VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Bobson's latest sailing log reminded me of this blog: http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2009/ ... ation.html. James both kites and windsurfs, and in Florida, he has a lot of days where he windsurfs happily when it just isn't enough to kite. It is making me rethink whether kiting is the cure fo low-wind frustration (though I'm going to learn anyway, for that 12-18 knot window where the kites are fully powered but windsurfing is a lot of work).

For many of us who moved to the 'Dark Side' kiting was to be an alternative to light wind windsurfing ... I would kite until I observed enough wind to take out my trusty tiga plastic fantastic 257 & 4.7M sail ... As we improved & technology evolved it was unneccesary to carry around the windsurfing gear ... Our comfort zone made kiting in the strong winds safe & fun ... some hard core windsurfers (Watson in 40+ knots for ex.) occasionally bring out the extreme gear for those rare adrenalin pumping 'man against the sea' sessions ... As usual I digress ... Kiting in less than 12 knots has become mundane for many of us & going full circle I picked up a 'one-design' as a light wind alternative to kiting !!!

I think Jimmy has 'hit the nail on the head' with the talk about 'carrying around windsurfing gear'. To sail yesteday I had a 228x100.5cm board, a 10m sail with a luff of 548cms and a boom of 250 even with the clew cut-out! A 520cm mast and a 70cm fin. YUP, that's alot of gear.

I can understand why some people don't want to lug around that much gear...but for me, ripping over that flat water at twice the speed of the wind is pure heaven. I would choose to go out in 10kts rather than 30kts....that's why my smallest sail is a 6.5m.

I overheard the kiter-dudes yesterday, when I came in to say HEY to them, that it was 5-7kts on the beach. I'm guessing it was 7-9kts on the water which meant pumping each time to get going.....and with a 10m sail and as Mr. Kus says a 'Barn Door' board it was a lot of work to pump up to a plane....but the good thing is that I'm not only windsurfing for the pure enjoyment of it all, I windsurf for fitness so that part is really, really good fitness...not to mention carry all that gear into and out of the water....when when I get on a plane....it's no more work than sailing my 6.5m....well, except for a bit more leg strength pushing against that massive fin.....HA!

Just my take on the 'RGB' Really Big Gear.....and even though my 10.0m is probably the biggest locally, it's not 'REALLY' big....as most formula guys have 11.7m's and 12.5m's.....which are needed for racing but not for cruizing around town.

....Ding!

What do you use to cart around the RBG Bobson? I think my biggest objection to owning that size of equipment is that none of it would fit in my car!

How come you don't like getting out in 30 knots and playing in the swell? Nothing beats riding down a wave for me, and although I've only had one kick at the can, CB conditions are just soo ideal!

Just wondering, obviously everyone has their own preferences in life.

i think you just need an RBV with RBRR.

really big vehicle with really big roof rack?

Hey, in the old days hundreds of thousands of people didn't think anything of putting a roofrack on a compact car and loading a windsurf longboard. Many otherwise environmentally carefull people even today transport kayaks and canoes this way, which are much bigger and heavier. I don't see what the big deal is to fit a 2.25m long, 8.5 kg Formula board on a car.

I'd have to start stuffing my sails in the car, because that size of board simply wouldn't fit on the rack with the yakima box!

Life is exactly what we want to make it and focus out attention on. If its laying down those rippin lay down gybes with a 11 M sail or kiting like a demon, we focus on what we love. If it dosen't work, keep trying till you die.

Doesn't, Bill. come on up to Columbia and kite wit da locals. Bring Lucky. ------ Oh ya we don't have thresholds.

After 20 years of windsurfing I got into kiting for the same reasons as switching from skiing to snowboarding: something new, different and fun.

I've kept most of my sailing gear, and wish I had more time for it, but its the ease of loading up kite stuff that keeps the sailboards/masts/sails/booms/fins/.... at the back of the garage.

For me, in light wind and with sandy beaches nearby, my first choice is a big foil kite ( Flysurfers - started with a Titan, now loving a Speed2 ) and a flat twin or surfboard. In 6 - 9 knots it's cruising kind of like Formula gear without the work-out, with 10 knots, it's Airtime & floaty jumps.

So many ways to have a blast, we're living in the golden age of watersports.