sunday 27 september 2020
Big storm expected, up to 9 bft. Sailed with Jurjen at the Grevelingendam. In the beginning, the wind wasn't WNW yet, so started with the JP FSW 102 with Banzai 5.3. Close to the shore bobbing, on the edge of the shallow water: strong winds. Sailed until the wind turned and increased.
Switched to the AHD with Banzai 4.2, the 4.2 ended up being trimmed over max, it sailed very well between the hardest gusts. The strongest gusts were extreme. Jumping, back-side waveriding: Enjoying it.
Grevelingendam can be really nice spot.
Steven and Yentel gave a demonstration of why they are pro surfers. [Read...]
sunday 06 september 2020
Prediction was 12 to 16 knots, enough to cruise with big sails in the afternoon.
Sailed with the iSonic 117 with S-Type 8.3, started with the SL-X 43cm, later switched to the SL-P 46cm.
Step on and was planing directly, wind direction perfect: WNW, so in the bay good wind. Fun racing back and forth with Boris and Hans. Hans was often just a little faster, Boris just a little slower. Especially if we had to get upwind, I couldn't keep up with Hans. The SL-P 46cm ran so much more free.
It took some getting used to the big sail. But it's nice to have long runs with some surfing buddies. [Read...]
sunday 06 september 2020
In the afternoon good wind predicted, Martijn was on vacation, good time to go surfing at Kabbelaarsbank.
Prediction was 25 to 32 knots SW. Started with JP FSW 102 with Banzai 5.3 and Makani 26cm. Freeride, bit chop-hopping. When the wind increased, switched to the FSW 84. Freemove, jumping, bit of wave riding: enjoying.
Rescued somebody.
It was nice to have sailed with Martijn again. In retrospect, the 4.7 would surely have been better. [Read...]
wednesday 02 september 2020
Strong northern wind predicted throughout the day, good direction for Brouwersdam south.
Sailed with the JP FSW 84 with Banzai 4.2 and Select 21cm/Makani 8cm. Tricky shore-break, took a bit of focus and timing. The water was chaotic: a lot of moving water, high swell, but few steep waves, and certainly no long lines. Bit of jumping, bit of back-side waveriding. Sailed until I was completely empty.
It was really a great day, wind was relatively stable. never too strong, never not planing for long. Lots of jumping.
No sunshine, but also no rain. [Read...]
tuesday 01 september 2020
After almost 1.5 years since I last sailed at Grevelingendam.
Around noon the storm was going to decrease a bit, making surfing possible. Sailed with JP FSW 84 with Banzai 4.2 and MUF 20/Makani 10cm.
Typical Grevelingendam conditions, lots of short steep waves. Often nice jumping. Really delicious bump-n-jump. Wave riding wasn't really possible, yes sometimes a single back-side hit, tricky with the waves so close to each other, often you're already past the wave after a bottom-turn.
Very nice sailing sailing, good to have sailed at the Grevelingendam with the small kit again. [Read...]
tuesday 01 september 2020
Next night, Storm Francis will come over. In the evening, the wind would turn from SSE to SW and increase considerably in strength. On arrival the wind was still south, so not yet turned.
Used the JP FSW 84 with Banzai 4.2 and Freewave 21/makani 10cm.
Inward there were lots of nice waves to play and waveride, especially back-side wave riding was great, some runs almost al the way in: back to back wave riding from wave to wave. Going out, the waves were also getting more beautiful and higher, some nice high jumps.
Lovely evening, was often really perfect, very nice waves. [Read...]
