Van Isle 2015 (Day 1 at 'the lake')

[C36]

Thanks for all of the B-Day wishes.

Amazing that you would score your second windsurf day ever at
LB on your birthday!! It'll be one for the ages, that's for sure

Given my 'advanced' age, it's already one for the 'ages'!

Windy enough to wind-SUP or wavesail, but choose to wave-SUP with Ethan (surf) while Redbaron scored `threepeat` at Long Beach. Very similar conditions at SC to what RB, JD and I sailed there back in the spring. Sorry I missed seeing Redbaron catch his personal best wave, but really enjoyed sharing the nice playful clean waves with Ethan!



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[C36]

Family bike ride from Long Beach to Schooner`s Cove and back; afternoon swim in Kennedy Lake; evening SUP at South Chesterman.


photo credit: Ethan C

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[C36]

Really warm 28 degrees today! Ethan and I went to Cox Bay today looking for steeper, cleaner waves and we found them – only trouble was it was a mixed swell resulting in a combined period of 2-8 seconds. Luckily Ethan was up to the challenge and made it to the outside after getting rolled more than a few times. Once out we paddled to the south end of the bay to eliminate a couple of the swell directions and ride the cleaner west swell. Once the tide hit low, it cleaned up and calmed down a bit. We both caught some clean faces and Ethan tried getting out with paddle (liked it) and I tried to paddle prone (not so much). We even ‘surfed’ together (paddle left on the beach). Fun day in the sun using `bigger`boards!



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[C36]

Whale of a day! Crossed paths with Mr & Mrs Winddoctor, Mr & Mrs Franchesco (sp?), and Mr & Mrs Shaggy – we all ended up at Long Beach, Incinerator Rock. The day started in the fog (eerie early set) and later at her best (second set in blue bird clear sky). Funny mix of playful two-footers and clearing south swell. Ethan did a `board test` - short surf board, long surf board, SUP (prone), and SUP (paddle) – he liked SUP (prone) the most. Highlight was grey whale crossing our (Ethan and I) bows as we reached the outside. So close you could see the bumps on its back, fully appreciate the size of this magnificent creature, and wondered if it knew we were there/pondered the location of its tail.



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[Slappy]

Highlight was grey whale crossing our (Ethan and I) bows as we reached the outside.

You need to strap a GoPro to your paddle shaft!

I'm surprised your son liked prone SUP over longboard as I find the width of SUPs annoying to prone paddle.

[C36]

...I'm surprised your son liked prone SUP over longboard as I find the width of SUPs annoying to prone paddle.

Ethan found the long board heavy and tippy and likes the acceleration and glide of the SUP (8'10" x 29" and really light).

[C36]

Father and Son! Started the day with a quick look-see at Frank Island – North Chesterman was offering small shore break; South Chesterman was offering not much at all; Cox Bay looked really small from a distance; so off to Long Beach it was. Mid-day SUP session in the lifting fog to hedge against the weakening wind forecast. Saw Mr and Mrs Shaggy ripping it up surfing in some clean waves up the beach. Then mid-afternoon SUP/surf session with Ethan as he changed his mind about taking a ‘rest day’. Then the big surprise! Ethan asked to SUP-sail, so we put together his 3.3 and off he went! First wavesail at Long Beach at the age of 12! Well done! Thanks to Mr and Mrs Shaggy for capturing the moment! The wind teased at several points during the day and my first ride off the beach in the evening wind on the AllWave 145 had me thinking I should have grabbed the FreeWave 115, but after several backside rides it softened and I was left up the beach without enough wind to fly the sail at one point ~ then the wind surged again and had a chance to take the ProWave 119 for a SUP-sail. Once again BWD was right when he said at the Cape, “That looks like it would be fun to sail.” That it was – loose and responsive! Hope to get it out again soon.



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[Michael]

Father and Son!



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Nice one Dave and Alton, great times with the kids!!

Watched over my daughter on 10m+TT in steady SW 20-25g30 from noon to 1:30pm. Had no trouble staying upwind - still no rescue yet! When the waves became challenging, we switched and I took my turn on the 10m with my surfboard. Surprised how my daughter could hold down the 10m since I was mostly overpowered in SW 25g30. Cut my session short so we can celebrate my daughter's progress at Mags 99 with pulled pork Chimichanga ... yummy!

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[Mike]

Well done Dave and Dave junior!

[C36]

Well done Dave and Dave junior!

The best part was on one of his rides out, Ethan glanced over his shoulder at me with one of the "Hey! I'm really doing it!" ear-to-ear smiles! Awesome for sure!

Day 12

Playful waves! Checked out Cox Bay on the morning low tide (reports from WD and Francesco were this and Lufkin were the only two waves) and Ethan wasn’t keen to go out so waited for afternoon high tide. Long wait for parking at Incinerator Rock was rewarded with small, clean, well-shaped playful waves! Shared some time on the water (SUP) with Ethan (SUP with paddle and prone) and Mr and Mrs Shaggy (surfing). Had a few slow-motion, almost dreamlike soothing rides just before I went in to fetch Ethan. Long Beach was having a calm moment – not a dumping wave to be seen.

Tried a Black Project racing paddle – liked the feather light feel and the oval shaft (especially when chocking up on the paddle), but the (intentional) flex designed into the paddle was a little unnerving. It would be interesting to try one of their surf-SUP paddles.

Then once Ethan retired for the day took his board out for an evening SUP-sail and was rewarded with some effortless little DTL rides. Super fun on a small scale! That board is soooooo much looser on the wave!



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