head with arms straight like a victory salute..I found that I was standing a little too far back at first and once I mover forward a bit I was able to maintain a higher speed and glide along some waves that were hardly a wave at all.

We got near Green Point and I could see a few windsurfers out..I looked for people that I knew..I saw cars parked along the cliffs with people watching...and I fell in again..got up hoping no one saw..and fell in again..Bugger.

I got going again and saw a few windsurfers getting flattened in the strong gusts..even tho they had tiny sails..I got a few thumbs up from some of the windsurfers as they sailed past me...Beauty.

The last half hour of paddling was only paddling on the right side due to the wind pushing us slightly off shore..My legs were screaming..I was buggered at the end but I can't wait to do it again.

Time check 10 to 2...It took exactly 2 hours to paddle 20 kilometers (13 miles).



Winter only ended here two weeks ago..Jeez I'm looking forward to Summer..We get heaps of these honking Northerlies in Summer...Hopefully next time I'll have my new Naish Glide...Beauty.

DJ

[jjue]

Nice   report DavidJohn!   Hey ,     your comments about windsurfers   is interesting to me ... I think  you said  you   windsurfed for   quite a number of years  before getting  into   SUP...  what makes you  want to  do a big long   SUP downwinder  on a big wind  day like that  , when most windsurfers would be just itching to get out  and plane around  at mach speed ?

I am  just getting into   SUP  but    still  a windsurfer  primarily   ,  I like  SUP   but certainly would be reaching for my sailboard on a day like that...    just curious about your evolution  from windsurfing to  SUP  .. Also  I think there are a number of other folks   here who  used to windsurf  quite a bit  ( Ponobill?) but now are  into SUP primarily and  I am  wondering about  how   the conversion   comes about ??

[stoneaxe]

OK...no more excuses. I gotta get out and do one of these. Most I've done is some short runs in 15-20 kt and not out in really open areas where some swell can pick up. Just sounds like too much fun. Thanks for the stoke DJ.

Now I just need to find someone else interested. Any Massachusetts zoners up for one the next time a weekend and high winds come together?

[Admin]

I am  just getting into   SUP  but    still  a windsurfer  primarily   ,  I like  SUP   but certainly would be reaching for my sailboard on a day like that...    just curious about your evolution  from windsurfing to  SUP  .. Also  I think there are a number of other folks   here who  used to windsurf  quite a bit  ( Ponobill?) but now are  into SUP primarily and  I am  wondering about  how   the conversion   comes about ??

I'll hit that one.

You might find that your stand up skills are in a large part coming from the other sports you have participated in over the years.
The thing I find that I like best about downwind is the mental challenge to use the water better to my advantage.  This is a huge mind game and the best are great at it.  No doubt why Dave, Buzzy, Scott are so fast.  At least in part (maybe mostly) it is tons of experience reading the water in a variety of different sports. 

In windsurfing in high winds, for example, think about the type of swell you would look to bank a jibe off of.  It is different from the little soft mound you would use for a Spock, or the steeper banked edge to boost a forward.  I am learning that the same goes for downwind.  You start to look at water in a new way again, because you are trying to get something different from it.   That in itself is the buzz of it.  There is no wrong way to have a great day on the water, so if sailing is still pumping the blood, then go with it.  That said, I have never been more stoked on a sport than stand up...although i have to admit I have been as stoked a few times in the past.

[PonoBill]

 That in itself is the buzz of it.  There is no wrong way to have a great day on the water, so if sailing is still pumping the blood, then go with it.  That said, I have never been more stoked on a sport than stand up...although i have to admit I have been as stoked a few times in the past.

Ditto, though wavesailing does bring back a lot of the great feeling that got me into windsurfing 30+ years ago.

I still windsurf a little, but it's tough for me because I had to lay off it for so long (shoulders) that my skills deteriorated and haven't come back except in my head.  Wavesailing with a SUP board on the other hand feels like old skool windsurfing and surfing combined. And it covers a HUGE range of conditions without the endless re-rigging and tuning that modern windsurfing demands. One board, one sail, all the way until you really need straps and a little beyond. Too cool.

[capobeachboy]

Wait till you get on a fourteen or bigger downwind-specific board.   It will blow your mind !

[wadadli_waterman]

Sounds like a really nice run.

Ditto what capobeachboy said.  It is a sport unto itself with a dedicated down wind board.

I did my usual run on a 10-6 for months before we got an XP and F16.  Man was that an eye opener.  Funily enough I acutally work harder on the bigger board just becuase I want that sleigh ride to never end!

[kurtr]

Very entertaining as always, DJ!  I'm looking forward to doing my first real downwinder in big winds too. 

[StandUpPaddleSurf.net]

Time check 10 to 2...It took exactly 2 hours to paddle 20 kilometers (13 miles).

You guys must have been flying.  I bet you can cut off 20 min with a 14'+ race board. 

Were you able to catch a lot of ocean swells?  Could you connect them?  Was the wind at your back the whole time?

[DavidJohn]

Time check 10 to 2...It took exactly 2 hours to paddle 20 kilometers (13 miles).

You guys must have been flying.  I bet you can cut off 20 min with a 14'+ race board. 

Were you able to catch a lot of ocean swells?  Could you connect them?  Was the wind at your back the whole time?

Thanks guys....and Could we conect them?..Yeah there were quite a few where I dropped off one with enough speed to catch the next..I became obvious that it's all about board speed and it was constant hard paddling to keep that speed going..You only get any rest during that glide time..So more glide = more rest.

The very next day I get the call from Dave saying..Wha-do-ya-reckon?..it's another great day for another downwinder.

My 50 year old body is saying 'don't even think about it' but how could I not..It's a clear blue sky..Hot Northerly blowing at 20-30 knots and the perfect direction.

We only did a 1 1/2 hour downwinder this time from St Kilda to Sandy..This time on my new 11'4" Naish to compair its speed with the 11'6".

It was great cruising past all the kiters at Kite Beach and windsurfers at Green Point..It was also great that I did not fall in at all this time.

After I needed to lay down now for a nanny-nap.. 

It's looking like another big one today after checking out the weather forcast for today.

Warnings
A gale warning is current.

Tonight and Monday
 
West to northwesterly winds 15 to 25 knots tending more northerly tonight and
increasing to 30 to 40 knots in the morning. Wind shifting west to southwesterly
at a similar strength during the afternoon before easing to 20 to 30 knots at
night. Waves 1 to 1.5 metres increasing 2 to 3 metres in the morning.

btw...jjue..I will get back with an answer/coment to your windsurfing question.

DJ

[ECSUP]

Hey Stoneaxe, I'd be pysched

[stoneaxe]

OK EC...lets look for the next high wind weekend. How's the knee?

[DavidJohn]

Next time when it's realy honking I'll try strapping my camera to a helmet and try and get some action vid  of what it's like out there when the tops are being blown off the waves...It's amazing.

This pic was just the other day in about 25 knots.

DJ