ONCE AGAIN the journal entries are NOT saving properly ...
and so, here we are in the newer journal entries ...
SAT 30 AUG 2014
Been trying to get Roni, my current boss, back on the water for quite some time now. Since his son was born, he has NOT ventured on the water and that was FIVE years ago. He did try once this year, but what was left of his boards was too small. I told him I got the BIG stuff and would he come out on a weekend.
YES!
Today i drove down from the chalet, where my wife and young son were staying. Called Roni from home, yes, he was still in, but would call me back .. I started or continued working on the tree in the backyard while i waited. I missed a call and his voicemail said sorry, no go. Replied via text - okay, have a great day. Cleaned up some of the tree mess and got two texts. Roni still wanted to go :-) Okay, let's meet at Rona, St-Eustache. Good thing we met there cuz the 640-15 insection sucked. He brought his Tushingham 8.0 with SW 460 mast. To help him out, I had a mast base, a life jacket, uphaul rope and pulleys on a hook, which we lost. Winds looked okay when we got there, bit not strong. Roni took the MEQ and I the AHD with my HSM SPF 8.5. Antoine was there and he was planing. I planed a couple of times. Roni went without gloves or harness - for about 2 hours !! He had a good time and i had a 7 outta 10. We got lucky cuz the winds were supposed to be S and that just does NOT work for Montreal - everyone was telling me to go to Champlain. So it was about 10 to 16 knots from the SW...
When we got off the water, Pedro from Rosemere asked if I was Joe Windsurfer, "the" joe windsurfer? :-) He was looking online to see if anyone windsurfed on Rivière Milles Isles in Rosemere and came across my videos :-) Ironic that my boss was with me :-)
TUE 02SEPT2014
day after Labour Day and as such felt like a mundane Monday. With more rumours circulating about layoffs and potential wind, I left work early %^&* Was so sure winds were gonna be good that I only brought the AHD. Well, according to Luc Marinier site, that is when winds dropped to zero %^&*( I could wait for the storm winds or go. Go I did and the storm winds and rain hit when i got home 40 minutes later. Changed from SW to NW fom 16 to 25 knots, but for a very short time. Oh well, since i was depressed , i went to bed at 7h30, but here i am typing at 9h30 cuz my wife woke me up ... C'est la vie !!!
BIG ZERO
SAT 06SEPT2014
Since Tuesday we had been eyeing Saturday as a potential wind day !! I knew we would have to go to the chalet on the weekend and Saturday was supposed to rain, but with some wind SW 20-40 kph. WindGuru, theweathernetwork and environment Canada all seemed to agree. I made arrangements with all my windsurfer buddies from work - Roni was out right away. On Friday I started loading the van - TR-4 10-oh, HSM SPF 8.5, TR-6 8.4 and GA Flow 3X 7-oh. Saturday morning I loaded the MEQ, BTF and AHD 160. I was READY for anything - as Helmut would say. Helmut texted me when I was at the bank and was already complaining about rain and lack of wind. When I arrived, there was no-one and there was barely a breeze. Today was free at OKA, but I have my pass... Since there was at least a breeze, I chose the MEQ with the TR-6 8.4. While I was rigging, the downhaul rope on the short extension purchased from Bruno this year, ripped and sail made popping noise. Fixed the rope and rigged - looks like NO damage = phew !! A couple from Ontario arrived and said the wind was perfect for her to practice. There was so little wind that they sat on the beach all morning. I traversed the lake a number of times and then got a REAL gust. I actually planed on 3 runs and flt overpowered on one. Remember, this was on the Mistral Equipe longboard !!
I was about to call it a day when the wind dropped again and told the Ontario couple that I was tired of waiting or wind. SO, who shows up ? Rami !! Forgot all about him. He tells me wind is supposed to pick up. We check via his smart phone and me environment Canada - yes, winds from the NW, but this time at 20 kph. So, we had a snack and chatted. I checked with my new $20 anemometer and we saw peaks of 9 knots. LET'S RIG !!
Here is the e-mail I sent to my work colleagues who did not make it to the water:
went early cuz it was supposed to be better THEN
oh yeah, discovered that the Makini weed fin slid into the AHD with NO problem.
will need to try it on my next outings - especially with OKA so low in water
Geoff is suggesting i sell the BTF
SUN 21 SEPT 2014
Since the last entry ends with Geoff suggesting I sell the BTF, let's start this one with saying IT SOLD in 2 DAYS !! This was during last week and after the sale I picked up a used JP SLW92 PRO @ auventfou.
SUN 29SEPT2014
wind supposed to be SW at about 20 kph and warm
there was an accident at the 13 on the 640 :-(
line-up/jam at st-joseph sur le lac -- apple pickers
same thing at end of 640
line up at oka gate too
get to la crete where there were about 10 cars and NO wind :-(
obviously NO-ONE on the water
met tall Guy - as georges calls him - he has a HSM 10-oh
says he bought the sail, mast and extension for $200 !!!
it's NOT a speedfreak - too much X-PLY
says something like speed px on it , but no markings
the window had PVC , but also x-ply stripes
did not have the winged shape of the SPF
went out with the MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5 with NO harness
when Guy came out, it started to pick up
i went in to get my harness, but instead rigged the 10-oh and JP SLW92
this was the first outing and the winds were LIGHT - under 12 knots
lengthened my harness lines and moved them to about 75 cm back
had the mast base near the back - something i had read on the auzzie forum
felt like it was too nose up in the light winds and moved it to centre
kept thinking WHY am i not planing ??
i was heading towards the main beach with the waves and wind in the same direction'
I PLANED
it was FAST and COOL - felt almost better than any planing I had ever done
unfortunately i was NOT filming #$%^&*()
tried filming and just kept getting frustrated
ended up way downwind and doinf walks of shame
saw Georgie as I was getting off
we were the last 2 remaining
i was first on and last off - 6 hours of windsurfing !!!
was glad to be out and can give it an 8 outta 10 based on that
NOT based on wind conditions
Georges likes the board and we discussed how to unrig a cambered sail
he says NOT to pop the cambers - wear on mast and round edges of cambers
ALL my research shows this is the way to do it
I release bottom camber and pop the rest !!
left home at around 11h00 and got home around 19h00 !!
put this private video for myself - to see the best i could get - only about 30 seconds of video :-(
SUN 05OCT2014
Today is my 28th wedding anniversary. Winds are to be from the SW 20 to 40 kph. Tried to celebrate the anniversary yesterday, butt did not work out. So, pressure to celebrate today... Back to the "do i love windsurfing more than my wife?" ooooooooo man - better keep quiet or say the right things. Somehow managed to get the okay to go with later date for coffee, cake, bee farm,etc. Went to OKA where the wind was WSW and LESS than anticipated. Oh yeah - was cold - put the wetsuit jacket on right away. Using my $20 anemometer i measured under 12 knots and sometimes quite light. Promised NOT to go too long .... And so ... rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 on the MEQ. It was the right call cuz even my kiter buddies were complaining. And then it kicked !!! I was leaning all the way out and thought i was going super FAST. Until a fellow passed me - he was going a little more downwind. I started to chase him and the wind dropped. "Wenn es schmeckt, muss man aufhoern zu essen." When it is too good, it is time to stop... I got off in order to keep my anniversary promises. Guy, fellow with red helmet, AHD 145 and HSM 10-oh, came in with his Pursuit 8.5 cuz he was OVER !!! Man, would I have loved to try the HSM SPF 8.5 on the JP SLW92 at this time - it wouda bin time to FLY. Winds stayed WSW and peaked around 18 knots when Guy got off. Based on wind charts, looks like winds dropped OFF not long after that :-( About 9 knots with one or two peaks at 12 :-( Looks like I got the best of it. Give it an 8 outta 10.
FRI 10OCT2014
All week it has been cold and windy. Since I bring my son to school and pick him up, the earliest I could get to the water is about 16h30. By the time you rig , etc it will be close to 17h00. The winds better be on your side with such a tight window. Went to Cartier during my lunch hour on Wednesday. There was a kiter with an 8m2 kite and two(2) fellows with 4.2 sails. They waited patiently on shore until the conditions were right. Winds were over 20 knots and at 15h00 apparently there was a 30 knot peak. On fellow explained to me that he stayed in the kite bay. This way you could always get back to shore whether wind died or got out of control.
So, when it was sunny and some wind on this day, I went to the local river with my MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5. Winds seemed to be from the WNW and less than 12 knots. I hooked in only one run and was struggling only for about 30 seconds on another. With the sky so blue , the fall colours and the sun going down, it was just spectacular and I was glad i went out. Was going to give this session a outta 10, but the sailing was not that great and i had hoped for more. As such, I will give it an 8.5 outta 10, which is still quite high based on the sailing experience. Also, NO wind forecast for the long weekend #$%^&*()_
SAT 18OCT2014
Was supposed to be SW 20 to 40 kph. Wife wants to go to chalet. Okay, but bring my stuff. Okay, but not in the car - in the van. Looks like my efforts to appease were to no avail :-( In any case, I went to the chalet with the wife, son and his buddy, Matthew. When we got there , there was NO wind, butt was beautiful. With the fall colours... Later it picked up a little and Unka Charlie had left with his brother, Scott. So, I went out with the FUC board and the HSM SPF 8.5 in my shorts and T-shirt (did have booties)!! Was NOT cold and enjoyed just being out so much, will give this an 8 outta 10 !!!
SUN 19OCT2014
Since i did not go yesterday , as far as I was concerned, I wanted to go today. That did NOT go over well :-( Getting more and more difficult to get out without upsetting anyone. And the van is slipping in the trannie again %^&*( Was supposed to be 20 to 40 kph NW and cold today - less than 10 degrees C. When I got there , the wind measured less than 13 knots and mostly around 10. Did NOT like the fact that NW drives you straight out - NOT a time to practice with the JP SLW and a 10-oh. For safety sake, I put the MEQ with the HSP SPF 8.5. Put the wetsuit, hood as a collar and obviously boots. When my hands felt too cold, I went and got my gloves. There was a strange looking man in furs and far too much hair on his face walking about with another gentleman looking at a bunch of trees. Told my kite buddies to watch out for wolfman/wolverine :-) Met a fellow who was on an original Windsurfer with the original sail, It was too much for that kit. Had him try mine just to give him an idea what a difference full battens make when wind is up a bit. I had some screaming sessions and managed to fall in once. Took my gloves off and had a few more good runs. When I got off, I saw more wolfmen - they were making a movie :-) Give this session/day an 8.5 outta 10 !!! Would have loved to use the JP SLW, but was not going to take risks today ... I was the ONLY windsurfer, not counting the kid and winds were sending you straight out. NOT used to the cold, gloves, etc - took NO risks...Obviously was sailing hooked in and my right forearm cramped a little bit from the cold and clothing ...Winds ranged from 8 to 16 knots going as low as 4 !! After 15h00 when i left, it all dropped off. My kiter buddy was there at 10h00. He now has a 15 m2 core = new board. He's loving it. Everyone is talking about going south - fireman from St-Sophie is going to Cuba. $950 for nine days = NOT BAD !! Oh yeah - because they were filming, kiters were told to shush when they were deflating their kites :-) too funny (OKA obviously)
THURS 23OCT2014
All week there was NE winds of at least 20-40 kph, but mostly 30-50 kph. Wednesday was the warmest day at about 15 degrees C, but I was going off to the Australian Pink Floyd show. Since I picked up my middle son from the Metro at 1h30 Tuesday morning, I slept early Tuesday night. Today at lunch I drove to Vaudreuils to see if anyone was there. There was one windsurfer on the water - flying, one kiter setting up and one kiter leaving. Kiter was setting up a 9 meter sail, which means 9/2 = 4.5 sail weather. Apparently Yvente was out at Vaudreuils today in winds 9 to 25 knots. Perhaps it was him I saw? Yvente wrote 6m + on quebecwind forum. It was COLD - about 7 degrees C and kiter says he puts a dry suit. Will ask if the windsurfers are using dry suits...
WED 29OCT2014
Back from Mrs Auga on Sunday and by Monday I already knew I needed this day OFF. Some family stuff to do, butt better than that : they were announcing warm (14 to 15 degrees C) and winds SW 30 to 50 kph.
Early morning there was NO wind - good time to do the family stuff !! By noon I was at OKA. I was the first one to arrive. Others trickled in slowly. Kites AND windsurfers. I measured between 14 and 22 knots on shore. A fellow who seemed to travel a lot and know his stuff - said he was 200 pounds and would be out on a 5.5 with 135 liter board. I rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 and JP SLW92 with the smaller Curtis fin. The test run was not too good - overpowered. Told others so and rigged the NS Duke 6.9 with the MEQ. That was perfect for screaming back n forth parallel to shore and practicing water starts. Went REALLY well. Should have tried the BEE LTD 124 that was in the car. Kiters were out on 9 m2 kites. One fellow was on an 11. Usually you can divide by 2 for windsurfers , but most were out on 6.x sails. One fellow who was screaming/going fast further out saw my 6.9 and tried 6.3. He said it was too much. He put a 5.7 on a 100 liter board and he said it was PERFECT. Georgie arrived and put his Severne NCX 6.0 on his 101 liter JP board. Fellow with the 6.5 busted the nose of his Fanatic 125 Triple X = XXX . Did not look like any water came in. Upon investigation, it looked like his board had been repaired once before. One fellow came off the water holding his head - asked him if he wsa ok and he was NOT sure. Said his buddy just suffered a stroke and when he had a sudden severe headache he got nervous. He seemed ok later...I should have worn a helmet today !! I had NO gloves and hoodie just on the neck. Overall i would have a difficult time rating this day. Would have loved it if i could have used the JP SLW - too much wind n chop. Should have used the BEE for half the time at least. Had lotsa FUN, TOW and enjoyed interacting with kiters and surfers. So, will give it an 8 outta 10. Especially since this was after all a work day !! Wind was good from 11h00 until 16h00 as per charts - I was there from about 11h00 until 15h00 and so got the best of it !!!
Forgot to mention that i was getting cramps in my right calf - lower part of the leg. Also need to ensure i push less on the side of the board when water starting - sometimes push it over.
One interesting thing is the fellow who suggested 5.5 was correct for people like Stephan who seems to be one of the better windsurfers at OKA. At 200 pounds a 5.5 is about right for 22 knots. That's the top of the wind range we were observing...Rig for the biggest wind then ??
WED 12NOV2014
wind was to be 30-50 and 40-60 kph at peaks
took day off and slept in the morning
left the house around 11h45
brought Fanatic BEE 124 LTD and sails 6.3 and 6.9
do NOT have smaller sails that i would use on the BEE
when i arrived i measured between 18 and 24 knots
and i was ALONE - NO-ONE there at La Crete
do i go or not? may as well practice !!
older couple came to chat while i was rigging
practiced water starts and flying on the 124 and 6.3
never really hooked in cuz i knew i would blast away
based on charts it seeems i was out in the strongest winds
like 20 to 30 knots !! confirmed on quebecwind
if i let my kit go - wind would blow even the board
NO issue water starting except often board rounded up upwind #$%^&*
after about 45 minutes i had had enough practice
if someone else was around perhaps i would have continued?
george showed up and rigged Severne Gator 5.3 on a 430 for his JP 105 board and 24 cm surfgrass fin
by the time he went out wind had dropped
would have been ideal for me - but i had already de-rigged and removed wetsuit
give the practice session a 7 outta 10
nobody got hurt, nothing broke and i did get out
it seems every season i end it with a session where i am way over
often it seems i start my seasons like that tooo
for me THAT was my LAST outing on water in 2014
can say i was NOT too cold !!!
not even on the hands
temperature was 7 degrees Celcius and some occasional sun
am reading that "in higer wind there is a natural tendency for the board to round upwind when water starting"
put an entry on quebecwind
http://z11.invisionfree.com/WindsurfingMontreal/index.php?showtopic=10817&st=0#entry22044978
Oh yeah.. saw two(2) kiteboards with foils - on the beach. My kiter buddy says it is NOT easy !!
SAT 01AUG2015
Tried the JP SLW92 with the HSM SPF 8.5 and Curtis fin 56 or 58 cm ?? On the Lake with varying winds in terms of direction and speed. NOT ideal, but what id did show me ... was that the board can do well in 20-40 kph winds and an 8.x sail...
Filmed it for myself, but could not find the bit where i was almost planing ...
SUN 02AUG2015
Went to AAO with Axel who was here from Mrs Auga ...
First wake up everyone in the household with obnoxious phone calls in the early morning :-)
Went to Tim's for coffee and breakfast for the bro.
Set him up with the Mistral Equipe and HSM Fire 6.3
Took the COMP with HSM SPF 8.5 with Ronnie's boom ...
Was NOT used to the COMP nor the boom
Felt like I needed the centre board down when wind is very light
Will need to try Equipe center board on the COMP - for Franco !!
Ok, the bro is tired ... What's going on down there ??
MON 03AUG2015
Wind looked strong, but somehow never got FULL power out of it. NEVER needed the harness, but count it as fun just the same. CANNOT give it more than 7.5 outta 10 since my expectations were high. Fanatic Ultra CAT with HSM SpeedFreak 8.5 @ the chalet - week OFF.
TUE 04AUG2015
Did experiments with mast and fin placement. Put the pink epoxy mast which is about 460 cm. Put the extenion at 47 cm, but did not need more than 45. Felt like sail looked and felt better !! Also put the fin all the way back - barely turned - and all the way up - felt like it turned faster, but NOT necessarily tighter ... Had some fun and so will rate it 7.5 outta 10 ... Still FUC n HSM SPF :-)
WED 05AUG2015
Since sail was set up and there was some wind... Managed to get out for about 20 minutes. It started to pour and so came in - wind died after that .... Cannot really call this a session ...
THURS 06AUG2015
Supposed to be last day with any wind - go to OKA ?? Nah , hoped for the best here and lost. Had wind, but as usual could not tell whether it was W or NW and that made a difference. When it kicked, it was not great either. Need to rate it since I did go out. Since expectation was high and failed, cannot give more than 6.5 outta 10 :-( May be confusing the days on this entry :-(
FRI 07AUG2015
Was supposed to go to work party, but stayed at the chalet ... BEST morning cruise ever and there was not supposed to be any wind. Tried to approach the two(2) loons who were out lookin for breakfast ...
Went out 2 or 3 more times for some quick sessions and they were all pleasant. My son, Jerry, went out WITH the HSM SPF 8.5 !! He did pretty well considering, but burned his hands on the uphaul line. Will need to add knots, give him gloves, lower boom, etc. All in all I give this day a 9 outta 10 !! excellent day in the country
Others swam around the entire lake which took three(3) hours !!!
SAT 08AUG2015
Still in the country but it was Steven Sartori's 60th and so the wife and rest went off to the party @ Steven's house. MUST have windsurfed on this day, but have NO notes on it. KNOW we left Sunday and I did NOT go on that day cuz i wanted a dry sail inside the car !! Using the law of averages will say I went on this day and give it a 7 outta 10 ... Let me see if I can get the weather of this day ...
W Underground says it was HOT with almost NO wind - do i count this day or not ?? NAH
THURS 13AUG2015
met Franco @ AAO around noon. There were camera crews and practically no-one else !! As a joke asked them if they had heard we were coming :-)
Obviously NOT. Turns our the Canada Post put a metal slab at the entrance for community mail boxes and the major was going to break it up publicly - in the media. Destroying postal property can give a 5 year jail sentence !!! Sounds like a big story about nothing. Wait, is this a Jerry Seinfeld issue??
Was on call and worked from a picnic table ...
In any case Franco tried the Mistral COMP first with an old NP 6.5.
Sail had way too long a boom and pulled like a train. Franco seemed to have issues about where to put boom, etc. So, he changed to a sail he was more used to. He decided to purchase it and gave me the money ...Later the fix at the front came loose. WTF ... He said he would fix it PHEW - I put a LOT of effort into this board and am giving it to him at what i paid. Will NEVER buy a board in such a state again !!
I put paint on the deck so it would not be slippery.
Added Solar-EZ on nose job to ensure it was good.
Crazy glued the casing on the bottom.
Found a bolt to fit nut through the casing.
Put the mast base plate into the track and helped Franco put his mast base on
Gave Franco the centre board from my Mistral Equipe because it worked better and seemed to be needed more with this COMP board.
Was it worth the effort ??
It is a GOOD FLOATY board, but actually prefer the MEQ...
Why ? Better fin and could not get the fin off the COMP.
That was the main reason - and the need to complete the nose job - already have Dufour to fix ...
What about the day on the water
There was a fellow with a hydrofoil kite - managed to do one run. $1800 equipment
He used to windsurf and switched to kiting about 12 years ago
He was one of the first Montreal kiters !!
I had fun the MEQ and SPF, but probably would not have gone if it was not for Franco
Will give it a 7 outta 10 since i am feeling generous ...
MON 17AUG2015
wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph SW
OKA - first went to main beach as suggested on quebecwind
main beach was full and NO windsurfers at end of beach
wind looked light, but saw kites @ La Crête and so - went there
measure 8 to 12 knots with one spike to 14
was about to give up, but some guy gave some BS about thermals and that encouraged me
rigged HSM SPF on JP SLW with 56 cm pointer fin
THURS 20AUG2015
Winds were supposed to be SE 30-50 kph starting at noon. At lunch took my Harvey burger to Cartier to check it out. The white haired fellow who sold a Fanatic Shark 150 LTD that Roni from work purchased upon my advice, had been out with a Fanatic Gecko 120 and 8.2 sail. Measured winds were under 15 knots. There was a fellow with a Tesla who had his stuff in the car. That's a 100,000 car !! Wind was picking up when we left - starting to see more white caps - or sheep as they are called in French ...
Came back at 15h30 with Helmut and my BEE 124 + MEQ longboard. I learned my lesson on Monday when i did not bring the MEQ - it is a savior !! ALWAYS bring the MEQ !!!
Wind seemed strong and people were rigging down. Helmut was going for the FSW 105 and Retro 6-oh. When wind dropped - before he even got out, he went for the 7-oh. It was Evan who suggested the 7-oh, but does that work with that board and a 34 cm fin ??
Felt the "waves" and conditions were a bit too much for my skills and so, waited it out and took a clip:
ONLY about 2-3 people were screaming back and forth in the distance. The rest were having difficulties, getting going, away from shore, etc, etc
Some of the hotdogs were Eric Gouin (10 year president of APVM who now sails 60 footers across the Atlantic), the iSonic guy (who was in APVM too), the shorter yellow helmet guy who i once chatted with in kite bay and an older fellow with cool sunglasses.
When the wind dies a bit, I did a GREAT RUN with the MEQ and NS Duke 6.9. 8 outta 10 !!
Then the wind died too much for even me. Some light weight girl - 5'0" and about 100 pounds went out @ 17h00 saying "some people have to work". SHe kept at it for quite some time, but it was NOT good. MANY people did NOT like the day for windsurfing. Mais il a fait beau et chaud encore !!
Put an entry on quebec wind too ...
http://z11.invisionfree.com/WindsurfingMontreal/index.php?showtopic=10855
The real "pisser" is that on the next day, Friday, it was another beautiful day with winds out of the SW 20-40 kph $%^&*()
NO MORE SE for me $%^&*
FRI 28AUG2015
Yesterday @ lunch there were several kites, one windsurfer and one sailboat @ AAO, Wind felt and looked like under 12 knots. Today @ lunch there was NO ONE on the water @ AAO !! It did not look like it was any lighter windier.. Guess everyone gave up ??
Winds were from the SW and traffic was BAD on the 640 and in town. This decided to try the local river Milles Isles. As usual with the MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5. The water and muck were DISGUSTING. Oozing clay and weeds at the side. Water was brown.
Wind WAS from the SW and max 12 knots. The river had sections where the wind was stronger and others with lulls. Went for about an hour. Will give it a 7 outta 10.
Will NOT go there again until we get more rain. Too gross...
Better take a shower !!
MON 31AUG2015 - La Crete MEQ HSM SPF 8.5 - 9.5 outta 10
Wind was supposed to be SW 20-40 kph. My youngest son had half a day of school and so, I had an excuse to leave work early!! The van was packed the day before with JP SLW, MEQ, 10-oh and 8.5. It was a nice warm day, but by 15h30m when I arrivd at OKA, the wind had dropped somewhat and was mor W than SW. I was NOT taking any chances and so put the MEQ with the HSM SPF 8.5. Water is still low and i did not feel like taking the long walk with the long fin. It started fairly lightly, but planed quite a bit. The retired fellow was there using a 7.4 because wind was better before. Have to get his name off Georges !! Perhaps Richard !!
There were about 12 kites, some with 17 m2, which makes sense = 8.5 *2. There were about 4 to 5 windsurfers, but they did not look like they were planing. At one time there were the kiters and one windsurfer = ME !!
Helmut, Evan and Fred (Helmut/Hatteras.2) were all @ AAO, but they said wind was lacking - no-one brought the big stuff. Georges arrived as I was getting off and was trying a 13 m2 kite. The kiters and i all felt that was too small. Antoine arrived even later and was going with his AHD 145 with his biggest sail 7.5 - did not see him, but there really was NOT enuff wind. (Why was Antoine running about in his underwear?)
We all just want to go SO BADLY !!!
As you can see wind dropped by 17h00
Why NOT 10 outta 10 ?? Really wanted to use the JP SLW, but was unsure of winds ...
Also did one and a half runs with one eye shut - was hurting/burning and NO idea why #$%^&*(
TUES 01SEPT2015
Bruno Courtemanche of VoileLibre came to work @ BAAN and showed me an Angulo Release 120. I thought it was new, but it is slightly used with one footstrap stretched and comes with a weed rather than original slalom fin. Board is $1100 + tax and can be paid off over 6 month period ...
He now goes to Quebec City to windsurf and uses sails 3.7, 4.2 and 4.7 on boards under 100 liters - whole new ball game !! Does not even go to Lake Champlain any more !! Working on his Doctorate in Oceanography !! filtering phyto-plankton for better readings !!
SUN 06SEPT2015
Labour Day weekend and the BEST weekend of the whole summer !! Warm weather and breeze from the SSW about 20+ kph. Had the FUC out with the patched MS-2 on the 2 piece epoxy 458 cm mast and 48 cm extension. The battens rotated when there was enough wind. For the country it was an okay combo and only had to bring up the wishbone. Give it an 8 outta 10.
Saved Frederic in the bay outside Steven's house. Towed him to Nonni's house where we dismantled the sail and he tried to call "home". Met his father-in-law and copain on the water. "Look what I found in the water." Showed him what I was using and how quickly from the white house. Rowed him to where they were renting a chalet for the week. It was the chalet where i left my stuff many years ago. Fred asked for a quick demo. Told him to keep the keel down - needed to be jammed on the old BIC 250. I tried to start and actually fell in - first time of the day. Needed to keep my weight over the board. Showed him how I go upwind on his board and how i blast back. "You make it look so easy." Yeah, 20 years of practice !! He tried again with difficulty and I left them to it :-)
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Still trying to get a mast foot to fit on the Arctic Sail !!! :-(
Will ask auventfou again - neither 2-rad nor auventfou answered :-(
MON 07SEPT2015 Labour Day
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/oka-labour-day-monday-2015.html
WED 09SEPT2015 Cartier @ noon
Went at lunch and there was NO ONE @ Cartier !! Ate my Harvey's Junior Burgers and checked out Kite Bay. There were about 3 or 4 kites on the water and one windsurfer. Many setting up including the young fellow I keep bumping into at AAO. He was @ Trois Rivières on Monday and it sucked - apparently :-( Told him to hurry and get on the water :-) He was putting a 12 m² kite and so i suggested 5 or 6 m² sail to two(2) windsurfers setting up. I would have voted for a 7 meter sail myself. Those dudes all look so tiny !!! LUCKY DOGS They asked what I was rigging. Told them I was just coming to drool during my lunch hour :-) Windsurfers seemed surprised that I was chummy with the kiters !!
SAT 19SEPT2015
In the "country" with South winds. FUC board and MS-2 8-oh sail are there. Just needed to bring the boom and extension. If I can find a cheap boom - no room required in the car :-) Winds were light and gusty. NO need for a harness, but it was a very nice day still in shorts - give it an 8 outta 10. The mast is an old epoxy mast that requires 48 cm of extension !!
SUN 20SEPT2015
Winds were supposed to be good in the morning and lighter later. Based on the chart from Ile Bizard it looks like 10 to 15 knots later !! I left areound 13h00 when the winds were DOWN...
Will wait for the reports.. It was NW and North when I went out and started at 8-10 knots. So, obviously it was the MEQ with HSM SPF 8.5. Ran a little video with the camera pointed forwards. Winds were a little better , but under 15 knots... Would have liked to try the SB iS 117W, but winds were side shore , unsteady and I would like to try it carefully first .. Again, give it about an 8 outta 10..
SUN 27SEPT2015
Winds have been light ALL week %^&* Georges calls it the bleaching of the wind forecast = all white :-( Today was such a beautiful FALL day that I had to go. Heard the 640 was jammed - flea market and apple pickers ?? Also there was NO more than a bump in the wind forecasts - MAX of about 10-12 knots and a small bump at that. Took NO chances and went on local river with WSW winds and a MAX MAX of about 9 knots. In harness for about 3 minutes, but the weather was NICE. Give it a 7.5 outta 10 just to be nice :-)
TUES 29SEPT2015
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/fall-2015-is-here.html
SAT 03OCT2015
Prepared myself for winds ENE of 30-50 kph. Packed the stuff and arrived at OKA main beach early. There was NO ONE. I was NOT feeling well in the stomach and had a "bad feeling". Wind and waves were coming from the same side with some strong gusts. Looked and felt like strong solid over 20 knot winds. On shore at La Crête and I would have gone out ...
Asked myself if I really felt like going. Temps were around 5 degrees C and there was some sun. Sail would probably have to be the 6.3 and the Mistral Equipe. Did NOT feel like doing that.
Drove back and the sail bag of the BEE flapped on the van. So, pulled over in a good spot and when i looked back there was a cop with his lights flashing. Crap... As I went to go to their car to see what was up - they indicated me back to the van. Ok, stay in the vehicle. They did not move and so i drove away. They were protecting me. Put my seatbelt on before they went by and waved as they passed. Nice !!
On the web some indications were winds of 12 knots to 25 knots. People were out in 4.x sails and doing loops at St Zotique... I have a small WindWing that I have not even tried yet.
Kinda glad and sad that i did not go :-( :-)
Last time I had that bad feeling I broke my shoulder windsurfing on ice.
BEWARE the bad feeling :-(
SUN 04OCT2015
Today I picked up an ArcticSail "board" that windsurfs on ice and snow. It has metal rails that run the length of the board and thus will be excellent for ice. My hope is that it works in snow that is more than 4 inches as well. Now just need to get the U.S. cup attachment on the top of the "mast base".
Can make it work like this for now - perhaps Bruno of 2-rad has one ??
There were two in town for sale - i purchased the one further away due to metal rails and hopes of using the mast base... Not sure what the red tabs at the back are - yet ...
WED 07OCT2015
Worked from home in the afternoon and packed the van. Winds were supposed to be W and then NW 20 to 40 kph. Put the JP SLW92, SB iS 117W , MS TR-4 10.0 m² and HSM SPF 8.5. Put the fins I have, MFC 46 for the iS in case I get to try it, for the JP brought the 58 cm True Ames SB weed and Curtis 56 cm... When I arrived around 15h30 the wind was NW at about 30 kph. Someone that looked like Ben in a van said "il y a du bon vent". Excellent. Rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 and JP SLW92 with the Curtis 56. Water was low and had to walk FAR. Two windsurfers were coming OFF when I went ON :-( I think the HUDSON graph below is more representative of what i experienced. LESS wind. At first I was thinking of giving the session a 6.5 outta 10, but then the wind picked up and I had a couple of planing runs near the Vaudreuils side. Then i was thinkin 7.5, but again just started to enjoy myself and the scenario SO much that I am giving the session an 8.5 outta 10 !! Was the last one on the water of all the people on the water. George was on a kite and did the walk of shame - keeps going downwind. Chatted with him and Richard/Force5 about the JP and the SB iS. Two amazing boards !! Both drooled over the iS and were surprised that it was rated for sails 6.8 to 9.2 !!
btw this was the first time i planed with the JP SLW92 and 8.x sail = AMAZING !!
and so, here we are in the newer journal entries ...
SAT 30 AUG 2014
Been trying to get Roni, my current boss, back on the water for quite some time now. Since his son was born, he has NOT ventured on the water and that was FIVE years ago. He did try once this year, but what was left of his boards was too small. I told him I got the BIG stuff and would he come out on a weekend.
YES!
Today i drove down from the chalet, where my wife and young son were staying. Called Roni from home, yes, he was still in, but would call me back .. I started or continued working on the tree in the backyard while i waited. I missed a call and his voicemail said sorry, no go. Replied via text - okay, have a great day. Cleaned up some of the tree mess and got two texts. Roni still wanted to go :-) Okay, let's meet at Rona, St-Eustache. Good thing we met there cuz the 640-15 insection sucked. He brought his Tushingham 8.0 with SW 460 mast. To help him out, I had a mast base, a life jacket, uphaul rope and pulleys on a hook, which we lost. Winds looked okay when we got there, bit not strong. Roni took the MEQ and I the AHD with my HSM SPF 8.5. Antoine was there and he was planing. I planed a couple of times. Roni went without gloves or harness - for about 2 hours !! He had a good time and i had a 7 outta 10. We got lucky cuz the winds were supposed to be S and that just does NOT work for Montreal - everyone was telling me to go to Champlain. So it was about 10 to 16 knots from the SW...
When we got off the water, Pedro from Rosemere asked if I was Joe Windsurfer, "the" joe windsurfer? :-) He was looking online to see if anyone windsurfed on Rivière Milles Isles in Rosemere and came across my videos :-) Ironic that my boss was with me :-)
TUE 02SEPT2014
day after Labour Day and as such felt like a mundane Monday. With more rumours circulating about layoffs and potential wind, I left work early %^&* Was so sure winds were gonna be good that I only brought the AHD. Well, according to Luc Marinier site, that is when winds dropped to zero %^&*( I could wait for the storm winds or go. Go I did and the storm winds and rain hit when i got home 40 minutes later. Changed from SW to NW fom 16 to 25 knots, but for a very short time. Oh well, since i was depressed , i went to bed at 7h30, but here i am typing at 9h30 cuz my wife woke me up ... C'est la vie !!!
BIG ZERO
SAT 06SEPT2014
Since Tuesday we had been eyeing Saturday as a potential wind day !! I knew we would have to go to the chalet on the weekend and Saturday was supposed to rain, but with some wind SW 20-40 kph. WindGuru, theweathernetwork and environment Canada all seemed to agree. I made arrangements with all my windsurfer buddies from work - Roni was out right away. On Friday I started loading the van - TR-4 10-oh, HSM SPF 8.5, TR-6 8.4 and GA Flow 3X 7-oh. Saturday morning I loaded the MEQ, BTF and AHD 160. I was READY for anything - as Helmut would say. Helmut texted me when I was at the bank and was already complaining about rain and lack of wind. When I arrived, there was no-one and there was barely a breeze. Today was free at OKA, but I have my pass... Since there was at least a breeze, I chose the MEQ with the TR-6 8.4. While I was rigging, the downhaul rope on the short extension purchased from Bruno this year, ripped and sail made popping noise. Fixed the rope and rigged - looks like NO damage = phew !! A couple from Ontario arrived and said the wind was perfect for her to practice. There was so little wind that they sat on the beach all morning. I traversed the lake a number of times and then got a REAL gust. I actually planed on 3 runs and flt overpowered on one. Remember, this was on the Mistral Equipe longboard !!
I was about to call it a day when the wind dropped again and told the Ontario couple that I was tired of waiting or wind. SO, who shows up ? Rami !! Forgot all about him. He tells me wind is supposed to pick up. We check via his smart phone and me environment Canada - yes, winds from the NW, but this time at 20 kph. So, we had a snack and chatted. I checked with my new $20 anemometer and we saw peaks of 9 knots. LET'S RIG !!
Here is the e-mail I sent to my work colleagues who did not make it to the water:
went early cuz it was supposed to be better THEN
when i arrived no-one there and no wind
Helmut said forget it
after about one hour i told Mounir to forget it - too light and side shore - Mounir likes on-shore @ OKA
i was on my longboard Mistral Equipe I with a cambered race sail MauiSails TR-6 8.4
planed about 3 runs when the wind kicked - 8 outta 10 just the same
met a couple from Ontario who said light winds were great for learning
wind was so light they stayed on the beach
even VoilOka was closed !!
just as i was packing up and leaving, Rami showed up !!!
we had a bite to eat and chatted
winds were hitting 9 knots NW
we decided to give it a go
Rami with his Quatro 110 litre 7-oh NP V8 race sail - MANY cambers
this time i took my lighter HotSailsMaui SpeedFreak 8.5
Rami was staying close to shore and so I let him try my kit
he loved it - perfect for the day
also took out the BIG BIC Techno Formula with the small 29.5 cm fin, which i got from Sailboarder
at this time , it was kinda late to call people - past 3 pm ...
so, we planed and had fun - except that Rami forgot his harness !!
this was definitely 9 outta 10 !!!
sorry, you guys were not there :-(
better get out there soon - cool nights can mean only one thing
tomorrow I have to go to the country
perhaps you guys can get out then ??
yes, i did get heck for being out for over eight hours !!!
Take Care + Good Winds
joe
oh yeah, discovered that the Makini weed fin slid into the AHD with NO problem.
will need to try it on my next outings - especially with OKA so low in water
Geoff is suggesting i sell the BTF
SUN 21 SEPT 2014
Since the last entry ends with Geoff suggesting I sell the BTF, let's start this one with saying IT SOLD in 2 DAYS !! This was during last week and after the sale I picked up a used JP SLW92 PRO @ auventfou.
I was hoping to baptize it today with the 20-40 kph winds from the SW. Fortunately I also brought the MEQ just in case. When I got to La Crête there was NO wind and NO-ONE. After about 5 minutes I drove to the main beach. Same shite. Double checked the weather and they definitely said 20-40 SW in the morning. Back to La Crête and chat with 2 kiters. When it came up a little bit, I put the HSM SPF 8.5 on the MEQ, but was the ONLY one who could go. NO kiters could go, not even the 17 square meter fellow with the huge homemade surfer board. I had 2 puffs where I almost started planing - @ the end of the bay. The lucky dudes went to Platzburg where is was supposed to be 20 knots. I rate this session as 5.5 outta . 10. That means an almost failure and NOT a success at all.
 |
| from Luc Marinier website |
Helmut was bummed ... He still has only gone twice this year in Montreal ...
SUN 29SEPT2014
wind supposed to be SW at about 20 kph and warm
there was an accident at the 13 on the 640 :-(
line-up/jam at st-joseph sur le lac -- apple pickers
same thing at end of 640
line up at oka gate too
get to la crete where there were about 10 cars and NO wind :-(
obviously NO-ONE on the water
met tall Guy - as georges calls him - he has a HSM 10-oh
says he bought the sail, mast and extension for $200 !!!
it's NOT a speedfreak - too much X-PLY
says something like speed px on it , but no markings
the window had PVC , but also x-ply stripes
did not have the winged shape of the SPF
went out with the MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5 with NO harness
when Guy came out, it started to pick up
i went in to get my harness, but instead rigged the 10-oh and JP SLW92
this was the first outing and the winds were LIGHT - under 12 knots
lengthened my harness lines and moved them to about 75 cm back
had the mast base near the back - something i had read on the auzzie forum
felt like it was too nose up in the light winds and moved it to centre
kept thinking WHY am i not planing ??
i was heading towards the main beach with the waves and wind in the same direction'
I PLANED
it was FAST and COOL - felt almost better than any planing I had ever done
unfortunately i was NOT filming #$%^&*()
tried filming and just kept getting frustrated
ended up way downwind and doinf walks of shame
saw Georgie as I was getting off
we were the last 2 remaining
i was first on and last off - 6 hours of windsurfing !!!
was glad to be out and can give it an 8 outta 10 based on that
NOT based on wind conditions
Georges likes the board and we discussed how to unrig a cambered sail
he says NOT to pop the cambers - wear on mast and round edges of cambers
ALL my research shows this is the way to do it
I release bottom camber and pop the rest !!
left home at around 11h00 and got home around 19h00 !!
put this private video for myself - to see the best i could get - only about 30 seconds of video :-(
SUN 05OCT2014
Today is my 28th wedding anniversary. Winds are to be from the SW 20 to 40 kph. Tried to celebrate the anniversary yesterday, butt did not work out. So, pressure to celebrate today... Back to the "do i love windsurfing more than my wife?" ooooooooo man - better keep quiet or say the right things. Somehow managed to get the okay to go with later date for coffee, cake, bee farm,etc. Went to OKA where the wind was WSW and LESS than anticipated. Oh yeah - was cold - put the wetsuit jacket on right away. Using my $20 anemometer i measured under 12 knots and sometimes quite light. Promised NOT to go too long .... And so ... rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 on the MEQ. It was the right call cuz even my kiter buddies were complaining. And then it kicked !!! I was leaning all the way out and thought i was going super FAST. Until a fellow passed me - he was going a little more downwind. I started to chase him and the wind dropped. "Wenn es schmeckt, muss man aufhoern zu essen." When it is too good, it is time to stop... I got off in order to keep my anniversary promises. Guy, fellow with red helmet, AHD 145 and HSM 10-oh, came in with his Pursuit 8.5 cuz he was OVER !!! Man, would I have loved to try the HSM SPF 8.5 on the JP SLW92 at this time - it wouda bin time to FLY. Winds stayed WSW and peaked around 18 knots when Guy got off. Based on wind charts, looks like winds dropped OFF not long after that :-( About 9 knots with one or two peaks at 12 :-( Looks like I got the best of it. Give it an 8 outta 10.
FRI 10OCT2014
All week it has been cold and windy. Since I bring my son to school and pick him up, the earliest I could get to the water is about 16h30. By the time you rig , etc it will be close to 17h00. The winds better be on your side with such a tight window. Went to Cartier during my lunch hour on Wednesday. There was a kiter with an 8m2 kite and two(2) fellows with 4.2 sails. They waited patiently on shore until the conditions were right. Winds were over 20 knots and at 15h00 apparently there was a 30 knot peak. On fellow explained to me that he stayed in the kite bay. This way you could always get back to shore whether wind died or got out of control.
So, when it was sunny and some wind on this day, I went to the local river with my MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5. Winds seemed to be from the WNW and less than 12 knots. I hooked in only one run and was struggling only for about 30 seconds on another. With the sky so blue , the fall colours and the sun going down, it was just spectacular and I was glad i went out. Was going to give this session a outta 10, but the sailing was not that great and i had hoped for more. As such, I will give it an 8.5 outta 10, which is still quite high based on the sailing experience. Also, NO wind forecast for the long weekend #$%^&*()_
SAT 18OCT2014
Was supposed to be SW 20 to 40 kph. Wife wants to go to chalet. Okay, but bring my stuff. Okay, but not in the car - in the van. Looks like my efforts to appease were to no avail :-( In any case, I went to the chalet with the wife, son and his buddy, Matthew. When we got there , there was NO wind, butt was beautiful. With the fall colours... Later it picked up a little and Unka Charlie had left with his brother, Scott. So, I went out with the FUC board and the HSM SPF 8.5 in my shorts and T-shirt (did have booties)!! Was NOT cold and enjoyed just being out so much, will give this an 8 outta 10 !!!
SUN 19OCT2014
Since i did not go yesterday , as far as I was concerned, I wanted to go today. That did NOT go over well :-( Getting more and more difficult to get out without upsetting anyone. And the van is slipping in the trannie again %^&*( Was supposed to be 20 to 40 kph NW and cold today - less than 10 degrees C. When I got there , the wind measured less than 13 knots and mostly around 10. Did NOT like the fact that NW drives you straight out - NOT a time to practice with the JP SLW and a 10-oh. For safety sake, I put the MEQ with the HSP SPF 8.5. Put the wetsuit, hood as a collar and obviously boots. When my hands felt too cold, I went and got my gloves. There was a strange looking man in furs and far too much hair on his face walking about with another gentleman looking at a bunch of trees. Told my kite buddies to watch out for wolfman/wolverine :-) Met a fellow who was on an original Windsurfer with the original sail, It was too much for that kit. Had him try mine just to give him an idea what a difference full battens make when wind is up a bit. I had some screaming sessions and managed to fall in once. Took my gloves off and had a few more good runs. When I got off, I saw more wolfmen - they were making a movie :-) Give this session/day an 8.5 outta 10 !!! Would have loved to use the JP SLW, but was not going to take risks today ... I was the ONLY windsurfer, not counting the kid and winds were sending you straight out. NOT used to the cold, gloves, etc - took NO risks...Obviously was sailing hooked in and my right forearm cramped a little bit from the cold and clothing ...Winds ranged from 8 to 16 knots going as low as 4 !! After 15h00 when i left, it all dropped off. My kiter buddy was there at 10h00. He now has a 15 m2 core = new board. He's loving it. Everyone is talking about going south - fireman from St-Sophie is going to Cuba. $950 for nine days = NOT BAD !! Oh yeah - because they were filming, kiters were told to shush when they were deflating their kites :-) too funny (OKA obviously)
THURS 23OCT2014
All week there was NE winds of at least 20-40 kph, but mostly 30-50 kph. Wednesday was the warmest day at about 15 degrees C, but I was going off to the Australian Pink Floyd show. Since I picked up my middle son from the Metro at 1h30 Tuesday morning, I slept early Tuesday night. Today at lunch I drove to Vaudreuils to see if anyone was there. There was one windsurfer on the water - flying, one kiter setting up and one kiter leaving. Kiter was setting up a 9 meter sail, which means 9/2 = 4.5 sail weather. Apparently Yvente was out at Vaudreuils today in winds 9 to 25 knots. Perhaps it was him I saw? Yvente wrote 6m + on quebecwind forum. It was COLD - about 7 degrees C and kiter says he puts a dry suit. Will ask if the windsurfers are using dry suits...
WED 29OCT2014
Back from Mrs Auga on Sunday and by Monday I already knew I needed this day OFF. Some family stuff to do, butt better than that : they were announcing warm (14 to 15 degrees C) and winds SW 30 to 50 kph.
Early morning there was NO wind - good time to do the family stuff !! By noon I was at OKA. I was the first one to arrive. Others trickled in slowly. Kites AND windsurfers. I measured between 14 and 22 knots on shore. A fellow who seemed to travel a lot and know his stuff - said he was 200 pounds and would be out on a 5.5 with 135 liter board. I rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 and JP SLW92 with the smaller Curtis fin. The test run was not too good - overpowered. Told others so and rigged the NS Duke 6.9 with the MEQ. That was perfect for screaming back n forth parallel to shore and practicing water starts. Went REALLY well. Should have tried the BEE LTD 124 that was in the car. Kiters were out on 9 m2 kites. One fellow was on an 11. Usually you can divide by 2 for windsurfers , but most were out on 6.x sails. One fellow who was screaming/going fast further out saw my 6.9 and tried 6.3. He said it was too much. He put a 5.7 on a 100 liter board and he said it was PERFECT. Georgie arrived and put his Severne NCX 6.0 on his 101 liter JP board. Fellow with the 6.5 busted the nose of his Fanatic 125 Triple X = XXX . Did not look like any water came in. Upon investigation, it looked like his board had been repaired once before. One fellow came off the water holding his head - asked him if he wsa ok and he was NOT sure. Said his buddy just suffered a stroke and when he had a sudden severe headache he got nervous. He seemed ok later...I should have worn a helmet today !! I had NO gloves and hoodie just on the neck. Overall i would have a difficult time rating this day. Would have loved it if i could have used the JP SLW - too much wind n chop. Should have used the BEE for half the time at least. Had lotsa FUN, TOW and enjoyed interacting with kiters and surfers. So, will give it an 8 outta 10. Especially since this was after all a work day !! Wind was good from 11h00 until 16h00 as per charts - I was there from about 11h00 until 15h00 and so got the best of it !!!
Forgot to mention that i was getting cramps in my right calf - lower part of the leg. Also need to ensure i push less on the side of the board when water starting - sometimes push it over.
One interesting thing is the fellow who suggested 5.5 was correct for people like Stephan who seems to be one of the better windsurfers at OKA. At 200 pounds a 5.5 is about right for 22 knots. That's the top of the wind range we were observing...Rig for the biggest wind then ??
WED 12NOV2014
wind was to be 30-50 and 40-60 kph at peaks
took day off and slept in the morning
left the house around 11h45
brought Fanatic BEE 124 LTD and sails 6.3 and 6.9
do NOT have smaller sails that i would use on the BEE
when i arrived i measured between 18 and 24 knots
and i was ALONE - NO-ONE there at La Crete
do i go or not? may as well practice !!
older couple came to chat while i was rigging
practiced water starts and flying on the 124 and 6.3
never really hooked in cuz i knew i would blast away
based on charts it seeems i was out in the strongest winds
like 20 to 30 knots !! confirmed on quebecwind
if i let my kit go - wind would blow even the board
NO issue water starting except often board rounded up upwind #$%^&*
after about 45 minutes i had had enough practice
if someone else was around perhaps i would have continued?
george showed up and rigged Severne Gator 5.3 on a 430 for his JP 105 board and 24 cm surfgrass fin
by the time he went out wind had dropped
would have been ideal for me - but i had already de-rigged and removed wetsuit
give the practice session a 7 outta 10
nobody got hurt, nothing broke and i did get out
it seems every season i end it with a session where i am way over
often it seems i start my seasons like that tooo
for me THAT was my LAST outing on water in 2014
can say i was NOT too cold !!!
not even on the hands
temperature was 7 degrees Celcius and some occasional sun
am reading that "in higer wind there is a natural tendency for the board to round upwind when water starting"
Now to figure out how to avoid that !!
14DEC2014
Well, the above entree shows that 12NOV2014 was my last session in 2014 on the water :( Now plans are under way to go to Cape Hatteras in May 2015 with Helmut at Bruno's of 2-rad rented house.
Took a picture of the ice at Pte-Claire that I used as a header on the blog:
Milles Isles has only just started freezing and even the lake up north is NOT frozen over completely yet :-(
It has snowed enough so far, but kiteproject.ca says they are not open. Did a drive-by in Ste-Anne des Plaines, saw their trailer and people on one field. One person kite boarding on the snow, one woman with a trainer kite and another fellow setting up. Hope that little field is NOT all they are offering for $20 a day or $90 a season !!
Georges has "lent" me a 2008 Gun Wave MC 5.0 sail. It rigs best on a 400 cm RDM mast which i do NOT have. Bruno Courtemanche of VoileLibre has made an offer of a semi used mast for a fairly decent price. That mast will fit in my North Sails ZETA as well - making that sail available as a real sail as well.
I tested the WindWing 4.6 with the PX RDM 460 and that looks like that will work too.
These smaller sails are for the ice and Hatteras in MAY 2015.
The issue with Hatteras is - bring the longboard or the AHD 160 ??
Bruno says - take a deep breath - it's five(5) months away :-)
SAT 20DEC2014
WTF - thought I wrote about my visit to Vaudreuils somewhere in my journals or posts - unable to find it ...
Oh welll...
Lest I repeat myself, here goes ...
Last Thursday, during the lunch hour, I did a run out to Vaudreuils - on my own, to check out the ice n snow conditions. There actually was a bit of wind and two(2) flags planted in the snow in the bay. The ice was SOLID. The snow was about 8 inches deep and with my 235 pounds, I sank down about 3 inches in the snow. About 2 inches down there was a crust that may hold a sled or skis up...
Today I went to check Rivière Milles Isles and Parc OKA.
At the local river, I did NOT make it far. Went through the ice and into the water = NOT GOOD. In a small bay four(4) men were ice fishing together...
At Parc OKA it was better, but not perfect. The snow had either blown away or just froze later cuz there was NOT much on the ice. Close to shore the ice was SOLID. However, about twenty(20) feet out, I was able to break through the top layer by stamping my boots. I did not go through - there were other layers underneath, but this is not ideal. Even with ice, I would NOT be able to go with the ice sled. I would need to use the snow windsurf board and if there is smoooth ice, it may spin out.
Thus, there is NO ideal place to go at this time.
The good news is, the temperatures are staying below freezing and there is NO wind - so, nothing missed !!
SUN 28DEC2014
Am up @ the chalet. Lake looks something like this:
Some people are nervous because it has been raining and above freezing. A walk about suggested all was well. Only have the snow version here and some bigger sails. Rigged the SW Retro 8.0 with 10/40 and still did not pull the downhaul all the way. Wind was gusty and not good, but i was out in a vest and cut off gloves. It was FUN, but did not stay out long. Wind looked something like this:
{where the first bar is 10 knots}
TUES 30DEC 2014
Went to the 'city' and picked up my ice sailboard and all the 'little' sails. Winds were from the WNW, less up n down than the graph above and yet under 10 knots. managed to get in some 'runs'. The ice was about 9 out of 10 and the wind 6 out of 10. People felt i had a good run, but i explained that i was 'just having fun' and did not even have my helmet on. Was using the HSM Fire 6.3 that I rigged inside and then transported out. So, will give the session a 7.5 out of 10 in honour of my dead buddy Bert Soukup. After less than six(6) months forced retirement, he had a heart attack and then died of intestinal cancer. He was a woodsman and when he was in the woods, he saw me. Now it is my turn to see him !! I also smoked Bert in true aboriginal fashion. Bonne voyage Bert !! May your spirit float freely through the wonderful woods you loved so much.
Yes, I was up at the chalet ...
WED 31DEC2014
This time the graph was VERY similiar to the one above. Still up north with the ice sled and HSM 6.3 and winds from WSW. Went for a session in the morning and another short one in the afternoon. Give it an 8 outta 10. Winds are supposed to be even better tomorrow. Wore the helmet this time !!
THURS 01JAN2015
Same graph, but gusts were better !! in the afternoon that is. In the morning it was NOT great, but the afternoon on the chalet ice with the ice sled and HSM Fire 6.3 in WSW winds was a 9 outta 10 !! Ok, what was missing ? Winds were gusty, sometimes lacking, holey and the ice was not perfect. However, 9 outta 10 is still VERY good !! Did NOT have my GoPro. Jerry brought it up north from home today ... Hope tomorrow is as good !! Helmet on and still NO harness required. Did have to lean HARD though !! People freak about my speed and lack of safety equipment !!
FRI 02JAN2015
LESS wind and a little more snow. Attempts with the 6.3 were completely useless. By the time i rigged the SW Retro 8.0 there was nothing. CANNOT count this as a real session.
SUN 11JAN2015
Was not too cold - around -10 C , but winds were to be light - under 20 kph. Would be surprised if they reached that !! Checked wunderground and typically gusts were around 21 kph at OKA... The ice was good in parts and there was snow. Unfortunately there was crusty ice that broke with snow underneath.
First checked locally and ice was safe, Fisherman hole showed ice thicker than 8 inches. Wind was light and so headed out to OKA - had time on my hands ...
So, wind was poor to ok
ice was good to okay
sail choice of SW Retro 8-oh was correct
forgot my harnes #$%^&*(
that killed my time on the ice and the score :-(
cannot give it more than 6 outta 10
interestingly, some kiters were waiting for more wind too...
Put a video on u-tube that i will cut to make it presentable.
(met Fabrice today at OKA - he and others were VERY interested in my sleds ... Fabrice will try kite skiing, but LOVES windsurfing ...) here is the cut version with some musak
MON 19JAN2015
Temps were around +1/+2 and westerlies @ 30-50 kph.
Hi temps make for wet snow that does NOT slide as well.
By evening was supposed to have -4/-5 and westerlies @ 20-40.
Got home early & was on the local river by 17h30. It was still light.
Measured winds @ 12-21 kph which is a bit low.
Was rigging the SW Retro 8-oh when a “metal head” and his
“hippie girlfriend” Came by with some questions.
They seemed genuinely interested !!
The sled went okay, but the wind was light.
Am NOT ready to put the 10-oh on the snow sled in light winds.
Thus winds MUST be 20-40 for the 8-oh and 30-50 for 7-oh
When using the snow sled !!
Give session a 7 outta 10 due to lack of wind. Fun just the same!!
FRI 23JAN2015
Temps were around 0/+1 C and supposed to have westerlies around 30 to 50 kph.
After work and bringing the kid n wife home, I set out to the local river.
I measured between 20 and 30 kph which should be perfect for the 8-oh on snow.
No curious spectators and it went well.
Obviously needed the harness and only did about 40 minutes to one hour.
It is tiring and hard on the muscles.
Give this session an 8 outta 10.
Again the mast base got stuck inside the mast #$%^&*
SUN 25JAN2015
Wind was supposed to NW 20 to 40 kph and about -10 degrees C. Went to OKA after receiving information that Claude Belanger would be there too ... Caught him on film too. NW is not usually good from the main beach at OKA, and so, one had to walk out a bit to catch the full force of the wind. I used my snow sled and SW Retro 8-oh. Claude was on a smaller sled with a 4.5 or 4.7. He is also much lighter than i am, but that many sizes down ?? 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 5.x -> 4.x is four (4) sizes down !!! There was a bit too much snow for me to have tried my ice sled. With the ice sled I probably would be around 6.3. Perhaps that was the difference ?? There was NOT much snow and there were ice bumps in the middle. The wind was almost perfect, the ice/snow was okay and i chose what felt for me to be the right sized sail. Thus, I give this session a 9 outta 10. I adjusted the harness lines back a few times for the back hand. Biggest physical issue was the back thighs. They seemed to be stressed and when i tried to use a straighter stance I fell a couple of times. Need to exercise those thighs !!!
The SW Retro 8-oh was rigged with the NP 490/90 since experiments in the driveway showed a better setup/result than with the MauiSails 490/75 !!
btw Pulkit and I went to Rivière Milles Isles yesterday and measured the ice thickness in a fishing hole and it was at least 10 inches thick !! can take the weight of a car easily
SUN 08FEB2015
Last weekend tried to combine visiting the family with windsurfing on ice at Pte-Claire. Why does that NEVER work out ?? First I wait too long before deciding to go AND i do NOT know the conditions there. I brought only the SW Retro 8-oh - but ice was GOOD and wind too - was i ready to break another shoulder ?? Ended up NOT going ... and then today ^&*()_)
Today was a COMPLETE FLOP.
Everything that could go wrong DID. First of all it snowed more than they announced ie lotsa snow on the ice. When I arrived at OKA, I did not bring the right mast for the 7-oh. Since it has cambers, it needs the correct mast. So, either 8-oh or 6.3. Did not want to go over and so rigged the 6.3. Winds were from the NE @ 30-50 kph as announced. As I walked out, there was a slushy section that wet the bottom of the sled and then froze. So, the sled was NOT sliding, but rather sticking. I barely managed to go 10 feet with GREAT effort. I still feel that for DEEP snow windsurfers have NOT found the right setup YET. Kiters were going, but even they did NOT look fast. At least they were moving and looking effortless ie hook in. Did not even rate it $%^&*()_+ If something can be better than excellent, can something be worse than failure ??
SUN 15FEB2015
Went to local river to check the conditions. Will NOT go to OKA again until i feel conditions warrant it. Wind was more N than NW , lighter than announced and there were sections of snow with more than 12 inches of snow. And so DID NOT GO...
THURS 05MAR2015
Today roads were slippery ...
Went to local river yesterday to check conditions. Temps have been going up and danger may come soon. To get to the river I sank in snow up to my knees - in my shoes :-) Once on the river - after falling and flailing once - there were sections with snow about 4 inches. Most sections seemed to be about 8 inches sinking. Pushing snow away indicated about one foot of snow and soft ice underneath - neither of these are ideal conditions. Sounds like no matter what conditions will NOT improve greatly for my current kits. If I want to build the deep snow sled based on photo below , I better hurry up ...
Tuesday 17 MAR 2015 = Saint Patty' Day !!
Wind was supposed to be NW 30 to 50 kph. Loaded up and went to the local river. We have had some snow lately and so the nice ice is covered again #$%^&*( The snow has gone down to about 4 cm and the ice seems sleek in the middle of the river. Where is the wind ?? It is from the North and so NOT ideal. Tomorrow is WNW but supposed to deminish by 17h00 ^&*( Maybe okay for the 8-oh ??
WED 18MAR2015
Wind was supposed to be more westerly and about 20-40 kph. Left work early and went to the local river. When I walked onto the ice I felt wind was still a bit too northerly, but rigged the Retro 8-oh and snow sled anyway. MISTAKE. Had a couple of runs, but NOTHING exciting #$%^&* Nothing broke and besides my pride nothing was hurt. Need to analyze better when to go and when NOT. This session was a failure and cannot even give it a fiver. Needs to be marked as 4 outta 10 !!! sadly ... next time stay home ...
SAT 21MAR2015
Went to visit my BRO in Mrs. Auga... Picked up a Mistral Competition SST - delivered from Hamilton/Fonthill by Robert Kerr. He seems to sell plenty of stuff from that region of Ontario. He connected with someone while on his way and sold a harness that was in his Honda CRV... The board has a repair on the nose that needs touch-up, there is NO gasket and the fin does not wanna get off easily. It was cold and at every gas station people commented that it was a bit cold for that :-)
Board is supposed to be 372 cm, 70 cm wide, 230 liters and 15 kilos. The Equipe is 372 cm, 65 cm wide, 210 liters and 13.5 kilos. The SST is supposedly based on the Mistral Superlight which was a classique that won MANY races ...
Will have to sell one of my boards after some analysis this summer ...
SUN 29MAR2015
Went to OKA with both boards, 6.3, 6.9 and 8-oh. Winds were supposed to be SW not much more than 10 knots. When I arrived I measured 10 to 11 knots and there was ice and snow and so, I rigged 8-oh and used the "snow sled:. The ice was formed from rain last week and then cold nights recently. As such it was VERY slippery and I spun out/crashed. The first fall was not bad as i landed on the sail, but this made me cautious. I switched out to the "ice board". When Claude arrived, the wind had picked up and i saw some kiters crash as well. When I filmed from the top of the boom, I was NOT wearing any gloves and NO harness. After watching the clip I realize that I must have three(3) times and the last was the worst - onto both knees. The wind was hitting 20 knots as per wind alert. I rigged down to 6.3 and ran with the sail open. It was not so much fun in the sense of having fear of falling. Claude changed to his board that cuts the ice better. This is the first time I wish I had a smaller sail and skis angled MORE. As such I will rate the session as 7 outta 10. This is not bad, but could have been much better. Need to go get knee protection before going out again. May also try and sharpen the skis. Since I am going to Hatteras in about a month, I do NOT want to injure myself and miss out !!!
butt.. i went out n purchased some Canadian Tire garden knee pads:
with my Cdn Tire points
and so...
when you fall off the horse , you have to get back on ...
WED 01April2015
After having sharpened the skis, put back the base plate, purchased the knee pads, etc I was ready to go out again !! After work went to local river with the ice sled (obviously) and the smaller sails - windwing, HSM Fire 6.3 and Duke 6.9. Winds were westerly between 11 and 16 knots as measured on my wind meter with new battery. At first I was upset that i forgot the harness AGAIN, but wind was gusty and ice unsteady. Rigged the HSM Fire 6.3 and had a blast. Have to give this session at least an 8.5 outta 10. A little better surface - not too good - and a little steadier wind and this would easily have scored 9.5 !!! Took some pictures that I will post here:
SAT 11APR2015
During the week we went at lunch to Vaudreuils/Lac de Deux Montagnes. There was still ice and about twelve (12) kiters. One fellow explained the ice is solid and good all the way across !!! Took some pics:
Today went for a drive and most places looked like this - OKA is NOT looking good either :-(
Talked to Helmut - going to Hatteras in one month !!
SAT 25APR 2015
First outing on the water of the year and the first outing with the Mistral COMP SST. Used the SW Retro 8-oh in NW winds around 20kph. The board was fine, but at times felt fin alone allowed board to go upwind - when there was not enough wind. This seemed less of an issue when there was more wind. NO-ONE was on the water. NICE. Give session a 7.5 outta 10 and board the same. Excellent for first outing in light, light winds. Compared to MEQ, it felt more floaty. Almost like the CAT !!. Will be very difficult to say which one i like better !! Made a video that I am keeping private - just for me, since it is not too thrilling for others. Will wait until better speeds and more fun ...OKA main beach - La Crête is still closed. Was wearing two piece wetsuit, booties, neck protection and gloves. Was NOT cold.
SUN 03MAY2015
winds were supposed to be 20 + kph from the SW
went to the local river with the COMP and Retro 8-oh
There were boats, sea-doos, kayaks, geese, people honkin from the bridge
Excitement of a nice warm day
wore my farmer johns and booties - no gloves, hoodie, etc
when i got off the water, i realized that the water is still COLD
glad i never went it :-)
give the session and the board an 8 outta 10 on this day !!!
NOT BAD @ all ...
Tuesday May 5th, 2015
This was NOT entered in my journals ?? This was the third outing of the year and on the COMP SST - local river with the SW Retro 8-oh. It was marked as 20-30 kph winds and best outing on the board so far ... If the others were as high as 8 outta 10 - this one had to be a 9 outta 10 !!
Here is the clip:
Friday May 8th, 2015
Went to Cape Hatteras - Avon, North Carolina for about 10 days. Sailed seven days out of seven.
Many if them on the Mistral Equipe longboard !! The other board was the Fanatic BEE LTD 124. Sails were HSM Fire 6.3, NorthSails Duke 6.9, SailWorks Retro 8-oh and HSM SpeedFreak 8.5.
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/05/joe-windsurfer-first-visit-finally-to.html
SUN May 24th, 2015
FIRST session of the season @ OKA. Had to buy the new parking pass $54 :-( When I got to La Crête the wind was VERY light and water choppy. FULL ON SHORE. Everyone was dragging. Measured about 12 knots max max. Just as I texted Helmut the wind picked up !! He arrived and we rigged 8.x sails - me on my AHD 160 FF and Helmut on his Fanatic Hawk 135. The wind was up n down and thus could either NOT waterstart or else SCREAMED across the beach. Had about 3 or 4 good runs and decided to pack it in. There were SO many kiters I had a hard time coming out. Told my kiter buddy that there was now a section for kiters down the beach and this area was for windsurfers :-) He told me there was a container for windsurf boards just down the beach :-) Told another kiter he had so much stuff around his waist, he looked like he worked for Hydro and was about to climb a pole.
Cannot give this session more than 6.5 outta 10. It was good to get out, but it seems SAT was better. Was buzy on that day. With only 3 or 4 screamers and a cracked base on the 48 cm fin - yup 6.5 outta 10 !! Did I crack it on the sandbar or when i inadvertently kicked the fin with my foot = OUCH !!!
Here is a video of the beach showing all the kiters :-)
Will put joined video later... and here it is ...
Oh yeah - did see a young fellow using an RRD SpitFire 151. Looked SUPER.
Often I re-evaluate my windsurf board quiver and consider selling my AHD 160. On a day like this, would I have put an 8.x sail on the JP SLW ?? NO WAY. Would I put an 8.x sail on the Fanatic BEE 124 ? Apparently people have done this in the past, but I have not ... Thus for this day I believe that board was the call - for me that is. That deters me from selling it !! Does Helmut still have trouble with his Hawk 135 and 8.x sails ?? That board is NO longer an option Fanatic has stopped making Hawk 135s and Sharks -( So far, I am NOT a Gecko fan and wished I had tried some @ Hatteras :-(
WED 03JUNE 2015
Brought George his GUN WAVE MC 5.0 to auventfou. George is gonna sell it through Yvan. Looked at the Roberts AVS 28 inch board. It is 270 cm long and 70 cm wide. It has a small nose repair and back straps are not in great shape. It is NOT expensive, but i do NOT need it. Will get AHD under full control first.
Here is the flapper patent: http://www.google.ca/patents/US5683280
SAT June 6th, 2015
Quiet year so far ?? Tested the COMP, went to Hatteras and one other outing ...
NOW I understand why people go to Hatteras to get their windsurf fix. Difficult to be a "weekend warrior" here in Montreal.
Today we were up at the chalet and winds were light from the north. Took the FUC / Fanatic Ultra CAT out with the beat-up MS2 8-oh. Was in my swim suit with booties and later none (booties that is). Did NOT even bring my harness and it was not required. It was FUN and will give session a 6.5 outta 10. Cannot give it more than the last SAT out @ OKA ...
SAT June 13th, 2015
Asked Rami if he was REALLY interested in the AHD. He said yes and when do we go this weekend. SUN buzy and so SAT pm looked good, especially if he GF / wife was gonna try - 12 + knots. Turns out she is buzy on SAT and so , it's just Rami n me ... Brought the JP SLW, AHD and the MEQ. In terms of sails I brought the 10-oh, TR-6 8.4, HSM SF 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9 - with associated masts obviously. When we got there , there were NOT too many people and I measured less than 10 knots. So, I planned to take the MEQ and the T-6 8.4. Rami drooled over the JP SLW and so I suggested the HSM SP 8.5. He had a hard time and gave the session an 8 outta 10. That board should have been fine and we should have traded Rami down in sail and board - AHD with the NS Duke 6.9 and me with the JP SLW and either TR-6 since it was rigged or the 10-oh even. Rami said he had issues with the BIG sail. Based on James Douglas' sail calculator, when i use 10-oh he should use 8.5 with his 180 pounds !!
MANY people said hello Joe and I did not remember their names !! Antoine was there camping with his GF - divorced since one year !! In the gusty 20 - 30 kph winds I got some good runs and as usual turned OFF the camera before the BEST ones. In any case it was 9-9.5 outta 10 and here is a reduced clip (once finished):
Here is FULL version 4 now ...
and here is the shorter version:
THURS 18 June, 2015
went to chalet for my wife to see her mother
my mother-in-law is going back to NY for a while
wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph from the SW
brought my TR-6 8.4 kit - with aluminum boom
looked and felt windy - but gusty
sail should be good for that
took the FUC board with the sail and fell in on first tack
was it the wind, the sail, or the board ??
not sure, butt ...
did not fall in again
never needed to hook in and so felt it was NOT great
will NOT give this session a very high rating
let's say 6 outta 10 cuz nothing broke, got hurt or ....
NOT A GOOD SESSION !!
George went to Plattsburgh and invited me
He was out in 7.8 and was BLOWN away
Good thing I did NOT go with him
Others were out in 5.x and down !!!
SAT 20 June, 2015
My side of the family day in the country. Not supposed to be much wind, but had winds of 20 - 30 kph out of the SE to SW and i managed to use the harness.. Had the FUC board with the SW Retro 8-oh that I brought up. My nephews, Andy and Chris, went out on the Mistral WindGlider. With such a nice day and some okay runs am giving the days sessions a 7.5 outta 10. Left the Retro there.
TUE 23 June, 2015
Am OFF this week. BIG winds announced for OKA WSW @ about 40-70 kph. However, the systems are a little unstable and it is unsure of what wind will come when. I kept checking the weather and wind sites and it looked lighter until about 17h00. Am calling that a BRING ALL session. Brought the MEQ longboard, AHD 160/79 and BEE 124/63. In terms of sails - HSM SPF 8.5, NS Duke 6.9, HSM Fire 6.3 and just in case the WindWing 4.6 - never used before ... When I arrived Guylain from Hatteras was there. He and Benoit Roland were rigging for the BIG WIND !! I measured the wind and checked what it looked like. Measured 12 to 15 knots and NOT much planing going on. Took out the AHD and the HSM SPF 8.5. At first there was NOT enough wind and I was getting "pissed". Was having a tough time water starting and was thinking wind, technique, WTF. If winds don't improve soon the session will get a BAD rating and i will take out the jumbo board. WELL, it kicked !!! I could sail it, but was WAY overpowered. Feet were ON the foot straps. NEXT time = IN !! Had issues rounding upwind continuously. Moved the bast base up a bit and that seemed to help. It seems I actually like sailing overpowered and now want to get in the straps. Do I need that old slalom board I have been looking at? NOT based on what I experienced today. Will give the session a 7.5 outta 10 - mostly because of that one run where I just threw myself in the water to avoid a catapult and was laughing my ax off !! It rained at one point , but NO storm. Conditions were unpredictable at that point and so - went home. Tomorrow is blue flag day - St-Jean in Québec. Another day OFF, but gotta go to the country with the family. Maybe finally do a good movie on the BIC Dufour. Was thinking of selling it, but seems silly since I cannot get more than $100 for it ... It is still my most viewed post on this blog !!!
btw biggest wind of the day was around 17h00
hope the guys did not mind waiting ...
met many people today !!
oh yeah - the 48 cm fin was fine - after glue repairs ..
hit the outer sand bar too often to my liking $%^&*
checked quebecwind the next day - said they were using 3.2 and OVER
winds showed gusts of over 40 knots - for a small time
i left before !!!
TUES June 30th, 2015
Went back to auventfou to really check out that Roberts AVS 28. It is only $200, butt here is the assessment I sent to Rob Mulder and copied Yvan.
Re: Roberts AVS flapper:
went today to check it out - final inspection
it is 140 liters and 270 cm long - VERY light, but long by today's standards
my fin fit, but back hole did not line up well
the flapper is a rubber "thingie" that was bent and cracked at the base
the vent plug had a Robertson head, but seemed to be the real deal
Yvan of auventfou said that at the price of the board, i could try things
i was hoping to get it and try it without any adjustments
sadly i turned down the purchase
one day i truly hope to try and own a Roberts board!!
Yvan showed me the Tabou 3S , and Speedster reviews. René sold his JP SLW92 GOLD and got a Tabout Speedster 148 which is 89 cm wide !!! He uses his 10-oh sail on this board ... MUST be fast !!!
In the last two(2) weeks there have been three(3) shark attacks in North Carolina and the last one was at AVON Ocean Side :-(
Peter Volwater died today at the age of 40. Was apparently depressed. What a waste !!
THURS July 2nd, 2015
My turn to be depressed. Not nearly to the extent that Peter was ...
It was supposed to be a warm day with 30-50 kph winds from the SW.
It was warm, there are varying reports depending where people were and I worked. Wife and son suggested I windsurf after work rather than tomorrow - NOT much wind this weekend anyway - have tomorrow OFF for Canada Day worked yesterday. The gods were telling me something even as I prepared. Thought I would take the BIC Dufour to the local river and shoot some video at higher speeds. As I pulled the dagger/centre board out - I jammed it into my right shin. Enough to hurt like H and bleed nicely $%^&*( Put the Dufour on the roof of the van and swear I saw water droplets. YUP. The repair on one of the mastbases looks like it is cracked and water coming out $%^&*(0 Knew it felt HEAVY ... Still going at this point - bringing HSM SPF 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9 just in case.. When I get there I realize I brought the regular mast bases and extensions and NOT the one for the BIC Dufour $%^&* Well, that's strike three cuz now it is late, wind is supposed to die down and no supper for the family yet ...
Oh well, at least i got my case of soda free cuz it was not priced correctly in the computer = ball one :-) consolation prize...
FRI July 3rd, 2015
We went to the chalet/country to visit the outlaws that were there. The retired lawyers and the "old folks" just arrived from LI. Winds were were the WSW and light, but managed to use the harness once or twice. Was on the COMP with the HSM SPF 8.5. Was quite good, but had an issue with a crack under the centreboard - AGAIN and the fin sometimes seems to make it difficult to tack - keeps heading upwind - especially with the dagger up. Will fix the crack and try running the board with the dagger down or half. 7 outta 10. Feel video(s) is/are not worth sharing - starting to get fussy - and so , leave them as private ... Winds were from light to VERY light ...
SUN 05 July 2015
Was hoping to go out in the afternoon - light winds, but perhaps JP SLW with 10-oh or MEQ with the 8.4. Saint-Placid had WSW from 11h30 to about 14h30 winds from 23 kph to 30 kph which would have been perfect, Since Jerry moved out on July 1st - Montreal's traditional moving date, we had to go to IKEA on a Sunday afternoon $%^&*() I stayed in the car until they needed me to load the heavy stuff on the cart and then into the fan. Still f'n hate it $%^&*() That was my LAST trip to IKEA - sorry dudes - arrangez-vous ST $%^&*( Missed Birgitte's surprise party yesterday and now my stomach is acting up - NOT a good weekend :-(
WED 08 July 2015
Went to 2-rad to discuss HiFly Madd 138/72 with two(2) thirty-six(36) cm fins. Both Bruno and I feel the board is light and LARGE. Seems to have been built in W. Germany and usually came with two(2) thirty-one(31) cm fins !!
Will it help me get in the footstraps ?? Bruno says NON ! The AHD 160/79 should get me there !!! As I told Bruno, I ride the straps, but fear getting in. Bruno did say one can do the front strap and later worry about the back. That alone will transfer plenty of energy forward for planing !!!.. Well SAT looks like a good day to try !!
The HiFly was also NOT expensive -- $250. Should I have purchased it anyway ??
Nah !! I got enough stuff now !!!
The wife woulda killed me !!!
The board was sold the VERY next day and was discussed on iwindsurf:
http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=30094&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Also, the Fanatic XXX 125 was sold too - was asking $300 @ 2-rad.
Saturday July 12th, 2015
This week or weekend we have access to iwindsurf graphs on all sites.
This is what OKA looked like on this day:
and it was hot n sunny to boot !!
I had stomache issues on Friday and was glad they were over by Saturday !!
This was a day NOT to be missed ...
Helmut was going to Lac Champlain, Alburgh Beach, and the others had not contacted me - so, i was off on my own. Did meet Antoine on site between board changes...
I was concerned about parking @ La Crête and left a little early - like around 10:30/11:00.
By 14:15 there was NO room in the parking area.
Started with the JP SLW92 and the TR-4 10-oh - Select Slalom 66 cm fin.
Water was low and so had to walk out FAR !!
It was VERY light for about half an hour/30 minutes and I was getting discouraged, but then it was good and became too much around 14:15.
Will put a clip here - once finished editing - my GoPro 1 was still set to UPD and still had some older clips - as such ran out of "film" when i switched down to the AHD 160/79 with the HSM SPF 8.5 - Makani Hahalua 43 cm weed fin.
(Also had the TR-6 8.4 and NS Duke 6.9 in the car just in case - water was a little choppy and wind gusty and so the HSM SPF)
Again the wind dropped and I was discouraged for about 15 minutes.
Then wind kicked and I flew !!!
This will be the combo and the place that will get me in the straps %^&*
Have to give the day and sessions a 9.5 outta 10.
Oh yeah, while I was re-rigging for the "better wind", fellow came and asked me about going out. Explained I just get off with the JP SLW92 using 10-oh and was now going out with the AHD 160/79 using an 8.5 sail. For the first time EVER, the person asking was NOT surprised. Usually people freak out at the equipment sizes I use. He then explained that his board was 85 cm wide, in-between my two(2) boards and he probably would go out with an 8.5 also. I still felt it wise to point out my choices were based on my 230 pounds and prefer to be over rather than under. He stated he was 200 pounds and preferred to be over as well !!
Saw him when I got off for the day and I asked him how it was. PERFECT. Looked at his board and he has a Tabou Speedster 138/85 with a SW Retro 8.5. It seems quite short - as he said - and it is quoted as being 233 cm - as are all Speedsters !! The fellow used to have a JP SLW92 , the wood version, and he did NOT like it with his 8.5. He refused to go larger. As already mentioned, René of auventfou used to have a JP SLW92 GOLD and now is riding a Tabou Speedster 148/89 !! Am curious how René compares the two(2) boards ...
SUN July 20th 2015
Went up to Lac Cristal with my work buddy Johnny, who lives in Ste-Anne des Pleines. He has a cottage there and his girl-friend, Kim, neighbours, Julie, Cedrik , their eight yr old daughter who recently won a gold trophy in Kung Fu and two(2) big dogs all joined us. It was like a party and all that was missing was the wind ...
The idea was to show João (Johnny in Portuguese) how to get going in windsurfing. He had purchased a BIC Dufour a few years back ..
I did two(2) runs where the first was lacking wind completely and the second was a light breeze.
As such did NOT get to show much, but had a fun afternoon just the same...
CANNOT count this as an outing, but it does take up more time than anticipated.
No-one was at my home and so was only slightly missed ...
Two of my kids are now in Australia. One living and one visiting !!
WED July 22nd, 2015
Finally met up with Franco/Ittiandro @ AAO on this day ... He has been modifying sails to try and get more out of his setup n light winds. His board is a BIC 293 Core. I suggested he try changing the board rather than the sail. So, today Franco tried his 6.5 modified sail on my Mistral Equipe. Believe he fell in love with the board. Unfortunately that one is NOT for sale ... Winds were light during initial attempts. Actually I arrived before Franco and was set up to go when he arrived. I went on the water for a bit .. Franco left his glasses ON while sailing (did NOT lose them) and also hurt his hand/wrist. Otherwise he might have tried my HSM SPF 8.5 which was what i was using. Showed Franco and another fellow how easy a beach start is ...
Franco went off and I continued on the MEQ ... At one point I was screaming across the bay and jumping the waves - with NO footstraps !! Looking about I realized the other two(2) windsurfers had left and there was me n the kiters !!! What a BLAST !!
I would give the session a 9.5 outta 10 except I hit a rock with my during first session and punched a hole in one bootie. Wait, also saw a heron and the day was great - well, okay then --- 9.5 outa 10 !!!
did not film Franco - did not even ask - and as such - did not film my session :-(
too much trouble to get in and out
shoulda used my back pouch !!
forgot to mention: was going so fast that i jumped the little waves/big chop
someone told Franco that winds hit 20 knots !!
also ... when i got off , two(2) windsurfers did come out and guess what ...
the wind seemed to drop off
good wind later !!
on quebecwind forum brutus wrote:
L'anse à l'orme
J'ai un dilemme pour cette session :
- Super sortie de 14h00 à 16h00 avec ma Hawk 111l et ma Ezzy 6.0m. J'ai réussi mon plus beau saut, des beaux jibes et battu mon record de vitesse 43.4km/h. Mais...
- J'ai décidé de sortir de la baie pour avoir plus de vent, je me suis approché trop de l'ile, j'ai pogné une roche et fait un trou dans ma hawk 2014.... Je viens d'aller la porter à Bruno de 2-rad. Heureusement, elle est réparable.
Nous étions 3-4 planches et environ 20 kites sur l'eau.
Forgot about a couple of important notes:
1) i managed to get the BIC 293 planing with the HSM SPF 8.5 in about 14-15 knots , but had to move the mast track BACK
2) while flying across the bay with the MEQ, I remembered Bruno of 2-rad's suggestion. At high speed let go with the back hand. Tried that and it was AMAZING !!!
NOT while jumping "waves" though
3) remembered back when i started @ AAO and now it just feels all too small :-)
Guess I am improving and getting self-confidence after all ...
Forgot about another one ... Was flying and came unhooked .. Was somehow falling into the water, but did NOT let go. Kinda water started on the fly and did NOT go down !! Now that was cool !!
THURS July 23rd, 2015
Up in the country, at the chalet/ cottage - whatever you may call it. It was windy and so set up the FUC board with the sail that I brought - the HSM SPF 8.5. Could NOT use the repaired Mistral COMP since I did not bring the proper extension :-( Franco is interested in the board and want to make sure it is bomb proof. Went out for two(2) very short sessions (not outings - too short in time) and did NOT enjoy the shifty , up n down winds. Too often direction and wind speeds changed - dramatically - almost typical for the lake. Will rate it as a session, but no more than a 4 outta 10. A failure - like, why bother ??
SAT 25th of July 2015
don't know whether I went on the water Friday ??
Still up north ...
In the morning winds were from the East and had a 6 outta 10 session - FUC / SPF.
In the afternoon winds were better from WSW and had a 7 outta 10 session with same setup.
SUN 26th of July 2015
tried a morning session that just SUCKED - 3 outta 10 $%^&*(%^&*(
AND since this day cannot find my Chinook 48 cm mast extension $%^&*()
FRI 31st of July 2015
Left work early (after lunch) with all the necessary stuff in/on the van for a perfect 20-40 kph day. Sunny and not too warm as well - we had been having a 30 degree heat wave. When I got to La Crête, the parking was FULL, FULL, f'n full. George's buddy, Claude (believe that is his name) told me to hurry up - there was a spot that just opened. Slipped in !! BONUS
Changed into the windsurf clothing and checked the scene. MANY kites and wind seemed LIGHT. NOT too many people planing on windsurfers. Too much wave/chop for the big stuff (JP SLW and 10-oh) and so rigged the AHD FF 160/79 with the HSM SPF 8.5 and Makani Hahalua 43 cm weed fin.
Did NOT feel like it was a very good session and looking at the video footage confirms it. Planed a number of times, but sometimes had to turn back due to boats... Made MANY adjustments and near the end just could NOT get it together. Also forgot to change GoPro ONE setting from UPD to upside-right %^%&*&
Difficult to evaluate the session. NOT great in terms of windsurfing, but did get to go out. King Kong was there and i gave him a WooHoo on the water. Even he was going to the JP SLW and NOT planing a lot.
Guess I will give it a 7.5 outta 10...
here are my best two(2) minutes - was not trusting gustiness to put feet in straps :-(
14DEC2014
Well, the above entree shows that 12NOV2014 was my last session in 2014 on the water :( Now plans are under way to go to Cape Hatteras in May 2015 with Helmut at Bruno's of 2-rad rented house.
Took a picture of the ice at Pte-Claire that I used as a header on the blog:
Milles Isles has only just started freezing and even the lake up north is NOT frozen over completely yet :-(
It has snowed enough so far, but kiteproject.ca says they are not open. Did a drive-by in Ste-Anne des Plaines, saw their trailer and people on one field. One person kite boarding on the snow, one woman with a trainer kite and another fellow setting up. Hope that little field is NOT all they are offering for $20 a day or $90 a season !!
Georges has "lent" me a 2008 Gun Wave MC 5.0 sail. It rigs best on a 400 cm RDM mast which i do NOT have. Bruno Courtemanche of VoileLibre has made an offer of a semi used mast for a fairly decent price. That mast will fit in my North Sails ZETA as well - making that sail available as a real sail as well.
I tested the WindWing 4.6 with the PX RDM 460 and that looks like that will work too.
These smaller sails are for the ice and Hatteras in MAY 2015.
The issue with Hatteras is - bring the longboard or the AHD 160 ??
Bruno says - take a deep breath - it's five(5) months away :-)
SAT 20DEC2014
WTF - thought I wrote about my visit to Vaudreuils somewhere in my journals or posts - unable to find it ...
Oh welll...
Lest I repeat myself, here goes ...
Last Thursday, during the lunch hour, I did a run out to Vaudreuils - on my own, to check out the ice n snow conditions. There actually was a bit of wind and two(2) flags planted in the snow in the bay. The ice was SOLID. The snow was about 8 inches deep and with my 235 pounds, I sank down about 3 inches in the snow. About 2 inches down there was a crust that may hold a sled or skis up...
Today I went to check Rivière Milles Isles and Parc OKA.
At the local river, I did NOT make it far. Went through the ice and into the water = NOT GOOD. In a small bay four(4) men were ice fishing together...
At Parc OKA it was better, but not perfect. The snow had either blown away or just froze later cuz there was NOT much on the ice. Close to shore the ice was SOLID. However, about twenty(20) feet out, I was able to break through the top layer by stamping my boots. I did not go through - there were other layers underneath, but this is not ideal. Even with ice, I would NOT be able to go with the ice sled. I would need to use the snow windsurf board and if there is smoooth ice, it may spin out.
Thus, there is NO ideal place to go at this time.
The good news is, the temperatures are staying below freezing and there is NO wind - so, nothing missed !!
SUN 28DEC2014
Am up @ the chalet. Lake looks something like this:
Some people are nervous because it has been raining and above freezing. A walk about suggested all was well. Only have the snow version here and some bigger sails. Rigged the SW Retro 8.0 with 10/40 and still did not pull the downhaul all the way. Wind was gusty and not good, but i was out in a vest and cut off gloves. It was FUN, but did not stay out long. Wind looked something like this:
{where the first bar is 10 knots}
NOT long enough to really call it a session :-(
TUES 30DEC 2014
Went to the 'city' and picked up my ice sailboard and all the 'little' sails. Winds were from the WNW, less up n down than the graph above and yet under 10 knots. managed to get in some 'runs'. The ice was about 9 out of 10 and the wind 6 out of 10. People felt i had a good run, but i explained that i was 'just having fun' and did not even have my helmet on. Was using the HSM Fire 6.3 that I rigged inside and then transported out. So, will give the session a 7.5 out of 10 in honour of my dead buddy Bert Soukup. After less than six(6) months forced retirement, he had a heart attack and then died of intestinal cancer. He was a woodsman and when he was in the woods, he saw me. Now it is my turn to see him !! I also smoked Bert in true aboriginal fashion. Bonne voyage Bert !! May your spirit float freely through the wonderful woods you loved so much.
Yes, I was up at the chalet ...
WED 31DEC2014
This time the graph was VERY similiar to the one above. Still up north with the ice sled and HSM 6.3 and winds from WSW. Went for a session in the morning and another short one in the afternoon. Give it an 8 outta 10. Winds are supposed to be even better tomorrow. Wore the helmet this time !!
THURS 01JAN2015
Same graph, but gusts were better !! in the afternoon that is. In the morning it was NOT great, but the afternoon on the chalet ice with the ice sled and HSM Fire 6.3 in WSW winds was a 9 outta 10 !! Ok, what was missing ? Winds were gusty, sometimes lacking, holey and the ice was not perfect. However, 9 outta 10 is still VERY good !! Did NOT have my GoPro. Jerry brought it up north from home today ... Hope tomorrow is as good !! Helmet on and still NO harness required. Did have to lean HARD though !! People freak about my speed and lack of safety equipment !!
FRI 02JAN2015
LESS wind and a little more snow. Attempts with the 6.3 were completely useless. By the time i rigged the SW Retro 8.0 there was nothing. CANNOT count this as a real session.
SUN 11JAN2015
Was not too cold - around -10 C , but winds were to be light - under 20 kph. Would be surprised if they reached that !! Checked wunderground and typically gusts were around 21 kph at OKA... The ice was good in parts and there was snow. Unfortunately there was crusty ice that broke with snow underneath.
First checked locally and ice was safe, Fisherman hole showed ice thicker than 8 inches. Wind was light and so headed out to OKA - had time on my hands ...
So, wind was poor to ok
ice was good to okay
sail choice of SW Retro 8-oh was correct
forgot my harnes #$%^&*(
that killed my time on the ice and the score :-(
cannot give it more than 6 outta 10
interestingly, some kiters were waiting for more wind too...
Put a video on u-tube that i will cut to make it presentable.
(met Fabrice today at OKA - he and others were VERY interested in my sleds ... Fabrice will try kite skiing, but LOVES windsurfing ...) here is the cut version with some musak
MON 19JAN2015
Temps were around +1/+2 and westerlies @ 30-50 kph.
Hi temps make for wet snow that does NOT slide as well.
By evening was supposed to have -4/-5 and westerlies @ 20-40.
Got home early & was on the local river by 17h30. It was still light.
Measured winds @ 12-21 kph which is a bit low.
Was rigging the SW Retro 8-oh when a “metal head” and his
“hippie girlfriend” Came by with some questions.
They seemed genuinely interested !!
The sled went okay, but the wind was light.
Am NOT ready to put the 10-oh on the snow sled in light winds.
Thus winds MUST be 20-40 for the 8-oh and 30-50 for 7-oh
When using the snow sled !!
Give session a 7 outta 10 due to lack of wind. Fun just the same!!
FRI 23JAN2015
Temps were around 0/+1 C and supposed to have westerlies around 30 to 50 kph.
After work and bringing the kid n wife home, I set out to the local river.
I measured between 20 and 30 kph which should be perfect for the 8-oh on snow.
No curious spectators and it went well.
Obviously needed the harness and only did about 40 minutes to one hour.
It is tiring and hard on the muscles.
Give this session an 8 outta 10.
Again the mast base got stuck inside the mast #$%^&*
SUN 25JAN2015
Wind was supposed to NW 20 to 40 kph and about -10 degrees C. Went to OKA after receiving information that Claude Belanger would be there too ... Caught him on film too. NW is not usually good from the main beach at OKA, and so, one had to walk out a bit to catch the full force of the wind. I used my snow sled and SW Retro 8-oh. Claude was on a smaller sled with a 4.5 or 4.7. He is also much lighter than i am, but that many sizes down ?? 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 5.x -> 4.x is four (4) sizes down !!! There was a bit too much snow for me to have tried my ice sled. With the ice sled I probably would be around 6.3. Perhaps that was the difference ?? There was NOT much snow and there were ice bumps in the middle. The wind was almost perfect, the ice/snow was okay and i chose what felt for me to be the right sized sail. Thus, I give this session a 9 outta 10. I adjusted the harness lines back a few times for the back hand. Biggest physical issue was the back thighs. They seemed to be stressed and when i tried to use a straighter stance I fell a couple of times. Need to exercise those thighs !!!
The SW Retro 8-oh was rigged with the NP 490/90 since experiments in the driveway showed a better setup/result than with the MauiSails 490/75 !!
The battens actually look better with this mast !!!
SUN 08FEB2015
Last weekend tried to combine visiting the family with windsurfing on ice at Pte-Claire. Why does that NEVER work out ?? First I wait too long before deciding to go AND i do NOT know the conditions there. I brought only the SW Retro 8-oh - but ice was GOOD and wind too - was i ready to break another shoulder ?? Ended up NOT going ... and then today ^&*()_)
Today was a COMPLETE FLOP.
Everything that could go wrong DID. First of all it snowed more than they announced ie lotsa snow on the ice. When I arrived at OKA, I did not bring the right mast for the 7-oh. Since it has cambers, it needs the correct mast. So, either 8-oh or 6.3. Did not want to go over and so rigged the 6.3. Winds were from the NE @ 30-50 kph as announced. As I walked out, there was a slushy section that wet the bottom of the sled and then froze. So, the sled was NOT sliding, but rather sticking. I barely managed to go 10 feet with GREAT effort. I still feel that for DEEP snow windsurfers have NOT found the right setup YET. Kiters were going, but even they did NOT look fast. At least they were moving and looking effortless ie hook in. Did not even rate it $%^&*()_+ If something can be better than excellent, can something be worse than failure ??
SUN 15FEB2015
Went to local river to check the conditions. Will NOT go to OKA again until i feel conditions warrant it. Wind was more N than NW , lighter than announced and there were sections of snow with more than 12 inches of snow. And so DID NOT GO...
THURS 05MAR2015
Today roads were slippery ...
Went to local river yesterday to check conditions. Temps have been going up and danger may come soon. To get to the river I sank in snow up to my knees - in my shoes :-) Once on the river - after falling and flailing once - there were sections with snow about 4 inches. Most sections seemed to be about 8 inches sinking. Pushing snow away indicated about one foot of snow and soft ice underneath - neither of these are ideal conditions. Sounds like no matter what conditions will NOT improve greatly for my current kits. If I want to build the deep snow sled based on photo below , I better hurry up ...
Tuesday 17 MAR 2015 = Saint Patty' Day !!
Wind was supposed to be NW 30 to 50 kph. Loaded up and went to the local river. We have had some snow lately and so the nice ice is covered again #$%^&*( The snow has gone down to about 4 cm and the ice seems sleek in the middle of the river. Where is the wind ?? It is from the North and so NOT ideal. Tomorrow is WNW but supposed to deminish by 17h00 ^&*( Maybe okay for the 8-oh ??
WED 18MAR2015
Wind was supposed to be more westerly and about 20-40 kph. Left work early and went to the local river. When I walked onto the ice I felt wind was still a bit too northerly, but rigged the Retro 8-oh and snow sled anyway. MISTAKE. Had a couple of runs, but NOTHING exciting #$%^&* Nothing broke and besides my pride nothing was hurt. Need to analyze better when to go and when NOT. This session was a failure and cannot even give it a fiver. Needs to be marked as 4 outta 10 !!! sadly ... next time stay home ...
SAT 21MAR2015
Went to visit my BRO in Mrs. Auga... Picked up a Mistral Competition SST - delivered from Hamilton/Fonthill by Robert Kerr. He seems to sell plenty of stuff from that region of Ontario. He connected with someone while on his way and sold a harness that was in his Honda CRV... The board has a repair on the nose that needs touch-up, there is NO gasket and the fin does not wanna get off easily. It was cold and at every gas station people commented that it was a bit cold for that :-)
Board is supposed to be 372 cm, 70 cm wide, 230 liters and 15 kilos. The Equipe is 372 cm, 65 cm wide, 210 liters and 13.5 kilos. The SST is supposedly based on the Mistral Superlight which was a classique that won MANY races ...
Will have to sell one of my boards after some analysis this summer ...
SUN 29MAR2015
Went to OKA with both boards, 6.3, 6.9 and 8-oh. Winds were supposed to be SW not much more than 10 knots. When I arrived I measured 10 to 11 knots and there was ice and snow and so, I rigged 8-oh and used the "snow sled:. The ice was formed from rain last week and then cold nights recently. As such it was VERY slippery and I spun out/crashed. The first fall was not bad as i landed on the sail, but this made me cautious. I switched out to the "ice board". When Claude arrived, the wind had picked up and i saw some kiters crash as well. When I filmed from the top of the boom, I was NOT wearing any gloves and NO harness. After watching the clip I realize that I must have three(3) times and the last was the worst - onto both knees. The wind was hitting 20 knots as per wind alert. I rigged down to 6.3 and ran with the sail open. It was not so much fun in the sense of having fear of falling. Claude changed to his board that cuts the ice better. This is the first time I wish I had a smaller sail and skis angled MORE. As such I will rate the session as 7 outta 10. This is not bad, but could have been much better. Need to go get knee protection before going out again. May also try and sharpen the skis. Since I am going to Hatteras in about a month, I do NOT want to injure myself and miss out !!!
butt.. i went out n purchased some Canadian Tire garden knee pads:
with my Cdn Tire points
when you fall off the horse , you have to get back on ...
WED 01April2015
After having sharpened the skis, put back the base plate, purchased the knee pads, etc I was ready to go out again !! After work went to local river with the ice sled (obviously) and the smaller sails - windwing, HSM Fire 6.3 and Duke 6.9. Winds were westerly between 11 and 16 knots as measured on my wind meter with new battery. At first I was upset that i forgot the harness AGAIN, but wind was gusty and ice unsteady. Rigged the HSM Fire 6.3 and had a blast. Have to give this session at least an 8.5 outta 10. A little better surface - not too good - and a little steadier wind and this would easily have scored 9.5 !!! Took some pictures that I will post here:
NOT sure where the weird blue came from in the next pic ??
During the week we went at lunch to Vaudreuils/Lac de Deux Montagnes. There was still ice and about twelve (12) kiters. One fellow explained the ice is solid and good all the way across !!! Took some pics:
Today went for a drive and most places looked like this - OKA is NOT looking good either :-(
Talked to Helmut - going to Hatteras in one month !!
Last weekend was Easter and I guess the LAST good weekend. Did not realize it was already two(2) weeks since my last outing ...
SAT 25APR 2015
First outing on the water of the year and the first outing with the Mistral COMP SST. Used the SW Retro 8-oh in NW winds around 20kph. The board was fine, but at times felt fin alone allowed board to go upwind - when there was not enough wind. This seemed less of an issue when there was more wind. NO-ONE was on the water. NICE. Give session a 7.5 outta 10 and board the same. Excellent for first outing in light, light winds. Compared to MEQ, it felt more floaty. Almost like the CAT !!. Will be very difficult to say which one i like better !! Made a video that I am keeping private - just for me, since it is not too thrilling for others. Will wait until better speeds and more fun ...OKA main beach - La Crête is still closed. Was wearing two piece wetsuit, booties, neck protection and gloves. Was NOT cold.
SUN 03MAY2015
winds were supposed to be 20 + kph from the SW
went to the local river with the COMP and Retro 8-oh
There were boats, sea-doos, kayaks, geese, people honkin from the bridge
Excitement of a nice warm day
wore my farmer johns and booties - no gloves, hoodie, etc
when i got off the water, i realized that the water is still COLD
glad i never went it :-)
give the session and the board an 8 outta 10 on this day !!!
NOT BAD @ all ...
Tuesday May 5th, 2015
This was NOT entered in my journals ?? This was the third outing of the year and on the COMP SST - local river with the SW Retro 8-oh. It was marked as 20-30 kph winds and best outing on the board so far ... If the others were as high as 8 outta 10 - this one had to be a 9 outta 10 !!
Here is the clip:
Friday May 8th, 2015
Went to Cape Hatteras - Avon, North Carolina for about 10 days. Sailed seven days out of seven.
Many if them on the Mistral Equipe longboard !! The other board was the Fanatic BEE LTD 124. Sails were HSM Fire 6.3, NorthSails Duke 6.9, SailWorks Retro 8-oh and HSM SpeedFreak 8.5.
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/05/joe-windsurfer-first-visit-finally-to.html
SUN May 24th, 2015
FIRST session of the season @ OKA. Had to buy the new parking pass $54 :-( When I got to La Crête the wind was VERY light and water choppy. FULL ON SHORE. Everyone was dragging. Measured about 12 knots max max. Just as I texted Helmut the wind picked up !! He arrived and we rigged 8.x sails - me on my AHD 160 FF and Helmut on his Fanatic Hawk 135. The wind was up n down and thus could either NOT waterstart or else SCREAMED across the beach. Had about 3 or 4 good runs and decided to pack it in. There were SO many kiters I had a hard time coming out. Told my kiter buddy that there was now a section for kiters down the beach and this area was for windsurfers :-) He told me there was a container for windsurf boards just down the beach :-) Told another kiter he had so much stuff around his waist, he looked like he worked for Hydro and was about to climb a pole.
Cannot give this session more than 6.5 outta 10. It was good to get out, but it seems SAT was better. Was buzy on that day. With only 3 or 4 screamers and a cracked base on the 48 cm fin - yup 6.5 outta 10 !! Did I crack it on the sandbar or when i inadvertently kicked the fin with my foot = OUCH !!!
Here is a video of the beach showing all the kiters :-)
Will put joined video later... and here it is ...
Oh yeah - did see a young fellow using an RRD SpitFire 151. Looked SUPER.
Often I re-evaluate my windsurf board quiver and consider selling my AHD 160. On a day like this, would I have put an 8.x sail on the JP SLW ?? NO WAY. Would I put an 8.x sail on the Fanatic BEE 124 ? Apparently people have done this in the past, but I have not ... Thus for this day I believe that board was the call - for me that is. That deters me from selling it !! Does Helmut still have trouble with his Hawk 135 and 8.x sails ?? That board is NO longer an option Fanatic has stopped making Hawk 135s and Sharks -( So far, I am NOT a Gecko fan and wished I had tried some @ Hatteras :-(
WED 03JUNE 2015
Brought George his GUN WAVE MC 5.0 to auventfou. George is gonna sell it through Yvan. Looked at the Roberts AVS 28 inch board. It is 270 cm long and 70 cm wide. It has a small nose repair and back straps are not in great shape. It is NOT expensive, but i do NOT need it. Will get AHD under full control first.
Here is the flapper patent: http://www.google.ca/patents/US5683280
SAT June 6th, 2015
Quiet year so far ?? Tested the COMP, went to Hatteras and one other outing ...
NOW I understand why people go to Hatteras to get their windsurf fix. Difficult to be a "weekend warrior" here in Montreal.
Today we were up at the chalet and winds were light from the north. Took the FUC / Fanatic Ultra CAT out with the beat-up MS2 8-oh. Was in my swim suit with booties and later none (booties that is). Did NOT even bring my harness and it was not required. It was FUN and will give session a 6.5 outta 10. Cannot give it more than the last SAT out @ OKA ...
SAT June 13th, 2015
Asked Rami if he was REALLY interested in the AHD. He said yes and when do we go this weekend. SUN buzy and so SAT pm looked good, especially if he GF / wife was gonna try - 12 + knots. Turns out she is buzy on SAT and so , it's just Rami n me ... Brought the JP SLW, AHD and the MEQ. In terms of sails I brought the 10-oh, TR-6 8.4, HSM SF 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9 - with associated masts obviously. When we got there , there were NOT too many people and I measured less than 10 knots. So, I planned to take the MEQ and the T-6 8.4. Rami drooled over the JP SLW and so I suggested the HSM SP 8.5. He had a hard time and gave the session an 8 outta 10. That board should have been fine and we should have traded Rami down in sail and board - AHD with the NS Duke 6.9 and me with the JP SLW and either TR-6 since it was rigged or the 10-oh even. Rami said he had issues with the BIG sail. Based on James Douglas' sail calculator, when i use 10-oh he should use 8.5 with his 180 pounds !!
MANY people said hello Joe and I did not remember their names !! Antoine was there camping with his GF - divorced since one year !! In the gusty 20 - 30 kph winds I got some good runs and as usual turned OFF the camera before the BEST ones. In any case it was 9-9.5 outta 10 and here is a reduced clip (once finished):
Here is FULL version 4 now ...
and here is the shorter version:
THURS 18 June, 2015
went to chalet for my wife to see her mother
my mother-in-law is going back to NY for a while
wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph from the SW
brought my TR-6 8.4 kit - with aluminum boom
looked and felt windy - but gusty
sail should be good for that
took the FUC board with the sail and fell in on first tack
was it the wind, the sail, or the board ??
not sure, butt ...
did not fall in again
never needed to hook in and so felt it was NOT great
will NOT give this session a very high rating
let's say 6 outta 10 cuz nothing broke, got hurt or ....
NOT A GOOD SESSION !!
George went to Plattsburgh and invited me
He was out in 7.8 and was BLOWN away
Good thing I did NOT go with him
Others were out in 5.x and down !!!
SAT 20 June, 2015
My side of the family day in the country. Not supposed to be much wind, but had winds of 20 - 30 kph out of the SE to SW and i managed to use the harness.. Had the FUC board with the SW Retro 8-oh that I brought up. My nephews, Andy and Chris, went out on the Mistral WindGlider. With such a nice day and some okay runs am giving the days sessions a 7.5 outta 10. Left the Retro there.
TUE 23 June, 2015
Am OFF this week. BIG winds announced for OKA WSW @ about 40-70 kph. However, the systems are a little unstable and it is unsure of what wind will come when. I kept checking the weather and wind sites and it looked lighter until about 17h00. Am calling that a BRING ALL session. Brought the MEQ longboard, AHD 160/79 and BEE 124/63. In terms of sails - HSM SPF 8.5, NS Duke 6.9, HSM Fire 6.3 and just in case the WindWing 4.6 - never used before ... When I arrived Guylain from Hatteras was there. He and Benoit Roland were rigging for the BIG WIND !! I measured the wind and checked what it looked like. Measured 12 to 15 knots and NOT much planing going on. Took out the AHD and the HSM SPF 8.5. At first there was NOT enough wind and I was getting "pissed". Was having a tough time water starting and was thinking wind, technique, WTF. If winds don't improve soon the session will get a BAD rating and i will take out the jumbo board. WELL, it kicked !!! I could sail it, but was WAY overpowered. Feet were ON the foot straps. NEXT time = IN !! Had issues rounding upwind continuously. Moved the bast base up a bit and that seemed to help. It seems I actually like sailing overpowered and now want to get in the straps. Do I need that old slalom board I have been looking at? NOT based on what I experienced today. Will give the session a 7.5 outta 10 - mostly because of that one run where I just threw myself in the water to avoid a catapult and was laughing my ax off !! It rained at one point , but NO storm. Conditions were unpredictable at that point and so - went home. Tomorrow is blue flag day - St-Jean in Québec. Another day OFF, but gotta go to the country with the family. Maybe finally do a good movie on the BIC Dufour. Was thinking of selling it, but seems silly since I cannot get more than $100 for it ... It is still my most viewed post on this blog !!!
btw biggest wind of the day was around 17h00
hope the guys did not mind waiting ...
met many people today !!
oh yeah - the 48 cm fin was fine - after glue repairs ..
hit the outer sand bar too often to my liking $%^&*
checked quebecwind the next day - said they were using 3.2 and OVER
winds showed gusts of over 40 knots - for a small time
i left before !!!
TUES June 30th, 2015
Went back to auventfou to really check out that Roberts AVS 28. It is only $200, butt here is the assessment I sent to Rob Mulder and copied Yvan.
Re: Roberts AVS flapper:
went today to check it out - final inspection
it is 140 liters and 270 cm long - VERY light, but long by today's standards
my fin fit, but back hole did not line up well
the flapper is a rubber "thingie" that was bent and cracked at the base
the vent plug had a Robertson head, but seemed to be the real deal
Yvan of auventfou said that at the price of the board, i could try things
i was hoping to get it and try it without any adjustments
sadly i turned down the purchase
one day i truly hope to try and own a Roberts board!!
Yvan showed me the Tabou 3S , and Speedster reviews. René sold his JP SLW92 GOLD and got a Tabout Speedster 148 which is 89 cm wide !!! He uses his 10-oh sail on this board ... MUST be fast !!!
In the last two(2) weeks there have been three(3) shark attacks in North Carolina and the last one was at AVON Ocean Side :-(
Peter Volwater died today at the age of 40. Was apparently depressed. What a waste !!
THURS July 2nd, 2015
My turn to be depressed. Not nearly to the extent that Peter was ...
It was supposed to be a warm day with 30-50 kph winds from the SW.
It was warm, there are varying reports depending where people were and I worked. Wife and son suggested I windsurf after work rather than tomorrow - NOT much wind this weekend anyway - have tomorrow OFF for Canada Day worked yesterday. The gods were telling me something even as I prepared. Thought I would take the BIC Dufour to the local river and shoot some video at higher speeds. As I pulled the dagger/centre board out - I jammed it into my right shin. Enough to hurt like H and bleed nicely $%^&*( Put the Dufour on the roof of the van and swear I saw water droplets. YUP. The repair on one of the mastbases looks like it is cracked and water coming out $%^&*(0 Knew it felt HEAVY ... Still going at this point - bringing HSM SPF 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9 just in case.. When I get there I realize I brought the regular mast bases and extensions and NOT the one for the BIC Dufour $%^&* Well, that's strike three cuz now it is late, wind is supposed to die down and no supper for the family yet ...
Oh well, at least i got my case of soda free cuz it was not priced correctly in the computer = ball one :-) consolation prize...
FRI July 3rd, 2015
We went to the chalet/country to visit the outlaws that were there. The retired lawyers and the "old folks" just arrived from LI. Winds were were the WSW and light, but managed to use the harness once or twice. Was on the COMP with the HSM SPF 8.5. Was quite good, but had an issue with a crack under the centreboard - AGAIN and the fin sometimes seems to make it difficult to tack - keeps heading upwind - especially with the dagger up. Will fix the crack and try running the board with the dagger down or half. 7 outta 10. Feel video(s) is/are not worth sharing - starting to get fussy - and so , leave them as private ... Winds were from light to VERY light ...
SUN 05 July 2015
Was hoping to go out in the afternoon - light winds, but perhaps JP SLW with 10-oh or MEQ with the 8.4. Saint-Placid had WSW from 11h30 to about 14h30 winds from 23 kph to 30 kph which would have been perfect, Since Jerry moved out on July 1st - Montreal's traditional moving date, we had to go to IKEA on a Sunday afternoon $%^&*() I stayed in the car until they needed me to load the heavy stuff on the cart and then into the fan. Still f'n hate it $%^&*() That was my LAST trip to IKEA - sorry dudes - arrangez-vous ST $%^&*( Missed Birgitte's surprise party yesterday and now my stomach is acting up - NOT a good weekend :-(
WED 08 July 2015
Went to 2-rad to discuss HiFly Madd 138/72 with two(2) thirty-six(36) cm fins. Both Bruno and I feel the board is light and LARGE. Seems to have been built in W. Germany and usually came with two(2) thirty-one(31) cm fins !!
Will it help me get in the footstraps ?? Bruno says NON ! The AHD 160/79 should get me there !!! As I told Bruno, I ride the straps, but fear getting in. Bruno did say one can do the front strap and later worry about the back. That alone will transfer plenty of energy forward for planing !!!.. Well SAT looks like a good day to try !!
The HiFly was also NOT expensive -- $250. Should I have purchased it anyway ??
Nah !! I got enough stuff now !!!
The wife woulda killed me !!!
The board was sold the VERY next day and was discussed on iwindsurf:
http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=30094&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Also, the Fanatic XXX 125 was sold too - was asking $300 @ 2-rad.
Saturday July 12th, 2015
This week or weekend we have access to iwindsurf graphs on all sites.
This is what OKA looked like on this day:
and it was hot n sunny to boot !!
I had stomache issues on Friday and was glad they were over by Saturday !!
This was a day NOT to be missed ...
Helmut was going to Lac Champlain, Alburgh Beach, and the others had not contacted me - so, i was off on my own. Did meet Antoine on site between board changes...
I was concerned about parking @ La Crête and left a little early - like around 10:30/11:00.
By 14:15 there was NO room in the parking area.
Started with the JP SLW92 and the TR-4 10-oh - Select Slalom 66 cm fin.
Water was low and so had to walk out FAR !!
It was VERY light for about half an hour/30 minutes and I was getting discouraged, but then it was good and became too much around 14:15.
Will put a clip here - once finished editing - my GoPro 1 was still set to UPD and still had some older clips - as such ran out of "film" when i switched down to the AHD 160/79 with the HSM SPF 8.5 - Makani Hahalua 43 cm weed fin.
(Also had the TR-6 8.4 and NS Duke 6.9 in the car just in case - water was a little choppy and wind gusty and so the HSM SPF)
Again the wind dropped and I was discouraged for about 15 minutes.
Then wind kicked and I flew !!!
This will be the combo and the place that will get me in the straps %^&*
Have to give the day and sessions a 9.5 outta 10.
Oh yeah, while I was re-rigging for the "better wind", fellow came and asked me about going out. Explained I just get off with the JP SLW92 using 10-oh and was now going out with the AHD 160/79 using an 8.5 sail. For the first time EVER, the person asking was NOT surprised. Usually people freak out at the equipment sizes I use. He then explained that his board was 85 cm wide, in-between my two(2) boards and he probably would go out with an 8.5 also. I still felt it wise to point out my choices were based on my 230 pounds and prefer to be over rather than under. He stated he was 200 pounds and preferred to be over as well !!
Saw him when I got off for the day and I asked him how it was. PERFECT. Looked at his board and he has a Tabou Speedster 138/85 with a SW Retro 8.5. It seems quite short - as he said - and it is quoted as being 233 cm - as are all Speedsters !! The fellow used to have a JP SLW92 , the wood version, and he did NOT like it with his 8.5. He refused to go larger. As already mentioned, René of auventfou used to have a JP SLW92 GOLD and now is riding a Tabou Speedster 148/89 !! Am curious how René compares the two(2) boards ...
SUN July 20th 2015
Went up to Lac Cristal with my work buddy Johnny, who lives in Ste-Anne des Pleines. He has a cottage there and his girl-friend, Kim, neighbours, Julie, Cedrik , their eight yr old daughter who recently won a gold trophy in Kung Fu and two(2) big dogs all joined us. It was like a party and all that was missing was the wind ...
The idea was to show João (Johnny in Portuguese) how to get going in windsurfing. He had purchased a BIC Dufour a few years back ..
I did two(2) runs where the first was lacking wind completely and the second was a light breeze.
As such did NOT get to show much, but had a fun afternoon just the same...
CANNOT count this as an outing, but it does take up more time than anticipated.
No-one was at my home and so was only slightly missed ...
Two of my kids are now in Australia. One living and one visiting !!
WED July 22nd, 2015
Finally met up with Franco/Ittiandro @ AAO on this day ... He has been modifying sails to try and get more out of his setup n light winds. His board is a BIC 293 Core. I suggested he try changing the board rather than the sail. So, today Franco tried his 6.5 modified sail on my Mistral Equipe. Believe he fell in love with the board. Unfortunately that one is NOT for sale ... Winds were light during initial attempts. Actually I arrived before Franco and was set up to go when he arrived. I went on the water for a bit .. Franco left his glasses ON while sailing (did NOT lose them) and also hurt his hand/wrist. Otherwise he might have tried my HSM SPF 8.5 which was what i was using. Showed Franco and another fellow how easy a beach start is ...
Franco went off and I continued on the MEQ ... At one point I was screaming across the bay and jumping the waves - with NO footstraps !! Looking about I realized the other two(2) windsurfers had left and there was me n the kiters !!! What a BLAST !!
I would give the session a 9.5 outta 10 except I hit a rock with my during first session and punched a hole in one bootie. Wait, also saw a heron and the day was great - well, okay then --- 9.5 outa 10 !!!
did not film Franco - did not even ask - and as such - did not film my session :-(
too much trouble to get in and out
shoulda used my back pouch !!
forgot to mention: was going so fast that i jumped the little waves/big chop
someone told Franco that winds hit 20 knots !!
also ... when i got off , two(2) windsurfers did come out and guess what ...
the wind seemed to drop off
good wind later !!
on quebecwind forum brutus wrote:
L'anse à l'orme
J'ai un dilemme pour cette session :
- Super sortie de 14h00 à 16h00 avec ma Hawk 111l et ma Ezzy 6.0m. J'ai réussi mon plus beau saut, des beaux jibes et battu mon record de vitesse 43.4km/h. Mais...
- J'ai décidé de sortir de la baie pour avoir plus de vent, je me suis approché trop de l'ile, j'ai pogné une roche et fait un trou dans ma hawk 2014.... Je viens d'aller la porter à Bruno de 2-rad. Heureusement, elle est réparable.
Nous étions 3-4 planches et environ 20 kites sur l'eau.
Forgot about a couple of important notes:
1) i managed to get the BIC 293 planing with the HSM SPF 8.5 in about 14-15 knots , but had to move the mast track BACK
2) while flying across the bay with the MEQ, I remembered Bruno of 2-rad's suggestion. At high speed let go with the back hand. Tried that and it was AMAZING !!!
NOT while jumping "waves" though
3) remembered back when i started @ AAO and now it just feels all too small :-)
Guess I am improving and getting self-confidence after all ...
Forgot about another one ... Was flying and came unhooked .. Was somehow falling into the water, but did NOT let go. Kinda water started on the fly and did NOT go down !! Now that was cool !!
THURS July 23rd, 2015
Up in the country, at the chalet/ cottage - whatever you may call it. It was windy and so set up the FUC board with the sail that I brought - the HSM SPF 8.5. Could NOT use the repaired Mistral COMP since I did not bring the proper extension :-( Franco is interested in the board and want to make sure it is bomb proof. Went out for two(2) very short sessions (not outings - too short in time) and did NOT enjoy the shifty , up n down winds. Too often direction and wind speeds changed - dramatically - almost typical for the lake. Will rate it as a session, but no more than a 4 outta 10. A failure - like, why bother ??
SAT 25th of July 2015
don't know whether I went on the water Friday ??
Still up north ...
In the morning winds were from the East and had a 6 outta 10 session - FUC / SPF.
In the afternoon winds were better from WSW and had a 7 outta 10 session with same setup.
SUN 26th of July 2015
tried a morning session that just SUCKED - 3 outta 10 $%^&*(%^&*(
AND since this day cannot find my Chinook 48 cm mast extension $%^&*()
FRI 31st of July 2015
Left work early (after lunch) with all the necessary stuff in/on the van for a perfect 20-40 kph day. Sunny and not too warm as well - we had been having a 30 degree heat wave. When I got to La Crête, the parking was FULL, FULL, f'n full. George's buddy, Claude (believe that is his name) told me to hurry up - there was a spot that just opened. Slipped in !! BONUS
Changed into the windsurf clothing and checked the scene. MANY kites and wind seemed LIGHT. NOT too many people planing on windsurfers. Too much wave/chop for the big stuff (JP SLW and 10-oh) and so rigged the AHD FF 160/79 with the HSM SPF 8.5 and Makani Hahalua 43 cm weed fin.
Did NOT feel like it was a very good session and looking at the video footage confirms it. Planed a number of times, but sometimes had to turn back due to boats... Made MANY adjustments and near the end just could NOT get it together. Also forgot to change GoPro ONE setting from UPD to upside-right %^%&*&
Difficult to evaluate the session. NOT great in terms of windsurfing, but did get to go out. King Kong was there and i gave him a WooHoo on the water. Even he was going to the JP SLW and NOT planing a lot.
Guess I will give it a 7.5 outta 10...
here are my best two(2) minutes - was not trusting gustiness to put feet in straps :-(
put an entry on quebecwind
http://z11.invisionfree.com/WindsurfingMontreal/index.php?showtopic=10817&st=0#entry22044978
Oh yeah.. saw two(2) kiteboards with foils - on the beach. My kiter buddy says it is NOT easy !!
SAT 01AUG2015
Tried the JP SLW92 with the HSM SPF 8.5 and Curtis fin 56 or 58 cm ?? On the Lake with varying winds in terms of direction and speed. NOT ideal, but what id did show me ... was that the board can do well in 20-40 kph winds and an 8.x sail...
Filmed it for myself, but could not find the bit where i was almost planing ...
SUN 02AUG2015
Went to AAO with Axel who was here from Mrs Auga ...
First wake up everyone in the household with obnoxious phone calls in the early morning :-)
Went to Tim's for coffee and breakfast for the bro.
Set him up with the Mistral Equipe and HSM Fire 6.3
Took the COMP with HSM SPF 8.5 with Ronnie's boom ...
Was NOT used to the COMP nor the boom
Felt like I needed the centre board down when wind is very light
Will need to try Equipe center board on the COMP - for Franco !!
Ok, the bro is tired ... What's going on down there ??
Guy is kinda wake boarding over a ramp? YUP !! Took a video that lost quality due to zoom ...
Give the day an 8 outta 10 just cuz we were out together and it was a great day ....
Wind looked strong, but somehow never got FULL power out of it. NEVER needed the harness, but count it as fun just the same. CANNOT give it more than 7.5 outta 10 since my expectations were high. Fanatic Ultra CAT with HSM SpeedFreak 8.5 @ the chalet - week OFF.
TUE 04AUG2015
Did experiments with mast and fin placement. Put the pink epoxy mast which is about 460 cm. Put the extenion at 47 cm, but did not need more than 45. Felt like sail looked and felt better !! Also put the fin all the way back - barely turned - and all the way up - felt like it turned faster, but NOT necessarily tighter ... Had some fun and so will rate it 7.5 outta 10 ... Still FUC n HSM SPF :-)
WED 05AUG2015
Since sail was set up and there was some wind... Managed to get out for about 20 minutes. It started to pour and so came in - wind died after that .... Cannot really call this a session ...
THURS 06AUG2015
Supposed to be last day with any wind - go to OKA ?? Nah , hoped for the best here and lost. Had wind, but as usual could not tell whether it was W or NW and that made a difference. When it kicked, it was not great either. Need to rate it since I did go out. Since expectation was high and failed, cannot give more than 6.5 outta 10 :-( May be confusing the days on this entry :-(
FRI 07AUG2015
Was supposed to go to work party, but stayed at the chalet ... BEST morning cruise ever and there was not supposed to be any wind. Tried to approach the two(2) loons who were out lookin for breakfast ...
Went out 2 or 3 more times for some quick sessions and they were all pleasant. My son, Jerry, went out WITH the HSM SPF 8.5 !! He did pretty well considering, but burned his hands on the uphaul line. Will need to add knots, give him gloves, lower boom, etc. All in all I give this day a 9 outta 10 !! excellent day in the country
Others swam around the entire lake which took three(3) hours !!!
SAT 08AUG2015
Still in the country but it was Steven Sartori's 60th and so the wife and rest went off to the party @ Steven's house. MUST have windsurfed on this day, but have NO notes on it. KNOW we left Sunday and I did NOT go on that day cuz i wanted a dry sail inside the car !! Using the law of averages will say I went on this day and give it a 7 outta 10 ... Let me see if I can get the weather of this day ...
W Underground says it was HOT with almost NO wind - do i count this day or not ?? NAH
THURS 13AUG2015
met Franco @ AAO around noon. There were camera crews and practically no-one else !! As a joke asked them if they had heard we were coming :-)
Obviously NOT. Turns our the Canada Post put a metal slab at the entrance for community mail boxes and the major was going to break it up publicly - in the media. Destroying postal property can give a 5 year jail sentence !!! Sounds like a big story about nothing. Wait, is this a Jerry Seinfeld issue??
Was on call and worked from a picnic table ...
In any case Franco tried the Mistral COMP first with an old NP 6.5.
Sail had way too long a boom and pulled like a train. Franco seemed to have issues about where to put boom, etc. So, he changed to a sail he was more used to. He decided to purchase it and gave me the money ...Later the fix at the front came loose. WTF ... He said he would fix it PHEW - I put a LOT of effort into this board and am giving it to him at what i paid. Will NEVER buy a board in such a state again !!
I put paint on the deck so it would not be slippery.
Added Solar-EZ on nose job to ensure it was good.
Crazy glued the casing on the bottom.
Found a bolt to fit nut through the casing.
Put the mast base plate into the track and helped Franco put his mast base on
Gave Franco the centre board from my Mistral Equipe because it worked better and seemed to be needed more with this COMP board.
Was it worth the effort ??
It is a GOOD FLOATY board, but actually prefer the MEQ...
Why ? Better fin and could not get the fin off the COMP.
That was the main reason - and the need to complete the nose job - already have Dufour to fix ...
What about the day on the water
There was a fellow with a hydrofoil kite - managed to do one run. $1800 equipment
He used to windsurf and switched to kiting about 12 years ago
He was one of the first Montreal kiters !!
I had fun the MEQ and SPF, but probably would not have gone if it was not for Franco
Will give it a 7 outta 10 since i am feeling generous ...
MON 17AUG2015
wind was supposed to be 20-40 kph SW
OKA - first went to main beach as suggested on quebecwind
main beach was full and NO windsurfers at end of beach
wind looked light, but saw kites @ La Crête and so - went there
measure 8 to 12 knots with one spike to 14
was about to give up, but some guy gave some BS about thermals and that encouraged me
rigged HSM SPF on JP SLW with 56 cm pointer fin
did not feel like rigging the 10-oh , but should have.
problem is water is LOW and there are weeds
should have brought the MEQ
think i will change my 20-40 kph kit to JP and MEQ
JP can take the 8.x + 10-oh and the MEQ can take the 6.9 and 8.x
would give the session low marks, mais il a fait beau et il a fait chaud
give it 6.5 outta 10 - for the weather and NOT the conditions - barely planed
lighter folks planed a bit when they were in the right section of the lake - also 8.5s
Georges came to see me at the path and passed out for a couple of seconds
he spent 5 hours kiting in 35 degree weather
he must have been dehydrated
got him settled, some water, etc and then he went in air conditioned car
called him at home and all was okay
he is going to Bermuda Thursday !!
Believe saving Georges may have caused this on my left leg:
I think it is poison ivy and NOT hogweed (which is a plant I learned about just this year !!)
E-mailed Georges in Bermuda - he did NOT get poison ivy !!! LUCKY cuz he fell in it !!
Winds were supposed to be SE 30-50 kph starting at noon. At lunch took my Harvey burger to Cartier to check it out. The white haired fellow who sold a Fanatic Shark 150 LTD that Roni from work purchased upon my advice, had been out with a Fanatic Gecko 120 and 8.2 sail. Measured winds were under 15 knots. There was a fellow with a Tesla who had his stuff in the car. That's a 100,000 car !! Wind was picking up when we left - starting to see more white caps - or sheep as they are called in French ...
Came back at 15h30 with Helmut and my BEE 124 + MEQ longboard. I learned my lesson on Monday when i did not bring the MEQ - it is a savior !! ALWAYS bring the MEQ !!!
Wind seemed strong and people were rigging down. Helmut was going for the FSW 105 and Retro 6-oh. When wind dropped - before he even got out, he went for the 7-oh. It was Evan who suggested the 7-oh, but does that work with that board and a 34 cm fin ??
Felt the "waves" and conditions were a bit too much for my skills and so, waited it out and took a clip:
ONLY about 2-3 people were screaming back and forth in the distance. The rest were having difficulties, getting going, away from shore, etc, etc
Some of the hotdogs were Eric Gouin (10 year president of APVM who now sails 60 footers across the Atlantic), the iSonic guy (who was in APVM too), the shorter yellow helmet guy who i once chatted with in kite bay and an older fellow with cool sunglasses.
When the wind dies a bit, I did a GREAT RUN with the MEQ and NS Duke 6.9. 8 outta 10 !!
Then the wind died too much for even me. Some light weight girl - 5'0" and about 100 pounds went out @ 17h00 saying "some people have to work". SHe kept at it for quite some time, but it was NOT good. MANY people did NOT like the day for windsurfing. Mais il a fait beau et chaud encore !!
Put an entry on quebec wind too ...
http://z11.invisionfree.com/WindsurfingMontreal/index.php?showtopic=10855
The real "pisser" is that on the next day, Friday, it was another beautiful day with winds out of the SW 20-40 kph $%^&*()
NO MORE SE for me $%^&*
FRI 28AUG2015
Yesterday @ lunch there were several kites, one windsurfer and one sailboat @ AAO, Wind felt and looked like under 12 knots. Today @ lunch there was NO ONE on the water @ AAO !! It did not look like it was any lighter windier.. Guess everyone gave up ??
Winds were from the SW and traffic was BAD on the 640 and in town. This decided to try the local river Milles Isles. As usual with the MEQ and HSM SPF 8.5. The water and muck were DISGUSTING. Oozing clay and weeds at the side. Water was brown.
Wind WAS from the SW and max 12 knots. The river had sections where the wind was stronger and others with lulls. Went for about an hour. Will give it a 7 outta 10.
Will NOT go there again until we get more rain. Too gross...
Better take a shower !!
MON 31AUG2015 - La Crete MEQ HSM SPF 8.5 - 9.5 outta 10
Wind was supposed to be SW 20-40 kph. My youngest son had half a day of school and so, I had an excuse to leave work early!! The van was packed the day before with JP SLW, MEQ, 10-oh and 8.5. It was a nice warm day, but by 15h30m when I arrivd at OKA, the wind had dropped somewhat and was mor W than SW. I was NOT taking any chances and so put the MEQ with the HSM SPF 8.5. Water is still low and i did not feel like taking the long walk with the long fin. It started fairly lightly, but planed quite a bit. The retired fellow was there using a 7.4 because wind was better before. Have to get his name off Georges !! Perhaps Richard !!
There were about 12 kites, some with 17 m2, which makes sense = 8.5 *2. There were about 4 to 5 windsurfers, but they did not look like they were planing. At one time there were the kiters and one windsurfer = ME !!
Helmut, Evan and Fred (Helmut/Hatteras.2) were all @ AAO, but they said wind was lacking - no-one brought the big stuff. Georges arrived as I was getting off and was trying a 13 m2 kite. The kiters and i all felt that was too small. Antoine arrived even later and was going with his AHD 145 with his biggest sail 7.5 - did not see him, but there really was NOT enuff wind. (Why was Antoine running about in his underwear?)
We all just want to go SO BADLY !!!
As you can see wind dropped by 17h00
Why NOT 10 outta 10 ?? Really wanted to use the JP SLW, but was unsure of winds ...
Also did one and a half runs with one eye shut - was hurting/burning and NO idea why #$%^&*(
TUES 01SEPT2015
Bruno Courtemanche of VoileLibre came to work @ BAAN and showed me an Angulo Release 120. I thought it was new, but it is slightly used with one footstrap stretched and comes with a weed rather than original slalom fin. Board is $1100 + tax and can be paid off over 6 month period ...
He now goes to Quebec City to windsurf and uses sails 3.7, 4.2 and 4.7 on boards under 100 liters - whole new ball game !! Does not even go to Lake Champlain any more !! Working on his Doctorate in Oceanography !! filtering phyto-plankton for better readings !!
SUN 06SEPT2015
Labour Day weekend and the BEST weekend of the whole summer !! Warm weather and breeze from the SSW about 20+ kph. Had the FUC out with the patched MS-2 on the 2 piece epoxy 458 cm mast and 48 cm extension. The battens rotated when there was enough wind. For the country it was an okay combo and only had to bring up the wishbone. Give it an 8 outta 10.
Saved Frederic in the bay outside Steven's house. Towed him to Nonni's house where we dismantled the sail and he tried to call "home". Met his father-in-law and copain on the water. "Look what I found in the water." Showed him what I was using and how quickly from the white house. Rowed him to where they were renting a chalet for the week. It was the chalet where i left my stuff many years ago. Fred asked for a quick demo. Told him to keep the keel down - needed to be jammed on the old BIC 250. I tried to start and actually fell in - first time of the day. Needed to keep my weight over the board. Showed him how I go upwind on his board and how i blast back. "You make it look so easy." Yeah, 20 years of practice !! He tried again with difficulty and I left them to it :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still trying to get a mast foot to fit on the Arctic Sail !!! :-(
Will ask auventfou again - neither 2-rad nor auventfou answered :-(
MON 07SEPT2015 Labour Day
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/oka-labour-day-monday-2015.html
WED 09SEPT2015 Cartier @ noon
Went at lunch and there was NO ONE @ Cartier !! Ate my Harvey's Junior Burgers and checked out Kite Bay. There were about 3 or 4 kites on the water and one windsurfer. Many setting up including the young fellow I keep bumping into at AAO. He was @ Trois Rivières on Monday and it sucked - apparently :-( Told him to hurry and get on the water :-) He was putting a 12 m² kite and so i suggested 5 or 6 m² sail to two(2) windsurfers setting up. I would have voted for a 7 meter sail myself. Those dudes all look so tiny !!! LUCKY DOGS They asked what I was rigging. Told them I was just coming to drool during my lunch hour :-) Windsurfers seemed surprised that I was chummy with the kiters !!
SAT 19SEPT2015
In the "country" with South winds. FUC board and MS-2 8-oh sail are there. Just needed to bring the boom and extension. If I can find a cheap boom - no room required in the car :-) Winds were light and gusty. NO need for a harness, but it was a very nice day still in shorts - give it an 8 outta 10. The mast is an old epoxy mast that requires 48 cm of extension !!
SUN 20SEPT2015
Winds were supposed to be good in the morning and lighter later. Based on the chart from Ile Bizard it looks like 10 to 15 knots later !! I left areound 13h00 when the winds were DOWN...
Will wait for the reports.. It was NW and North when I went out and started at 8-10 knots. So, obviously it was the MEQ with HSM SPF 8.5. Ran a little video with the camera pointed forwards. Winds were a little better , but under 15 knots... Would have liked to try the SB iS 117W, but winds were side shore , unsteady and I would like to try it carefully first .. Again, give it about an 8 outta 10..
SUN 27SEPT2015
Winds have been light ALL week %^&* Georges calls it the bleaching of the wind forecast = all white :-( Today was such a beautiful FALL day that I had to go. Heard the 640 was jammed - flea market and apple pickers ?? Also there was NO more than a bump in the wind forecasts - MAX of about 10-12 knots and a small bump at that. Took NO chances and went on local river with WSW winds and a MAX MAX of about 9 knots. In harness for about 3 minutes, but the weather was NICE. Give it a 7.5 outta 10 just to be nice :-)
TUES 29SEPT2015
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/fall-2015-is-here.html
SAT 03OCT2015
Prepared myself for winds ENE of 30-50 kph. Packed the stuff and arrived at OKA main beach early. There was NO ONE. I was NOT feeling well in the stomach and had a "bad feeling". Wind and waves were coming from the same side with some strong gusts. Looked and felt like strong solid over 20 knot winds. On shore at La Crête and I would have gone out ...
Asked myself if I really felt like going. Temps were around 5 degrees C and there was some sun. Sail would probably have to be the 6.3 and the Mistral Equipe. Did NOT feel like doing that.
Drove back and the sail bag of the BEE flapped on the van. So, pulled over in a good spot and when i looked back there was a cop with his lights flashing. Crap... As I went to go to their car to see what was up - they indicated me back to the van. Ok, stay in the vehicle. They did not move and so i drove away. They were protecting me. Put my seatbelt on before they went by and waved as they passed. Nice !!
On the web some indications were winds of 12 knots to 25 knots. People were out in 4.x sails and doing loops at St Zotique... I have a small WindWing that I have not even tried yet.
Kinda glad and sad that i did not go :-( :-)
Last time I had that bad feeling I broke my shoulder windsurfing on ice.
BEWARE the bad feeling :-(
SUN 04OCT2015
Today I picked up an ArcticSail "board" that windsurfs on ice and snow. It has metal rails that run the length of the board and thus will be excellent for ice. My hope is that it works in snow that is more than 4 inches as well. Now just need to get the U.S. cup attachment on the top of the "mast base".
Will do a full post when it is ready to be displayed :-)
Started with a prototype of the mast base - using old stuff laying about
Will purchase the U.S. cup attachment from auventfou
They only open late on a couple of days at this time of year :-(Can make it work like this for now - perhaps Bruno of 2-rad has one ??
There were two in town for sale - i purchased the one further away due to metal rails and hopes of using the mast base... Not sure what the red tabs at the back are - yet ...
WED 07OCT2015
Worked from home in the afternoon and packed the van. Winds were supposed to be W and then NW 20 to 40 kph. Put the JP SLW92, SB iS 117W , MS TR-4 10.0 m² and HSM SPF 8.5. Put the fins I have, MFC 46 for the iS in case I get to try it, for the JP brought the 58 cm True Ames SB weed and Curtis 56 cm... When I arrived around 15h30 the wind was NW at about 30 kph. Someone that looked like Ben in a van said "il y a du bon vent". Excellent. Rigged the HSM SPF 8.5 and JP SLW92 with the Curtis 56. Water was low and had to walk FAR. Two windsurfers were coming OFF when I went ON :-( I think the HUDSON graph below is more representative of what i experienced. LESS wind. At first I was thinking of giving the session a 6.5 outta 10, but then the wind picked up and I had a couple of planing runs near the Vaudreuils side. Then i was thinkin 7.5, but again just started to enjoy myself and the scenario SO much that I am giving the session an 8.5 outta 10 !! Was the last one on the water of all the people on the water. George was on a kite and did the walk of shame - keeps going downwind. Chatted with him and Richard/Force5 about the JP and the SB iS. Two amazing boards !! Both drooled over the iS and were surprised that it was rated for sails 6.8 to 9.2 !!
btw this was the first time i planed with the JP SLW92 and 8.x sail = AMAZING !!
It was about 17 or 18 degrees Celsius and the sun did show its face once in a while. No need to wear hoodie or gloves :-) I did fall in once and my feet were cold when i got off ...
MON 12OCT2015 - Canadian Thanksgiving
Yesterday was the family gathering and the BEST wind as Murphy would have it. Helmut only rated OKA 7 outta 10, but my kiteboard buddy, who now does hydrofoiling, said it was GREAT yesterday. Today was supposed to be 20-40 kph SW, but when I arrived around 11h00, it was closer to 20. So I rigged the JP SLW92 with the TR-4 10 m² sail and 58 cm True Ames SB weed fin. Barely planed , but once or twice and BEST planing was over some rough chop where the board was slapping against the water. There were only about 4 windsurfers and maybe ten kiters on the water - many with the bigger kites. I would have rated this day poorly, but it was warm, had only the farmer johns on and the weather and landscape were AMAZING. As such, I will give it a 7.5 outta 10 - not quite 8 ... As you can see on the Luc Marinier chart, after 13h00 it looks like it died - that is about when i left. Most of the local wind charts agree ... Saw Antoine there, but his stuff was gone - no more VoilOka trailer at the "beach". Guess I should have brought the MEQ on this day or played with the SB iS...
One thing for sure though - I had a LOT of fun practicing - fast tacks and light wind jibes/gybes.
That may have been the LAST good day of 2015. Already announcing freezing temps later in the week.
THURS 22OCT2015
It was warm , about 17 degrees C and winds announced starting SW of about 20 to 30 knots, but changing slowly. No need for gloves or extra neoprene. Time to try the SB iS 117L ?? OK ... Wife has a doctor's appointment in the morning and needs the car ...
This is what I wrote to Geoff who strongly recommended the board ...
Geoff:
Ok, today was supposed to start with SW winds and under 20 knots
So, took the afternoon OFF and went to OKA La Crête
When i arrived, there was NO wind and about 4 other people waiting n drooling
Around 12h20 wind started to pick up, but from the NW - which is side-shore
I was hoping for on-shore in order to be in practice mode
do NOT like to end the season in cold water on equipment i am unaccustomed to using ...
in any case ....
the board is a hybrid racehorse
am i ready for it ?
probably not
am i concerned ?
absolutely not !!
it reminds me of when Helmut started with his Fanatic Hawk 135
it pushed him to learn all kinds of things and some of them are already second nature !!
the board is VERY light and starts in 2nd gear - especially with an 8.x sail in 12-14 knots
it is more of a sinker than i anticipated and tacks for now can be forgotten
i did not even try to uphaul
stayed in shallow water and thus did not put the hammer down
the board is so light that one must ensure downhaul cable is not pulling on straps while trying to start
AND i could NOT leave it in the water while i put the sail away
the path is tight and so put the board to safety first and then put sail away
so, i cannot give the day nor the board the notes they both deserve
will blame it in my "lack of advanced skills" 6 outta 10
it is still a PASS and i know it will get MUCH better
one thing for sure - it is a conversation piece !!
am almost embarrassed to be sailing such a great board ...
one thing i always loved about windsurfing - there is so much to learn and it never stops
feel like i am starting all over
but that's not true either - know how to rig, hook in, etc
now just need to learn how to fly and hopefully turn too :-)
thanks again for suggesting this board
joe
THURS 29OCT2015
Went to Pte-Claire at lunch and there were 4 kiters in the kiter bay and one windsurfer setting up with a 4.7 rigged as tight as he could get it. Dorval ATC says winds are 28 to 42 knots !! Another fellow out of the Cartier Parc and he is jumping and having no issues going upwind and water starting... Man his board looked narrow ...
Apparently the local "pros" agreed that it was a day for sails in the 3.x range. Seems someone "broke" their foot somewhere between MTL and Sandbanks. EVEN with on shore winds, I would NOT be trying anything !!! NOT warm at 10 degrees C, STRONG winds n gusts and Yvente called it liquid smoke - now that's water on fire !! DANGER
CBC was posting pictures like this from the east coast - like Nova Scotia !!
and here is a video from SBX near MAC's (whatever that means)
A Windy SBX Windsurf Session from Nicolas Chapleau on Vimeo.
SUN 01NOV2015
Was thinkin of going to OKA La Crête this afternoon. Winds to shift to SW and either 20-40 kph or 30-50 kph. Either way could use the SB iS 117L. Rains to stop and perhaps even sun. Wifey not feelin good and kinda begged me to stay. Saw the sun at one point and thought ah man :-( but then it started raining again and winds were NOT always SW nor were they always over 10 knots. Gut feeling of bringing 10-oh and JP SLW woulda bin rite on !! 13h00-15h00 looks okay, but the rest :-(
FRI 06NOV2015
Wind was from the SW to W and hit 30 knots. Was at notary with mother and went to kite bay and Cartier before pickin up the kid. Guys were out in boards under 110 liters and sails between 4.7 and 6.0. As usual wind was up n down and people complained. There were some waves and one fellow was jumping at one point. He also had windskate.ca on his sail , but was not gtj. He seemed to speak with an accent from France and seemed the most competent of them all on the water ... Kites were about 8 m² and as such 4 to 5 m² for windsurfing seems logical to me - whether Georges agrees or not !!
SAT 07 NOV2015
Wind was supposed to be from the SW and I had high hopes for the SB iS 117. Seemed to be tending west and as such went to La Crête just the same. Measured between 20 and 30 kph with slightly on shore winds. Set up the HSM SPF 8.5 with the iS. That board is "twitchy". If you push slightly it goes upwind and if you push down with the front foot, nose goes under water. I could not get it going as i was nervous about getting back safely.
Rather than quitting and calling it a day, I set up the JP SLW92 instead. The front screw on the 56 cm fin did not seem right and i left it - it got lost. The harness lines were not the same on both sides. Managed to scream out, but on the way back after a successful tack, i dropped the sail. Figured it had something to do with the harness, but got up after some difficulty and tried again. This time I saw that the harness lines were too far forward and threw me forward. When I tried to uphaul with my gloves, I tired myself out. I was too tired to adjust the lines and decided to go for shore. Even that proved difficult and once close I jumped in and swam about 10 minutes. When I measured the lines that side was over 10 cm too far forward :-(
Wind may have dropped a bit when I left around 12h00 and then picked up again !!
rating ?? first part was a failure 4 out of 10 based on lack of experience
latter part would have been fine if i had spent more time on the equipment
would give it a bare pass like 6 outta 10 making the day a 5 outta 10 !!!
positives:
+1 got to go
+2 nothing was broken
+3 nothing was hurt
+4 sun was shining
+5 did not get cold
will leave it at that
that was my last session for the year 2015 !!
next year - water starts nailed !!
and then foot straps started
SUN 15NOV2015
Just when you think it is over ...
Would have liked to go yesterday in terms of wind, but today in terms of temperature ...
Was supposed to be 20-40 kph from the SW.
Brought the JP SLW92, SB iS 117, TR4 10-oh and TR-6 8.4
Measured between 20 to 25 kph when I arrived - ONLY one there.
Kiter arrived while I was rigging and stayed.
Winds were from the NW from what I could tell and put the 8.4 on the JP.
Nothing felt like it was going correctly...
Either not enough or too much in terms of harness line placement - after dropping sail $%^&
Fixed the harness line placement, but the gloves are tough for uphaul
Used the EZ uphaul and took the gloves OFF
Between my troubles and unsteady winds I cannot give this more than a 6 outta 10.
Guess I am liking cold sailing less n less.
Definitely disliking uphauling, but unsure how to overcome this with cambers
In any case, it is ALWAYS good to just get out :)
Both graphs show I got the BEST wind of the day between 12h00 and 13h30
Was SO tempted to get in front strap, but didn't since i was not ready to spend time IN the water ...
After the sailing, I was somewhat discouraged and disappointed in myself. I should be able to do better !! Then I read some of Peterman's stuff on cold water sailing and I felt better. He stated that when i did not go often it was quite normal to squeeze the boom too hard since one cannot tell how much is required and thus get tired and muscle sore quickly. That is why it was so much better when i took my gloves off.
Now I am starting to look at land windsurfing instead of cold water :-) It also goes into DEC before it is too cold. Need less wind on asphalt - kinda like ice ...
FRI 11DEC2015 La Crête - JP SLW92 & TR-6 8.4 = 7/10
Yes, you did not see incorrectly !!
I went windsurfing in 12 degrees Celsius weather on the 11th of DEC in Montreal !!
The forecast was confusing cuz as usual it was to swing from SE to SW and either 20-40 kph or 30-50kph depending on what you read ...
And so, I booked the afternoon off ...
My MEQ is in the country and so, brought the JP (obviously) and the SB iS 117W. Like I was gonna use that !!
At noon Marinier graph and camera showed FLAT
By 12h30 I was on the water !!!
I had enough trouble with the JP and the TR-6. Started without gloves and gargoyle just on the neck.
Had the gloves n the backpack and did put them on + the gargoyle.
Feet got cold and right shoulder hurts ..
Wind was gusty - as usual and also feeling like it was changing direction.
So, I got off after about 1-1.5 hours - still a 7 outta 10.
Jacques a kiter had a flex kite and he and other kiter I know with a 10 m² kite all came off when the wind kicked. It definitely hit 30 - 50 kph - i got off just in time @14h30
With the cold I feel things are NOT as intuitive.
Next year in the cold, it will be MEQ with a light 6.9 - 7.0 m² MAX max.
Also feel 7 mm booties will be a worthwhile expenditure ...
SAT 19DEC2015
We are still warmer than usual, but only at zero degrees Celcius.. Winds are WSW at over 30 kph at times. So, I took out the skateboard with the WindWing 4.7. This is a test of the board, the sail and me !!
I will do a post on this discussion and will include discussions / suggestions from GTJ and some of his videos ...
The board I used is small and the weight is on the front wheel, Thus, one cannot put the front foot on first. Even too much pressure on the back swings the board around. It was a fun, short lived trial, but there are definitely modifications required before i venture out to the larger asphalt plazas !!!
On his website gtj suggests independent trucs 215 and 73A or 83A rubber hardness. Somehow thought he suggested 72 mm wheels, but cannot find that e-mail ...
I am thinking of a longer board and bigger wheels - than what i have - smaller wheels than in this image, but length something like this ...
There is an Empire Sport shop in Fauburg shopping centre, but parts are expen$ive !! http://www.thinkempire.com And so, purchased used GullWing 50 degree trucks with Cadillace 70 mm 88A longboard wheels. Put them just on the back of the board for now - feels damn quick already ... Have to be cautious ..
Feels too cold n dark to try anything today -2 degrees C and snow flurries potential ...
24DEC2015 chalet FUC board SW 20-40 kph NS Duke 6.9 = 8 outta 10
Yes, I managed to get out on Xmas Eve day north of Montreal with no gloves !!
Here is what it looked like when I arrived:
and the video pretty much explains the afternoon short session - that got 8 outta 10 just because
1) it happened
2) NO gloves
3) DEC 24 !!! and was HOT
This is what it looked like here nearer Montreal and what was said ...
Merry Christmas to us windsurfers in Montreal - we got an early gift from El Nino !!
All week I was planning to see when i could go in my Xmas holidays ...
| SAT | SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| date |
19
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| temp C |
0
| -2 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 6 |
| %precip |
60
| 13 | 67 | 59 | 60 | 68 | 1 |
| wind kph |
S30
| W20 | SW20 | W20 | E30 | S35 | W45 |
and so, it looked like Tuesday was going to be the winner, but that did not work out ...
which was known by Sunday and so, re-plan ...
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| date |
21
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| temp C |
3
| 7 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| %precip |
80
| 90 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 40 | 80 |
| wind kph |
S18
| SE20 | E15 | W25 | W10 | NW15 | N25 |
Unfortunately the best day became the 24th and actually worked out !!
That's a lot of planning for one so-so day on the water :-)
Maybe next week I can go more ??
SUN 27DEC my birthday at the chalet 0 degrees wind N20kph FUC NS Duke 6.9 - 7 outta 10
Managed to get out with FULL neoprene. Winds were light from the North and what was slush was slushy enough to slow me down - unfortunately - really was the beginning of ice. This restricted activities , but did get out and made a video - trying to upload it on slow internet = hours ... Only my hands got cold, but no need to get off to warm them - NOT out long enough...
Waiting for video to finish ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY1l-byW06o <= lost power on PC and wasted hours
try shorter one that can be public
The VERY next day it was 10 degrees below zero Celsius and looked like this !!!
This means we had +12 on 24 DEC and went windsurfing no issue, zero degrees on the 27th with slush developing and -12 on the 28th. That's a difference of 24 degrees in about 4 days !! Nature is so confused !! And to top it all off, there are 30 cm or 12 inches/ one foot of snow expected on the 29th !! Again from zero snow to over one foot in almost the same time period. Now that's what I call Global Warming - NO consistent weather.
THURS 07JAN2016
Today @ lunch I drove out to Vaudreuils to check the ice on Lac Deux Montagnes. As you see, there is one set of footprints going out on the ice - and they are mine :-) Click on pics to enlarge ...
The ice is solid and 2 to 3 inches of snow on most areas. The issue is there are clumps of ice stuck to the top like boulders - NOT very safe :-( May have to wait n see ... Did see some ice fishermen further to the east near AAO/l'Anse a L'Orme ...
May have to go up north until things "smooth out" here !!
SAT 09JAN2016 Went up north to visit Kathy n Charlie and check things out. Temps were about +2 C and the wind very light out of SE. NO ONE had gone on the ice since New Years !! Once again I am the first !! What surprised me was: there were slushy sections. It was ice underneath and slush on top. My intention was to stay in the bay with the SE wind, but it was NOT enough and CANNOT call this a session - rather a test outing... Was going to use the ice sled with the SW Retro 8-oh on the Chinook 490 mast. Which mast rigged best with the Retro ?? Need to investigate - s/b here...
The other surprise was I tested the ArcticSail and Iceboard on the driveway. The ArcticSail is so heavy it barely slid while the ice sled went down the driveway with me on it - no issue ...
For Sunday they are announcing major rain :-(
MON 11JAN2016 okay we had the major rains and instant freezing.
So, how is the ice now - @ Vaudreuils - somewhat better, but ... announcing snow for tomorrow and ice is rough further out
TUE 19JAN2016 met Martin Plissonneau who is selling his TR-XI 8.4 from 2015
Here he is on his iSonic 117L with the sail Maimi Slalom Open 2015
This was taken from his blog - http://martinplissonneau.com/2015/11/27/miami-slalom-open-english-version/
As can be seen by FRA 1100 , Martin is from and sails for France. He is in Quebec studying at HEC and hopes to do his "stage"/apprenticeship on Hawaii !! He is sponsored by MauiSails, but does NOT appear on the MS page.
He is selling the sail for $800 and it is a proto-type... What are my impressions or thoughts on the sail ?? It has the outhaul cutout which MS complained about at first. It now uses a CC/constant curve mas that MS complained about at first. It still has a LOT of monofilm, The other material feels like plastic - like a tarp ... I could make it fit my 490 / 75 % mast since it is 460 mast + 26 cm downhaul. However, my mast is still hard top and so ... I feel that I will stick with the MS sails and masts that I have. I am actually VERY curious as to what Barry Spanier and Artur Szpunar will come up with in S2Maui Sails. Martin also mentioned Maui Sails may have a new sail "designer". Will be hard to beat Barry and Art, but a good base to start from ...
For now - stick to what i have ....
SAT 23JAN2016 OKA main beach NE 10 knots on HSM Fire 6.3 ice board 8.5/10
The ice was solid and there was one kiter on a snow board and 15 m² sail. Asked him if the sail was not too large and that ice was too slippery for carving ?? Later he said the wind was too light and ice too slippery ...
Tried the ArcticSail first and it felt like a flop - spun out on black ice and felt like not ready to go. Needed a much larger sail and perhaps sharper edges ...
Put the ice board on the ice and was much better - too bad the GoPro was FULL and there was NO taping of the session. I shoulda known and checked ^&*( As usual lotsa people had questions and ironically almost all complained about lack of snow ... Even more ironic is: there is a nor-easter and the states in the NE sector have had over one foot of snow. My joke of the day is - gotta go south to get some snow ...
this is the ice sled and what the setup looks like ...
WED 27JAN2016 Vaudreuils NW10 knots ice sled HSM Fire 6.3 7.5/10
Yesterday was warm and raining. Today was just under freezing and semi cloudy. Brought my stuff to work in the car in hopes that i could get a quick run in. Forgot my helmet = NOT GOOD. Also should put snow pants in case I fall on such rough ice %$^&*( However, there was no falling and will prepare a short list in case i get to do this again. Wife does NOT like the stuff in the car. Perhaps buy a cheap box for the roof for the sail - that can stay there ... Loading video and if good enough will put it public - for now = private ...
Here is my winter short liste so far ...
ice board
mast base
mast extension RDM
PX RDM 460 mast
alu boom
harness
helmet + sun googles
knee pads
tool bag c/ GoPro & mounts
mittens
glasses
cargoyle / face mask for winter
added some music - youtube freaked out and took video down
vimoe has a 500 MB limit and so , cut the film
Windsurf on ice at Vaudreuils / near Montreal from joe windsurfer on Vimeo.
Around this time of year one does NOT expect that the ice is no good. People have been venturing out with their cars n trucks, but should NOT !!
THURS 04FEB2016
Cannot believe it is already FEB 2016 and I have been on the ice twice with people just freaking out. There is NO snow in Toronto nor Kitchener and in MTL there really is NOT much... Have taken some photos over the last few days and will post them here. It has been raining rather than snowing and the last photo shows about one inch of water/slush on top. Ironically they are now naming winter storms in the States and received over 2 feet of snow in NYC and Philly !!!
SUN 07FEB2016 OKA main beach with ice sled and WindWing 4.6 NE25kph and an 8 outta 10 rating
Yesterday there was supposed to be less wind, but it did NOT show until MUCH later in the day - OKA closes early and I had Sugar Sammy show to go to !! Today the wind was to shift to NE which it did and it felt like more than 20 - 40 kph. The ice was VERY slippery and somewhat smooth with few snow drifts. There was NO way I was trying the ArcticSail and even my HSM Fire 6.3 would be too big. Friday I tried to buy an RDM shim, but Bruno of 2-rad had an unannounced closure
So, I put some foam under the old Mistral boom
Later a fellow turned up who used skis and a training kite sail !!
At one point he went by me as I was standing still and so I took off to see the difference in speeds. I actually had to go faster than I thought I would have to to catch him !! I was being careful cuz I had fallen already once when I pushed it today. Banged my helmet good !! with my head inside obviously !! Ice was NO danger - winter biker told me ice had been measured at 8 and 14 inches. Still spots with water where it is shallow and moving. Later we saw cars on Rivière Milles Isles - THAT surprised us !!
Here is Luc Marinier data of the day ...
Felt like wind was bigger - more like this ...
TUES 09FEB2016
Read on quebecwind forum that Cartier in Pte-Claire was open water ??
HAD to go see for myself ...
Obviously I am NOT considering going on the water ...
And it is quite far out - NO ice surfing nor fishing here !!
Managed to get out with FULL neoprene. Winds were light from the North and what was slush was slushy enough to slow me down - unfortunately - really was the beginning of ice. This restricted activities , but did get out and made a video - trying to upload it on slow internet = hours ... Only my hands got cold, but no need to get off to warm them - NOT out long enough...
Waiting for video to finish ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY1l-byW06o <= lost power on PC and wasted hours
try shorter one that can be public
The VERY next day it was 10 degrees below zero Celsius and looked like this !!!
THURS 07JAN2016
Today @ lunch I drove out to Vaudreuils to check the ice on Lac Deux Montagnes. As you see, there is one set of footprints going out on the ice - and they are mine :-) Click on pics to enlarge ...
The ice is solid and 2 to 3 inches of snow on most areas. The issue is there are clumps of ice stuck to the top like boulders - NOT very safe :-( May have to wait n see ... Did see some ice fishermen further to the east near AAO/l'Anse a L'Orme ...
SAT 09JAN2016 Went up north to visit Kathy n Charlie and check things out. Temps were about +2 C and the wind very light out of SE. NO ONE had gone on the ice since New Years !! Once again I am the first !! What surprised me was: there were slushy sections. It was ice underneath and slush on top. My intention was to stay in the bay with the SE wind, but it was NOT enough and CANNOT call this a session - rather a test outing... Was going to use the ice sled with the SW Retro 8-oh on the Chinook 490 mast. Which mast rigged best with the Retro ?? Need to investigate - s/b here...
The other surprise was I tested the ArcticSail and Iceboard on the driveway. The ArcticSail is so heavy it barely slid while the ice sled went down the driveway with me on it - no issue ...
For Sunday they are announcing major rain :-(
MON 11JAN2016 okay we had the major rains and instant freezing.
So, how is the ice now - @ Vaudreuils - somewhat better, but ... announcing snow for tomorrow and ice is rough further out
TUE 19JAN2016 met Martin Plissonneau who is selling his TR-XI 8.4 from 2015
This was taken from his blog - http://martinplissonneau.com/2015/11/27/miami-slalom-open-english-version/
As can be seen by FRA 1100 , Martin is from and sails for France. He is in Quebec studying at HEC and hopes to do his "stage"/apprenticeship on Hawaii !! He is sponsored by MauiSails, but does NOT appear on the MS page.
He is selling the sail for $800 and it is a proto-type... What are my impressions or thoughts on the sail ?? It has the outhaul cutout which MS complained about at first. It now uses a CC/constant curve mas that MS complained about at first. It still has a LOT of monofilm, The other material feels like plastic - like a tarp ... I could make it fit my 490 / 75 % mast since it is 460 mast + 26 cm downhaul. However, my mast is still hard top and so ... I feel that I will stick with the MS sails and masts that I have. I am actually VERY curious as to what Barry Spanier and Artur Szpunar will come up with in S2Maui Sails. Martin also mentioned Maui Sails may have a new sail "designer". Will be hard to beat Barry and Art, but a good base to start from ...
For now - stick to what i have ....
SAT 23JAN2016 OKA main beach NE 10 knots on HSM Fire 6.3 ice board 8.5/10
The ice was solid and there was one kiter on a snow board and 15 m² sail. Asked him if the sail was not too large and that ice was too slippery for carving ?? Later he said the wind was too light and ice too slippery ...
Tried the ArcticSail first and it felt like a flop - spun out on black ice and felt like not ready to go. Needed a much larger sail and perhaps sharper edges ...
Put the ice board on the ice and was much better - too bad the GoPro was FULL and there was NO taping of the session. I shoulda known and checked ^&*( As usual lotsa people had questions and ironically almost all complained about lack of snow ... Even more ironic is: there is a nor-easter and the states in the NE sector have had over one foot of snow. My joke of the day is - gotta go south to get some snow ...
this is the ice sled and what the setup looks like ...
WED 27JAN2016 Vaudreuils NW10 knots ice sled HSM Fire 6.3 7.5/10
Yesterday was warm and raining. Today was just under freezing and semi cloudy. Brought my stuff to work in the car in hopes that i could get a quick run in. Forgot my helmet = NOT GOOD. Also should put snow pants in case I fall on such rough ice %$^&*( However, there was no falling and will prepare a short list in case i get to do this again. Wife does NOT like the stuff in the car. Perhaps buy a cheap box for the roof for the sail - that can stay there ... Loading video and if good enough will put it public - for now = private ...
Here is my winter short liste so far ...
ice board
mast base
mast extension RDM
PX RDM 460 mast
alu boom
harness
helmet + sun googles
knee pads
tool bag c/ GoPro & mounts
mittens
glasses
cargoyle / face mask for winter
added some music - youtube freaked out and took video down
vimoe has a 500 MB limit and so , cut the film
Windsurf on ice at Vaudreuils / near Montreal from joe windsurfer on Vimeo.
Around this time of year one does NOT expect that the ice is no good. People have been venturing out with their cars n trucks, but should NOT !!
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| Photo is from CBC |
Cannot believe it is already FEB 2016 and I have been on the ice twice with people just freaking out. There is NO snow in Toronto nor Kitchener and in MTL there really is NOT much... Have taken some photos over the last few days and will post them here. It has been raining rather than snowing and the last photo shows about one inch of water/slush on top. Ironically they are now naming winter storms in the States and received over 2 feet of snow in NYC and Philly !!!
Zoomed in above pic to show cars , huts n people on ice !!
and after the rain and warm temps ...
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| Click pic to see it |
Yesterday there was supposed to be less wind, but it did NOT show until MUCH later in the day - OKA closes early and I had Sugar Sammy show to go to !! Today the wind was to shift to NE which it did and it felt like more than 20 - 40 kph. The ice was VERY slippery and somewhat smooth with few snow drifts. There was NO way I was trying the ArcticSail and even my HSM Fire 6.3 would be too big. Friday I tried to buy an RDM shim, but Bruno of 2-rad had an unannounced closure
So, I put some foam under the old Mistral boom
Later a fellow turned up who used skis and a training kite sail !!
At one point he went by me as I was standing still and so I took off to see the difference in speeds. I actually had to go faster than I thought I would have to to catch him !! I was being careful cuz I had fallen already once when I pushed it today. Banged my helmet good !! with my head inside obviously !! Ice was NO danger - winter biker told me ice had been measured at 8 and 14 inches. Still spots with water where it is shallow and moving. Later we saw cars on Rivière Milles Isles - THAT surprised us !!
Here is Luc Marinier data of the day ...
Felt like wind was bigger - more like this ...
TUES 09FEB2016
Read on quebecwind forum that Cartier in Pte-Claire was open water ??
HAD to go see for myself ...
Obviously I am NOT considering going on the water ...
And it is quite far out - NO ice surfing nor fishing here !!
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