Thursday, December 27, 2007

Windsurf 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen, the year 2008 rapidly approaches. With it comes windsurfing season. Are you ready for a trip to Corpus Christi in March? If not, now is the time to start preparing.

Early indications suggest we might visit sometime during spring break (March 8-16). I hope to see you all then!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Surfing Lessons

I found myself at the Ron Jon Surf School in Cocoa Beach, Florida this past Sunday. I bet you're wondering: "Surfing? Not windsurfing?" You might also think that I would already know how to surf, seeing as how I can windsurf. Not so.

Surfing and windsurfing may sound like they should be closely related, but they are more like cousins. The philosophies behind them don't match. One activity is powered by wind, the other is powered by waves and a bit of paddling. There is definitely some cross-over between the two, but surfing requires many new skills techniques.

Amy and Missy taught James, Ed, Chad, Jolyon, and I the surfing basics. Class started out with a quick safety lesson describing the various hazards surfers face: riptides, stingrays, the sun, jellyfish, shallow water, and the dreaded Portuguese Man O' War.

Since we were not frightened away by the dangers, Missy and Amy moved on to teach us the pop-up. The pop-up maneuver gets you from laying on your belly to standing on the board. We practiced this on the floor of the school's office. After we all made fun of each other for lying on our bellies, paddling carpet, and performing pop-ups, we moved on to the beach.

There, we slithered into our wetsuits, smeared on some sunscreen, and carried the boards to the beach. We learned another curious difference from windsurfing: the leash. Each of the boards had a leash with an ankle strap to keep the board and rider attached to each other. This makes sense, although the leashed board tends to follow the rider like an over-exuberant puppy.

Out in waist-deep water, we lined up and laid on our bellies waiting to get launched into a wave by Amy or Missy. One, two, three, a push, and an attempted pop-up. Like learning to ride a bike, most of us fell for the first few tries before starting to get the hang of it. Despite the high risk of falling, getting up on the board feels great. There is definitely something new about standing on a board and moving without a sail.

Once we started getting the hang of standing on the boards, we moved on to paddling for the waves rather than relying on a push. For this to work, now we had to judge the waves, start paddling soon enough to match their speed, and sense when to pop-up on our own. Once we all managed to catch a few of our own waves, it became a case of practice makes perfect.

Even if you're a hard-core windsurfer, I strongly suggest taking a surfing class. You have to have something to do on those light wind days, right? Surfing -- at least with a long board -- doesn't seem to require huge surf. We were surfing in one to one and a half foot waves. Even small boat wake might do the trick.

Also, there are lots of interesting advantages to surfing over windsurfing. Compared to windsurfing, you definitely need less equipment. The only really necessary surfing equipment is the board. As much as I enjoy windsurfing, it does require a certain level of planning to avoid forgetting a key piece of equipment. Don't forget the board, the fin, a sail, a matching mast, a screwdriver, electrical tape, a harness, the boom, and so on. The difference isn't a huge deal, but I could see squeezing in a one hour surf session. Packing, assembling, and disassembling a windsurfer would easily eat up much of that time. And, of course, more equipment just makes for a more expensive sport.

Windsurfing has its advantages too, of course. You generally spend more time actually up on the board when windsurfing. I suspect that you can go faster on a windsurfer than the average surfer will ever get on a wave. If speed motivates you, a windy day and a windsurfer might make you happier. Windsurfing also lets you go places. I'm not an expert, but I don't think most surfers use their boards to explore. Of course, most windsurfing fanatics just go back and forth anyhow, so you might call this a technicality. Windsurfing also involves all this cool equipment that you can tweak and tune -- equipment geeks definitely will like all the stuff that you can play with and use for tricks.

Despite these differences, surfing and windsurfing are complementary. The balance and board control skills of both sports definitely overlap. Some of the stand up paddle boards even have mast tracks, which intrigues me. Naish has a stand up paddle board which looks cool as heck. It appears to make a decent light-wind sailboard too.

To wrap up, we all had a blast. Learning to surf is a fantastic way to spend a few hours. Amy and Missy both showed us a great time as we learned. If you're in the Cocoa Beach area, visit them. I'm hooked; I definitely plan to surf again!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

November: Want to Come Learn Windsurfing?

How does a November 16-18 windsurfing trip to Corpus Christi sound? This looks like the only realistic weekend for a trip in November.

The records indicate an average high of about 75 degrees F that time of year. Many folks will want to rent a wetsuit. Still, 75 degrees isn't too much colder than the pleasant weather we surfed in last weekend.

Chime in with a comment. I'll plan a trip if I see some demand.

Also comment if you have interest in an international trip. Bonaire? Australia? Elsewhere?

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

September 2007 Trip Report: Sunday

Following the traditional meal at Agua Java we all sailed at Worldwinds. I sailed the 2007 JP X-cite Ride 145 and a 7 meter sail for the light 10-15 MPH winds.

Yun took the beginner class while Matt and Justin took the harness class. Karen practiced on the intermediate board. I practiced trying to go downwind.

If you think getting upwind is difficult, try aiming more than a few degrees downwind. I guess everything needs practice to feel natural, but I swear that downwind was the only place I went when I first learned to windsurf.

After sailing for a few hours, I purchased the JP X-Cite Ride 145 rental board and a 6.5 meter sail from Worldwinds. Don and Angela instructed me on how to assemble and disassemble everything. Here is a list of all the major pieces of the rig: the board, a mast, a sail, a mast extension, a mast base, a fin, a boom, a uphaul line, two harness lines, and a mast shim.

With some nervousness, I loaded my Honda Element with the equipment and started the trip home. The Yakima rack with the crossbar pads and "Strap Thang" worked surprisingly well to hold the board. Even at 70 MPH, the board didn't even wobble. I made it home safely with no problem.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

September 2007 Trip Report: Saturday

I woke early Saturday to watch a storm pass through downtown Corpus Christi. After the storm left, I got coffee and breakfast at Agua Java.

When I arrived at Worldwinds, the wind blew weakly, maybe 6-10 MPH. Storms floated on the horizon, occasionally distant thunder could be heard.

I rented their new Fanatic Shark 145 liter board and a giant 7.5 meter sail. The 7.5 is the largest sail I've ever used. I guess I'm getting used to big sails -- it didn't seem too much larger than the 7.0.

The Fanatic Shark had an interesting contraption to protect the nose. Rather than a hard plastic bumper on the front of the board, the board was equipped with a device attached to the mast base -- the deviator. This little gizmo is basically a little raised projection with a roller on top. If the mast falls towards the front of the board, the device deflects the mast away from the nose. The deviator works well, and definitely looks nicer than a nose protector. But it also makes it much more difficult to lift the mast over the nose when in the water -- you have to lift it much higher to clear the roller.

The Fanatic was a fine light wind board. Despite the iffy wind, I let the fun of sailing lure me out well past the buoys. I was alright for perhaps an hour before the storms got closer and the wind started acting shifty. At that point I started tacking back in towards Worldwinds.

I got perhaps half way back to Worldwinds when I lost power in the sail. I figured that the wind must have changed directions, so I tacked. The tack went fine, but I still had no power. I tacked again. And again. And again. No luck. The wind seemed to have vanished. Oh no.

I jumped off the board and started swimming in. As I was swimming back in with the mast over my shoulders, I watched the storm move closer. It looked like I might get rained on. I continued inching towards shore where there was a bit of a crowd -- how embarrassing.

As I continued swimming, I felt a little breeze on my face. Would the wind save me? I turned to look in the direction of the breeze -- and storm. As I watched, a sheet of darkness moved across the water towards me. Wind. Maybe 30 mph. Maybe 100. Either way, it immediately stirred up a nasty chop.

I decided not to attempt a waterstart. I thought my 7.5 meter sail might launch me to Mexico. I climbed on the board and uphauled. A gust immediately tore the sail from my hands. I uphauled again and was thrown from the board.

Frustrated, I floated in the water collecting my wits. Third time's the charm, right? I climbed up, hoisted the sail, and quickly hooked onto the boom with a two-hand death grip. Even without sheeting in, the board started moving.

Somehow I managed the sail by staying back and low, cutting as much upwind as possible. The board rocketed forward and covered the remaining distance to Worldwinds in seconds. If I had sheeted in more, I probably could have shot up the ramp and into the garage. I was just happy not to have to swim any more. Now I know what the calm before the storm is.

Lesson learned: stay close to shore in weak wind and stormy weather. I would have kissed the ground if it wasn't so dirty.

As I left Worldwinds, I learned that Matt and Karen, Justin and Yun all decided to skip the beach today on account of the storm. I returned to the hotel to clean up. Afterwards, I met them all for dinner at the Water Street Oyster Bar. Afterwards, we had a few drinks at Havana.

September 2007 Trip Report: Friday

Friday's weather was perfect for windsurfing. The wind blew around 25 gusting to 29 MPH. Unfortunately, I was the only one in our group arrived Friday. Their loss. The Worldwinds staff agreed that it was the best windsurfing day they'd had in a month.

After a little practice on the JP X-cite Ride 145 and a 6.0 meter sail, I took the waterstart class with Olivier. He also gave me some pointers on my beach start and getting into the front footstrap.

For the beachstart, his biggest hint was to keep the boom close to the body. The boom is supposed to do all the work as you gradually twist the sail into the wind. Yanking on the boom and jumping on the board is poor form.

In waterstarting, the ah-ha moment was turning my hips forward as I get pulled out of the water. With the hips forward, it becomes possible to collapse the back leg to pull the board into position under the body. The motion of the arms in the waterstart is very similar to the beachstart except the arms are above the head. Again, the front arm pushes forward and out as the back hand sheets in. Once the sail is just right, you pop out of the water. The back leg pulls the board under your body, and the front foot lands on the board.

I tried getting into the front foot strap a few times, but never quite managed it. I get my foot right next to the strap, but I keep unintentionally sheeting out as I concentrate on my feet. If I can get one more day of good planing wind to practice, I think I can make it.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi October 26 - 28

Ladies and Gentlemen, we sail October 26. As usual, I'll be leaving at 7am on Friday. That way we can enjoy a full day of surfing all three days.

If you're a new recruit, you can get a feel for the experience by reading the previous trip posts on the blog.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Get this stuff done early so you can relax. Worldwinds treats us very well. As a courtesy to them please follow through with your class and board rental reservations ASAP. Please don't procrastinate -- hotel rooms and classes can fill fast.
  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you want to get added to the invite list, send a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at a downtown hotel like the Best Western Marina Grand hotel, the Bayfront Plaza, the Omni, or arrange to share a room with someone. Check in on 26 October, checkout on the 28th. You may wish to try bidding on a hotel on Priceline -- downtown Corpus is the "Corpus Christi Beach Area". You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 to schedule your classes and reserve a board for the weekend. You are responsible for reserving your own board and classes. Please tell them that you're with John Knox's group.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments (click below) asking for rides, riders, rooms, roommates. I have an extra bed and a few empty seats in my car.
My currently suggested class sequence is as follows: beginner, intermediate, harness, beach start, fast tack, planing in the harness. If you're planning on taking a class other than the beginner, please give yourself an hour or two to practice before the class. You don't want to be struggling with the basics while you're trying to learn a new skill.

You can check out the suggested packing list here. Feel free to comment, send me a mail, or give a ring if you have any questions. See you on the beach!

Monday, September 17, 2007

October: When Should We Windsurf?

Folks are starting to ask about Windsurfing in October. Yes, it's true -- you can surf Corpus in October. Help me pick a weekend. It's easy: leave a comment below indicating which weekends you can not attend.

The usual caveats apply. I will try my best to make the most people happy. As before, please don't tell me dates in person. I won't remember, really. Comment below and I'll refer to it as I'm scheduling the next trip. I hope everyone can come. Thanks!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi September 28-30

Mark it on your calendar. Prepare your resignation letter. Buy sunscreen. We sail September 28. As usual, we'll be leaving at 7am on Friday. We'll have a full day of surfing after we arrive in Corpus.

If you're a new recruit, take a look at some of our previous trip posts on the blog.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Worldwinds treats us very well even though we're maniacs. As a courtesy to them please follow through with your class and board rental reservations ASAP. I promise that it's really easy. Please don't procrastinate -- hotel rooms and classes can fill fast. Commitment isn't that scary, I promise.
  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you don't have an invite, you can shoot a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at the Best Western Marina Grand hotel, the Bayfront Plaza, the Omni, or arrange to share a room with someone who did. Check in on 28 September, checkout on the 30th. I am staying at the Best Western. When I checked, the 14 day advanced discount was the best deal there. You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 and schedule your classes, or reserve a board rental if you don't want to take a class. I am taking the waterstart class at 1pm on Friday. Please tell them that you're with John Knox's group.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments (click below) asking for rides, riders, rooms, roommates. I have an extra bed and a few empty seats in my car.
My currently suggested class sequence is as follows: beginner, intermediate, harness, beach start, fast tack, planing in the harness.

Please check out the packing list here. Don't get stuck without the necessities. Feel free to comment, send me a mail, or give a ring if you have any questions. See you on the beach!

August Trip Report: Sunday

I woke early and walked to Agua Java for my ceremonial caffeine dose. Matt, Karen, Chris, and Alex joined me a few ounces later. We only missed Jason, who slept through my phone calls. After leaving a message, we decided that we had a quorum. We walked to La Bahia for the traditional Sunday breakfast.

Chris and Alex started their drive to Austin immediately after eating. The rest of us planned to get some windsurfing in first. Meanwhile we needed to check out of the hotels and Jason needed to get some breakfast.

Matt, Karen, Jason, and I met at Worldwinds as planned. I rented a 6.4 meter sail and Jason rented a 6.0, both of us on the JP X-Cite Ride 145s. Matt and Karen rented JP 180s, the intermediate board. Karen took a refresher class.

The rest of us sailed, experimented, and practiced. The wind was around 18-21 MPH. A good compromise: less intimidating to the early intermediate sailor, but still allowing for planing excitement.

Jason and I both practiced more water starts. My success rate might have gone up slightly, but I still had many of the problems from Saturday. Despite this, I'm happy to know that I'm not far from ditching the uphaul. It will be a joy not to have to wrestle the sail anymore.

I planed a lot, getting more comfortable with the experience. The lighter conditions made it a little more difficult to get on plane, but with less chop it was easier to stay there. Overall, the experience was relaxing.

When I came in around 3:30 for a water break, Karen was just visible as a speck floating on her board. Don was concerned that she would keep drifting further away from shore if she didn't start sailing. Since his giant binoculars didn't reveal the problem, he decided to go check on her in person. Don prepared the huge Kona long board and attached a line to the rear foot straps for the possibility of towing.

As Don prepared his rescue mission, I watched someone sail up to Karen. Karen hoisted the sail up momentarily and they both sailed directly to shallow water down the beach. I was a bit disappointed to miss a "Baywatch" moment, but I suppose this was more dignified than a tow. I peeked through my camera at full zoom and saw that Matt had joined Karen. Both were performing a walking tack back to Worldwinds.

I grabbed two bottles of water and walked out to meet them. It turned out that Karen had a uncomfortably close encounter with a jellyfish. Ouch. Apparently she had felt nervous that she might meet another jelly and decided to float on the board for a while.

As Matt and I carried their boards in, Karen got a vinegar shower at Worldwinds. In addition to making half of a tasty salad dressing, vinegar apparently helps cure jellyfish stings. She smelled great.

As Matt and Karen packed, Jason returned to shore and called it a day. I carried my equipment in and spoke to Matt and Karen about food. We all decided to meet at Subway for dinner.

We compared notes over our tasty gourmet meal. I think we all agreed: another successful trip. After stuffing ourselves, Jason and I started the drive back to Austin. Matt and Karen planned to explore Corpus a bit before doing the same.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

August Trip Report: Saturday

As tradition demands, most of us ate at Agua Java for breakfast. Unfortunately Jason didn't feel well. He dozed through breakfast despite a wake-up call. He still made it out for windsurfing though.

At the beach the wind ran 18-25 MPH. Perfect weather for planing. Jason decided to purchase his own harness. I believe he got a DaKine Nexus. Meanwhile Alex took the introduction class. Chris, Matt, and Karen rented boards and just fooled around.

On the water I scored lots of planing action. I'm getting better control over the planing process and steering. Still, I occasionally drop out of plane for no good reason. I suspect that I am unintentionally sheeting out or maybe cutting too close to the wind. Despite this, my comfort level really increased over the course of the day.

For the most part I resisted the urge to wrestle with the boom as I skimmed along. Instead I tried to lean back in the harness and relax. Of course, this is hard when you're having fun going faster than ever before. Blasting along at power boat speeds on a tiny sail-powered board is insanely fun.

I still need to improve my steering, but my new challenge is dealing with chop. I have trouble maintaining direction and speed in the larger chop that the wind occasionally kicked up. The faces of the waves bump the nose of the board around. When I get launched off the bigger waves and catch a little air, I tend to sheet out. I have no idea if this is the right move or not. I suspect that getting into the foot straps might help, but I'm still a little nervous about them. I worry that I'll get catapulted while my feet stay behind.

Speaking of catapulting, I think I had my first serious launch off the board. A giant gust hit me when I was standing far too upright on the board. Next thing I knew, I was shooting down and off the top of the sail like a slip 'n slide. Surprisingly it was a lot of fun. A quick inventory revealed no damage to myself or the board, but from the shore it probably looked like I bought the farm.

Jason and I both experimented independently and attempted a few water starts. Although I managed to get on the board, it was a real trial and error sort of maneuver. More often than not, the board would steer into the wind or sink as I tried to get up. When it did work, it felt surprisingly graceful, easy, and lucky. I think I'll take the water start class next. I'm guessing that some actual instruction on the topic will help significantly.

Jason apparently still didn't feel well, and after a few hours rode back to the hotel wedged in the back of Matt and Karen's TT coupe. After a couple more hours on the water I returned to hotel to decontaminate. Jason had been napping, but seemed ready for some food.

Matt, Karen, Jason, and I met at Aka Sushi for dinner. Alex and Chris opted for the Executive Surf Club instead. I ordered a spicy beef hot bowl and shared in the sushi with the rest of the table. The beef bowl arrived in a big smoking-hot stone bowl. Resting on top of the food was a partially cooked egg. I gathered from the waitress's vigorous stirring motions that I was to mix the egg into the food and let the bowl finish cooking it.

Jason must have felt a lot better. He devoured his own meal in addition to a share of the sushi. I agree with the sentiment. Although I was previously wary of the wasabi-colored sushi restaurant, I really enjoyed the food there. The 80's music they played was pretty cool too. Yet another good restaurant within easy walking distance of the hotel.

After dinner, we all wandered downtown to Smokie's Bikini Bar. Now, the idea of a bikini bar seems sound to me. Until I visited this one, I even never suspected that you could go wrong. Silly me. The service wasn't too great, and the main attraction could have been a little more attractive. Understandably there weren't many folks hanging out there. The place seemed new -- perhaps they will get the hang of it later.

After abandoning Smokie's, we walked to Havana. Most of us ordered the (expensive) mojitos. Jason opted to make up for his missed breakfast by ordering an "El Infidel" sandwich. He seemed surprised that no one else wanted a second dinner, but wasn't too concerned. While he ate, the rest of us constructed swizzle stick sculptures and joked around.

We looked for more trouble after leaving Havana. Not finding any, we decided to call it a night.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

August Trip Report: Friday

Jason and Chris met at my house early so we could carpool through the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin. One or two other folks canceled their plans due to storm concerns, but the rest of us remained optimistic.

To get to the coast we drove through many rain bands. Once we hit North Padre Island the weather was OK: overcast, warm, but not wet. It was just like the past few trips: the weather reports make the conditions look much worse than reality. We got lucky again.

Before continuing to the beach we stopped at the Island Italian Restaurant for lunch. I tried their Italian Sub. Highly recommended. Just watch out for Elvis on your way to the restrooms. He still scares me, even when I expect him.

At Worldwinds, the wind was light and gusty, mostly 8-10 MPH. By coincidence, Ron, the President of the Austin Windsurf Club was loitering at Worldwinds when we arrived. He gave me some harness pointers and made fun of my crazy new windsurfing shoes.

Chris took his beginner class and Jason rented a rig while I purchased a harness: a black DaKine T3. My first chunk of windsurfing equipment.

Chris finished his class in record time -- ten minutes he claims. He was the only student for the beginner class and apparently he had some prior sailing experience. Jason, Chris and I surfed around for a few hours and enjoyed the peaceful conditions. Chris stopped for a while later in the day and took photos using his new camera and telephoto rig. The photo above is his.

A few guys were out in the shallows taking turns freestyling on an old style Windsurfer. The old longboard with the billowy yellow triangular sail looked strange next to new rigs, but it seemed to do real well in the light wind. Ron came out on a JP 180 and joined them for some freestyle fun.

We desalinated at Best Western before Jason, Chris, and I met Matt and Karen for dinner at Waterstreet Seafood. Alex got into town late and joined us for the second half of the meal.

After dinner, we played foosball at the Executive Surf Club before we went clubbing. Chris showed off his ridiculous foosball abilities. It would seem that he plays foosball all day instead of actually working at his job. As a result, in many rounds he was the first and last player to have the ball. Jason seemed to pose the only credible threat to the dominance of Chris, although we are all getting much better.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

July 2007 Trip Review: Sunday

Wake up. Go directly to Agua Java. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. After coffee Saket, Shruti, and Jason joined me at La Bahia for a predictably fantastic Mexican breakfast.

After breakfast, most folks returned to Austin. Jason and I decided to return to Worldwinds for more fun. Jamie and Apollo, her canary or parakeet or toucan were minding the shop at Worldwinds. Jason rented a F2 Stoke 155. Both of us were having a blast sailing around and practicing even though the wind was a bit weak.

Around 3 or so, another surfer sailed up to me and asked if I was scheduled to take the beachstart class. I wasn't, but I suspected that Jason was. I sailed out to him to let him know. He returned to the beach to meet Olivier.

We didn't stop surfing until a bit after 4pm. I asked Jamie about a good place to eat on the island and she suggested the Island Italian Restaurant and gave us a coupon. Jason and I drove there only to discover that they don't open until 5pm on Sundays. Drat!

Italian food appealed to Jason and I enough that we climbed back in the Jetta to kill time. We explored an nearby North Padre neighborhood where we admired the houses and the fantastic views.

When 5pm rolled around, we drove back to Island Italian and ordered the largest pizza available. We decimated the excellent pie in record time. It was the perfect ending to another successful windsurfing adventure.

Friday, August 24, 2007

July 2007 Trip Review: Saturday

I woke early Saturday to eat breakfast at Agua Java. I'm a creature of habit.

The wind was a bit light at the beach, but this was made up for by the presence of dolphins. No, the mammal. Not Mahi Mahi.

Dolphins are fun creatures, even if you can't trust critters that smile all the time. They are especially cool to see in the wild. In parks you can never be sure if they are just hanging around with you because they like you or because they can't leave. If they come visit you in the wild it's because they like you.

At least, that's my theory. It could be that they just like laughing at your limited swimming abilities. Whatever, Mr. Dolphin. I'd like to see you try to walk.

As I sailed a bit past the Worldwinds "boats" buoy I noticed a fin arc from the water just downwind from me. I couldn't believe that dolphins would be so close to shore in the muddy brown water of Laguna Madre -- the inland side of Padre Island.

I let my board slow and watched for another dorsal fin. I didn't have to wait long. Another dolphin appeared maybe 20 or 30 feet from my board and aimed broadsides. The curious mammal must have passed right under me. Sweet! A second dolphin seemed to be cruising parallel to my path.

I wish I could say that I performed some sort of amazing windsurfing trick for them. Maybe they retaliated with synchronized back flips over my head. Then I showed them up by flying my board through a giant flaming hoop. But no. Instead I lost track of them as I started sailing again.

I'm not sure that Don believe my story. Apparently dolphins don't visit Worldwinds often. I hear they prefer the Gulf side of the island. I'm glad I didn't mention the deadly ring of fire part.

After the usual post-surf desalination, Matt, Karen, Jason and I devoured dinner at Waterstreet Seafood. Afterwards we all met up with Jay and Dana at Executive Surf Club to play foosball and have a few beers. Matt and Karen called it a night after a few exciting hours of boosting the economy.

Saket and his wife Shruti finally caught up with us at the Surf Club not long before we moved on to Cassidy's Irish Pub. We listened to an entertaining cover band and drank Guinness before declaring it a night.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

July 2007 Trip Review: Friday

As usual, the weather worked hard trying to scare us off. The ride down to Corpus was full of angry looking storms. We weren't fooled though. When Jason and I hit Laguna Madre, all the storms were behind us. The weather on the beach was slightly overcast, with wind averaging around 12 MPH.

After finishing our sandwiches, Jason and I practiced while Olivier finished teaching his beginner class. I rented a JP X-cite Ride 145 with a 6.2 sail and I think Jason was on a JP 160. Somewhere on the water, Saket, Jay, and Dana were cruising around.

After a half hour of practice, Jason and I met Olivier for our combined class. I was taking planing in the harness, Jason was taking his first harness class.

In my portion of the class, Olivier covered how to adjust your stance with the position of the sail so that the body always faces the direction of the sail's pull. I think this suggestion was key for me. As the wind started to pick up into the 20's. I found myself able to get on plane and actually stay there for the first time.

Olivier also helped tweak my beach start so I could more easily work my way into the water start. Previously, I had stepped on the board with my back foot as part of a continuous movement up and on to the board. With the new technique, I start with my back foot resting on the board. This forced me to rely more on the pull of the wind to lift my weight instead of pushing off the bottom with my back leg.

Olivier also gave me a quick tutorial about how to maneuver the sail while standing in the water. Mostly this consisted of how to flip the sail from one side of the board to the other. Flipping the sail across the wind is done by lifting the sail overhead as is done in a beach start. You orient the mast to the windward side of the sail and lift it over the head with the front hand. The back hand holds the boom. Then the tip of the mast is pulled to point into the wind. As the mast passes through the wind it can easily be flipped so that the sail is on the other side of the board with the mast again upwind.

Olivier also pointed out how to get into the foot straps by moving the back foot forward to compensate while lifting the front foot to get into the strap. I wasn't comfortable enough with planing to try this yet, but it's good to know.

After the class, Olivier had me upgrade my sail to a 7.0. This is the largest sail I've used so far. With the wind gusting in the 20's, getting on plane was cake. I was able to move my feet all the way to the back of the board with my feet almost standing on the straps. I did have some difficulty preventing myself from turning downwind on plane. It seemed to help a bit to tilt the the board down on the upwind side, but I think I still have a lot to learn in the steering department.

As I have previously noted, planing is nuts. Distances collapse as the board accelerates like a rocket. I'm sure I'm only moving 25 MPH or so, but on the water, exposed to the wind it feels much faster. The board also becomes much more responsive to shifts in weight and force. I think the largest challenge of all of this is fear. The additional speed is intimidating. Highly recommended!

After sailing, Jason and I checked into the hotel to desalinate. We then visited the Vietnam Restaurant on Water Street for some dinner. The others had eaten separately. The food was quite good, although expensive. Most entrees were more than $17, but the quality was high.

After dinner, Jason, Jay, Dana, and I met at the Executive Surf Club where we drank beer and played foosball. Matt later joined us after he arrived in Corpus. We past the time by burning quarters.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

September: When Should We Windsurf?

My calendar shows September drifting ominously closer. Take control of your destiny and help pick when we windsurf again. It's easy: simply leave a comment below indicating which weekends you can not attend.

The usual caveats apply. Destiny is fickle. There are no promises. Still, I'll do my best to schedule a weekend most folks can attend.

As before, please don't tell me dates in person because I won't remember. Comment below and I'll definitely reference it as I'm scheduling the next trip. I hope everyone can come. Thanks!

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi August 17-19

Congratulations, you've been invited to have the most amazing weekend of your life. Quit your job, alienate your family, and come learn how to windsurf better. You're coming to Corpus Christi on August 17. We'll leave Austin on Friday at 7am and return on Sunday afternoon after sailing.

If you're new, take a look at some of our previous trip posts.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Worldwinds treats us very well even though we're maniacs. As a courtesy to them please follow through with your class and board rental reservations ASAP. I promise that it's really easy. Please don't procrastinate -- hotel rooms and classes can fill fast:
  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you don't have an invite, you can shoot a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at the Best Western Marina Grand hotel, the Bayfront Plaza, or arrange to share a room with someone who did. Check in on 17 August, checkout 19 August. I am staying at the Best Western. When I checked, the 14 day advanced discount was the best deal there. You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 and schedule your classes, or reserve a board rental if you don't want to take a class. Please tell them that you're with John Knox's group.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments (click below) asking for rides or riders.
My currently suggested class sequence is as follows: beginner, intermediate, harness, beach start or fast tack, planing in the harness.

Please check out the packing list here. You won't want to forget a critical item! Feel free to send me a mail or give a ring if you have any questions. See you on the beach!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Choose a Weekend in August

August approaches rapidly. want to come learn how to Windsurf with us? Just post below which weekends it would not be possible to attend. No promises, but I'll do my best trying to schedule a weekend most folks can attend.

As before, please don't tell me dates in person. I'm nearly incapable of remembering correctly. Comment below and I'll definitely reference it as I'm scheduling the next trip (probably around the 23rd of July). Thanks! I hope you can attend.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

June 2007 Trip Review: Sunday

Sunday morning I drank coffee at Agua Java while waiting on the others to wake. I explored a bit downtown and watched some kids race sailboats in the marina.

This might sound boring. But consider what happens when you mix children with fast vehicles. I saw many different kinds of collisions. One sailor clipped a moored yacht. Another sailor came to an abrupt stop when he took a shortcut between a piling and a boat. His mast hit the dangling line connecting the two. I'm sure the kids also occasionally hit each other. Fun stuff!

Meanwhile Amy and Jason ran along the seawall. I believe Amy is training for a triathlon. Afterwards Amy, Jason, and I grabbed breakfast at Agua Java.

We all met down at Worldwinds. The weather at the beach was more pleasant today. The birds sang, the wind blew, and the sun felt warm. Amy took the beginner class while the rest of us rented boards.

I rented a JP X-cite Ride 145 and a 5.7 meter sail. I continue to dig the 145. It feels friskier than the other boards I've sailed, even if it is a little more tricky to operate. Tricky means learning, right?

The wind gusted nicely into the 20's, occasionally propelling me onto a plane. I still don't have much control on plane, but my trips are getting longer. It feels like I just need to get my feet and body into a better position to balance my weight on the board and pull the sail back.

After maybe fifteen minutes on the water, it became obvious that a storm was brewing. Occasional thunder rolled from a dark line of clouds on the horizon. Foreshadowing. I decided to keep an eye on Amy's class to see when Olivier would bring everyone in.

As the storm approached I got a few amazing blasts of air that threw me on plane. The wind was nice, but I could have done without the impending squall. Despite the awesome wind, I tacked back to shore as soon as I noticed the beginner class heading in. Everyone else on the water had the same idea. Except Jason.

As before, Jonathan refused to let the wind bully him around. Instead he tacked in like crazy until the water was too shallow to sail. I'm not sure he pulled a "walking tack" the whole weekend.

All of us minus Jason hit the shore and refueled/re-hydrated as necessary. Jason was still a speck on Laguna Madre as the storm moved closer. Later we learned that he was having too much fun to notice the approaching hurricane.

The storm opened events tropical style: a few big drops, a few tearing gusts. Warning shots across our bow. All the sailors took the hint and moved inside Worldwind's shelter. Don battened down the hatches. The wind felt freezing as it whipped through the structure. Warm day faded into a chilly faux night. The Laguna Madre and Jason vanished in a wall of downpour.

At this point, I think Jason finally realized that he should come ashore. Inside Worldwinds, Don put on an entertaining instructional DVD about carve jibes. We periodically stuck our heads outside to check on Jason's progress. He finally made it into shelter as the lightning homed in on us.

The wind found us too, blowing rain in under the roof and into the building. That was new. And by new I mean alarming. A few of us started wondering where exactly the Bird Island tornado shelter might be. When the clawing winds stopped scaring us so much, the lightning and thunder took over.

Amy pulled up a weather report on her cell phone. The forecast indicated nasty weather for the rest of the day. When the storm relaxed a bit we decided to retreat back to the mainland and possibly visit the Aquarium. There was concern over the lack of four-wheel-drive on my Jetta, but I assured everyone that I could and would drive safely in the rain. It was wet but we made it.

Back at the hotel we desalinated. Amy opted to stay in the hotel, hack my laptop, and work on a paper for school. The rest of us met at the aquarium. Just for reference: they have a parking lot. It seems to be free if you buy aquarium tickets. I dumbly parked in the street and pumped quarters into the meter. Jonathan followed my poor example and even got a broken meter for his trouble.

I found the Aquarium quite enjoyable. I wouldn't call it huge, but it has quite a lot of variety. The touch pool was fun. I pet a shark (rough) and some sting rays (slippery). Nobody lost fingers. Jason and I totally nerded out with our cameras. Good clean fun.

Jason made an amusing discovery on the beach behind the aquarium. He learned how to communicate with the crabs that burrowed there. He made the crabs dance by imitating their rapid sideways crabby movement. Dance, crabs, dance!

This is the sort of stuff that made the Croc Hunter so famous. Nobody really cares too much about the scientific name of a critter. They just want to see what happens when you poke it. I don't understand why Jason doesn't quit his job and become a TV naturalist -- I'd watch his show.

The aquarium was closing, so we returned downtown, grabbed Amy, and converged on the Executive Surf Club. There we ate hamburgers and beer. Mine had fritos and refried beans inside. No, not the beer.

Fueled up, we discovered a foosball table. So we played. I can't say if this was an official part of the game or simply a house rule advocated by Marty, but we all drank a sip of beer after each point scored. Depending on your outlook on life, this means either trouble or fun. Many many points were scored.

After a while, we even sipped beer when no points were scored. Was this allowed by the rules? I couldn't say. Regardless, the Corpus Christi Gross Domestic Product must have picked up a few points Sunday night.

I'm sure you remember what happened after we left the Executive Surf Club. If not, use your imagination. Was there square dancing in the streets? Was there intoxicated singing? Did we have a massive beer war that would eclipse any Gallagher concert? Maybe. Maybe not.

I will note that we did made it back to our hotels safely.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

June 2007 Trip Review: Saturday

The June expedition started normally enough. The team consisted of Jason, Amy, Jonathan, Marty, and myself. Amy, Jonathan, and Marty were first-time windsurfers. Welcome to the sport, guys. Jason and I are veterans, but only by our own very low standards.

The ride down was mostly uneventful. Except perhaps for the mystery of the flying frog. Amy and Jason tried to sleep a bit to make up for the 3 hours of sleep they got. Apparently they drove to Dallas to see a concert on Friday. The first thing Jason said to me that morning was "You're going to be so mad at us." I guess because they forgot to invite me.

We stopped for lunch on the island (I can't say where, we took a vow of secrecy) before cruising down to Worldwinds. The weather looked sad at this point, rainy and calm. But we're troopers, we don't just give up. Well, not today.

After finishing lunch at Worldwinds, Amy and Jason passed out in the Jetta while the rest of us watched windsurfing videos and waited for the weather to clear up. There was talk of giving up for the day (mutiny!), but we held things together until Don and Olivier gave the green light.

Jonathan and Marty started their beginner lesson -- their first hit. I rented a F2 Stoke 155 and a 5.3 meter sail. Each of us donned attractive wetsuit tops to dull the cool wind. Amy and Jason continued to recover from their concert the night before. Jason claimed that he would only sleep for a little bit longer, but I didn't believe him.

After an hour or two, Jason surprised me and joined us on the water. Now I know to believe. The man is made of stern stuff. Amy opted to read her book and hope for more inviting weather Sunday. She also kindly shot photos of us on the water.

Hours past. I think Jonathan gets voted king beginner windsurfer of the universe. He managed to return to Worldwinds without walking. He tacked all the way back, just like a champion.

We checked into our hotels and started the process of desalinization. Jason somehow got the shower slot before mine and spent 3 hours in there. He eventually popped out, announcing proudly that he had shaved his chest. This became the fallback joke of the trip. When in doubt just chide Jason.

For dinner, we hit the Waterstreet Seafood Co. Actually, first we went to the Waterstreet Oyster Bar. We decided there that the line was too long, so we got reservations at the Seafood Company.

We then suffered the delusion that the Oyster Bar was cheaper. Cheaper means better, so Jonathan left to get reservations there. While he was away we had a debate about the relative cheapness of the two restaurants. Careful weighing of the evidence let us conclude that the prices were identical just as Jonathan emerged with an Oyster reservation.

We immediately applied our new knowledge and sent Jonathan back to cancel the reservation. Our confusion worked out perfectly. Jonathan walked out of the Oyster Bar and lo! the Seafood Co. beeper beckons us to our table. We successfully distracted ourselves from our gnawing hunger. Teamwork!

After dinner, we drank beer and listened to some music on the Executive Surf Club patio. We then migrated to Cassidy's Irish pub to end the night with a round of tasty beverages and traditional Irish music.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi July 20 - 22

You know the drill. Windsurfing fun starts Friday July 20. Ask for the day off or simply quit your job. We'll leave Austin at 7am and return on Sunday afternoon after sailing for a bit.

If you don't know the drill, take a look at previous trip posts.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Please don't procrastinate -- hotel rooms and classes will fill fast:
  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you don't have an invite, you can shoot a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at the Best Western Marina Grand hotel, the Bayfront Plaza, or arrange to share a room with someone who did. Check in on 20 July, checkout 22 July. I am staying at the Best Western. When I checked, the 14 day advanced discount was the best deal there. You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 and schedule your classes, or reserve a board rental if you don't want to take a class. Tell them that you're with John Knox's group. At this point there still seem to be beginner (and other) classes open on Friday, but they do fill fast. Make a reservation ASAP. I am taking the Planing in the Harness class at 1pm on Friday.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments asking for rides or riders.
You can find more information on Worldwinds, what to pack, and more in other posts.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Planning for a July Trip

Planning for trips to Corpus has become more and more difficult as the number of interested folks has increased. To help me help you not be sad, please let me know of any bad July dates by commenting below. If you give me dates in person, by phone, by email, by IM, by fax, or by carrier pigeon, I will promptly forget them. On purpose.

Of course, I can't promise to please everyone with the dates I pick. Sorry about that. Even if desires don't conflict, hotel and Worldwinds availability might. Still, you face far better chances of getting to windsurf if you give me your details in the comments for this post.

So, what are you going to do right now? That's right, you're going to look at your calendar for July. Then you will leave a comment on this post. This comment will contain any dates that would conflict with a trip to Corpus Christi. Thanks!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi June 23 - 25

Our next monthly trip to Corpus Christi has been scheduled for June 23-25. I think this will be trip #6.

We'll surf by day and enjoy Downtown Corpus by Night. Except for the windsurfing, everything is within walking distance of the hotel downtown. You can see the photos and posts from a past trip here, here, here, here.


If you have any questions, you can leave a comment, call me, or shoot an e-mail to john at windaddict dot com.

Feel free to invite others!

Lodging:

For lodging, I'm staying at the Best Western (Best Western Marina Grand Hotel). This hotel is downtown, right next to a marina on the bay. You can find more info on it elsewhere on the blog. Check-in time is 3pm, checkout time is noon.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Please don't procrastinate -- rooms in this hotel will fill fast:

  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you don't have an invite, you can shoot a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at the Best Western Marina Grand hotel or arrange to share a room with someone who did. Check in on 23 June, checkout 25 June. When I checked, the AAA rate was the best deal. You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 and schedule your classes, or reserve a board rental if you don't want to take a class. Tell them that you're with John Knox's group. Please note that Beginner classes are quite full on the 23rd. There are beginner classes open on the 24th however, if you're willing to just rent a Kayak or otherwise amuse yourself on the 23rd.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments asking for rides or riders.
You can find more information on Worldwinds, what to pack, and more in other posts.

Class Suggestions:


Beginners:

You'll want to take the beginner class on Sunday (as noted above, you probably can't get a class on Saturday). You can ask Jay, Jason, Matt, Karen, Freddy, or anyone else -- it isn't hard, and it's lots of fun. The beginners class will probably start at 11:30 am.

On Monday, you might want to try the intermediate class if there are openings. I suggest at least giving it a shot, but it's up to you. The difficulty level increases a little, but it just means falling off the board a bit more often. Falling is half the fun.

Intermediate and Beyond:

I strongly suggest taking a class ASAP even if it is just to get a refresher. With a month between each surfing session, a refresher can mean the difference between struggling all weekend and moving on to the next level.

Don't forget to reserve a rental board for the days you don't want to schedule a class.

Schedule (suggested):

Saturday:

The drive from my place down to Corpus takes about 4 hours. If you live north, it will take longer. Lets leave Austin at 6:30am. This will give us some time to get there without rushing, and maybe pick up lunch along the way.

We should be surfing at Worldwinds by 11. Worldwinds closes at 6pm, so we should all be checked in at the hotel by 7pm or so. We'll desalinate and aim to grab dinner downtown at around 8pm. I'm thinking that I'd like to try the Waterstreet Oyster Bar.

Sunday:

Sunday, maybe we can get breakfast at La Bahia. After, Windsurfing class or practice for as long as we can take it. We'll play it by ear for dinner.

Monday:

Lets do breakfast at Agua Java. Afterwards, of course, more surfing. Around 2 or 3 pm, I'll probably drive back to Austin.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

May 2007 Trip Review: Sunday

Sunday, like Saturday, started with rain. When I arrived at Bird Island near noon, black clouds hung on the horizon. Distant thunder rumbled ominously. But where I stood the sun peeked through the clouds and the winds hovered around 10 MPH.

I rented a board, the F2 Stoke 155 again. This time I got a 6 meter sail. I spent a couple of hours practicing tacks, beach starts, and trying to sail fast.

I'm starting to feel good about my fast tacks. Turning the board the final distance through the wind still trips me up occasionally, but not often. I found that it helps to tilt the sail out before moving it forward again. This speeds the rotation of the nose through the wind. Putting the mass of the rig over the water gives something to pull the nose against.

While practicing lots of quick tacks in shallow water I ran into Olivier teaching a class. He complimented my improving sailing ability (go me!) and said I should start using the harness. He suggested that I spend some time practicing hooking in and out.

Up to this point I admit I have been a bit afraid of the harness. I had taken a harness class, but I was still a bit worried about getting carried away to Mexico or catapulted.

Actually, I'm still not sure exactly what a catapult entails. The texts seem fuzzy on the definition. I imagine medieval siege engines, boulders sailing over walls. But perhaps it just means getting pulled down with the sail -- not so bad.

Anyhow, at this point I was feeling better about performing tacks and more in control of the board. Even if the harness pulled me to the straights of Florida, I'd be able to turn the board around and get back.

I rented a harness and followed Olivier's advice. I hooked in and out of the harness repeatedly. Gradually I became used to the process and my fears subsided. I ended up hooking in for longer runs and catching some gusts. A several times I even got up on plane for a moment.

Much to my amazement, I only got pulled down by the harness a two or three times. It didn't hurt, although one time it did take four tries to unhook the harness from the fallen rig. Each time I pulled the harness line out of the hook, it sprang right back in before I could roll off the sail.

I learned a few things about harness sailing. First, dumping the wind means twisting the sail. You can't just let go with your back hand while wearing a harness. That path leads to imbalance. No, instead it seems to work better to rotate the sail so the mast turns windward. Pull with the front hand, push with the back. This quickly reduces the force on the sail. Of course, you'll never go fast dodging every gust.

Second, with good wind you can put a lot of weight in the harness. I found it a bit difficult at first to rely on the harness to hold the force of the sail. I had to fight the urge to wrestle the boom with my arms. Despite my reluctance, putting weight on the harness seems fine. If the wind dies, recovering a stable standing position requires only a quick yank on the boom.

Still, I have many areas for improvement. I had a difficult time keeping the board pointed windward while hooked in. A beam reach seemed like the easiest position to sail while harnessed. I think this may have something to do with my positioning on the board, but I'm not sure.

I also still need some guidance on getting and staying on plane. Planing really excites the heck out of me, but my limited steering control makes it feel like riding an acme rocket. Perhaps practice will reveal a solution.

I headed in around 5:30 as Worldwinds threw a little party. Don cooked up some excellent sausage wraps and other yummy food. Having spent most of the day sailing, the food hit the spot. I chatted with some of the other sailors and ate like a pig.

I returned to the hotel, desalinated, and watched another big thunder storm move through the city. I retired with blistery hands, sunburned shoulders, and a smile.

May 2007 Trip Review: Saturday

Saturday didn't start off looking very promising. The weather report predicted rain, the sky hung dark, and the wind barely hit 5mph. There was a handful of folks sitting around Worldwinds reading, waiting for wind.

Through some miracle, the breeze hit the double digits around 2:30. I rented an F2 Stoke 155 with a 6 meter sail. By 4 the sun made its appearance and it looked like paradise. Suddenly there was a crowd on the water.

After an hour of sailing I decided to come in and get more sunscreen. When I came back to the beach I couldn't figure out which board was mine. I knew that I had a f2 stoke 155, but the sail on it seemed wrong. Nearby there was sail that looked like mine, but the board was a JP X-cite Ride 160 -- also wrong.

I bent down to take a closer look at the sail on the Stoke and was convinced I had walked into another dimension. In addition to the color, the harness lines definitely didn't match what I had just sailed, and the sail seemed huge. Do I fly around on giant sails in this alternate universe?

I touched the sail and nearly jumped out of my skin when Don shouted from the deck "That's not your board... Not unless you want a 9 meter sail."

I contemplated this and decided I definitely didn't want to sail the monster. I learned that one of Don's customers was performing research on the x-cite and the stoke. I talked to him as we walked to deeper water. The gent was planning on buying one of them to take back to Phoenix. Our boards were swapped so he could compare. Mystery solved.

Later my path crossed again with Mr. Phoenix on the water. We stopped to compare notes on the Stoke 155 and the x-cite ride 160. We both agreed first and foremost that the JP had a sinky nose. When performing tacks, the front tends to swamp and the chop washes over it.

The stoke felt like the front had a lot more float. In addition, the F2 felt more stable at low speeds. The board seemed to forgive small mistakes that would sink a rail of the JP.

However, the JP did seem to plane faster than the F2. Since I'm just starting to get the feel for planing, I'm not certain if the board or the rider should be blamed for this. Mr. Phoenix thought that the x-cite might possess more room for growth than the Stoke. A little instability leads to fun tricks perhaps?

Mr. Phoenix also noted that the fin on the Stoke seemed to break free easier than the JP. He seemed to think this was correctable. I can't say that I have the skills to have an opinion.

I'm finally starting to get the hang of fast tacks. Or, at least, I'm falling off a lot less, even when I sink the nose. I don't think I've quite put the fast in the tack, but I'm faster and I no longer tip-toe around the mast as much. Now I stomp around with big steps that miraculously don't throw me off the board. Steering feels more natural too.

Beach starts feel easier, even in deeper water. I'm successful around 75% of the time. Unless my cheapo aqua socks get pulled off by the muddy bottom.

I occasionally found myself planing. I'm still not sure how to control or maintain it, so it doesn't last long. Sure is fun though. If the weather cooperates perhaps I'll get help in my Sunday class.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Online Windsurfing Lessons

The Corpus trip is about three days away. Prepare yourself with some online training from US Windsurfing. Link.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Learn to Windsurf Day

The Austin Windsurf Club is holding beginner windsurfing classes on the 19th and 20th of May. Classes seem to be almost full, so sign up soon.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Rig Cam Video

This qualifies as the best rig-mounted camera work I've seen so far. Nothing too fancy here, but you can get a pretty good look at how ebrandhorst sails. You can see examples of a waterstart, hooking in, getting into the straps and jibing.

Though relaxing, the flick has me itching to get back on the water. I hope to see you in Corpus soon.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Where Boards Come From

My parents told me that baby surfboards are brought by storks. Instead, the process seems to involve a spray of styrofoam, plastic bits, the application of form-fitting vinyl, and lots of resin rub-downs. Oh, and don't forget the bad elevator music.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Windsurfing in Two Weeks

We'll be windsurfing in Corpus Christi in two weeks. Are you coming on the trip? Please let me know.

The long-term forecast for Corpus is looking good: "Windy in the afternoon". Sounds ideal, doesn't it?

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

JP Australia Videos

JP Australia's site features several hypnotic windsurfing videos. The highlight videos function mostly as ads, but they are educational because they illustrate the various branches of windsurfing. The other films skip the sell, so be sure to check them out.

I suggest peeking at the air-tastic Maui-07 video first. Cabo Verde also gets a nod for the unusual music and dream-like quality. Groovy.

Does anyone know how surfers retrieve their boards when they fly away? Could they possibly slog through those waves and find them again? The surf looks a lot more intimidating when the guy transforms from a graceful rider to a tiny swimmer.

Maybe one of the benefits of having a sponsor is that they just give you a new board when the old one blows to Nepal. Must be nice to have a sponsor (or live in Nepal).

Link.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

The Ten Step Guide to Windsurfing

The Ten Step Guide seems a little dated in areas, but it does have a good review (with diagrams) of beginner to intermediate windsurfing skills. The guide also covers some safety points and rules of seamanship. Reviewing this before your next trip to the beach couldn't hurt. Link.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Trip Plans: Corpus Christi 26-28 May 2007

The time has come. Another windsurfing adventure has been scheduled for May 26-28. My apologies that this overlaps with some people's schedules. Unfortunately my first choice of weekends got booked up before I had a chance to send out an invite. Don't fret: I'd like to have a June trip as well.


This will be trip #5. A trip to Corpus means windsurfing classes during the day. At night, we'll be eating wonderful seafood and drinking a good beer or two. Except for the windsurfing, everything is within walking distance of the hotel downtown. You can see the photos and posts from the last trip here, here, here, here.

If you have any questions, you can leave a comment, call me, or shoot an e-mail to john at windaddict dot com.

Feel free to invite others!

Lodging:

For lodging, I'm staying at the Best Western (Best Western Marina Grand Hotel). This 2-star hotel is downtown, right next to a marina on the bay. You can find more info on it elsewhere on the blog. Check-in time is 3pm, checkout time is noon.

To Join in the fun:

This is your to-do list. Please don't procrastinate -- rooms in this hotel will fill fast:

  1. If you have an invite please respond. If you don't have an invite, you can shoot a mail to john AT windaddict dot com.
  2. Make reservations at the Best Western Marina Grand hotel or arrange to share a room with someone who did. Check in on 26 May, checkout 28 May. When I checked, the internet rate was the best deal. You are responsible for your own hotel reservation.
  3. Call Worldwinds at 1-800-793-7471 and schedule your classes, or reserve a board rental if you don't want to take a class. Tell them that you're with John Knox's group.
  4. Arrange to carpool and share your room. Feel free to post comments asking for rides or riders.
You can find more information on Worldwinds, what to pack, and more in other posts.

Class Suggestions:


Beginners:

You'll want to take the beginner class on Saturday. You can ask Jay, Jason, Matt, Karen, Freddy, or anyone else -- it isn't hard, and it's lots of fun. The beginners class will probably start at 11:30 am.

On Sunday, you might want to try the intermediate class. I suggest at least giving it a shot, but it's up to you. The difficulty level increases a little, but it just means falling off the board a bit more often. Falling is half the fun.

Intermediate and Beyond:

I strongly suggest taking a class on Saturday even if it is just to get a refresher. With a month between each surfing session, a refresher can mean the difference between struggling all weekend and moving on to the next level.

Don't forget to reserve a rental board for the days you don't want to schedule a class.

Schedule (suggested):

Saturday:

The drive from my place down to Corpus takes about 4 hours. If you live north, it will take longer. Lets leave Austin at 6:30am. This will give us some time to get there without rushing, and maybe pick up lunch along the way.

We should be surfing at Worldwinds by 11. Worldwinds closes at 6pm, so we should all be checked in at the hotel by 7pm. We'll desalinate and aim to grab dinner downtown at around 8pm. I'm thinking that I'd like to try the Waterstreet Oyster Bar.

Sunday:

Sunday, maybe we can get brunch at the Water Street Seafood Co. or La Bahia. After, Windsurfing class or practice for as long as we can take it. We'll play it by ear for dinner.

Monday:

Lets do breakfast at Agua Java. Afterwards, of course, more surfing. Around 2 or 3 pm, I'll probably drive back to Austin.

The Peconic Puffin

The Peconic Puffin blog has posted two interesting videos recently.

The first features a couple of kids showing off their crazy freestyle skillz at night. They look like they're having a blast. I'm jealous.

The second has a video summary of attempts at breaking the 50 knot sailing speed barrier. The current world record is held by Finian Maynard, at 48.7 knots, or 56 mph. You'll see him in the video: he is the giant riding a toothpick. Can't miss him.

Velocity Games in Corpus Christi

The Corpus Christi Velocity Games, AKA The US Wind & Water Open takes place May 11 -13 2007. The event features windsurfing, kiteboarding, and skateboarding competitions.

If anyone is interested in carpooling for a day trip (or longer) to watch the games, let me know!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

The Maltese Falcon

No, not the Bogart film. The sailing yacht.

289 feet of shiny black hull. 3 rotating masts. 15 square sails.

Check out the Wikipedia entry.

And visit the official Maltese Falcon website. Be sure to look at the photos and the log once there.

I wonder if the owner ever needs someone to boat-sit. I'd be happy to help out. I don't think I'd mind living on a yacht like this.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Hydrofoil Windsurfing

This video isn't really exciting, but it does show that hydrofoils can work in windsurfing. I've been wondering about that for a while. It also shows that adding a hydrofoil is a bit pointless.

The board doesn't seem to be going any faster with the foil (watch for the traditional board in the background). I expect this is because the foil requires a lot of drag to create the necessary lift. The foil does make the ride smoother, but that seems boring. Maybe the foil would come in handy in wave sailing?

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Wind Forecasts with WindGuru

WindGuru provides a detailed weather forecast several days in advanced. Each day breaks down into three hour intervals with information on wind speed, direction, cloud cover, precipitation, temperature, and more.

The biggest limitation I find is the number of available locations. Corpus Christi has forecast data, but Austin does not. I'll live.

If you have a mac, there is a WindGuru dashboard widget available. The widget provides data for a 24 hour window. It also has a nice animated windmill which really spices up the dashboard.

The Columbia River Gorge

I'm probably cheating by posting videos three days in a row. You'll survive though. Watch for the guys who confuse their rig for a hang glider.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Wave Sailing Video

Do you think worldwinds will teach us to do these moves? Launching 15 feet in the air looks fun...

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Windsurfing Antarctica Video

Check this out: windsurfing in Antarctica. Icebergs, mountains, seals, penguins, and desolate loneliness.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

How to Uphaul Incorrectly

I spent much of Friday the 13th of April uphauling my rig instead of sailing. Some jealous observers may have thought that I avoided sailing only with the help of a strong wind to blow my sail down. They'd be wrong. Sure, the wind makes it easier, but the real reason I could enjoy most of the day uphauling had much more to do with skill.

Learning the proper uphaul techniques to defeat sailing isn't hard, but it will take some practice. Carefully follow these directions, and your days of uphauling will never be interrupted by sailing again.*

Technique #1, The Scissors (of doom):

The best place to sabotage your uphaul is before you start hauling. This is a simple beginner technique: tug on the uphaul line as you climb on the board. The board and the sail should pull together in the water, just like the closing blades on a pair of scissors. By the time you stand up, the board inconveniently points up or downwind. This should make sailing difficult.

If you find the board remains properly oriented in the wind, or if you have to yank really hard, you probably aren't pulling the right way. Gently tug the uphaul line while holding it a bit to either side of the mast. It will require little force to turn the board. Pulling straight up or back usually won't provide as much leverage.

Technique #2, The Wounded Pelican:

If the scissors fail, you still have a chance. Once you're standing on the board, lift the rig slowly. Hold the sail by the uphaul line for as long as possible. As the sail clears the water, you want to give it a chance to flap (luff) like crazy. Eventually the uphaul line will tear right from your hand as the oscillations grow stronger.

If you quickly get the sail up and the boom in your hand, you're not giving the sail enough time to misbehave. You can cheat a bit by swinging the uphaul line like you're trying to steer. Once you get the sail jumping around, there is little chance you'll be able to sheet in and actually sail.

Technique #3: The One-Claw Crab:

If you somehow manage to stand on the board and get the sail out of the water, you'll need stronger measures. As you move your front hand from the uphaul line to the boom, reach as far towards the clew as possible. Grab the boom far enough out and the sail will sheet in without needing a second hand. This way the board immediately starts moving, and the sail starts tugging before you can get positioned. The sail will rip from your grasp or pull you over. Either way, you'll be back to uphauling in no time.

The key to this technique is to get the sail sheeting in early, before you can adjust your stance from uphauling, and before your back hand can help out. If you grab the boom too close to the mast, the sail won't properly bite the wind. Try to reach your front hand near the harness lines -- that should put enough power in the sail to pull it right back into the water.

Some anti-sailing purists argue that this is a "walking" technique rather than an uphauling technique. They have a point because you and the board can be pulled downwind fast (almost sideways). This will eventually require you to walk the board back upwind (the desirable "walk of shame"). However, an expert can usually get several uphauls for every walk this technique provides. This is why I classify it as an uphaul technique, not walking.

There may be elements of both walking and uphauling to the crab, but either way it is still a useful weapon to add to your arsenal of anti-sailing techniques. Walking novices may wish to save this technique for later. You can easily end up in advanced walking or swimming territory (deep water, long walks, lost aqua socks) using the sideways run.

*Yes, this is all a joke. Normal folks will want to avoid these "techniques" which are based on my own mistakes.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Thinking About May

Damn the torpedoes! I want to surf in May. I'm going to do my best to sneak a trip in somewhere between Jury Duty (as soon as I hear back) and work.

So, what do you think? Toss any comments, suggestions, tomatoes, or preferred dates in the comments below.

Friday, April 20, 2007

April 2007 Trip Review: Monday

Monday, I was the only adventurer left. After I got breakfast and coffee at Agua Java, I took a short walk around the Corpus Seawall. Then I checked out of the Big Blue Best Western and drove to Worldwinds.

The beach wind blew strong, back up in the 20's. Unfortunately, the air was cool and the sky somewhat cloudy. I was back down to a 4.7 on the JP X-cite ride 145.

I took a class with Randy for the first time. The class consisted of half review, half harness, and half fast-tack. The review went great, even if the water was freezing cold. I had tons of material for Randy, little habits and errors in my technique that were correctable. Randy's explanations were very clear.

I still need a lot of practice with the fast tack and harness, but by the end of the class I was planing for the first time. The planing felt like magic. The nose lifted, the gusts blew, and my board moved. Now I just need to clean up my tacks so I don't lose so much ground on windy days.

After the class, I borrowed an old sail batten from Randy so I could hook any HEB bags I found while dumpster diving (see the previous post). The dumpsters smelled quite ripe. Lucky for me, there were only a few HEB bags in either dumpster. I easily hooked them with the batten and inspected their contents through the side of the bags. Pistachio shells. Beer bottles. Slightly used napkins. Well used napkins. No wallets.

Standing in the one spot with reception on Bird Island, I called Jeff. How full, I asked, were the dumpsters when the wallet was trashed? Apparently they were nearly full yesterday. I informed Jeff of the bad news: the dumpsters were now almost empty. He took it well -- his wallet was gone.

I ate some trail mix, a granola bar, and drank some water before starting the long drive back to Austin. I found myself wondering: is the 145 it? Should I buy a board so I can practice on lake Travis? Next time I'm down in Corpus, perhaps I will.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

April 2007 Trip Review: Sunday

Starting our day the caffeinated way, Matt and Jason and I ate breakfast at Agua Java. After breakfast, Jason and I took a stroll around the marina to get a closer look at the Calixas 105 moored there. The Calixas is an amazing floating palace of a yacht. If you happen to buy one, give me a tour, ok?

The wind on Sunday was light and gusty, probably in the tens. Friday's beginners seemed a bit disappointed. I guess they were spoiled from having learned in 30 Mph winds. For Jason and I it was a nice break from sailing in a hurricane.

By the time I got to Worldwinds, the JP 160 I used Friday was already taken. Rather than go back to the 180, I tried a JP 145 x-cite ride and a 5.3 meter sail. The 145 was different from the 160 or 180. I nearly threw the 145 over my head when I went to lift it the first time. The board seemed half the weight I expected. Even in the light wind, it felt like a huge leap in technology. I think I'm in love.

Matt and Karen took the beginner class with Angela. Freddy and Gumbo gave the knee a break by exploring Corpus instead of surfing. The rest of us rented boards.

The light winds meant slow sailing, but the occasional gust kept things interesting. As the day continued, the wind picked up a bit.

After a few hours, Mike, Jeff, Jacob, and Saruabh got tired of the light wind. They rented kayaks and paddled over to a nearby island to drink some beer. Mike's new friend and her dog went too.

Jason and I continued sailing, and the wind actually improved a bit as it got later. I practiced my water starts and cruised around.

As the day wore on, a gradual trickle of people drove back to Austin. Matt and Karen, Justin and Freddy were all gone by 3 or 4.

Mike, Jason, Jeff, Saurabh, and Jacob stuck around until around 5:30. The remaining crew closed their tabs at Worldwinds while I signed up for a Monday class.

Afterwards, we all went to Snoopy's for the final dinner of the trip. Snoopy's is located on N. Padre island off the turnaround passing under the first bridge off the island. The food was mostly fried seafood, and therefore tasted wonderful.

We parted ways once full of seafood, I back to the hotel, they back to Austin.

I got a call from Jeff around 11:30pm. Jeff's wallet was missing, and his crew suspected that it had been thrown into the dank dumpsters between Worldwinds and the restrooms. Jeff made the mistake of storing his wallet in a HEB bag which also contained some trash. Someone tossed it so there would be room to stuff 5 people into Mike's car. I agreed to go dumpster diving Monday morning in search of the wallet and the large amount of cash it contained.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

April 2007 Trip Review: Saturday

Saturday morning, Matt and I grabbed an early coffee at Agua Java before the others got ready.

Before breakfast, we got a call not to show up for surfing at worldwinds. Apparently the wind was even more fierce than Friday, in the 30 and 40mph range. Rumor has it that there were 50 Mph gusts.

The second bit of bad news was that Freddy's leg was injured. He hurt it a while ago playing football. Apparently windsurfing in Friday's howling wind wasn't therapeutic. Now his leg was black and blue. Understandably, Freddy was concerned that he tore the muscle. Freddy and Gumbo decided to visit a doctor.

All of us, sans Freddy and Gumbo, ate breakfast at La Bahia. Over the feast of Mexican delights, we discussed possible plans for the day. One group wanted to visit the Lexington, the other wanted to explore some other beaches in Corpus. We decided to split into two groups.

After breakfast, Matt and I took a stroll down to the marina. Justin joined us after a while. We explored for a while, and watched some Laser sailboats get blown around in the wind.

Jason, Matt, Karen, and I drove to the state beach on Mustang Island. Justin, Jacob, Mike, Saurabh, and Jeff went to the Lexington. Freddy and Gumbo went to see the doctor and visited some friendly girls at Hooters for lunch.

The Mustang Island State Park was a little disappointing for the former Floridians among us. Somehow we managed to put our expectations of white sand and leaping dolphins behind us and have a good time. We walked along the beach, chatting, enjoying the sun's warmth.

Karen found a sand dollar (or was it Matt?). Matt touched a jellyfish, proving it didn't have stingers. Sand blew into our eyes. The blue angels performed overhead in perfect precision.

We climbed a red granite-block jetty into the gulf near a group of hearty surfers. Waves crashed into the end of the jetty, the wind throwing spray into the air.

A fisherman caught a small hammerhead shark as we watched. He held it by the tail so we could get a better look at him. The fish got a better look at us too, aiming his tiny eyes and open mouth at each of us in turn. The scales flashed holographic in the sun as the fisherman lobbed him back into the sea.

Matt, Karen, Jason, and I drove to Worldwinds so we could participate in the events there, a combination windsurfing Q&A and free Sausage Wraps. While waiting for the show to start, we watched the windsurfers tearing through the water.

For much of the Q&A, Randy and Angela fielded questions about various kinds of jibes. Randy stood on a old board carrying a skeleton rig of mast, boom, and a length of cord. Most of the Q&A involved fancy-pants skills beyond our abilities, but I think we still picked up a few useful pointers.

After the Q&A, most of us ate at the Executive Surf Club. Matt and Karen ate at the Waterstreet Oyster Bar. They reported that the Oyster bar was awesome.

After dinner, we all walked to Havana for a few more drinks. This time was Mike's turn to make a new friend. After Havana, it was back to Bourbon Street for the Saturday night crowd. I think everyone -- especially Mike -- had a good time.