Triad Windsurfing, Surf & SUP

Triad Windsurfing has moved...

2010-10-30T08:54:00.002-04:00

What began with windsurfing has expanded to surfing, paddle surfing, skating, wake surfing, wake boarding and general disinterest in work. It is a good time for new beginnings so I'm moving the blog to a format that better fits the lifestyle and displays all the opportunities out there on the coast and inland.

Here is the new link

Weekend SW at the Local Water Hole. Forecasts are more like guidlines.

2010-10-26T07:31:00.001-04:00

So the NWS said 5-10 SSW Saturday and Sunday. With a formula board and 9.5 or SUP and 7.5 this is cause to sail when it is sunny and warm. That goes double when you only need a spring suit.

Saturday Leah spent a few hours on the 106L/5.8 in some pretty good stuff- likely around 13mph gusting to 16 up the main channel. The tacks are getting faster and she is certainly loving the maneuverability of the smaller gear. The 13-16 dropped off in the early afternoon down to the forecasted 5-10 so I rigged up to the 9.5/formula for a good pump workout. There wasn't much planing later in the day but we schlogged until dark since it was so nice.

Sunday. Wow. After the service Sunday morning while we were walking home the wind was blowing and messing up my hair that I had spent so much time on. Excitement was building but in check at that point. We had to handle some commitments and didn't make it to Belews until around 2:30 but dang. When we got there it was white capping and filled in nicely! I rigged the 9.5/formula figuring the wind would drop while Leah rigged the 5.8/ahd. In the straps and off I was. It was some of the best quality I've been in at Belews since I was planing and in the straps non-stop. Get this- it steadily built until evening. I got blown off the formula, immediately went to the 9.5/ahd, got blown off that, 5.8/ahd was working with plenty of power so I grabbed the 106L/5.8! I had no idea I had been sailing so over powered with the 9.5/formula until I was planing on the 106L/5.8 since the wind built in so slow and steady!

There were lots of sailboats about and it seemed like more party barges & bass boats than normal. This becomes relative I think. When you are well powered you are one of the fastest vessels on the lake and when you are crossing the channel almost 90 degrees to the flow of traffic it seems like there are boats in the way fairly frequently. This isn't a bad thing though since it is a great opportunity to represent the best sport on Earth while there are plenty of folks on the lake to witness it and maybe even drum up some interest in trying it. Warm, sunny Fall weather is the best time of the year to be sailing and gaining interest in windsurfing and SUP. Where are all the Triad Club locals?

A WSW Jibeathon

2010-10-22T07:56:00.001-04:00

The wind yesterday north of Greensboro started SSW and was predicted to go NW by afternoon. Luckily it clocked WSW and locked in for the duration! For Belews lake this means a hike south in front of the plant to get out of the wind shadow of the 2 islands. I took the hike and sailed 4 hours straight on the 106L/5.8 with a 32cm freewave fin (loose). It was lake wind- gusty, some long lulls and squirrely at times but a fine time was had. There was about a half hour, I'd estimate around 3 or so, where the wind picked up and filled in the entire span of the opening in front of the plant. I made figure 8s with chop hops along the way with my heart rate pegging pretty high. I wish we could get some of that on a weekend too.

Zoom in and you can see the white caps left and right of the island.

The Raleigh crew has their own forecaster so maybe their wind predictions and wind meters are solid. The wind meters in the vicinity of Belews are not matching the lake much nowadays. I know the leaves are still on the trees and that may be most of the issue but the low readings may be keeping folks away and missing some fun sailing. The following are from Summerfield, Walnut Cove, Reidsville and the gso airport, resp. It seems the airport matched the best yesterday. Bottom line is DON'T MISS OUT!

How the? He must have been using foot straps.

2010-10-19T06:58:00.000-04:00

From windsport.com. Bernd Roediger's incredible SUP aerial at Dana Point, California. Naish team rider I think.

Link here.

The Naish Mana 9' Review

2010-10-11T21:13:00.002-04:00

The Naish Mana is bamboo with epoxy and a 3/4 length pad. It’s dead sexy. At 9' you can cram it inside your minivan or suv. Here are our initial thoughts on the board.
First, to establish a frame of reference. I am 70kg, my wife is less. We have owned only 2 prior true SUP boards. Starboard Drive 10'5, RRD Wassup 10'. Prior to that I SUPed on old windsurf boards like the Mistral Superlight and Bic Bamba. The following is a collection of thoughts on jumping from a well regarded first SUP board (Starboard Drive) to a completely new class of SUP board. This is about going to a high performance SUP and does not compare the Mana 9' to other similar boards in this class since we have no experience there.
The summary for folks in a hurry:

Likes

• 140L, 29.5” wide and 9' but still surprisingly stable. really.

• LIGHT. Easy to handle out of the water and in the impact zone after you get trashed

• funboard surf board shape- surfs like a much smaller board

lightweights can engage the rail standing more in the middle rather than having to be on the tail

• makes getting out through white water easier and even fun. *Low tow factor.

• pivots on a dime

• tracks well while paddling if forward of the carry handle

• anti-pearl nose?

What could be better

• need non-slip on the nose.

• have to remove fins to zip board bag

• where is the mast track?

Surfing

I first tried the 9' Mana at Carolina Beach surfing with Dwight and Jacky. Thanks again guys. Jacky traded with me so I jumped off the 10'5 Drive after a few hours of great long period hurricane Igor waves. I immediately noticed that I lost 16 Liters and 1.5 feet. You have to find the right standing position on the Mana but this comes quickly. I also noticed I was better off with a narrower stance. The board is only 1/2 inches less but certainly easier to dip a thinner rail. The waves were at least shoulder high, easy and conditions were glassy. I've been in strong off shore wind before and there you need to jump on the nose to get the drop. In the Igor conditions you had to paddle like mad and run to the nose to stay on the swell even with no wind. Luckily DW added non slip to their Mana so I was able to catch the waves early on the nose, throw a few turns and nose ride. After 2 waves on the Mana I felt like I had been on it much longer so comfort comes quickly.
More recently at Hatteras I took the Mana out first at Frisco in glassy left handers on the outer bar. I was blown away by how well the board punched through or jumps up and over incoming surf. I jumped into the surf stance putting down some deep strokes and kept right on trucking. Once on the back side of the wave you can jump back to normal stance to paddle the rest of the way. This offered a new fun factor for me- it is actually a blast taking on the white water.
Riding the 10’5 Drive taught me to run nose to tail while catching and riding waves. I immediately missed being able to pounce on the nose to get the late drop on some fast forming sneaky Hatteras waves. Second nature took over a few times and I ran to the nose only to slip like I was on ice. My non slip product has shipped and should arrive by the end of the week!

I hit Old Lighthouse beach with the Mana for a much more stringent set of conditions. The waves were big, somewhat inconsistent and there was a psycho-chop component that really forced me to concentrate on balance. Again I missed the nose traction but aside from that I was very impressed how well the board handled late big drops. Quite a few times I ended up on the tail with back foot on the kick pad following the falls and coming out standing. Another huge plus is that when in the impact zone eating a huge wall of white water while off the board I don’t get towed by the leash all the way to shore. The Mana has much less surface area so I assume that offers much less for the wave to hold on to. The result is that even if I get knocked down or bail in front of a top to bottom closeout I don’t lose much ground while trying to get out. I’ll call this a much lower tow factor since I’m into *nameology.

Flat Water

Leah first tried the board on a weekend at the lake. That means plenty of boat wakes producing psycho chop and a few good swells to ride. She never fell in the course of the afternoon. Not once. I was blown away. Moreover the Mana has more glide than the Drive. I certainly had a tough time matching Leah’s speed. The deck pad isn’t as cushy as other boards but the Mana is just as fun in flat water as the 10’5.

About that Missing Mast Track

We are not content to surf the early morning sesh and bail for the day. Instead we tend to stay morning to dark and in the course of a typical day you can get wind. Putting a sail on the Drive is a blast since you can catch sooo many more waves. I wonder why Naish doesn’t add a receiver for the 8mm Chinook base? Is it simply that there is no market or does it have more to do with construction? Sure I realize the board will schlog but you would be doing that anyway on a windsurf board.
I think this board suits anyone looking for more maneuverability and excitement.
Initial quality is impressive. I hope the construction holds up well since I plan to keep this one for a while. Any thoughts, concerns, or outright disagreements?

For more expert opinions and advice check out NC Paddle Surfer.

Ramp 49 Wave Sailing- The Redemption Sesh

2010-10-07T08:29:00.002-04:00

My trip could not have ended much better. I planned to spend most of the day SUP surfing at 49 again but when I paddled out the side-side-off WNW was creating a strong wind swell. Dropping in on the wave was really tough since the wave was peeling left and into the wind- so that put the board across the NW chop and the nose floating on the air. I didn't mention it in my previous Mana post but second nature took over a few times on Monday and I ran to the nose to get the drop. Without traction the nose is like running on ice! The nose was still slick so I certainly missed jumping on it in that head wind.

I rigged the 5.8 and the cross 106 again for my wave sailing redemption attempt. I love side shore wind. Though it was light and fluky as expected I was able to clear the impact zone pretty well 8/10 times and the bars were shallow enough at lower tide that I could beach start in some spots. No denials this time. The NW wind swell built up quickly so there was waist high checkering across the SE swell rolling in on the outside. It made it challenging staying upwind, even on the outside, but between dogging it and some planing I always managed. It made me appreciate sailing areas with dominant swell offering free shoulder rides into the wind. On another note, there must have been a million jelly balls out there! Inside, outside, middle tons of the darn things everywhere. Every time I fell in I had 2 or 3 bumping into me. I don't know if they sting but I had a full wetsuit on so I still can't say. Unnerving. Then there were the dolphin. Lots of em and it always gives me a good vibe though I'm not sure why. Every little thing helps when you are charging waves solo.

Speaking of waves, does Hatteras have the sneakiest waves anywhere or what? Ramp 30 had a clear flat path out that suddenly was suddenly blocked by a head high top to bottom closeout. Even the south side would do that. More like waist to shoulder but I got put through the spin cycle head over heels by a few of them. I was talking to Andy about it and he agrees it is the sharp bars that cause the swell to jack up so fast. The swell will hide between bars in deep water and pounce on the poor soul trying to sneak out. Ramp 49 added the new dynamic of SE swell hiding in the WNW. When staging for the SE you had to keep a keen eye out for the money shot. Where o where is it... Ooh, pump pump! Sometimes the wind gave power for the drop, sometimes not. It just makes those times that you make it to the outer bar that much sweeter and the jibe out of that DTL wave ride that much more of a victory.

Denial Twist

2010-10-06T08:33:00.003-04:00

I tried wave sailing solo at ramp 30 this morning. It looked so sweet- big crumbling lefts on the outer bar. Each time I tried to get out I was denied in exactly the same way at exactly the same spot. The wind was light and side shore- blowing better on the beach than on the inside somehow. I would punch through a couple white water areas, start to take a breath of relief since I was on my way and out of nowhere a head high top to bottom closeout would slam me! If fully lit the 5.8/106L would have been the express route to the outside but the power was just not there. Hopefully the fishermen next to me enjoyed the show.

Since the wind was so light I hit Ramp 49 again for some more time on the Mana. Have I told you lately that I love the Mana? The tide was low and rising again so the bars were similar to Sunday but better. Beautiful peeling lefts on the outside with tubes! Add in the first completely sunny day of the trip and zang, wave sailing blues gone. A fellow NC surfer posted some good pics at Frisco too.

The higher tide wasn't working at 49 or bath houses so I headed up to old lighthouse. The waves were huge compared to the southside and good grief what power. Certainly more challenging paddling but still easy to get out. It isn't often you have waves that big and it isn't hard to get out. Yesterday it was a great high tide spot and I SUP surfed on the Mana until sunset. Best of all my last ride of the day was the best of the day- long left on a head high with enough steam to keep me going until it reformed on the inner bar. Stoke was plentiful.

Oct 4th was another flat water day at the hole on 5.2/85L. It was NW and I was well powered to marginal. Stu and Ken came out after 5pm but the wind was falling off quickly by then. What a sunset!

Mana Love and Wave Sailing at Old Lighthouse

2010-10-04T08:12:00.016-04:00

I love the kick pad on the tail. Chose some shore break with thigh to occasional shoulder high heavy break. I couldn't believe what the nose of the Mana pulled out. Never pearled and I don't know why. Mana is money.

Wave Sailing at Old Lighthouse Beach-

Hit Lighthouse beach again in the evening. Not as easy as yesterday and enough west to make it really weird on the inside. Fun though! Lots of locals came out. Usually they make it look easy. They did not make lighthouse beach look easy yesterday. My experience is best described as prolonged panicky scrambling interrupted by brief periods of sheer bliss.

I did not keep my cool trying to water start in the huge holes. My heart rate and breathing were not properly controlled and the sesh totally zapped me after the first 1.5 hours. I was a little bummed that I missed sailing with all the local experts that arrived a few hours after Keith and I but was glad to come out none the worse for losing my focus. The few waves I did ride made it no doubt worth the effort!

At Old Lighthouse Beach and The Hole

2010-10-03T08:11:00.001-04:00

I started yesterday morning early at the Hole with Dale Bendula. Stayed on the 5.8/106 all day. Wind was NNE and a little up & down but fun as always. It was a great oportunity to dial in my jibes on the 106 in chop and fluky wind. My hand is healing well and no major sail handling problems! Dale took a break to cut the grass and Ken from Wind NC drove up. He was on Andy's 5.2/twin freestyle. The wind filled in nicely a little and we had a ball when Ken was planing easily. We also traded rigs since I had a 5.8- wow was there a big difference between the old Ezzy wave and the new Gaastra IQ. The Gaastra was flatter when not powered and much more crisp. The old wave sail has much more low end grunt but not nearly as smooth in transitions. Not as easy to clear the clew either.

I got the message too late but Keith M and Olaf scored a fun sesh at the lighthouse. I stopped by to wach for about 45 min and it looked big and fairly easy. I was zapped and cramping already so I didn't rig. Maybe today! Keith has the blue sail. Wish I had a better camera.

Last night Andy at Wind NC put on a sail clinic for the Raleigh crew. They have over 20 new members this year and tons of stoke! It is awesome to see all the excitement from new and senior members. Great group. Andy does a great job with these clinics and there's great info for new and experienced sailors. Good times.

Oct 1 NNE at Canadian Hole, OBX NC

2010-10-02T08:09:00.001-04:00

The last time I was on my 85L exo wave was the end of July at the Basin. That was 2 straight days of SW with the 5.2/85L combo. Yesterday evening I sailed the same kit on the 85L stick with Dale Bendula. Dale was on a 95L slalom board with 5.5 and passing me on each run. We worked it out so that when he jibed I would too from a distance behind, he would catch up midway, pass then repeat jibe so it was great sailing with a buddy for a change! He covered more ground but I could out jump him, at least yesterday :]

The Raleigh crew (Triangle Windsurfing Club) is sailing up at Salvo this weekend too. I'm looking forward to putting faces to names! Sounds like a lot of excitement for the sport with those folks.

The wind forecast has changed for the next few days. Looks a little lighter with NE switching to NW towards Monday. The surf has been massive but should be dropping to a more manageable level starting today. Hopefully we'll be wave sailing and SUP surfing soon too. More updates to come.

The 9' Mana is at Wind NC. Wow.

Surfing Igor at Ocean Isle Inlet, CB North End and Sunset Beach

2010-09-20T07:57:00.096-04:00

Being mobile is the ticket for NC dynamic conditions. I sampled Igor's sinuous waves from the north end of Carolina Beach to the NC state line at Sunset Beach. My new thermo-form splint allowed me to paddle surf with reasonable comfort in some really fun conditions.

Ocean Isle North End Sunday

Where's Waldo?

Waldo found.

Typical end to the rides. Not prudent to be greedy! Get off here or eat the bar.
Windsurfer's delight. Off side off on 3D playground.

Between Holden and Ocean Isle
First thing at high tide the waves were tubing and breaking hard near shore. Unfortunately it was a harsh closeout so certainly not geared for longboard turns. The OIB inlet was much like the CB north end. We used the 4th street beach access and I was able to get out first try on the 10'5 no problem. It has been a long time since having off shore wind while paddling- it was pouring out of the inlet so strong I had to paddle my ass off and jump on the nose to get the drop but the return trip after each wave was such a relief! I don't know if it was a combination of the tide dropping or the swell size growing but it got to the point I couldn't get out through the shore pound. Every ripple was breaking hard and the 10'5 beast was too much. Jennifer and I gave up and hit the water tower for some body surfing. Donald Obst and crew happend to be there too. We found the current much stronger than the inlet but the set lulls were much longer. Again though the surf was beautiful but closing out... there were lots of short boarders getting really short rides. 9/10 were like drop, zip zip, oof, eat shit. Much respect for them.
CB North End Saturday
There were a number of firsts for this sesh. Coolest was meeting Dwight, Jacky, Brian M., Surf Machine, Z, Brad and others. Great crew with lots of energy, bow hunting skills, nunchuck skills and surfing skills. I'm so used to shore break it took a while to get used to catching this big long period swell. You think it will break on you but no- it just holds a clean face forever! It was the most fun you can have standing up. I collected Mark and Jennifer then drove out on the beach for the first time in my first 4x4 too. Meet the pimp wagon.
Inshore warm up

soooo clean...

Mark braces for launch
Jennifer (A #1 photographer) sailing the Drive on a light NE at the Basin at Fort Fisher

Sunset Beach, the West End Thursday, Friday

I wish I would have taken pictures Thursday morning at low tide. I was very surprised to find Igor's initial swell making it to Sunset with such quality. Leah was doing really well on the 10'5 in thigh to waist high glassy surf. I was body surfing with Rob, John and Brian so I got some sweet views of Leah riding those waves. I'm amazed how quickly she's gotten the hang of the punch throughs paddling out and turning to ride the shoulder. Leah ended her sesh around lunch time so I surfed the rising tide the rest of the afternoon until the south wind blew out the surf around 5pm.

Nearer to high tide. Not as good but still fairly clean.

Brian Luisana on his first SUP wave
Sunset next to Bird Island

The new custom is here!

2010-09-13T09:28:00.013-04:00

Crafted from the latest in thermo-form plastic technology courtesy of Greensboro Orthopedics and Sports Medicine!

Solo mountain biking on the 8th. Rounding a sandy bend. Loose rock, smack-down, slide, ooomph. Metacarpal of index busted at the knuckle.

It could be way worse. With this puppy I should be able to surf, paddle and windsurf. I'll just have to adjust- lucky my form is already ugly so it won't be that noticeable.

I'm thinking back to Earl and ahead to Igor- can I adjust in time if the conditions come the end of the week at OIB?

Early morning Earl swell.

Earl puffs at Lake Waccamaw Sail Club

Sept 6 at the Cove

Hurricane Danielle at OIB

2010-08-31T11:17:00.053-04:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine?

Hurricane Danielle passed east of Bermuda but delivered some awesome surf at Ocean Isle Beach (OIB). It is south facing so not a bad spot for any NE wind that leads the way when storms come close. The east facing beaches like CB and WB tend to get blown out pretty bad with any on shore or side shore wind so I think it was definitely the right call.

Friday Leah and I hit the water tower south of the OIB pier for a warm up day. The surf was a little bumpy but you could score some fun short rides to get the sea legs. Later the wind turn a little side on and I rigged the 4.7 on the 10'5" SUP. What a blast! Easy surf so no problem getting out but soooo fun ripping one little wave after another. I even made some friends with the local surfers who were stoked on the wave sailing. I met David and his son from SC- very cool long boarders. His son was catching waves tail first and spinning on the face like LH on the SUP. Very nice.

Saturday morning swell from Danielle was building in nicely. I took the 7'4" surf board up to Island Breeze since Leah and Jennifer would be coming later. It was dumping pretty bad there so after an hour or so I headed back to the water tower and ran into David again. After David introduced me to Dan Myers and his crowd from Charlotte I ended up surfing with them the rest of the weekend. Dan and his son Jason were on C4 SUPs and Jace was even doing head stands on his 9 footer. Everyone was hollering and having a fine time with the glassy shoulder to head high rollers coming in! I'm glad I met Dan and David- all the surfers in the family made the scene one of the best vibes I've experienced.

Sunday morning was the highlight for Danielle's visit. The wind finally turned off shore and pretty much stayed off to side off up until about 1pm. I found a little honey hole way up the beach away from most of the line ups and was killing it on the 10'5". I had dolphin and porpoise come in close in the surf while I was there. I love seeing them- just feels like having pets around or something. Most importantly it was one DTL ride after another and banking off the closeout section. I stayed out until I was completely dehydrated and came in with a huge smile after lunch time.

Jennifer, Leah and I headed back for a nice outro sesh early Monday. It was knee high with occasional waist high swell so very relaxing after Sat & Sun when it was a little too big for the ladies. Perfect SUP surf conditions with off shore wind and glassy clean water. I think I've lost my 10'5" for good now since Leah used it all day. She was really getting the feel for catching and riding the waves since she was having so much fun she stayed out for 2 straight hours without even taking in water! Yep. She has the bug.

* Jennifer once again blew me away with some great photos with the point and shoot. Too bad the camera settings were screwed up Saturday and Sunday. Kinda fuzzy.

Tiny - BIG - Psycho Chop - Perfect Glassy

2010-08-02T08:25:00.042-04:00

Leah is officially a standup paddle surfer!

Leah and the RRD Wassup 10'. Perfect for knee to waist high stuff.

Jennifer takes a break from the photo shooting.

Leah and I hit Surf City Friday afternoon to find the ocean clear and relatively calm. Perfect for really getting the feel of the Wassup and the art of catching waves. Surf across from the Loggerhead Inn ranged from ankle to staggering calf high sets. If ever there was a perfect windless afternoon for learning to paddle surf in the ocean this was it. By the way, Leah doesn't have a SUP paddle yet so we walked across from the Loggerhead to rent a paddle from Herrings Outdoor Sports where we met Jennifer Hill. She is an avid SUPer along with her son and husband. This is a great shop right on the waterway and they have anything you'll need for kayaking or SUP. Jennifer even has a full carbon SUP paddle for sale... the one she won at the Cold Stroke Classic. You'd better be prepared to buy it if you hold it. Like holding nothing!

Saturday morning we hit County Line. There was a little NE breeze but only around 5mph. From the top of the dune the sets looked to be rolling in nicely and the tops crumbling. Upon closer inspection from the deck of the SUPs the waves were actually much bigger. I ended up taking some of the biggest drops ever- white knuckle adrenaline pumping stuff! Tossed in a few good catapulting nose dives too. The highlight of the morning was this one set that launched me off the lip straight ahead where I flew, landed and managed to avoid carnage to surf it until it closed. Juiced!

The most interesting feature at the Line is that the sand bars end fairly abruptly so the swell coming in from the deep water isn't as obvious sometimes further out. However the bar extends pretty far out so you do have time to set up but some of the waves do surprise and break a little earlier than you might expect. As the high tide peaked and started down the surf dropped as the wind picked up. It got plain windy and the ocean got extremely choppy. The surf turned into mostly wind driven chop/surf but I just kept on until evening when Jennifer arrived.

T-Storms rolled through Sunday morning and sucked up all that NE wind. It was still sprinkling rain but we headed on out to the public access across from the fire department. This is a great spot since it is one of the few that has a ramp over the dune rather than just stairs. It can be tough carrying gear with the rails on the steps. With all the wind we had Saturday I was fully prepared to sail the SUP Sunday regardless of the surf quality. Luckily the NE chopped cleared and the ocean was glassy knee - waist sets! The skies cleared later in the afternoon for a picturesque sesh. Jennifer took some awesome photos Sunday with my little point and shoot. She definitly has talent... I can only imagine what she could do with a quality camera. I'm still buzzing from this trip.

The Basin Backwater & Carolina Beach

2010-07-27T08:12:00.033-04:00

Saturday

Sunday

A couple weeks ago we hit Topsail Island for some SUP surfing and got 1 3/4 full days of great waves and a shot of strong side-shore wind. I was not prepared for the wind. Having now a lesson learned I packed the 84L, 4.2 and 5.2 for this trip. Of course a couple SUP boards for tasty waves and sailing as well. This minimal equipment turned out to be the perfect call.

Jennifer and I drove into Wrightsville Beach late Sat morning intending to see Mac in the Mullet Run SUP race and try for some SUP surfing. Good grief that place was jammed full of bodies and traffic. Since the surf was dumping & pounding we headed south to Carolina and Kure. This was around lunch and by then the wind was pretty strong- definitely stronger than WB. I tried catching some waves off Ocean Ave but the wind and north running current were just impossible conditions. It was a shame since the waves were pretty good size but shorebreak only. Even if they got better with the rising tide the current and wind called for sail only.

Jennifer certainly wasn't ready for the ocean sailing experience so we hit the Basin in Ft Fisher. This was my 1st time sailing the Basin and didn't really feel all that confident there was enough water to sail since it was low tide. Luckily a local sailor named Ed came just after we arrived and I had someone to show me the route. There are a couple good launch spots. I backed up to the wall on the west side and used the grassy area there. You have to walk out about 150 yards at low tide but there is enough water for smaller fins. We rigged the 4.2 and RRD Wassup to explore the place. I sailed the kit for a couple minutes and was impressed with the handling of the SUP with the 4.2. I actually got some good speed and planed the board without the foot straps. It isn't that silky free-ride board skimming but gets pretty close as best I can tell so far. With some reluctance I gave the kit to Jennifer to try out. As we mentioned before you have to stay off the nose but the board did really well in the higher wind. She had no trouble working up wind, even though this model doesn't have a center fin, and was easily controlled. I was happy to see that the board didn't seem tippy at all. One of the highlights of the trip was Jennifer learned to beach start! It gets easier to teach the more I do it but each time it is a reminder of how unintuitive it is! She picked it up faster than most so either I'm getting better at teaching or she's just good. I think both.

Lunch time Sunday I paddled at Ocean Ave again- this time for a couple hours. The waves were a little smaller, the current a little less, but the wind was even stronger. I caught 1 magical crowd pleasing wave after about 1.5 hours of trying. The reason I got shouts of encouragement and pleasure from people I didn't know was they all witnessed my plight paddling into the wind and gaining no ground. Pretty much a treadmill out there. They pitied me but folks love to see and underdog succeed- Go Rudy! He can't fail.

Hatteras has spoiled me with high wind. I'm losing my ability to tell when it is shortboard conditions. My 5.2/84L had been rigged for a while but I didn't think I would be planing. I was wrong. Turned out the wind was consistent and I was powered just enough to plane even without the pump Saturday- 99% in the straps! Sunday was pretty much the same scenario but stronger wind. A 4.7 would have been perfect but I was all lit up on the 5.2, 100% in the straps! As the tide rising the place transforms into an even more beautiful spot to sail- there are huge ships sailing off into the sunset on the waterway, unspoiled marsh with nothing but green grass and an island between you and the Atlantic. I'll definitely be heading that way again.

Summary for Paddle Surfing Carolina Beach

The SW was Side to Side Side-on and cranking up the beach. Unlike TI, there really were no sand bars that I could see even at low tide. The waves break pretty close to shore so the drop in comes late since the swell seems to come out of nowhere in the deep water. Dropping in closer to shore was also the case last December when Mac, Rob and I were there. The wind was also cranking then but more off shore making surfing a little easier. Side-shore with the wind, current and wave going the same direction is tougher than anything I've experience. Just rig your sail!

RRD Wassup Initial Test, 10' Stinger

2010-07-21T10:27:00.054-04:00

Leah and I have really enjoyed paddling this summer. Typically for flat water paddling at Belews Leah would get the Starboard Drive SUP board and I would grab one of the old windsurf longboards out of the container. The old longboards function but are not comfortable at all. Thanks to RRD and Wind NC we now both have a SUP!

No doubt I had to get another SUP but I was thinking that the ideal scenario for Leah would be a board that would really do it all. Tony made this video trying out the new RRD SUP boards and the Wassup caught my eye. The 8'5" Wassup was featured and I thought the 10' would be good for lake and ocean. It arrived last Friday and we hit Belews to give it a try.

The Scoop

The first thing you'll notice is the 31" width- very stable in the normal paddling position. The volume seems to be a little more centered. The 10'5" Drive has more volume toward the nose. I was shocked how easily the Wassup turns on the pivot! The board has slightly less rocker than the Drive and you don't have to step very far back at all on the quick turn. I can't wait to try this in some surf- this should really pay off on the paddle back out when a wave rolls in that is too good to miss. Using the bathroom scale the board weighs just over 26 lbs. I tried for months to get the volume and weight from RRD but still no luck. Here is a forum link with thoughts from WarDog. He estimates around 140L of volume and I would say around 150L.

Jackson is all partied out.

We tried wake surfing the Wassup behind a very nice wake boat that some friends have on Belews. The wake is sooo much bigger than my dad's boat. The extra width does take a little adjustment- the board accelerates down the wave faster than the Drive and turns with ease but a little slower rail to rail. That is until you get further back and the narrow tail kicks in. It is almost like another gear when you center your weight back. When your weight is more centered toward the carry handle you have to put much more foot pressure on the rail to get the turn you want. Again, I really need to get this in the ocean waves to see how the board does on the transitions and different size waves. Stoked!

We had terrible T-storms all day Saturday but Sunday we tried some light wind sailing at Belews. Leah used the 7.5 Ezzy Zephyr on the Wassup but we didn't add any foot straps. (The Wassups don't ship with footstraps by the way). She was using the harness lines and it seems that the nose would dip a bit from the big rig. I think this board is definitely designed to be sailed well behind the mast, even when not in the straps. The rig seems to be placed pretty far forward as well. I sailed it briefly and thought it was very smooth- great pivot jibe just like the flat water paddling turns. The wind never got strong enough for planing. Since Tony is using the boards to teach windsurfing I'm hoping the board with plane and respond well to foot pressure when in the straps.

Summary for Initial Testing

We've paddled and sailed light air in flat water. Paddling it has a solid feel and good glide. On the tacks you have to watch putting too much pressure on the nose since it is a little shorter. For paddling the pivot turns are great. We surfed a boat wake and the board was easy to accelerate and get on the wave. Turns are deliberate and easy- on the tail the board is very agile.

2010 RRD Wassup 10' Stinger from r d moore on Vimeo.

Looking forward to surf, higher wind planing and surf sailing. More on this later!

By the way, I have to mention the rare July sunset sesh I had at Belews Sunday. Planing and at times over powered on the 9.5 and formula board up 'till sunset. SSW, balmy and all mine...

What in the wide, wide world of waves is going on here?

2010-07-12T10:28:00.050-04:00

This time of year sailable wind usually means dodging lightning bolts. Even the occasional water spout like the one that moved across Buxton while we were there July 2nd. So what does it mean when a hardcore wind junkie like your humble narrator finds himself wishing for the wind to go away?

I did a little last minute weekend run to surf with my wife and sister at Topsail Beach. I've never been there and just got a wild hair. Sporting goods packed for this venture were:

1 SUP board, for wave riding and general merry making
1 sail, 5.2 m^2 for grins and giggles

When we got there Saturday after lunch it was mostly overcast with a light on-shore breeze. Low tide and fun easy waves. I could see some longboard surfers off in the distance trying to milk a few seconds of ride out of some shore break but we owned the afternoon surf along with the body boarders. Later in the afternoon the wind rose with the tide, turning more side side-on. The surf began to build pretty quickly and the side shore current right along the beach became downright nasty. The wind finally filled in to the point I had to give up paddling so I rigged the 5.2.

Somewhere on the NC coast some windsurfer made it out past the shore pound last Saturday. But they didn't do it in Surf City- or at least I didn't on my 10'5" SUP board anyway. The sea she said NO with punctuation. Though I negotiated with extreme prejudice I was swept sideways, pounded, smacked down, rolled and generally mistreated by the one I love. It is amazing how much you miss footstraps while trying to slip past the poundage. Each time I tried to position for the beach start the raging current rounded me upwind just in time to eat copious amounts of shit when the short period surf rolled in. I was denied outright.

The groups of surfers on shortboards kind of just appeared out of nowhere. I watched for a little while and noticed they ignored the sideshore current. They just surfed the waves as they came and cared not that they were sliding down the beach at around 7 mph. At some point a group would exit the water a few miles down wind and trek back up the beach toward the pier where they must have started. Seeing these guys catching the waves with the shortboards got me real jealous so I paddled the SUP board back out since I had no surf board. I pretty much paddled out prone eating foam and in a lull would stand and paddle for a tasty wave. I'm definitely thinking I now need a short surfboard. Those guys could punch right through those pitching waves! This went on until the storm that had been laying inland all afternoon finally hit the beach head with all that pent up aggression. The range of conditions I encountered Saturday were fun and I think I learned a lot. Not to mention the humble pie I got served.

Sunday was consistent, fun surf ALL DAY LONG. The wind was light and regardless of the tide the waves were just working. Again I was the only paddle surfer on the beach but there were tons of shortboard surfers out there all day. They pretty much migrated with the break which put them moving in on me a couple times as the tide shifted. No big deal though since the SUPs have so much wave range I just shifted over and let them have it. I could find a good break most anywhere. Jennifer and Leah both got out body surfing and later tried the SUP surfing. Leah took a rogue wave head on and walked off with a busted lip but took it like a champ. There were plenty of smiles all around so we'll definitely be heading back.

SUP wake surfing and a little surfing from r d moore on Vimeo.

The high speed burn

2010-07-07T06:53:00.037-04:00

As your attorney I advise you to take a very fast van with a rack on top. A tape recorder for special music. Acapulco shirts. Get over to Cape Hatteras for at least 48 hours. And you're going to have to arm yourselves with equipment... to the teeth.

Well it worked for us anyway.

I couldn't believe it. We've been discussing it for months. Eagerly watching the forecast for a week- seeing it go back and forth between epic and ehh. Friday morning Mark and I pulled the trigger 'cause it just looked too good not to try. Three guys actually had their schedules line up for 5 nights in Hatteras so we packed Mark's van and headed to Buxton. We just couldn't get over how good the conditions were every day. That is windsurfing or standup surfing every day with 0 down time. I expected to have a tough time finding parking at the hole. Would you believe we basically owned the place? Apparently everyone was waiting for the week after the 4th to vacation. This trip is one for the record books- great in every way.

Sunday to Tuesday were 3 straight days of great SW wind. No waves but the hole was cooking up some nice bump n jump- especially Monday when I ended up on the 4.2/85L hitting sweet right hand ramps punctuated with efforts to pop the kit with the Ollie. Yep I'm thinking of trying the Vulcan this year.

Meet Mark's friend Awesome Bill from Yadkinville. It was a pleasure having Bill join us. Very interesting guy that has been sailing since the 80's. Here on his first SUP waves.

Wednesday we had perfect waist high waves at old lighthouse beach.

Thursday we had some beefier waist-shoulder NE swell in Avon. Mark and I surfed all day with Ken and later with Andy, Drew, Ace & Lara. The SUP is amazing- the conditions were challenging but terribly fun. Later in the afternoon we talked of rigging small sails but didn't want to take the time away from the waves we were catching...

Mark has some video so I hope to update when we can go through it. Good times.

Corncake!

2010-06-07T21:56:00.016-04:00

Sunday was my first trip to Corncake. It was a beautiful windy day with side-off later turning side shore. 5.2 all day and great B&J. Also got to meet Alan and Scott. The highlight of the trip for me was hearing the guys on the beach give a shout when I locked into a wave with a couple turns. Awesome. Thanks to Jennifer for taking these pics with the little point and shoot. Alan and Donald posted some great ones on the Charlotte club site too. Thanks again guys.

Fantastic conditions, great people, beautiful water and all the windsurfing you can handle in a day. I can't wait to go back...

I had to add in Alan's A-Team van. This thing just gives off a bad-ass windsurfing vibe. It really gave me confidence when I was a mile offshore carving into my return jibe. There was much stoke on that beach, and it was good.

Tow In Paddle Surfing Vid

2010-06-01T08:56:00.012-04:00

Last December at Kure Beach I broke a thruster fin and ruined an 8" wave fin on my Starboard Drive in some gnarly shore pound. I finally got around to getting some thrusters and put in the 9" wave fin for some tow in wake surfing at Badin. It was my sister Jennifer, wife Leah and myself in my dad's fishing boat. This turned out to be the hilight of the weekend...

Leah took this photo. What a great sky.

I'm sure you've all seen the wake surfers on short boards behind > $30K wake boats. Turns out it is much cheaper to get a bigger surf board and use your smaller boat. I shortened the ski rope so that I was on the shoulder of the wake- from there holding the handle and paddle I could pull myself in front with one arms reach. As soon as you feel the glide toss the rope and you're paddle surfing.

Another awesome thing about the big SUP board is beginners can get on the board and use it as a mega stable knee surf board. Jenifer sure is convinced anyway.

And no, she wasn't bored to sleep... that is a zen moment!

Can you plane in this? No, Seriously? Really!?

2010-05-27T06:48:00.011-04:00

Have I told you lately that I love my formula board? I headed to the lake for an after work sesh planning to paddle and catch what boat wakes I could surf. I tossed the old Exocet L99 on the trailer just for the comfort of having it around and letting it get some fresh air. I paddled out towards the dam- low and behold there was a slight NE wind cutting across that I didn't see from the launch... So I tossed the idea of rigging the 9.5 back and forth for a while. I rigged. Then I decided it wasn't enough to plane. I paddle back out as before having no trouble paddling into the wind, but changed my mind yet again.

I uphauled in the glass of the cove caught the wrap around and sailed into weather. Oh Boy! I forgot what that kit can do. It was in the straps planing for over 2 hours. I'll just go ahead and say that N is absolutely the best direction once the leaves are on the trees. It wasn't gusty, the direction was between NW - NE and not a hint of a whitecap anywhere. Ahh, the sweet flat water jibes. Even in wind so light paddling the SUP wasn't a problem the formula kit shined. Sure the Summerfield wind meter may not represent what exactly was happening at Belews but it typically isn't far off. I sure needed that- some surprise stoke after a long wait.

So after couple hours in the straps when I fell of the plane I got back on the SUP and started playing in the boat wakes. Lots of folks out since the weather turned so perfect- for anything. When the boats where in their slips I fished a bit on the SUP. Caught one nice white perch and missed a few hits. Yep I'm loving formula windsurfing and SUPing.

How about some comments or thoughts on formula boards? I'd like to hear some opinions on why you have or will never have one. There is only so much long distance flat water paddling you can do before you're ready for something else. By the way, check out this vid of FW in really light stuff when I first got my exocet L99.

Waterman's (or Waterperson's?) Delight

2010-05-17T10:52:00.005-04:00

Summer is certainly coming on fast. Of course with it goes the inland wind. Apart from some fun formula windsurfing on glassy water it has been lots of SUPing lately. When all the party barges, jet skis & bASSmasters clear out during the week things settle down and get quiet so I love throwing the good old fashioned poppin bug from my SUP board. It is the simplicity that is so attractive. I can get out during the week, put in a few miles paddling hard for a good workout and then fish from sunset till dark. For those who have not had a proper dose of southern culture the poppin bug is a little floating lure that you can fish kinda like a fly. The bass and bream love it- as do I!

Leah and I paddled for one of the longest seshes ever Saturday. It was sunny and hot so it was perfect for playing in the water and surfing boat wakes along the way. We put in at the club launch and paddled to our friends place at Humpheys Ridge following the lake shore. Leah is doing so well I'm completely amazed! I jumped on the Bic Bamba and she took the Starboard Drive with the cushy deck and wave rocker. On the way back we traded off to give my feet a rest and she paddled that narrow longboard all the way back through the boat traffic without a fall! I caught a few good wakes and got some good down-wind type rides in the swell. Me thinks another SUP is in our future...

I have to admit I'm jealous of Mac, Mark & Rob at the Coastal Urge SUP Cup. I think all of the lake Norman crowd did well. Mac raced with his daughter and Mark raced his new flat water rocket. This could be the perfect thing for a couple- Leah won't get in the waves but I bet she would love the SUP Cup action. Anyone selling a SUP with a mast track that will work for Leah...?

Bermuda High Wind- 4 days in Hatteras

2010-05-07T07:41:00.004-04:00

I took no video, no pictures and few breaks. I arrived Friday afternoon and sailed the 106L/5.2 until dark. Saturday & Sunday the wind was light early and filled in as the day went on. However Sunday and Monday the higher wind came earlier in the day each day and was stronger by sunset. I spent the majority of my sailing Saturday - Monday on the 85L with the 4.2 & 3.5 I sailed with Don Wrenn and Lou Sunday- by sailed with I mean tried to keep up. The dominant SSW turned more SW Monday making for much cleaner swell in the hole.

It turns out the insanity at lake Waccamaw prior to Hatteras was an excellent warm up for sailing overpowered in psycho chop at the Hole 4 straight days. I felt really good about my overpowered short board jibes despite coming to Hatteras with a bum right arm. It was a wonderful time. 4 straight days of SW and the biggest thing I rigged was a 5.2 You gotta love Hatteras.

Distraction #74

2010-04-28T12:42:00.023-04:00

I grew up in one of those places that isn't known for much more than just being on the way to somewhere else. My parents and sister still live in Chadbourn NC so I still visit a bit. My plans for a trip to Hatteras got dashed due to some health issues in the family so I hit highway 74 to Chadbourn last friday. Lake Waccamaw is off 74 if you keep heading east past Whiteville. I took some gear just in case we got a little of the S wind in the extended forecast. Good thing too.

Sunday morning storms blew through pretty early. The S wind kicked in and picked up into the early afternoon. After some visiting I launched at the N end of the lake at Dales on a 5.2 There were some pretty big rollers coming in but I likely missed the highest wind from late morning/lunch. It was coming down as I rigged for my sister and myself. We struck out into the swell and some gusty S wind for a beautiful afternoon of sailing. She did great with the 3.5 on the GO (she loves the GO) and handled the rough conditions really well for her first time in the swell. She's past ready for the harness. Eventually I rigged the 5.8 and stayed pretty well powered. 5.2 & 5.8 on an inland lake is epic as far as I'm concerned. We stayed until after dark. Wonderful day.

Monday was forecasted to be the big day. WSW 20-30mph. Dales isn't the ideal spot for W so after more morning visiting I headed south to Carl's place near Big Creek. I've played volleyball with Carl "The Truth" for years. Great guy. That launch just works for SW around to NNW. My mom came out with me to take pics and watch- otherwise it was solo bump-n-jump from Big Creek to the state park shore. The trick is to launch in a spot that is side-on. The swell from the main lake acts just like ocean swell on the bars- side-on swell rolls at an angle to the wind making excellent ramps. Dead downwind you get the steep, pitching wave with whitecaps. Fun for some poor mans wave riding in either case. After about an hour and half on the 5.2 it was 4.7 madness on the 106L board until dark. I really needed the 85L board but didn't have it as usual. Mac and I had an amazing 7.5 sesh at Canadian Hole while down for the Windsurf Mag 2010 board tests. He pushed me to take deeper downwind angles than ever before. I did some of this on the 106L board too. Wow. I actually had a stiff neck after that full day of wild riding. My sister got off work a little early and took some great shots too. I hope you enjoy.

Epic Bump & Jump Sesh at the Big Creek Launch from r d moore on Vimeo.

Swell Shortboard Seshes & Formula In Swell at Dales Seafood

2010-04-09T13:44:00.028-04:00

A Couple Awesome Belews Rides

Well I may as well start with current events. What an excellent week to be conscious, huh? It was a trifecta baby! Summer air temps, water warm enough for trunks and WIND. I hit Belews twice this week. Wednesday was an AHD diamond race / 7.5 day with Barry and Oscar. After the formula board the AHD now feels like a stick... lots of fun, still early planing and easy to carve on the plane. Thursday was a solo sesh at Belews. I knew the South wind had been cycling up and down but rigged the 7.5 and the 106L cross. It has been too long since I got some vids so I lashed on the GoPro too.

So I struck out nicely powered to start a gorgeous sunny day sesh. After a while the wind started ramping up a bit so I cam in and grabbed my impact vest. After additional ramping I then rigged the 5.8. The rest of the afternoon was pretty much equal parts 7.5/5.8 all on the cross. If I had another gopro it would be sweet to see the 5.8 conditions since the lake builds swell so quickly. At any rate it was wonderful to spend all day on the shortboard in the lake.

Lake Waccamaw Sesh

Last weekend I sailed with Leah and my sister at Lake Waccamaw. We launch at Dale's and I could not believe how warm it already was! Trunks were the call for sure. Leah rigged the AHD/5.2 and Jennifer used the SUP/5.8 I rigged the 9.5/formula just in time to catch the light S wind. I was perfectly powered but as time passed the swell got bigger. That lake is 5 miles across for S wind and I was on the down wind shore. Even the light breeze makes for white caps coming up on the eastern shore. Part of the time I ran slalom style- dodging the peaks and aiming for troughs to keep from pearling the windward rail. Otherwise it was just relentless money shots in the face and up the nose!(eh Josh?) The other part of the time I was wave riding. Sheeted out but still planing and riding the swell. I just couldn't get over how little wind there actually was for the size of those waves... definitely a first for me in those conditions but still tons of fun till dark.

2010 Hatteras Board Tests

Finally I participated in the Windsurf Magazine 2010 board tests at Hatteras. Thanks to Mac for hooking me up! Josh Sampiero drove up from Florida with a box truck full of 2010 gear. I rolled into Avon on Thursday and met Josh at Andy's new shop Windsurf NC where they were putting foot straps on some 2010 boards. Josh showed me the gear in the truck and I got so excited I was prancing around like a little school girl :D Rob already was in town and at the house so after a stop there we hit Canadian hole. After putting on all fins and straps we starting sailing boards. And boy did we sail. If that wasn't enough have new boards Stu came up and rigged new North sails for us.

We sailed Frisco Woods lit all day on a 4.2, the Buxton slick lit on a 5.2, and Canadian hole lit on everything from 8.0 down to 3.5 It suffices to say it is the best wind I've had yet on a week at Hatteras. I'm more stoked in 2010 than ever. Here is Josh at Canadian hole.

March Madness

2010-03-28T08:33:00.005-04:00

I've been so hoping to get conditions to use my 85L RRD FSW. That opportunity came Friday at Canadian hole. After a morning/afternoon of sailing bigger gear for the 2010 Windsurfing Magazine board test in warm light WSW the weather took quite a turn. It is amazing how weather patterns can change on the banks. The front made its way down from the north and the edge was an abrupt change from bright blue sky to swirling dark grey clouds. The NE wind came in like a fighter jet. Lucky Andy gave us the heads up in advance of the front so we derigged the bigger gear and stowed the boards. Stu actually headed out with a big board and a 7.5 as the wind began its swing- he had to body drag his way back in and even Josh had to help the rest of the way. It was a team effort to wrestle in that big kit in that kind of wind.

After a brief delay due to a water spout near Avon we all hit the water with the smallest kit we had. In my case a 3.5 and 85L board. Overpowered is not the word. I would have paid cash for a 65 or 70 liter that afternoon. Awesome. First time on my 3.5 too. I hit some but not all of my jibes on port and starboard. Big jumps with lots of spray on the lands. Good times.

STOKEsdale Side Shore Action, 75F

2010-03-21T07:54:00.007-04:00

Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the windsurfing world lies a small unregarded little lake. Yesterday that little lake saw temps in the mid 70s and a south wind. Afternoon average was 10mph! Err, wait. Huh? Sucks right? Nope. My highest yielding investment yet is still paying dividends. My formula board and 9.5 renders light wind into pure stoke. I added Dakine core contours for the back straps this winter and am very pleased with the results. Easy access even with boots. Adjustable outhaul is sweet too. Leah rigged the 5.2 and the SUP for some fun longboard action. She can actually point higher sub-planing that I can on the FW kit. It is also a lot of fun in the swell from the boat wakes. If the companies ever come up with a SUP that surfs AND planes I'll have to invest there too. Talk about having your cake, eating it and having more cake...

We finished the day with a little paddle out to the islands and back. I grabbed an old Bic longboard out of the container and she kept the SUP. I forgot how tippy the old longboards are but boy are they fast in a straight line. We don't have any mosquitoes yet so I'm just going to have to call it perfection.

Daylight Savings & A Dome Effect?

2010-03-17T12:14:00.004-04:00

Well Tony and I hit Belews Monday afternoon for what was forecasted to be a NNW 20mph day of madness. A north wind on Belews is a gorgeous thing. The forecast was promising enough I packed the 85L, 106L, 5.2 & 5.8 As usual Stokesdale was much cloudier and cooler than Greensboro- still the air temps were great and much appreciated. Tony rigged a 6.8 and I a 5.8 on the 106L. I waded out, perfect beach start, jumped on the plane and hooked. Aahhhhhh. After missing all of February this March sesh was so over due. Yep it was GUSTY. Yep the wind was switching 90 degrees W to N. I didn't wear gloves but did slip on the boots since my straps are still open anyway. We took what came at us and had a ball. I think next time I'll be able to go with the 4/3. Stoked.

So is it possible that there can exist a little dome effect on a lake? The air was much warmer than the water so is it possible that this causes the wind not to fill in? The tree tops pretty much stayed in motion but the wind was really streaky on the water. We'll see how SW fills in soon. I hope...

Beating the Habbit

2010-02-28T08:54:00.030-05:00

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning.

I chose not to choose life: I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got windsurfing?

People think it's all about misery and desperation and death and all that shite, which is not to be ignored, but what they forget is the pleasure of it. Otherwise we wouldn't do it. After all, we're not stupid. At least, we're not that stupid. Take the best orgasm you ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near it. When you're on your board you have only one worry: wind. When you're off it you are suddenly obliged to worry about all sorts of other shite. Got no money: can't get to the wind. Got money: no wind to be found. You have to worry about bills, about food, about some football team that never wins, about human relationships and all the things that really don't matter when you've got a sincere and truthful windsurfing habit.

So why did I do it? I could offer a million answers, all false. The truth is that I'm a bad person, but that's going to change, I'm going to change. This is the last of this sort of thing. I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already. I'm going to be just like you: the job, the family, the big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing the gutters, getting by, looking ahead

Relinquishing junk. Stage One: preparation. For this you will need: one used longboard which is cheap; one Chinook base for which you'll drill one hole in the longboard; one boom which you have retired or do not care if it gets scratched; one parking lot that remains calm in 0 to 100mph+ wind.

Pimpin on a NP Warp Slalom 7.0 on a 47" pintail.

What? No wind? Dark? See if you can find some gravity and Carve baby.

* Adapted from the movie Trainspotting. A must watch to understand the life of a windsurfer far from the coast. If you can't adapt your environment to you adapt to your environment.

Dusted off the 130L

2010-01-31T08:02:00.034-05:00

Greensboro was blessed with a little more snow Friday evening/night. In a perfect example of NC weather the day before it was a sunny 60F so I was out skate sailing and land surfing. There is probably 8 inches on my lawn so there is more powder than the one we got in December.

Leah and I live at the top of a long steep hill so we ended up hosting the party. It is pretty cool- when we get a snow storm that shuts down the roads the city turns into an island. Everybody just chills and it feels a bit like the outer banks. We had a fun relaxing day so I'm glad I caught a little of the action. For friends and family to the south & east that got ice and no snow- you're still lucky since the beach is so close the other 99% of the time.

Check out the video of some action.

Shorepound at Belews

2010-01-25T18:53:00.011-05:00

They just can't forecast this kind of day. I got to Belews a little after 3 and the SW had the place rolling. There was actually shore pound with a little spray coming into the grass! I rigged the 5.8 and the 106L since I didn't think the wind would stay. I used the 5.8 (or rather it used me) until about 4:30pm. All I could do was go upwind most of the time... To get back down wind I actually had to use a wave sailing upwind technique backwards- I sheeted out and rode the swell. I just stuck with the 5.8 because I thought the wind would drop off any minute. Finally I rigged the 5.2 so I could relax a little to end the day. I wish I would have started with it but I'll certainly not complain about being over powered on the lake.

The wind was at the perfect angle coming right off the power plant. When I missed my first jibe I held my breath for the ice cream headache but it never happened. Belews is awesome. The warm temps and plant have kept it balmy enough I didn't even use gloves! The last time I windsurfed was January 1st 2010. The last time I was on anything smaller than my formula board was November 13th 2009. Man I needed this so bad. You can cross train, paddle, skate and lift until you are blue in the face but nothing prepares you for windsurfing like windsurfing.

2 of My Favorite Street Sailing Vids

2010-01-25T08:17:00.007-05:00

In addition to Andy ripping it up on a short trick board you have the option of using a longboard where the wheels are at the ends of the board. This keeps you from a mis-step, possibly popping the board up and out from under you. Most any generic longboard will due but a board targeted toward carving is the best. It's great for practicing wave technique. This is a great feel good vid. Just two guys having fun on a longboard. (not me, so it is cool)

This an example of what you can do in higher wind. This looks to be a mountain board set up for the pavement. The board is heavier but carvy as anything! You can really try some stuff on a longer wider deck.

The Perfect Local Break

2010-01-20T14:13:00.016-05:00

This winter has been especially harsh. I've not been wet since new years day but we did have some strong wind to go with the bitter cold and of course it was time to skate sail. Andy inspired me to try land sailing last winter with this.

I started with a worn out trick board and then got a used pintail longboard. You already know the story- just drill a hole in the deck for the Chinook base and you have a land kit. For your viewing pleasure- this is my first attempt at a turf board. (Mud flaps hadn't come in yet)

If you have access to a little breeze skate sailing is way more fun than you think. I love working on jibes with the longboard. Having that sail in hand is like a pacifier. We had enough cold wind that I got really used to skate sailing for a while and when it died it was a huge let down. I thought about stand up paddle surfing being the sanity saver for windsurfers on calm days. I put 2 and 2 together, though I'm no rocket surgeon, and decided if the wind power wasn't there I could just paddle the skate board. 1 broom handle + 1 tennis ball later I had my first land paddle cruiser. When I used to get on a skate board without a paddle I would vapor lock. Put a stick in my hands and I got the warm fuzzies. Feels a heck of a lot like SUPing folks.

After I had so much fun with this I started poking around on the web and found out lots of SUPers have already decided this was cool.

I know what you are thinking and YES it is as sweet as it looks. Pictured below are my current pavement machines with a land paddle idea I got here. I made this board with my dad last winter to use for street sailing and it works well carving little hills. Mountain board trucks can carve like a champ.

Happy Start to 2010!

2010-01-01T23:34:00.004-05:00

The forecast dropped back to 13mph today but I had a blast with the formula board and the 9.5 just the same. Lunch time to dark I had enough NW to plane and even had some of the longest planing reaches ever. Sid came out to try his new 6mm suit. Looks like he'll be getting gloves and booties soon too. It was awesome getting in this first sesh of the new year before the mega cold snap hits.

The Monday after Christmas Rob, Mac and I got a great paddle surf sesh at Carolina Beach. We stayed for more Tuesday but it was way too cold to get wet. Nice sunrise though.

To All Our Friends!

2009-12-20T07:59:00.030-05:00

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)

2009-12-10T20:46:00.009-05:00

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)

2009-12-10T08:12:00.004-05:00

I Love the Smell of Formula Windsurfing in the Morning

2009-11-30T20:46:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-28T06:58:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

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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.

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

Weather Forecast is for Weather Today

2009-11-05T05:47:00.001-05:00

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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!

2009-11-01T20:18:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-26T09:08:00.016-04:00

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

2009-10-24T06:50:00.003-04:00

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

Ready for Winter Windsurfing?

2009-10-20T07:22:00.010-04:00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2009-10-11T08:22:00.018-04:00

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

2009-10-09T06:47:00.011-04:00

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

2009-10-02T10:45:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-30T08:02:00.023-04:00

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

2009-09-25T05:37:00.004-04:00

Big Rig Comes Through

2009-09-13T07:09:00.006-04:00

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

2009-09-08T12:07:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-03T15:14:00.010-04:00

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!

2009-07-21T05:54:00.018-04:00

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

2009-06-22T08:32:00.022-04:00

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

2009-06-16T20:17:00.018-04:00

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

2009-06-05T09:04:00.007-04:00

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!

2009-06-02T14:02:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-17T09:58:00.010-04:00

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 !!!!!!!

2009-05-12T14:12:00.009-04:00

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.

May 4- Inland Wind. What more can I say?

2009-05-05T08:27:00.004-04:00

Folks I had to try. Sunday was a skunk for windsurfing but kayaking with Moses was great. Barry and I hit the lake yesterday about 2pm and the SW wind was churning up some fair chop. It was blowing SW in the upper teens to 20's in Greensboro but was maybe 10-15 at Belews. Go figure. The edge of the front is hovering a little too close to us- an hour south of here is the place to be. Jordan, Badin and Norman are probably well lit. I came very close to heading to Oak Hollow lake in High Point but I'm not sure how it is in SW and where to launch. Anyone had any experience there?

At any rate, it was a bit puffy but it was still a good lunch session. Barry is getting much more comfortable using the harness and staying up wind. He is also pushing the nose while sheeting in during the gusts and not rounding into the eye of the wind. Way to go man! I took some video using the gopro camera- not too bad if I do say so myself...

I Love Those Southern Breezes

2009-04-28T12:51:00.002-04:00

I did a solo session after work. Got there about 3pm expecting to just schlog around some until Leah got there. Turns out I spent about half the time lit up and in the straps planning! My 7.5 and a 155L was solid gold. I tried out the new camera if you want to see the conditions. Good times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STw_h4P6GR0&feature=email

Happy Birthday Don!

2009-04-27T12:46:00.011-04:00

A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.
-L. P. Jacks

Don Wrenn and Don Bowers.
Demonstrating windsurfing concepts such as: know when to hold them,
know when to fold them,
know when to walk away and
know when to run.

SW, W, NW, N !!!! 4/22/09

2009-04-23T06:16:00.006-04:00

Pick your direction. We had it all! Barry Stakely, Dave Crook, Don Wrenn and I took in an afternoon session at Belews and had a blast. The wind was up, down, shifting but the lake is warm and we got quite a few planning reaches.

Barry got comfortable enough to use harness too! When the wind backed off in the evening I worked on pivot jibes in the cove. I'll post some of this later.

Stand Up Paddling on Belews

2009-04-16T08:00:00.004-04:00

The best thing in the world for curing a stressful day is fresh air and time on the water. There was a steady NNW breeze and the coves near the launch site were like glass. Belews is as clear as an aquarium so you can see over 15ft down. I saw plenty of bream, bass, turtles and one big carp that was right next to my board. You don't need any special equipment- I just use a kayak paddle and a floaty beginner board.

As the sun set I paddled out toward the north end for the great view of Hanging Rock. If I get my hands on a waterproof camera I'll post this view- it is really something. Here is a tailgate shot after sunset. It looks like the lake is running down a steep grade but turn up the volume and prepare to be relaxed anyway... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Easter Epic Session! 4/11/09

2009-04-13T14:28:00.000-04:00

Ahhh. Nothing like that fresh out of energy feeling after a full day on the board. I met Tom at Belews at 10:30 while the wind was still W and turning NW. Gusty but we got some good runs in until he broke his universal within 15 minutes of hitting the water :[ Not to fear since a couple very kind fishermen gave him a slow ride back up to the point.

He brought his lab out with him and the dog actually tows him back to the point when he hits the N wind line! You just can't beat man's best friend.

Moses came out too with 4 other kayakers. Great to see so many bodies at the launch having a blast. There was enough air that they had to keep the bow and stern against the eye of the wind so they made a run to the dam and back. I wish I had a pic of the kayaks and windsurfers on the water...

Sailing on Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T13:39:00.001-04:00

This was another excellent day to work on intermediate skills. Leah is getting up wind and out/back in the gusts without the dagger board! I made a vid to show her progress- hopefully you'll enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHt10lzICyw&feature=email

After Work Bliss 4/8/09

2009-04-12T07:59:00.000-04:00

I'm glad Belews is so close. This turned out to be one of the best sessions of the year. Lots of time in the straps planning with my 106L board and 7.5 Gotta love that S wind blowing up swells for bump and jump. Belews is warm enough to sail comfortably barefoot and the launch site is green- it's Spring time at the lake!

Surprise Stokage for Sunday!

2009-04-06T08:03:00.000-04:00

Leah and I made it back to Belews Sunday for some standup paddling. A south wind changed our plans and we had a great day of windsurfing! From 3pm to after dark the wind was averaging > 15mph- I spent lots of time planning and in the straps overpowered with a 7.5 sail. Early planning boards are the ticket to light air- some of the time earlier in the day I was planning with a 5.0 and a 4.7 in the gusts...

Leah was on the Starboard GO and had trouble holding the 4.7. The forecast called for 9-12 mph which would have been a good choice but the actual wind called for something more like a 3.5. Good thing we have training sails in the container on site!

Beautiful Spring Day at Belews

2009-04-05T13:16:00.000-04:00

Leah and I got out to the private sailing site yesterday for some spring windsurfing. She did an excellent job with her new 166L GO! She is sailing up wind and tacking very well without the dagger fin.

The water stays above 50F year round and it won't be long now when you can be comfortable in a spring suit. We hope to see more folks in the warm weather to come!