Alton wrote:I hope to be off the water before it gets too insane before noon
Chris Klohn wrote:Holy Crap what a forecast and gradient setting up. Great call Alton........it's going to rock today locally!!
Have fun out there
As promised the early birds catch the worms ... but late arrivals got punished.
What an epic day - off the charts!!! Waited patiently for the wind dummies on 7m to struggle through the early morning lulls (5 kites down at one point) before we hit the water on 7m kites at 9am in SSE 30+ knots.
Small disorganized chop/waves inside in the shallows. Once outside it was paradise. Waist to chest high clean breaking waves - 40 to 60 feet apart!!! Most kiters and windsurfers were way upwind by the boat launch. Wanted to join them but constantly got seduced smacking breaking waves on toeside rides ... too much fun downwind.
Wind steadily ramped up to SSE 35+ at 10am then SSE 40+ at noon. Some smart kiters (like Jerry) returned to shore and switched to 5m - Jerry had a perma-smile when he returned to shore.
Very civilized and always in control until becoming barbaric at noon (SSE 40+). Struggled to return back to shore. Saved by Francis who flagged out, wrapped up his kite then landed mine on a sandbar down by Centennial ... phew! Many thanks!
Only minor casualties including a lost board and a 4m kite that buckled before waterstarting - that's how strong the gusts were (50+). Nice of Benito to run out and grab the buckled kite.
By noon, the windsurfers outnumbered the kiters. Well done guys.
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