Westerly Tuesday Evening

[lucas]

Thanks for the launch and landing Alton, much appreciated as the death weeds certainly make it tricky.

Probably my favorite session yet!!

Sunshine
Warm water
Smooth waves
25kts
Tropical paradise on the PNW

[Cam18]

What a day at the terminal with couple other dudes. Board shorts and wetsuit top for me, perfect temp! Dust off that spring suit people! 5/4 with hoods on is too much these days, Toughen up people! Got really crazy at the end i was fully lit on my 12m it was hectic Im going to be sore tomorrow

[Will]

What a Session! Rolled up to Ambleside just before 8pm, saw Jack Rider and roughly 5 other kiters out. Big waves and swell coming in. Wind was ramping up to nuke status!

Pumped up the 9m Rebel +TT, and by the time I got on the water the wind had ramped up even more! Most had come off other than myself and 2 others (another 9m Rebel, and a Surf + 7m). I was FULLY LIT! ! even had to de-power for a bit which makes me feel like it was gusting up to 40+ . Best boosting session yet this year! I think I may have beat my biggest jump! Had to have been over 10m! What a wind!

Last on the water as usual Rode until just before 10pm. Came off as it was starting to get dark enough I wouldn't have been able to see my board if I lost it. So Stoked!

[C36]

Swim. Went to West Beach to check out the out-of-season wind bomb. Arrived to find manageable fun-size waves and 6m-4.5m kites out, but it seemed really light on the inside (and measured about 15 mph). Rigged 4.5/92 but wind backed to almost nothing just after my first launch and I was eventually rolled off and swam in. Wind rebounded once the cloud line pushed inland, but never settled in close to the beach. I would launch, feel like you just about made it out to the wind, rolled off by breaking wave, swim in, walk up the beach, and repeat. Felt like I spent more time swimming (and protecting my rig from the shore break) than sailing. Just after I derigged the wind bomb arrived and getting off the island was bit of an adventure with spray on the water crossing the Deception Pass Bridge, power lines swinging around, trees trunks twisting and branches getting ripped out of trees. Half expected to see Dorothy. Glad when I made it back to the calmer conditions on I5.

Pre-Session OSR

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Redemption. As I drove north on I5 I had resigned myself to just taking a sunset look-see at White Rock East Beach and forgo checking out Birch Bay until George's text arrived (windy and small waves). Prefect timing as I was at the second Birch Bay exit! Arrived to see George taking to the water with his surfboard. I scrambled to rig 5.3/115 and get out there to enjoy the mini-peeling waves. Sideshore to sideoff wind (gusty at times), jumping in both directions, organized lines of water (over the large flat reef), mini-down-the-line rides to port, and hints of a point break. This is close to the holy grail of DTL I have seen locally. Wind was stronger than I thought and there was Eel Grass, so came in for a quick pit stop to grab 4.5 and stubby weed fin - much better. At the very end swapped back to the 5.3. George (surf), other (SUP) and myself (windsurf) enjoyed the sunset session well into the twilight and derigged in the dark. Super fun to actually be able to sail and bonus of clean face mini-DTL rides, even if the set-up was 'backwards'! Many thanks for sharing the session George!

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[gabrielb]

Dave, great photos of West beach. Whidbey is certainly a different animal; when I saw the pink forecast for whidbey and you guys driving to it ... I would gear into reverse.

This freighter captain must be a windsurfer too ...

windy.jpg (114.36 KiB) Viewed 9785 times

[grantmac]

I tried to sail Bayview and it went from underpowered with a 5.7/106L to getting blown off the water with a 5.0
Tons of eel grass as well unfortunately. Going to need a small weed fin for that board.

[Ryancr500]

Darrell and I hit lighhouse park in Point Roberts around 7PM. Wind felt strong, but Gusty. Darryl was ringing a 4.7 so I decided to rig a 4.5 with my 74 L. We both walked out to the south west point of lighthouse Park as the wind was blowing directly on shore at the parking lot. Had a great start and was well powered up for a few runs but then the wind really lightened. Started drifting way down wind and limped to shore. Had to carry my gear through someone's yard hitchhike to the parking lot to grab my van to regroup. I grabbed my 95L and but the time I got to the beach the wind had really picked up. Was instantly overpowered and couldn't keep the board in the water. Wished I kept the 74L but was playing it safe. The swells were huge but slightly disorganized around the point. Was definitely able to surf them coming towards the shore. Was on the water until 9:00 when the sun started getting low on the horizon. Wind was still ramping up as I left. Awesome day!