To All Our Friends!

Another year has blurred by and I have been thinking about some of the highlights. Skiing Noshoe with Greg, Van and the fearless sprouts. It is time to plan the next one already! Mountain biking Tsali with Dr. Melvin (poster boy for the Tsali smack down) & Riki. You know we are all waiting/praying for the trails to dry for winter rides! The family trip to Little Switzerland. Watching Leah progress sailing without the dagger fin, getting the beach start, the quick tack, getting comfortable in higher wind at Canadian Hole and getting in the footstraps with the harness lines. Jasper his first time windsurfing- at the outer banks no less. He's still the fastest learner I've seen yet and the trips were a blast! George, Ken and Andy talking me into my first sesh ever in the ocean for Hatteras Wave Jam. My sister Jennifer showing off with the Starboard GO for the crowd of spectators at Dales Seafood lake Waccamaw. The epic Fall trip to the outer banks with the Charlotte guys and Mark. This was my second set of sessions with the Fall Wave Jam and tons of fun to get out there with the pros! Mac, Rob and Mark got me into paddle surfing and sail surfing the SUP board. Truly awesome times.

And current events...

Slimchilly de Thug

Always have your small stick in a bliz

Bald Eagle trail head Friday after lunch

Big puffy flakes on the trail by the lake

Almost needed snow chains on the Trek

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wind for Stokesdale Part 2 (The Ecstasy)

I left work just after lunch yesterday when the wind charts started showing activity. Pulse quickend and the heart all a'flutter in the warm sunshine. When I parked at the lake it was cloudy and at least 10 degrees cooler than Greensboro. Neither are all that bad but no wind to boot. Tony showed up later when the sun finally came out but the wind never showed up. Around 4:30 Don came roaring down the road all fired up for some bump'n'jump to find us de-rigging.

Then there is today. I just finished a major project this morning. I had a 6:30am meeting so I didn't bring my gear- plus the forecast sucked. At any rate the wind charts were showing SW > 15mph! I bolted after lunch, shot home to grab my formula board and hauled ass to Belews with the low end dragging. Naturally when I pulled up at Belews it was blowing 5.8m^2. So since I had only my formula board I rigged the 7.5 and set out. I had a blast. Literally. That 7.5 zephyr was outhauled tight as a drum. The wind was clean and steady in front of the power plant and the jibes were on! I think I now have more of a idea how those formula windsurfing gurus race over powered. Rake that sail back, lean on that fin to get the weather side of the board out of the water to avoid swell washing over the whole board. (if it does it feels just like running aground) Entering your jibe force your nose higher so the swell doesn't grab your nose. Lean on the inside rail and lift the foot strap on the outside. Continue as prescribed and you have just carve jibed a formula board! One thing to note is I put the true ames weed fin on the formula and it worked like a champ with the 7.5 Looks like I'm ready for some light air canadian hole blasting...

So OK. I think I got now. When the forecast is for high wind I'll adhere to the following

• DO NOT leave the formula board at home



• DO NOT pack my 85L stick



• DO NOT email the tried and true locals to get them to come to the lake

So after much thought and careful planning whatever game plan I come up with for the forecasted wind I'll now know to do the opposite. Man I really needed this great sesh.

Wind Advisory for Stokesdale 12/9/09! (The Agony)

I Love the Smell of Formula Windsurfing in the Morning

I got to the lake this morning around 8:30 figuring I would try for some clean SW before the nasty W came in with the rain.  It was awesome!  The lake seemed even more peaceful than usual and the 9.5 / 100cm board were just money.  I was hoping to head to Hatteras for today's and Wednesday's warm S and SW.  Since I can't make it I'm really glad I had a great local sesh to take the edge off.  I left the wind blowing and headed to work around 11 to support the habit.  You know it is funny- when you come in late everyone is there to ride you for sleeping in but when you stay late nobody is around to thank you for your diligence.  It is all good though.  All of it ;]

Dear Mr. West, Thank you and kind regards

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Any time I get to break out my 106L board I'm happy.  So yesterday was a good day at Belews for Leah and myself.  Even for a west wind with the leaves off the trees the wind is filling in nicely.  It has been a while since I've seen whitecaps uniformly distributed on a due west like that.  Always true to form the visit by Mr. West was brief since he never overstays his welcome.  I had to switch to the 155L with the 7.5 around 4pm.  The pic pretty much shows the peak time at Belews.  It was such a beautiful day.  I'm still not wearing gloves or booties. 

At Avon the west wind started in the wee hours Friday night and by morning pushed the sound up and over some of the lower areas of the land.  I bet Canadian whole was awesome sailing...

We finished the day with a sunset paddle into the NW wind.  You can see hanging rock really clearly.  Great exercise and terribly relaxing.  What a sunset and a great day.

Our Little Piece of Ida

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday we had wind and rain from the leftovers of Ida.  Wednesday we had the most rain with temps falling into the low 40s.  Without too much whining the short story is that I didn't make it to sail Wednesday.  Thursday however I was able to get to Belews after work for a fun sesh on the 106L with the 5.8 sail.  Yes it was extremely gusty but there were fun ramps and when fully lit you had an excellent launch.  I'm still working on proper bump n jump technique but even if you don't know what you are doing you get air.  I had the wetsuite but still didn't need gloves or boots!  Belews is so warm even at 40F you are perfectly comfortable.

Leah and I hit it again yesterday for more gusty but lighter stuff.  I was on the 106/5.8 again for a while and when she got there switched to the 106/7.5 so she could use the 5.8 on the 166L.  We both had fun and just before dark the wind cranked up again as a little rain moved through Greensboro.  After dark the wind pick up even more so I couldn't resist a last few lit up blasts out and back with the 166/7.5.  wooww.  Good times.

A Session I'll Always Remember

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I got together with Andy M. for a morning bike ride at Bur Mill park Saturday. We hit the Owls Roost and Wild Turkey trails- the Fall colors are spectacular & trails in awesome shape. Just a perfect ride.
Before I took off I packed the formula board and the 9.5 just in case there was a 10 mph wind since the forecast was for SSW. I was in the straps planing from lunch till dark. Amazing day and quite a surprise. With the leaves off the trees I think the wind as able to fill in nicely. Loooong planing reaches and up wind, white knuckle - dumper stance blasting! I've got raw video showing consistent planing from shore to shore. I'm still shaking from this one.

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Formula Windsurfing. Belews Lake, NC 11/7/09 from r d moore on Vimeo.

Weather Forecast is for Weather Today

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Is today the day?!  Could it be?  I woke over an hour before the alarm... windsurfing in my head.  I so hope for some good NW today.  Forecast is for it to start up later today- that typical 3 - 14 mph gusting to the upper 20s.  Oh yeahhh, that old friend of mine.  That lake wind that can make one look so silly yet can still be so much fun for the right kind of mind. 

I'm stoked because I've got something else to try today too.  While the water is still so warm I'm going to begin training for the duck jibe

and..


and...



and....



the forward loop!  The Peconic Puffin posted this "safer" loop training video.  So far I'll submit to this school of thought...

November NE. Steamy and Hot!

I had one of the best sessions ever today. I had planned to go to the outer banks but the weather forecast fell through. Despite the nasty weather the wind was blowing in Greensboro so I headed to Belews around 3pm. Temps hovered between 49 and 50 degrees so you would expect to be cold right? Not so at Belews. The water is still balmy compared to other lakes so all I needed was a thin wetsuit. And I sweated the whole time so I could have used even less. Air temperatures have little to do with comfort so there is certainly no reason to hesitate if the wind is blowing.


I rigged the old 9.5 and jumped on the 100cm formula board. Mac, Rob and Mark always measure boards according to “holler for the dollar”. Mac and Rob have AHD free diamond 77cm boards that they bought new and still use more that any other board. So far the formula board is on its way to giving me more holler for the dollar than anything else I could own. I was in the straps planing more than 70% of the time up to dark. It was kind of surreal since the cool wind was generating lots of wispy fog from the warm water. With the outer banks over 5 ½ hours away it is awesome to be able to get time planing at the lake just down the road. No need to even mention the Fall colors…

Warm, Windy, Owned

I blew that jibe

Leah after a squall pushed through.

Leah and I represented the Belews windsurfing community Saturday. We had a blast. The water is still spring suit warm and the air was toasty. Hopefully more to come soon.

The afternoon sky

No description needed.

Mac's Footage

Mac posted the Fall OBX video! If you haven't watched it is in your interest to do so :]

Ready for Winter Windsurfing?

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Leah and I had our first taste of cold weather windsurfing Sunday at Lake Waccamaw. 50 degrees and cloudy so we had the full suits on. I was toasty save for the couple of holes in the crotch of my suit. That first minute over waist deep was eye opening! Apart from that both of us were perfectly comfortable sailing so no issues with that. Only thing was Leah was having a circulation problem- I guess the suit wasn't fitting well but not sure.

Belews is deeper and of course the power plant heats it so it stays warmer longer. Even in the dead of winter it is the warmest hole around. Some of the best most consistent wind we see in this area comes Fall - Spring (yes especially including Winter in the middle). You do not want to miss these fronts pushing across Belews. Life is too short to be a wind snob so make sure you are prepared for cooler wind and eventually water.

There is a 100 degree rule of thumb- water temp + air temp >= 100F is good for windsurfing in a wetsuit. I've been in much colder and you can certainly still be comfortable enough to have a blast. My experence is the most important items to have are:

• dakine mittens (maybe use surgical gloves under)
• at least 3mm booties
• a good insulated hood

Obviously you'll want a good wetsuit too. Read this-> Andy McKinney has some interesting thoughts on choice of wetsuit. He recommends a surf cut rather than the special windsurfing suits. This is especially good for waves since you end up swimming your rig, but maybe fine for any type of windsurfing. The MOST important thing is that your suit does not cut off your circulation. If you have never experienced this it is awful- you can't grip the boom and you think you are suffering from some crazy unexplained fatigue. Manufacturers go through great lengths to measure your proportions to the nth degree. Do not buy a cheap cold weather suit. Make sure you get the perfect fit since there is no margin for error. If you love to sail you will more than get your money back out of the suit! I've sailed in the snow and sleet- snow is sweet but wind driven sleet kinda sucks ;) Right Andy?

October Wind at Belews

Well the wind came a little late this season but it has been a pretty good October so far. Wednesday we had a strong WNW and Friday it was an even stronger S. Both days I started on a 5.8/106L and got some good reaches in. In both cases the wind was sliced and diced by the contour of the land around Belews but I'm always happy when it blows. I even rigged down to a 4.7 for a while Friday! I am still waiting for that magical SW and solid N though. Those give the steady blow and big swell. Following pics are from Summerfield- not exactly what happens at Belews...


Andy, Joe & Tony came out Wednesday but the stoke had pretty much dropped down to a mild roar. I think mostly it was being thoroughly cut off by the trees. Joe Benson scored a great session Friday- hitting his first pivot jibe and beach start. It is trial by fire if you haven't been out in 20+ but Joe was comfortable on reaches after a couple hours! Sid and Judy are a couple newbies- they have been putting in the time in tough conditions so they are doing a great job. Jerry came out too and didn't have his gear. Dang. Still he did help out the newbies with equipment and good pointers. It finally got the better of him so he even sailed for a while in his street clothes!

Leah and I got there late last Sunday but we did get in a good little light wind session before dark. If you don't have big gear get on it. You NEED big gear if you want max fun at Belews. Note we got there around 4:30.

Really light air FW on the lake from r d moore on Vimeo.

Our Last Windsurfing Sesh of the Trip

We were sweating last Friday. The forecast kept shifting & changing- then Mac made the anouncement around 4pm... Frisco is seeing > 15! We all jumped up and headed out to get the gear ready. I started on the 7.5/158L and after maybe 20 minutes grabbed the 5.8/106L. Mac, Rob, Mark & I were steadily getting more lit and as the sun set Donald, Andy and Anne joined us.

The moon was full so we just kept on. I wish I could have captured the scene under the full moon- fully lit and everyone blasting! It is an odd feeling pulling off a jibe when the moon is behind some clouds. Really we only stopped when the heavier clouds moved in and we had trouble seeing each other. After Andy and Anne joined us for drinks and grub. As Mark pointed out I typically eat for 2- you really spend some calories in sweet conditions! No breaks just stay steady at the wheel.

I took a little footage of the early action. Check out Mark handling that massive board like a champ!

full moon windsurfing, obx nc from r d moore on Vimeo.

A little SUP video

We hit old light house beach for some more SUP surfing. I put on the old helmet cam for a little action video. Check out Rob's blog for a really cool vid of the first sesh the day before. Mac has some really cool footage to come.

Outer Banks Ocean & Sound Action

There has been ocean waves and blasting in the sound. I'm getting way more comfortable in the ocean but by no means a wave surfer yet.

It has been such a fantastic trip so far. The crew is from Georgia, Charlotte & Greensboro. It is a treat sailing with people better than yourself since you pick up tricks and progress much faster. Donald, Rob & Mac certainly are getting there. I'm still working on handling the shore break and staying up wind- but this my second trip being in the ocean shows marked improvement. Check out George's & Bill's blog for the best photo coverage of Wave Jam. Andy just posted a vid showing how fun wave are with full power in the sail.

Mark, Mac, Rob, Bill & George- Deciding between 6.5 & 4.5

I have had 2 epic sessions in the sound so far. Canadian Hole was so sweet Saturday after being in the ocean. Mark and I road that east wind until sunset- this after my second day straight in the ocean. I hit the sound again Monday. Started the morning blasting on a 9.5 / 158L. Then suddenly, shortly thereafter, rigged a 5.8 / 106, 4.7 / 106, 4.2 / 85! Most of the crew hit the ocean again for some off shore wave sailing but I stayed in the sound since it was rocking! It is much deeper north of C' hole so there were some monster swell out there! I was wave sailing on that swell and chop hopping like never before. Wind was super punchy- at no point did I just get to relax and free ride. It was always switching between hanging on for dear life and pointing down wind to counter a lull. This is awesome practice for off shore wave sailing. I countered the lulls by mainly staying with the 4.2 / 106L combo. In the gusts it was like riding a bucking bronco but in the lulls the volume keeps you coasting. I even almost did an unintentional forward loop on one monster jump. I decided to back the throttle down a a bit after that 8)

The crew back in the sound for a sunset sesh.

And then there is stand up paddling (SUP). I rented a Starboard Drive from Andy at Sailworld for an ocean session with the crew yesterday. The wind was west but dropping through the afternoon. Mark and I paddled out past the shore break and I caught my first wave! I was actually still on my knees but that counts! I spent some more time trying the paddling and catching the waves standing- not impressive to the casual observer but I did catch a few outer breaks. The wind was just enough to make paddling a workout so after watching Mac and Rob on their SUPs with sails I had to rig a 4.7 and try. WOW! With a 4.7 that 10' 5" board was awesome. I spent probably half an hour just getting used to the circuit going out and coming in. I kept getting further in and riding the bigger breaks. By the end of the session I finally worked up to really riding the breaking wave. It felt spectacular and was one of the most fun things I've ever been a part of.

! !! !!! !!!! !!!!! Fall Wave Jam

Big Rig Comes Through

Leah and I had a fantastic evening at Belews with Andy and Diane. The NW wind picked up after lunch and I even got a little time in the straps. Not much though. The real highlight of the day was Leah using the big 7.5 for the first time and LOVING it. This was her first time being well powered in flat water and actually trusting the sail to hold as she leaned out over the rail. Pretty soon she was in the foot straps AND using the harness! Since she was on the verge of planing in some of the gusts it was a good taste of how it feels once you are planing. Point down wind while hanging on the boom, after the lift put the front foot in, then the back, then the hook... now you can point back up wind and proceed to simultaneous relaxing/adrenaline pumping times.

Towards sunset we did a little paddling. There was just enough NW left to keep the bugs away and a sweet sunset to boot. The water is still toasty but Fall is definitely here. Better get a spring suite if you don't have one- that will give you at least 2 additional Fall months in the water. Better still I've got an Oneill zen zip full suite if you need it. I'm 5'10" and 150 lbs- if you are close to this it will work for you.

Summer Light Wind / Tropical Mis-fires

I didn't get in the straps on Belews the entire month of August. My only planing session was in Lake Waccamaw on a 158L / 9.5 combo on a fun SE wind. I hit Belews last week for a couple sessions of NE and got some good planing runs on the 166L / 9.5 combo. Yesterday I was back at lake Waccamaw on the 158L / 9.5 and way overpowered in a N wind! This was one of those days I'll never forget.

Cruising in sub-planning conditions is fun. Mostly relaxing, especially if you are using a harness. As you get more comfortable you tend to push for more speed and begin to grab the larger sails. Here is the bottom line- even if you are still happy cruising on an old long board you should consider getting your own larger rig. You would be amazed what a 6.5 would do for your summer light wind days- and when the 6.5 seems to not be so powerful the 7.5 to 9.0 doesn't seem so bad! I put my old 9.5 on my very old mistral superlight in about 4-8 mph and had a blast. Just hook in with the harness, lean back and proceed to cruise 'till sunset.

I've learned quite a bit about planing/sub-planing in light air this summer. AND when the wind is 0 mph or less paddling a board or kayak. We do have some fun boards in the container at Belews but if you really want to start having fun have a look around for some second hand larger rigs. Heck if anyone is interested we could start talking formula type stuff for light air planing. I can promise you being locked in and planing without a white cap or swell in sight is tons of fun- and that certainly is the case quite frequently on Belews. I love my 9.5

Bermuda High Times

Well Leah and I finally made it back to the OBX to catch the awesome conditions that had been on all last week. Leah got on the 166L with a 3.5 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday was the heaviest air so it was trial by fire at first. Towards late evening the average backed off toward the mid to lower 20s so she was beach starting and getting comfortable. The rest of the weekend in the heavy air was cake and she really has started to hold some good speed and use those harness lines.

I was on the 85L/4.7 Friday, 106L/4.7 Saturday & 85L/5.8 Sunday. Since Leah was using the 370cm mast for the 3.5 I had to use the 430cm mast and bigger sails. This actually turned out to be a good thing- sailing over powered forced me to really work on spilling the wind off while entering my jibes. I'm jibing the 85L in high wind tighter than the 106L! The 85L tack still eludes me but I'll get it. Jibing is so much fun its tough making myself practice the tack. And then there is the chop hops. Heavy air on the 85L is too much fun- I'm hoping the practice on the 85L will carry over to improved technique on the 106L. It is like hang gliding!

Keny, Debbie and Don also came down. Poor Debbie was sidelined with a mtn bike injury and missed the fun- she'll be back on the short board before the fall though. Keny was hanging on to a kite Saturday and Sunday- he looked pretty darn satisfied at the end of both days. Don got some action at the Hole Saturday and some Ego Beach wave time Sunday.

Here is a video of Leah and myself having the best OBX weekend ever.

For anyone thinking of going to the outer banks for windsurfing, kayaking or paddle boarding here are a few good links with wind and wave predictions. Please let me know if we can organize a long weekend trip. It is difficult to call much in advance but there's lots more to do than windsurf if the wind drops out. This time of year is peak tourist season so booking last minute is sometime tough but I've found some pretty reliable motels with low rates. Splitting costs can make for a pretty affordable trip.

Wind Guru, iWindsurf, Intellicast, NOAA

First Wave Jam!

Japser and I took off to Hatteras on a another long weekend for a promising SW forecast. We rolled into town, freshened up at the luxurious Avon Motel and hit Sailworld. While there George M. and Ken came in and talked us into heading to ramp 34 for an ocean session. My first! Jasper did a great job taking pics with George's camera. Check out Live to Sail for the best coverage of Wave Jam.
Since I didn't have 4wd George gave us a ride out. What a great guy! That is my experience with other windsurfers- when you first meet you're meeting new friends.

First Arrivals

Survived my first reach. Man what rush!

George M. setting the pace

Beautiful isn't it?

Andy 1 handed fwd loop

Keith mid-fwd

Saturday Jasper sailed the 166L GO with a 4.2 & 5.8 This was his 3rd time ever windsurfing an d the guy is already on a more advanced board with no dagger fin! By the end of the day he was even experimenting with the foot straps. He'll be using the harness and planing in no time at this rate... Here is a little video recapping the action. Fantastic weekend.

Making Teaching Easy

I've been lucky enough to have some really positive experiences lately teaching windsurfing to new comers. Steve, Oscar & Neil came out to Belews last Thursday for some promising SW wind. The wind was pretty good when we started out- the guys did a great job learning the sail handling and got their sea legs quickly. Positive attitude and enthusiasm will take you far in this sport.

Oscar already on the Maui

Neil knocking out those tacks

Oscar, Neil & Steve- Daydreaming about 20 knots...

My sister Jennifer was up for the weekend so Saturday and Sunday we sailed. She is really getting it now- even had some passers by inquire about learning to windsurf. Tacks, down wind turns and even pumping the sail. She really got to settle in Sunday and get comfortable on longer reaches. Tony, his brother, father in law and Andy sailed Sunday as well. It wasn't planning conditions but it certainly was nice to see all the sails on the water! Moses taught Jennifer kayaking Saturday and was back on Sunday for a run to Humphries Ridge. If you have thought try to kayak you gotta talk to Moses.

Jennifer about to chop hop the wake

Finally some sunshine.

Moses surfing the boat wakes

Outer Banks Magic

My old friend Jasper and I got a wild hair so we headed to Avon last Friday. We left before the butt crack of dawn and rolled into Avon just before lunch with the SW already turning on. He's heard me going on and on about windsurfing the past few years but has never tried it. Well he got to jump in with both feet since the wind was 15-20 mph by the time we rigged. We covered the basic uphauling/tacking and set out. The little chop made for a tough go of it but he put his time in. Couldn't quite totally finish the tacks but Jasper was starting to get his sea legs. I rigged the 6.5 on the 106L when the wind continued to build a little more- probably thermals kicking in. I was killing my jibes and almost did a few on the plane! Hopefully by fall I'll have the planning jibes down. Don & Debbie Wrenn from Kvegas came out so we sailed until a t-storm killed the wind towards evening. Don is polishing up some tricks for the next tropical storm. After a shower we dined on pizza with Don, Debbie, Anne and Donny Bowers at the Gingerbread House in Frisco.

Saturday the SW backed down to 5-10. Right in the zone for beginners. With the experience from Friday Jasper jumped on the board and proceeded to execute his first tack right off the bat. Excellent form and snapping the board through the eye of the wind like a champ! He got so comfortable sailing out and back I figured why not try a beach start. Dang if he didn't pick that right up too! The sound is such a great place to learn. Even flat water SUP was easy to this guy.

Sunday the wind switched NE and started light. We carried the super light & mega HiFly beginner board across HWY12 for some SUP on Ego beach. You may have seen Andy's or Drew's blog about how clear and blue the beach is. We are talking snorkeling in the Caribbean clear! The NE picked up enough that there was a weird chop 90 degrees to the swell so SUP turned into SDP(sit down). That's OK because it was still lots of fun.

After Ego we rigged for windsurfing at the hole. The wind was a little puffy close to the island but Jasper was able to further dial in those tacks and execute with more speed. I rigged a 7.5 on the 106L and pointed NW past the sand bar. I was using my 32cm wave fin so the balance was a little off- you certainly need a larger weed fin if you want to really get comfortable in those conditions. Here is a video recap of the fun! Another awesome trip. Can't wait for the next one.

Gearing Up for Summer and Fall

Well it has been an extremely busy Spring for everyone. I've been fortunate to actually sail with 3 new people at the clubs launch at Belews- Dave, Tom and Tony. Dave and Tony are returning members and are hopefully getting back in to sailing. I know Susan and I have been missing each other but she has had a couple nice sessions- at least once she got to inspect the integrity of the dam on the north end with a friend!

That leads me to mention how great some the people are on Belews. I know many times myself and others have been helped by boaters and sailors when equipment has failed or conditions got a little above our skill level. Steve McSpadden (a former member) actually helped Leah get back to the launch twice on separate occasions! Lots of people will be cruising by and kill the engine just to watch people windsurfing- it is relaxing to the casual observer.

Then you've got our hard core kayakers. Some of the best people you'll ever meet. I can say in general I've made more friends and met people of the best type everywhere windsurfing than any other thing I've done. And trust me I've got lots of hobbies.

Weekends are tough with vacations and commitments. Would there be any interest in a club sail, SUP & paddle evening during the week? We've got light until 9pm now so we could pick an evening that works for most. Please leave comments on this blog or email ralph(dot)moore(at)analog.com if interested **note insert . for (dot) & @ for (at) In the interest of keeping it simple I was thinking we could meet at the site for some time on the water and then go to a restaurant- Stokesdale or Oakridge. Eating after would be optional for people with kids or turn into a pumpkin after sunset :]

Finally there are a few people gearing up for windsurfing. As I have said I'll help all I can in getting you on the water and grinning. I've got lots of tips for local equipment and even some that may help out. Just contact me I'm happy to help.

Mistral Super Light 12’, $200
This is a smooth cruiser with a dagger fin. One of my favorites. I’ve got a base for it that I’ll toss in. Great for SUP too. Name says it all.
NP reach boom 185-240cm, $75
great shape, just redundant in my quiver
NP carbon wave boom 142-190cm, $50
Solid as a rock but the boom grip is taped. I’m still using this one all the time.
Powerex 2 pc 460cm mast, $25
This has a permanent bend at the joint but doesn’t effect rigging or draft
Equipe boom (similar range to NP) $25,
great shape
Mistral screamer 93L, $25,
board is in excellent shape but needs foot straps, which I think I have. (Tony wants this board)
Mistral diamond head 110L, $25,
board is in excellent shape but needs foot straps eventually
Rocket 99, free
K2 short board, free
Gaastra 5.8 wave sail, $25,
fair shape but heavily taped. This is an older sail but still has life if you want to get on the water. It is redundant for me.
Gaastra 5.2 wave sail, $25,
good shape but some tape. This is an older sail that I still use.
New Dakine 20” harness lines, $15
New Dakine 24” mono harness lines $15
New NP 24” harness lines $15
New never used Dakine impact vest $90
Aluminum 40cm extension(s) $5
Great shape

Misc much older Mistral sails, probably from the 80’s. free if you can use them.
Misc bases for older mistral stuff

OBX trip with Leah. The words escape me!

This was one of the best long weekends I've had in my life. Leah and I decided to get away for a relaxing weekend in Buxton and had a blast! We were tired from the early morning drive but the SW wind woke us up Friday afternoon. Leah was on the 4.2 with her 166L GO and I chose the 5.8 with my 106. Stuart from Ocean Air came out to the hole and I got to sail with him as long as I could stay with him! He's a ton of fun to watch and offered me some pointers to get my form dialed in. I was having trouble staying up wind with a small fin- between previous advice from Andy and Friday sailing with Stuart I now have no trouble at all! I understand it well enough I think I could even pass it along.

Andy came out around 6:30 for my scheduled jibe lesson. I've been hacking away at pivot jibes on the lake with the >150L boards but jibbing the 106L board was beyond me. I tried his patients but he proved to have plenty. By the end of the lesson I was coming out of the pivot and sailing clew first. By the end of the day I had most of my sail flips nailed! Anne and Drew came out too so towards sunset we finished the lesson and ended the day with some relaxing runs.

Saturday the wind took a rest and so did we. Leah and I hit the beaches in Buxton and visited the lighthouse. Late in the evening we hit the beach north of Avon for some SUPing and socializing. That was a true pleasure and my first time actually in the ocean at the obx!

Sunday sunday sunday. This was just one of those days that was right on and I knew it as soon as I went out for my morning run in North Buxton. I have no idea how many miles I actually ran because I wasn't counting. After lunch we headed to canadian hole- the SW breeze was steady and building nicely. Leah rigged and we spent the first half hour working on her beach starts. Once she got the sail handling the rest was butter. Here is Leah on her first day beach starting. She did great and had no problem staying upwind- even though it was blowing into the 20's!

Leah beach starting! from r d moore on Vimeo.

As for me, well those lessons from Andy helped me spend more time in the straps and blasting! I just can't believe how windsurfing can be this much more fun but it is. Here is a vid if you would like see some of my day from the first person shooter point of view.

Belews Kayaking & Windsurfing May 16th

Leah and I got to Belews around 3pm for some pretty good SSE wind. Leah is looking good tacking out and back- that SSE is a little tricky close to the cove and she did very well handling the gusts and lulls. The tack execution is getting better too since she is starting to put more foot pressure on the board. Maybe next session she can work up to using the harness lines...

Moses Adams came out so after the windsurfing we went kayaking. It was Leah's first time and Moses had her set in no time! We headed out for Carolina Marina by way of the scenic shore route. Lots of flowers are blooming so the coves are gorgeous. If you have thought about trying kayaking or want to give it another go Moses is the man to hook you up.

Tony Lombardo also came for a visit with his daughter. Tony has been an active windsurfer in the area for many years but took some time off when she was born. Now he is back and ready for action! We should have a lot of new faces around this spring since quite a few are getting back to this awesome sport. If you haven't got your gear ready to go GET ON IT!

OBX 5/8-10 !!!!!!!

I missed all of April at the OBX but I made up for that this weekend. The wind has been solid the past couple of weeks and Friday - Sunday was no exception! Friday was building through the afternoon and I ended the day on a 5.2 after dropping down from a 5.8.


Saturday was 20s-40s but averaging 25-35 mph. I picked up an 85L RRD FSW from Andy at Sailworld Hatteras Friday and used it sunrise to sunset Saturday on a 4.2! The water is warm and the day was sunny so swim trunks were in order. If you like bump & jump it was fan-frick'n-tastic stuff with lots of looping and tail-grabs all around. Watch Andy's vid of wave sailing Saturday at ramp 34.


Sunday the wind went NE so I sailed a 6.5 on the 106L from early morning to around 1pm. I got some good vids of this action. I will try to get some footage on the 85L next time- this weekend I was worried about breaking equipment Saturday... Check out my video on youtube if you want to see what it is like. Click the HQ to watch it high quality.