Friday SE?

[C36]

Headed for Locust - will check CNL on last time as I cross the Fraser

Play to listen.

CHECK THAT: Headed for Lily Point.

Play to listen.

Here are some pictures from Lily Point (Darrell got the best of it, I caught the tail end). Enjoy!

Post session OSR (1 of 2)
Post session OSR (2 of 2)

[Lowesdown]

So I had an epic day!!! I showed up around 10am at Centennial. I saw some steady wind so I rigged my 5.7/111L and headed out by about 10:30. Getting my feet into the straps today was way easier, so that is a plus!

I did also manage to get myself hooked in as well. Previously I thought I was planning, well today I actually was, and ripping. Had some good runs. Even managed to get a little pop on a wave face. So fun!

So I'm hooked for sure, stoked for such a great day of progression. I was off the water as it picked up. I was seriously tired after about 2-1/2 hrs on the water.

Super Stoked! Love the community aspect as well. Thanks guys for all the advice and stoke!

[ShonanDB]

Lily Point – Arrived around 8:30 and wind was light 10-12knots at best so I went back to the car and drove down to Maple Beach. Lots of white water to be seen but not too different from 3rd Ave so I returned to Lily Point and put together a small kit (5.3, 4.7, 2 masts, boom, 73L board, a couple fins) and changed and headed down.
When I got down the wind had built and looked sailable so I rigged my 5.3. I thought it was going to be a bit light but was well powered right from the beach. I was surprised to find waist to shoulder high rollers coming through about 200m from the beach which made for some nice hero jibes. Tracking back in to the bowl area was sweat with some decent sized faces to turn back on. It wasn’t side shore but with good timing you could start a long drawn out jibe and then catch the wave face to cut back on again. Sailed for about an hour until it got too strong then came in a rigged down to my 4.7. When I got back out it had really ramped up and the rollers were shoulder to head high with many breaking, so some great starboard jumps to be had. Found that with the bigger rollers coming through that you could hit Port jumps on the way back in before bearing off into the bowl area again. Around that time the wind started getting gusty/holey. It almost seemed like it was about to switch direction but the gusts would soon come through and with the rollers it was easy to get back up on a plane. Shortly after that Dave arrived and I came off the water and took a break. When we headed out it was backing off a fair bit but the gusts were still decent but it eventually got really holey and I had to slog back in and walk my gear back.
I found it easy to stay up wind and I never felt uneasy like I do sailing at Lighthouse Park sometimes. I liked the fact that the rollers were within a couple 100m of shore and that there were decent sized waves in the bowl area. I will definitely be back but the walk in and out limit the accessibility. Someone on a Kite b-lined it up to the point just as the wind tanked so I hope that he made it back okay. Not sure where he launched from but he was able to point really high to get up there on a few tacks. Overall I had a great day and it sounds like many others did as well. Darrell

[Slappy]

That was me on the kite. I started heading up to Lilly Point right about 2:00. Fairly underpowered on my 7m + SB so it was quite slow going. I just couldn't point as high as I wanted to. Mid was the wind picked up and I had to depower for a bit but then once I got to the point around 2:50 the wind was super light. So 50 minutes and probably 10-12 tacks. The ride back was only about 10 minutes with some nice swell to surf but because the wind was so light I had trouble keeping my kite flying once I was on the wave. I think if I was well powered it would be about 30 minutes to get there.

I did one pass of Lilly Point, but not much swell was coming in there by then. I think that you need a much lower tide for it to work. The wind in near the cliff gets really light too.

There was some real nice head high swell about 200m South of the border marker.

Passed 2-3 big floating kelp nests.

By the time I got back I had about 10 more minutes of small swell near the launch before I had to call it because the wind was tanking.

My first time trying out my new gloves (http://www.npsurf.com/images/stories/pr ... ac_903.jpg) NPSurf 5 mm lobsters. I have finally found a glove that works for me for cold weather. Toasty warm, barely has any flush, good dexterity, and limited arm pump. I did my entire pack down with them on with no issues.

[Chris Klohn]

Hi Dave,

Awesome shots from the bluff looking down! It looks like there's some serious potential for big, smooth swell and wrapping waves on a more solid day. Loved the shots of the clean, long lines just offshore and the peeling waves on the point. Do you think with some bigger size to the wind swell it would start to steepen and break with the higher tide today? I'd love to see that place on a solid 4.2 day with several hours of wind to let the swell build up. I'm guessing it would put Centennial to shame!

Cheers,

Chris

[C36]

Slappy: Impressive to see you work your way up to Lily Point on a surf board. No way I could have made it up or down that distance on the gear I was using (4.5/92) in those conditions.

Lowesdown: Feet in the straps, planing, popped off a wave, stoked!

Hi Dave,

Awesome shots from the bluff looking down! It looks like there's some serious potential for big, smooth swell and wrapping waves on a more solid day. Loved the shots of the clean, long lines just offshore and the peeling waves on the point. Do you think with some bigger size to the wind swell it would start to steepen and break with the higher tide today? I'd love to see that place on a solid 4.2 day with several hours of wind to let the swell build up. I'm guessing it would put Centennial to shame!

Cheers,

Chris

Glad you enjoyed the pictures Chris.

My impression (based on a sample size of one partial session) is the wind had a great effect on the wave size and shape. As soon as the wind backed the waves responded by softening and getting smaller quickly.

So I would think the reverse would be true. Stronger wind, larger, steeper faces. I would also think that shallower water/lower tide would help the shape (as is the case at White Rock on a mid-tide and different sections of Centennial on different days). These two points are speculation on my part.

If you look carefully at this shot (download the full-sized original) you can see the three rocks that were boiling the surface on the 4 m tide (look for the round circles of bubbles).

I would be interesting to hear from those who sailed at Centennial/3rd what the wind swell/waves were like as a point of comparison (AG made it sound like it was a little variable and Slappy made it sound like the best swell was south of the boarder crossing (which may have been well out from Maple Beach).. From what DB said the waves at Lily Point were shaper and steeper than I saw when the wind was at its peak. These are my impressions of what others have said, so please feel free to correct me.

I don't know about DB, but my shoulders are sore from carrying the two 'tigers' up from the beach.

[Chris Klohn]

Hi Dave,

I see those rocks now zoomed in on the picture. I would agree that a little lower tide would probably help clean and steepen things up. The thing that stands out for me in your pictures is how long and organized the wind swell is for 5.0 ish gusty wind.

JWSP is very similar in that the wave heights can go from knee high to overhead in two hours with an increase in wind from 5.0 - 4.0. I think you are onto something special with Lilly Point.

I bet overhead swell is easily possible with just a bit stronger, steadier wind. Stoked you guys have found a new local place with some great promise. Hopefully this Sunday will deliver 20-30 knots out of the a South for you

Take it easy,

Chris

[Michael]

:idea: I would be interesting to hear from those who sailed at Centennial/3rd what the wind swell/waves were like as a point of comparison

It wasn't epic but it was pure fun!! Swell was changing as by the time the wind came the tide was coming in (3.3M) and messed things up until it got high around (3.9M) then it cleaned up again but the wind died. There were a few points in the day when the wind died but it came back until just before dark. Thanks to Chuck for the loop lesson and Adrien for more pointers! Awesome day!

[Mike]

Nice video! Looks like you're getting some nice jumps in. Who was it you caught doing the loops?

[C36]

Nice video M!
Nice flowie riding style! You have come a LONG way brah! Tacks on the quad too! Sweet!

I take it that's Chuck on the orange NP going round and round!

With marketing like that the crowds will be flocking back to CNL!

Didn't know you were a 'speed metal' fan!?! Cool!