Monday 28th August

Bracklesham Bay with a 5.8 on the 95l FSW. Wind was a bit gusty from the NW but the Chimet archive shows F4/5 for the time I was sailing (1130-1430). Only dropped off the plane a handful of times, no waves, but some chop for hopping. Nice and sunny, water temperature has dropped a few degrees already though :(

Thursday 10th August

Bracklesham with 5.8 and FSW. The wind was a nice WNW direction ie only slightly onshore, blowing ~ 18knts but no swell, well maybe 6" :) . Nice and sunny, water very warm.

Monday 31st July

Solid 5.0 day at Bracklesham. Used the FSW board but could easily have been on the waveboard, the Chimet archive shows an average 25 knts for the time we were out. Caught the tide just right and was rewarded with clean waves, up to head-high from low to mid-tide. The wind was very onshore, but it was great for backside-riding and aeriels and you could carve hard up into the wave to jump on the way out.

As ever, totally uncrowded.

Sunday 9th July

Sailed at Pagham with the boys with a 5.0 but it was plenty windy enough for a 4.2. Chimet was showing F6 gusting 7. Had the FSW out at first which was a bit hectic, right on the limit of its range, but sailable - would be OK in clean waves in that wind. Changed to the waveboard and that calmed things down nicely.

Very choppy, except up by the spit was was billiard table flat, due to the current coming out of the harbour on the ebbing tide.

Lovely sunny day on the coast - miserable inland.

Friday 9th June

After some major traffic hassle due to the M25 being closed, got to Felpham and got on the water about 5pm. Went out with 5.8 on the FSW and the wind was a bit scratchy from the East. The tide turned soon after though and the wind filled into reasonable planing conditions and I sailed til after 7pm. The Sun was out and the water was warm, so although it wasnt radical conditions, it was still a nice sail.

Saturday 20th May

Got a late session at Pagham. It was nuclear windy - 35knts average gusting 45 on Chimet. Used my very old 3.7 and prob would have been better off with my only slightly less old 4.2. Need a new 4.2.

Some rideable waves, but they were doing the usual Pagham thing of walling up, then vanishing after you've got one top turn. Good jumping, when you weren't totally overpowered.

Friday 19th May

Went to Avon Beach - got there in less time than it takes to get to Bracklesham or The Witterings. Started off on 5.0, nicely powered, got a lot of waves with 4/5 bottom turns on each. Over time the wind picked up and I changed down to 4.2 but overdownhauled it. I think I need to ditch the 4.2 and get a 4.5 Session and come in if there's more wind than I can handle with that.

Avon is great venue, sandy, no shorebreak, lots of waves, no crowds or aggro. Will go there again. Quite a bit probably...

Thursday 13th April

5.0 on the 95l Freestyle Wave at Bracklesham Bay. Chimet was showing WSW when I left but definitely SWly when I got there. Decent enough waves, very onshore meaning no down the line but good backside aerials. Tide dropped quickly, and it was easily waveboard windy when Rich and I packed up.

For the record, missed good down the line sails at Pagham today (head-high, 4.7m) and yesterday (head-high, 4.5m).

Here is someone out at Pagham earlier, with the tide on the push...










Nice!

This image was posted on the forums on Boards website in the 'How was it for you?' section. Do not look at it if you are stuck in the office...

The author at Gnaraloo in November 2004 - feels like a long time ago...

... and half a world away, which of course, it is.