VI20/Gabriel’s Cabin 2 - SUP - Cox Bay (Aug 11)Higher. GB was teaching the boys to surf and George was surfing his afternoon swan song session. I took to the water but never saw either as I went left and they both went right. It was busy, but most of surf school students stayed in the inside. Round fun-sized glassy waves made for a much higher wave count than the morning session. GB and I both noted that the Cox Bay waves felt gentle (less ump) than the steamrollers at Wick (noticeable on both the way out and on the way in).
VI21/Gabriel’s Cabin 2 - SUP - Wickaninnish Beach (Aug 12)
Close encounter. Parked at Lot E and GB launched and drifted the beach catching waves along the way. That launch looked like a lot of whitewater and some bombs (later GB said the other surfer out said it was a LOT of work) so I walked down to Lot A and got out without much drama. Enjoyed the cleaner sets as a warm-up before travelling north again to join GB. On my way I had a 'close encounter' with a rather large sea creature. It was Travelling parrallel to the beach and just inside of me when I noticed how much water it was moving (it was big) and then then I saw dark grey or brown and a triangular shaped fin (maybe side fin). Then thing got strange and it took a ninety degree turn to come check me out - "Oh crap!" The path of pushed water and bubbles passed right below me! I then did the sensible thing and made a bee-line for GB to see if he had seen it too (and he had - big and dark grey/brown) and to reduce the odds (now 50%)! Stayed out on the water and later saw a whale spout off the rocks out from out 'sighting'. Wick delivered lots waves and some extra excitement today!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI22/Gabriel’s Cabin 2 - SUP - Wickaninnish Beach (Aug 12)
Surf school. GB and I took the boys surfing. Lots of waves caught, good glides, kneeling and standing right to the beach! Lots of smiles for the two coaches and the three new surfers! GB and I then took to the water in what felt more like Wreck Beach than Wick. Wind chop and rolly made it challenging (for me) but there were still a handful of rides to be had!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI23 - SUP - Wickaninnish Beach (Aug 13)
Two in one. Forth day in a row for Wick (as NW swell keeps pumping). There were two dramatically different set-ups at Wickaninnish this morning - one had big peaking waves with big drops and short rides down near Lot E (GB preferred this one) and the other saw mellower organized lines that offered longer rides on often clean faces down near the flagpole south of Lot A (I preferred this one). Much to my horror I floated right over the barnacle encrusted white rock in the inside of the cove after exiting one particularly long right. The worst part is I had earlier warned the two kids on foamies to stay clear of left side of the cove because of this very rock ~ silly me!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI24 - SUP - Long Beach (Aug 14)
Play time. Light fog, small, glassy waves made for playful mid-morning session. Nice to get some rides, get wet and even hit a swim (thanks to surprise clearing set just above Lufkin).
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI25 - SUP-sail - Long Beach (Aug 14)
FaceTime. The wind filled in as the fog burned off. After a few frustrating SUP-sails at Long Beach this one was really fun! Enough wind to grab waves and enough wave that you could feel them! Most were two hit waves - first on open face and second on the mash potatoes. There were even a few three hit and more waves with one hit when the wave was breaking! Great to get some mini-DTL practice. Wind wave and sun! Treats even one!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 26 – SUP – Wickanininnish Beach (Aug 15)
First SUP/surf. We took Ethan’s friend Edward to the cove at the visitors centre cove at Wick and it delivered once again as the NW swell kept rolling. Clean waist-high waves, some tightly spaced, offered a great spot to learn. Edward paddled SUP into several waves (on his knees) and rode standing. Also tried surfing prone and learned take-off position was closer to the beach. Good morning for all!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 27 – SUP – Long Beach (Aug 16)
Return. Ethan wanted to try Long Beach again so off we went. The timing worked at the west swell was rolling. One surfer out on the water said North Chesterman was flat, South Chesterman was working and Cox Bay was HUGE! Long Beach seemed to have a few swells at work (as forecast) and there were double-ups and a range of wave size and direction. Things settled in late in the session with the west swell became dominant. After we got our fill of high-tide rides at Long Beach we went and checked the others and the surfer’s descriptions were pretty accurate although I would have described Cox Bay as large winter swell (clean on the outside and dumping and lot of white water on the inside). Ran into Redbaron at SC and it looked promising for a a down-the-line wavesailing session.
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 28 – windsurfing – South Chesterman (Aug 16)
Youth. Returned back to South Chesterman to find Redbaron out getting wave rides! Scrambled to through my windsurfing stuff together and joined him, scurried out to the beach, launched and dropped into same wave as RB further up the beach and it was a nice clean mini-wall south swell – WOOHOO!!! Wind freshened and there was enough power to jump on the way out, drive beach up the beach (no walking the beach today) and overtake waves on the way in, if required. Waves were a mix of clean small background south swell and something heavier, but rounder. Two other windsurfers then took to the water – two sails I didn’t recognise. Turns out it was two German brothers (age 9 and maybe about 13) who’s family had relocated to Tofino for two years for the waves! Looks like the wavesailing population of Tofino just increased yet again! The 13 year-old was throwing forwards, dropping into waves and throwing freestyle moves on the inside! His younger brother was giving it too (shown in the pictures)! Had separate quick chats with the whole family – other brother (before sailing), younger brother (on the water), father Stephan (after), and mother (after) – all very nice people and look forward to sharing sessions with them again in future. Hiyo also joined in the fun and fun it was! Nice August treat!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 29 – SUP/surf – South Chesterman/North Chesterman (Aug 17)
SUP contest. Ethan’s friend was doing remarkably well with paddle surf, but was still paddling into the waves on his knees, so I challenged the two boys to a standing paddle surf contest – first three second ride at South Chesterman would take it! The battle was hotly contested with each boy making about eight tries before the winner was declared. Ethan caught the first wave, but Edward caught the first three second ride. They had so much fun they ended up extending the contest to best out of three. Ethan switched back to surfing and we then worked our way into the larger waves at the east end of the beach and then moved over to the larger, faster waves at North Chesterman. Nice that both sides were in play, especially in August! It was perfect conditions for the boys to challenge themselves and each other! Finished the day with sunset/full moon dinner atop Incinerator Rock.
VI 30 – SUP – Wickanininnish Beach (Aug 18)
Morning SUP. Green Point looked solid from the atop the look-out (clean standing faces on the low tide), but the long walk down/up and the session alone was enough for me to look elsewhere. The waves we enjoyed at South Chesterman and North Chesterman had melted away overnight and although I suspected the Wick would be working again I decided to give the aftermath of the big west swell a try at Cox Bay. Strange though, what looked pretty clean and doable took a mean turn for the worse as the tide started to flood and by the time I took to the water there were powerful dumping waves at the break and lots of white water on the inside. I spent well over half an hour trying to make my way to the outside. Twice I thought I had, only to have a clearing set wall up just in time to deny me. That was not the last paddle surf session I wanted, so it was off the Wick. Clean faces were rolling in the cove and taller peaks offering rights off parking lot A. Casey Sevens (SUP) and his son (surf) joined in the fun at Wick. That was more like it!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 31 – windsurfing – Nitinat (Aug 18)
Dragonfly. I tried for an evening session at Nitinat on the way home and got greeted by a dragonfly (and another slow leaking surface tire puncture). I took to the water for a cool-down evening session in my shorty. After the 35 degrees of Port Alberni the cool lake water was a welcome treat! Sunset dinner on the beach capped off the day.
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
SlideshowVI 32 – windsurfing – Nitinat (Aug 19)
Less and more. The morning started off feeling unusually warm, almost hot for Nitinat, and the wind was inflow but seemed to be held back at the far end of the lake by a heat bubble. This allowed for enough time to have the tire repaired (thanks Russel) and reinstalled! Then the bubble burst and what seemed to be a big gear day at best also burst with the arrival of solid wind. I sailed up the lake and shared the smooth little wind swell with Decman_r. On the way up noticed one kite playing off the point of a cove I had never spent time in before. It was a fun spot with small playful water and better surface wind than the river mouth. Sailed downwind to the far end of the windsurfing beach playing along the way. Then called it a day to start the drive home. Exited on a rather smooth North Cowichan main with four tires in tack! Nice quick stop at the lake on the way home!
Gallery (better for mobile devices)
Slideshow
, Windguru is now calling for strong south winds locally which probably means a nuker at squamish. Got to make weekend plans today, squamish or jericho, squamish or jericho? 
