Thursday SE to SW

[Slappy]

Where are you seeing SSE for bbay???
I would always lean to the sensor at the airport versus the Boundary Bay sensor when the wind is SSE or greater. It gives you a better picture of what to expect on the outside.

Neither one is perfect.

The old iKite sensor was 90% correct, but since they moved the sensor to a new location it's often under reporting wind on the water.

The trouble with CZBB is that it's too far back in the bay most days. Today the wind is going through at full strength but that's not the norm. Normally the wind will be anywhere from 80% to 50% as strong that far back in the bay as it is at Centennial.

The direction of the iKite sensor is far more relevant to people at 3rd and Centennial than the direction of the CZBB sensor.

If I had to only choose one I would take the iKite, but I'm glad to have both.

I got SailFlow (maker of iKite) to add both CZBB and CYVR to their system a while back so you can view them with history for free on their websites:
https://www.windalert.com/spot/172159

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[Chris Klohn]

Excellent information and local knowledge there Slappy!

I’m afraid I’m way out of touch with the anemometer information then. Back in the day the airport was all we used. It’s interesting that a sensor located in the lee of Point Roberts in a residential community with high trees and mechanical turbulence provides more accurate wind direction information than a sensor out in the open with zero obstructions.

I totally agree with you on the strength of the wind. CZBB usually was way off on the wind strength compared to the water. CZBB was showing 170 degrees, SSE, at 4:00pm. Curious what direction the beach sensor is reading?

Thanks for sharing the info.

Cheers,

Chris

[C36]

Over, Under. Wind was gusting to 40 at 7 am, but by the time I arrived it was only gusting 30 - 4/5/92 it was, or was it? Wind amped up just as I was taking to the water and it felt like work. Flattened out the sail and just as I was telling myself, "This will work." I got rag-dolled out the front of backside ride and watched my gear sand-my and pitch pole on the mast stuck in the sand - not. Back to the beach for smaller stuff (3.4/74). Undergunned leaving the beach, then lots of juice. Wind backed and spun south with some west in it and backed on the inside but kept amping on the outside. Tried to make the 4.5/92 work, sort of.


Then switched 3.4 onto the 92 - first time and it worked - things were fun again! Two kite self-rescued. Then it was done. Props to Tsawwassen for sailing with the flu and to Alton for taking his first day of holiday (isn't everyday a holiday for Alton?).


SW wind bomb hit just as I was pulling out of the parking lot - saw tree folded into a house, highway sign flattened front end of pick-up on Hwy 17, construction fencing down, and about 11 sailboats swept away by set wave on White Rock pier webcam (see the last 15 pictures in the gallery). Hope nobody was hurt.

Looks like about 15 sailboats.


Set wave hits.


Looks like only about 4 sailboats left.


Pre-Session OSR
Re-Rig OSR

Gallery (better for mobile devices
Slideshow

[Alton]

My first nuking session this season. SSE 30 to 40 from 9am to 11am was more than enough for me on 7m + surfboard. Sweet chest high waves 30' apart with smooth sections between were waisted on overpowered/survival conditions. Forced to ride delicately with kite parked at 12 o'clock just to maintain control and stay upwind - wish I had smaller gear today.

As forecasted wind started clocking S to SW to W before noon so called it a day to visit my windsurfing buddies at Centennial. Nice to see the old gang keeping windsurfing alive - Brian, Bryan, Leonard, John, Caitlyn, Maryam, Tony, Brad, C36 ...

#photo BBay Thu Dec 20, 2018

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#photo 3rd Avenue

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#photo Kiters

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#photo Centennial Smoke on Water with Rainbow

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#photo Maryam and Alton

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#photo C36

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[tweegster]

Wow, watched the boats and pier get destroyed on the pier camera.

I headed to the beach after work. At 4pm it was still nuking with smoke on the water in the gusts. Very crazy.

Strongest SW wind I have seen here, waves were insane. If it was low tide it would have been fun, but timed perfectly with the high tide it caused amazing amounts of damage.

For the record, the east beach reserve spot would have been dicy. Spray was clearing the grass and the train tracks...

[tweegster]

Think we skipped unicorn and went full Blucifer.

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[bandito]

Wow, watched the boats and pier get destroyed on the pier camera.

I headed to the beach after work. At 4pm it was still nuking with smoke on the water in the gusts. Very crazy.

Strongest SW wind I have seen here, waves were insane. If it was low tide it would have been fun, but timed perfectly with the high tide it caused amazing amounts of damage.

For the record, the east beach reserve spot would have been dicy. Spray was clearing the grass and the train tracks...

went to get my free flying kite that i bailed close to centenial(big mistake) ,i was ridig my bike on path n kite end up close to 64 from 16 i stopped 4 times and as im walking the swamps ,the kite would repower and i had to bike way further each time, but i got it (5.5m)

as i was riding back , i was not able to ride at all the last third, it was SSW SW like 50 plus knots, id say close to 60, i never seen it so powered before in the bay or the gorge! awesome Thick smoke on the water there.

a guy was Surfing waves at end of centennial , look like it was awesome before SW for clean waves there!!!!
strangely at3rd it was SSE nice and Centenial NUKING SW, GO figure.
2 cedar panels got Rip out at the house at the entrance at 3rd av

[johnny2]

Thanks for the pictures Dave. The start was a little weird being the first and only one on the water for about 20 mins without even a kite in the air. This session turned out good for me on the 3.7/78L after I got used to booties and gloves again. Found some of those chest high swell on the outside with massive smooth spacing in between and there was couple of big ones out there on which you could rip a proper bottom turn on and go all the way back up and down again. Lots of ramps to jump. Fun day! It got really choppy after it turned south at around 11 so I called it quits.

[Adrian L]

Nice photos Dave. What a crazy day! Glad to hear everyone got out and was safe by end of all the madness. Curious. What was the tide level Thursday?

Last week i booked thursday/ friday to go surfing in Tofino solo without the fam... tuesday saw the forecast and decide better bring the windsurfing gear for thursday then surf friday.

Well. There must of been some kind of divine intervention or karma going on for ditching the family so close to christmas because it wasn't happening the way i planned. Took the last ferry wednesday night anticipating ferry closures for the am. Drove to the cabin on sprout lake in extremely heavy rain 1:15am.

Woke up to heavy winds SW. Drove up to the point where Taylor arm intersects the rest of the lake arms, and the wind was like i have never seen before. absolute storm force! huge swell and water vapour blasting across the water. Trees were cranked over and breaking.
at this point truck got struck by a big branch denting the roof and punching my overhead light off the ceiling, and missed by another huge one! This was time to GTFO!
Still stubborn as usual, determined to make the push to Tofino decided to grab a much needed coffee at the Tseshaht market before the long haul. (This is where the karma/ intervening came in). Coffee in hand driving for the coast, and now trees are down across the Hwy. Road is shut down by rcmp and road crew. back road along the lake in shut down with trees and powerlines. Crew says trees are down all along hwy 4, with at least a 5hr wait... BC Hwy app agrees.
At this point CB, (as a back up plan) looked dead, and SW not worth it. pulled the plug. waited from 12-6pm to get on a boat home.

what can i say crazy crazy day with maybe some karma in the mix...lol

[Michael]

Trees were cranked over and breaking.
at this point truck got struck by a big branch denting the roof and punching my overhead light off the ceiling, and missed by another huge one! This was time to GTFO!

Dude glad you made it out of there!

What was the tide level Thursday?

High tide right at the time it started nukin SW.