Hullo

Hull- The wind starts out light then craps out altogether.  This gives me deja vu for last weekend. Strong waves, weak wind. It's like a recurring bad dream. A kitesurfing Groundhog Day. Nantasket Beach, Kitesurfed, 9-18 briefly, N, 14M Rally/ Mako King, with Matt from Scituate. I stop at Worlds End, Hingham, on the way home to hike for 2 hours. I don't want to get soft. No softer than I already am at least.

Offshore, Onshore

Offshore wind, onshore waves. Smooth, steep, peeling waves. They're beautiful things. I'm a little late to the party, (drove back from Manhattan this morning), so I only get a few runs in before the wind checks out. It's still worth it for a couple rides on these dreamy waves. I need more exercise. After kicking myself for not bringing a surfboard, I paddle out to Egg Rock on a creaky old windsurfing board, admiring all the birds and bird droppings. I can't find a safe place for a moon landing anywhere on the tiny, poopy island. It's just as well. I get back to Nahant after sundown. Nahant, Kitesurfed & Paddled, NW, 7-17, 17M Fat Lady/ Mako King, Solo.

Wet Skunks

The wind forecast doesn't look good but I'm an optimists optimist. I leave the house before sunrise. Wind will happen. It's got to. And it doesn't. I've got wet skunks coming at me from all over. The Cape. Buzzards Bay. That means I get on the water but it doesn't last long enough to count. Wet skunks are the worst kind. Like wet smelly socks. They are an affront to body and soul. They're a wrench in the spokes of the pursuit of happiness. They should be legislated out. First Encounter, Kitesurfed, Wet Skunk. Buzzards Bay, Kitesurfed, Wet Skunk.  Picture- First Encounter, a wet skunk waiting to happen.

A Tale of Two Beaches

Crazy day. I look at Yirrell, Revere, Nahant, kite at Seabrook, go to Ben's soccer game, then kite at Nahant. This is how an obsessive kiter acts. That doesn't mean that I am an obsessive kiter. It just means that I act that way a tiny little bit sometimes. Nahant, Long Beach- Water is smooth and inviting in the morning but I want bigger waves. When I come back for my evening session, hoping the waves had picked up, they're almost gone. I love this beach in S or SSW wind though. Picture- Stoke, in the AM. Seabrook Beach- Waves are mostly chest to head high. They're a little bigger than Nahant but aren't as smooth or as nicely formed. Seabrook is more of a deep water wave, breaking in a little closer to the beach. Nice local crew, friendly, some of the guys are kiting hard, flying high. Picture- Rod. I didn't see any sign of the massive hurricane swells and life threatening rip tides that the radio was warning about. False promises. Kitesurfed, Seabrook, SSE, 23-28, 10M Rally/Mako 150, with Rod, Jay, others. Kitesurfed, Nahant, S, SSW, 17-23, 10M Rally/Flx 138. Top Picture- Jay the Joker at Seabrook. Click on pics for full size.

Downwind, Upwind, and shake it all about

Chapin to Sandy Neck to Barnstable Marina to Sandy Neck to Chapin. I have a craving for a downwinder.  I leave my bike at Barnstable Marina, launch from Chapin, stop at Sandy Neck, dead high tide. Fantastic spot! Then back to the harbor looking for slicks in the marsh, working downwind to the marina. 7 miles. Now I have a craving for an upwinder. Stupid me. I ride the outgoing tide back to Sandy Neck, then Chapin.  The leg from Sandy Neck to Chapin, 2 1/2 miles, takes 45 minutes in ENE wind. I pick my bike up on the way home. My bike feels neglected. I was on the water for about 7 hours. Sandy Neck- High tide has a tidal pond lined up almost perfectly in NE wind, beautiful.  Fun little waves on the sand spit at the mouth of the tidal pond. 4 hours after high tide is completley different, sculpted sand bars and shallow tidal pools everywhere, many of them lined up nicely for slicks in NE wind. The Birds- High tide, the sand spit at the mouth of the tidal pond, they're so thick that when they take flight I feel like I'm part of their flock, my kite flying through a white cloud of beating wings. Kitesurfed, NE, ENE, 8-22, Solo Downwinder, lots of other kiters out. Top Pic- Tidal Pond at Sandy Neck, high tide.  Bottom Pic- Mouth of Tidal Pond. Click for full size