Danny's Windsurfing Page
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Windsurf log & pics

Indian Beach, Emerald Isle, North Carolna
Early April 2007

Managed to make it to Indian Beach Emerald Isle. Alex and Celeste graciously took care of Mr.Nico while I went at it in 4-5 bft. ocean chop with the 6.5.
I retired my Pirate Wing Sail this session. Thanks Rob Meijer. If only he knew how many years it cranked. 19!
I used a smaller board later that day when the wind kicked in harder. That helped a lot controlling the chop, which was a challenge and swelled bigger as the day moved on.
It was marvelous riding some of the waves. I still can't do it very well, but getting out there to practice is a challenge enough.

Cabarette, Dominican Republic
December 29 & 30, 2006

My dad took this pic on his first day, but it does not show the reef.

Thanks to my folks I ended up in Cabarette, windsurfing paradise for beginning wave sailers.
Yep, there is a reef off the coast and the waves are nice, smooth, non-threatening, and so fun to ride.
I spend two afternoons doing just that on rented JP equipment.
My first excusion into the "new evolution of computer technology board", as the Velo dude explained to me.
"They don't perform better perse, but they are more forgiving."
The first day I rode a 85 liter with 5.6 sail and that was plenty. The second day a 95 liter with a 5.8 sail.
This was likely the best conditions I ever sailed, however choppy, and never mind the numerous blisters on my hands.


Its not me in the picture. This photo I took pretty much after the wind died and I finally realized I should take a picture before the plane left again to go home..
It gives an impression of the waves at their smallest. If you click on the image another one will be loaded, right after the wind had died.

Carolina Beach & Fort Fisher
May 11-12 2006

Day 1; 6.5 with Bic Good 15 mph winds	Matt on Mistral Shredder with Gaastra 6.5	Lucky shot; thanks to Jan
Day 2: tried it on the ocean	No waves, nice swell	Nico says its a sailboat. Close enough.

Avon Outer Banks
April 2005

We rented a house in Avon on Hatteras Island (outer banks, NC) looking at the Canadian hole with soundside access as well as close to the beach. The whole aim was to finally make it out there to the beach windsurf spot on the eastcoast (6 hours from Carrboro). No ocean surfing or windsurfing happened, but having a relaxed windy sound at our fingertips was bliss. Actually, the sound sort of bit us in the ass Saturday with a whopping gale force cold northeastern which ended up being way too much to handle with a 3.5 meter. Only the Lake Michigan helmet wearing die-hards kept on standing up. Still had one of the best windsurfing days in a long time on Thursday with a nice 15-20 knots kicking the old Pirate Wing 6.5 with the Bix Saxo on a sunny day. Matt's equipment failed him, while Jan missed Thursday's wind. Saturday was too much for both of them.We'll do it again.

4-5 Bft. Thursday	Beach on Friday	Saturday morning 25 knots offshore winds
Morning 25 knots	Rerigging with Mr. Nico	Afternoon 30-35 knots
Afternoon 30-35 knots	Afternoon 30-35 knots	Afternoon 35+ knots
Afternoon 35+ knots, Lake Michigan crew still at it somehow

Crissy Field San Francisco
Saturday, sept 11 2004

Thanks to our awesome friends Nath & Jodi who of course were not campainging at all to get us to move over to beautiful SF I ended up having some of the rides of my life under the Golden Gate Bridge, so to speak. Amazingly predictable winds, which reached a good 4-6 bft. on a random summer day. I was racing on a 290 Fanatic Board with a 5.5 sail,  getting more overpowered when getting further out.  The experience of seeing that bridge standing out there in the fog, the fog horns of the huge tankers (which path i made sure not to cross), the awesome steady wind, the chop with some beautiful ramps to fly off from, and of course the sea lion who watched me for a bit before going under, is unforgettable. Crissy Field rocks.  Thanks Cisca and Karlos!

Big ass tankers you got to sort of look out for Beautiful bay bridge on the horizon My belgium hosts kindly enough to lent me their equipment This was rough choppy sailing, but oh so fun Something magical about this experience My local hosts enjoy themselves in their own way

Crissy Field Map and webcam

Wrightsville Beach
Saturday July 24 2004

We went with the gang to a rental cabin on Wrightsville beach. There was an relatively large, nice summer swell, rare according to the local boys. So, no wind? Heck, i'll go riding. Shit what an effort to get out there, paddling against the waves, just to wait to fall off. I like the person who came up with the idea to put a sail on one of these boards. But fun anyway. Surferchick dug me. Michael, Nat, and Matt also had a good time on the long beginner surfboard. Next on schedule is the Northshore, then Maverick's.

A rare summer swell Surferchick (with son) Stookeys once more Happened only once Pretty cool All under control Surferdude rides again

Jordan Lake
Sunday June 1, 2003.

Lordy, a whole year later. Finally got a day to windsurf! The predictions were on for Saturday, so there I was waiting the entire afternoon with some other poor bastards from 3 till 7pm. Nothing came. Not one breeze. It ended at 7p with a bunch of serious rain, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoe warning for Lake Jordan. The park Ranger kicked me out of the park, just out of precaution. Finally blew on the back of the front Sunday morning. Woke up at 4am dizzy from lust with the wind going full force. Beautiful day. Wind was gusty in the morning, but filled in later that day. Windspeed meters of local guys showed 12 to 22 mph in the morning. I rigged a 5.8. Got pretty bruised up on the waveboard; lots of swimming, some crazy jumps.
 
 
 

 
   
Jordan Lake
May 13, 02 On the edge of a Tornado front

Amazing wind. It had been blowing a lot the entire past month, but somehow I was too wrapped up to go out there at all.
This day however I had to skip work and instead head for the lake after driving from Hot Springs 4 hours that same morning. It blew so hard at Weaver, I could not even hold my coffee straight.
So I ended at the lake around 2:00pm, and all had rigged around 5.5m sails. The windline said it was 15-20 miles, but later that day a gust of 35 miles was measured.
I rigged a 5.8 first and pulled out the wave board and could not hold much during gusts.
Some unexpected overpowered air on the small Bic that got baptized that day, finally after looking at me in the basement for over a year.
I broke my mastfoot, whatever you call that in English, but could fix it.
I had to rig down soon that afternoon to the Dutch bought 5.0m, which was actually the second time ever I used that sail.
Some fantastic fun and jumps.
 

Later that evening some pretty serious Tornadoe warnings were in effect for Easter North Carolina.

Jordan Lake
April, 01
Mistral Shredder with an old raggady sail for no money and woppa, Dan da surfing man speeds the lakes ones more ... gusty as hell.
Alkmaardermeer, waar ben je!

Canadian Hole, Hatteras
Februay 01

I told Vinci and Mike I'd go windsurf and left them that day in Ocracoke with my Mistral Shredder and 5.8m2 sail.
The wind blew the equipment almost off my roof. The ocean looked like a roaring wild beast.
They wondered if they would see me ever alive. Mike remarked later he thought I was totally nuts taking such crappy equipment out on the ocean.
But I am not.
I spent most of the day buying a Dutch 5.8 m Gaastra Speed Slalom and a polyester Fanatic Wild 260 (on pic) at Hatteras Windsurding.
When I tried it I was mucho overpowered with spinouts at 25 knots. Went back to the shop after being blown out of the Canadian Hole for about an hour...
Traded the Fanatic plastic vibrator for an ugly wave board Bic SAXO (2,53 m * 0,54 m, 8,1 kg, 75 l, wave).
Didn't get to try the board.

  
I watched this dude on the other side of Canadian Hole. Pretty impressive.
I am doing push ups now.
Missing the good ole North Sea at Bakkum (but not the bike-ride back with the board on the trailer)
Always windy. Always patat met sate..

Weather & Links

Wind Scales - Wind Speed & Observed Effects

Force	Knots	Mph	Kph	Sea Term	Sea Conditions	On-land Appearance
0	<=1	<=1	<=2	Calm	mirror-like water surface	smoke rises vertically
1	1-3	1-3	2-6	Light air or wind	small ripples on surface	smoke drifts and leaves rustle
2	4-6	4-7	7-11	Light breeze	small glassy wavelets	wind felt on face
3	7-10	8-11	12-19	Gentle breeze	large wavelets, some white caps	flags extended, leaves move
4	11-16	12-18	20-30	Moderate breeze	small waves, frequent white caps	dust and small branches move
5	17-21	19-24	31-39	Fresh breeze	moderate waves, many white caps, some spray possible	small trees begin to sway
6	22-27	25-31	40-50	Strong breeze	large waves, white caps all around, some spray	large branches move, wires whistle
7	28-33	32-38	51-61	Near gale	seas heap up the waves, some foam streaks off wave tops	trees in motion, resistance felt when walking
8	34-40	39-46	62-74	Gale	moderately high waves, edges of crests break off in spindrift, foam makes well defined streaks	walking impeded
9	41-47	47-54	75-87	Strong gale	high waves, dense streaks of spray, visibility affected	structural damage may occur
10	48-55	55-63	88-101	Full gale or storm	very high waves, surface white with spray and foam, visibility reduced	trees uprooted, structural damage likely
11	56-63	64-73	102-117	Violent storm	Exceptionally high waves, small to medium ships obscured, visibility limited	damage to structures wide spread
12	64-71	74-82	118-132	Hurricane  (start of)	air filled with foam and spray, sea white, visibility restricted	severe structural damage to buildings, wide spread devastation, flooding

Beaufort Wind Scale, Inland Lake Version http://www.unc.edu/~jbr/chart.html
 
 
 

  Outer Banks Sites: http://sailusa.com/obanks.html 

Triangle Sites: http://triangleboardsailing.com/tbc/siteinfo.html

Windsurfing in the Cape Lookout Area

click on image for descriptions