Monday 4th December

Littlehampton 95l FSW, 5.0 and 5.8m

When we got there at high tide it looked pretty windy and there were decent (looking) waves coming well spaced in sets, over head-high.

A couple of locals were rigging 4.5s which looked optimistic so we rigged 5.0s (heavily downhauled out of respect) and watched. There was quite a big dump, but plenty of space between waves so not a bad launch. Its years and years since I sailed there, if I ever did (would have been with a tiga 280) and I'd say its the easiest S Coast shingly launch other than West Witts.

Anyway they went out and we went back to the cars to get FSW waveboards... The waves, and even the occasional bit of whitewater were head-high, but there was not much wind. We then sailed planing in the gusts for a couple of hours, I changed up to 5.8 which improved things a fair bit.

Quite a nice setup for backside riding but it has to be the slowest wave Ive ever sailed - it makes Pagham look fast. Got a few frontside turns but unless you are fully powered on a 5.0 or less I cant see people stringing consecutive turns together. Its a wave that needs to be sailed rather than surfed.

Got a bit of a shock when I fell in the first time, but after a while not too bad, probably could just about have managed without slippers, but didnt fancy adding cold feet to the list of woes.