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Cape Town diary

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Hugh2
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Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:11 pm

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Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:10 pm

Thanks Kitemenn. Forecast was for a strong SEaster in the afternoon, and man did Cape Town deliver. I chose to ride early with Uli, a German kiter I met on Saturday, whose smallest kite is a 9m, so he has to go early. We were at Kite Beach at noon, and could see the SEaster bearing down on us from Dolphin Beach as we pumped up 9m kites, and hit the water at 12:30. It's always good to ride right at the start of the SEaster, because later the wind-driven chop messes up the waves. And the waves were decent sized, so we had a superb time jumping off them. I thought I got 10m again, but the Surfr app insists my best was 9.6m, oh well, it was good fun anyway. 146 jumps, although some of those were jumps on the way out to get over the bigger waves coming in. We rode at Doodles for a while till we could see several kites at Big Bay (you don't want to commit to the trip around the rocks if there is a chance of a lull in the wind). Big Bay was actually decent for a change, but some old dude like me got pissed off when I apparently landed too close to him for comfort, as did some of the directional riders just downwind of Big Bay. But I just jumped my way through, and soon we were in the best part, from Eerstesteen down to Haakgat, and we had it completely to ourselves. The waves were much bigger there and as usual formed crescent shapes, perfect for riding through on toeside and then launching off the tail end of them. I was pretty exhausted by the time we got to Haakgat, and anyway the waves there were huge and the hotshot directional riders and windsurfers were ripping them up, so we just went down to Holbaai to land and catch the bus back, arriving back around 4PM. Turns out this was Uli's first downwinder, can you imagine having that as your first downwinder? Amazing! I was sorely tempted to get out again, likely on my 5.5m and directional as it was nuking by then, but wisdom prevailed and my knees thank me for it. I was supposed to do a second downwinder with Ozzie, a small Turkish woman who always rides a 5m, but it turned out she was overpowered and blown off the water, so that let me off the hook. Instead I drove to just downwind of Kite Beach and watched local rider Jason van der Spuy on an 8m Lacuna on short lines throwing down the insane megaloops he is famous for. Instagram video below. There were all sorts of hotshot riders getting massive air, including two on 8m 2021 Pivots (shades of blue and shades of orange/red, perhaps the Pivot rider from the KOTA). What an epic day, gusts to 40 knots are nothing to sneeze at here, that's serious wind. Marine Drive along Bloubergstrand was car-high in blowing sand, and the tablecloth on TM was a duvet covering the entire mountain in a massive shroud of billowing white clouds. Spectacular.
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Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Dec 16, 2021 6:14 pm

My sister and I went to a cottage in a private nature reserve just east of Hermanus for Tuesday and Wednesday. It was like winter, cold, windy, raining, so we had a very quiet time, enjoying all the little birds that frequented the bushes and a tree in front of the cottage, plus as dusk fell the various bats that emanated from a bat house attached to the roof. So good to see bats again, we've lost them all in Illinois to "white nose" fungal disease. Hermanus has a great coastal walkway that extends from Grotto Beach, where we usually kite in the lagoon, which is now open to the ocean due to all the rain they have had, and hence empty where folks usually kite (see pic below, taken from the spot where the pros usually jump launch), all the way along the seashore between the houses and the cliffs and beaches, with only one part missing. We had an 8k walk along it and back in intermittent rain, plus a short walk on the mountain, and a drive out to Danger Point lighthouse which is visible across Walker Bay, where the Birkenhead English troop ship ran aground in the 1850s with massive loss of life (pre-lighthouse).

Back in Cape Town today, the forecast was again for a strong SEaster and it blew all day. Friends got decent sessions in the morning, then it faded a little at lunch. I got to Dolphin Beach around 12:00 when it was pretty reasonable and headed out on 7m and directional around 12:30, but was soon being pulled off that. I tried riding TT for a while, but was having to ride with the kite fully trimmed down, so swapped to 5.5m, but again I don't like jumping with that small kite, so even though I was now in control, all I could do was mow the lawn back and forth. So instead I went back to the directional to ride some waves at least. Basically it was survival kiting for me so I finally quit around 2:30, to go watch the pros. Kevin Langaree was putting on a show north of Kite Beach in front of his apartment there, massive jumps that seemed to go on forever, his first heliloop often taking him back up again for awhile, and a second heliloop to land so sweetly. And of course, he was on a 9m, it's just sickening the way these guys can hold down such big kites. But not everyone, I watched a guy go down and pump up a 9m Switchblade at the same spot but as soon as he launched it he thought better of it and landed it. He changed down to 7m Switchblade, but then made a mistake I've made too many times, which was to struggle to relaunch the kite in the waves after having crashed and rolled it. Inevitably a big wave caught the kite and with his body resisting it, tore it in two. I've done that at least three times, and have finally learned that if you don't get the kite back up quickly, and the waves are big, you simply have to release to safety and drift to shore and reset. Sadly for him, Paul Lagesse at Second Wind Kites, the superb repair guy here, is gone for the holidays as of today, so he will be stuck without that kite till January. Tomorrow looks like the SEaster will only kick in late, so might be a morning for a hike.
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Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Dec 16, 2021 6:24 pm

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The empty lagoon at Hermanus, the river opening is just visible in the distance along with a lone kiter, presumably headed for the ocean
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A hilarious sculpture of two baboons in a boat looking through a telescope. The inscription says to look back at them through the lens of the telescope to see what endangers them and other wildlife, and of course it is a mirror.

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Twelve idle shark cage dive boats at Kleinbaai near Gansbaai. The industry has been terminated by several orcas that were killing the great white sharks to eat their massive livers, and the sharks have left for safer waters.

Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Dec 16, 2021 8:34 pm

And in case anyone missed it, here is Kevin Langaree's downwinder late on Monday afternoon when it was nukin. Rather different style than us, but he misses out on the best section north of Big Bay.

Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:54 pm

Forecast was for a mellow SEaster relatively late in the day, so I waited till 2PM to launch 9m on surfboard at Milnerton lighthouse, as the direction was almost perfectly south, which makes it sideshore instead of sideoff there (remember that the SEaster blows there first and hence by 2PM it was already reasonably strong, much stronger than the meter below at Kite Beach, more like the 4PM reading there). The waves were near nonexistent, and being spring high tide, were practically breaking on the shore. So I rode downwind fairly fast, planning to meet up with Uli, the German kiter, at Doodles to continue downwind. But just after Sunset Beach who do I encounter but Uli on a 12m Switchblade. Turns out he had ridden upwind from Doodles, YIKES! So we rode for a while at Dolphin Beach, amazing to have the place almost to oneself again. There was a very good rider out on a 12m Reedin Supermodel V2 and while he would probably make any kite look good, that 12 seemed like the real deal, and certainly a lot cheaper than the Duotone Dice SLS I rode last week. I'll have to ask Lanral at the BKA shop to let me demo one as he is now the Reedin outlet in Cape Town. We slowly worked out way down to Doodles, with the southerly being far stronger beyond the waves and strangely almost nonexistent on the beach. The waves were a little better but not much, and I risked breaking fins in the shorebreak, while Uli worked on his jumps and landings. At Doodles we swapped boards, and he got straight up on my strapless directional and rode it well, first time ever on a directional, albeit he had to gybe to toeside to go the other way. I tried his split-board and while it felt a little heavy in hand, that was not noticeable when riding, and I got some high jumps, albeit my landings were off. By then we were both a little tired and a little cold so decided to quit rather than go on to Big Bay and beyond. I got a bus immediately, and a transfer immediately to get back to Woodbridge Island in short order. All in all a pleasant session on a day that did not promise much. Some others went to Witsand at the Breede River mouth where the forecast was for 30-40 knots, and they said it howled.
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Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:28 pm

Forecast was for an even lighter SEaster very late, so I hiked up Table Mountain via the India-Venster route again, but this time I woke at 5AM and got the base at 6AM, which was much cooler, plus a pleasant breeze kept it cool all the way up. Lots of other folks had the same idea, I'd say maybe 50 total, most of them younger and passing me and I took lots of long breaks so 4 hours total. Unfortunately my left knee, injured in a snow-boarding accident many years ago, is playing up, so I'm not sure I will do it again. Late afternoon David and I had a session at Sunset Beach. The wind was south but light. David foiled on 9m and then 12m, while I rode a while on TT with 10m. Then I tried his foil. It is aluminum and medium aspect, but the board is much smaller than mine, so it was a little tricky getting going, but I got it eventually both directions. Again, his 12m Duotone Dice SLS is a superb kite. I need to try it on my North bar and see if the low V matters. Tomorrow is similar wind in Table Bay, but forecast strong down south, so we might go to Cape Point.

1234567Simon
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Posts: 532
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:42 pm
Kiting since: 2019
Local Beach: Netherland‘s beaches,
Favorite Beaches: Ijmuiden on NW
Gear: Wave Board, Wave Kites, foiling. But Plan to get Back to Twin Tip boosting
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby 1234567Simon » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:19 am

Thumbs up. Nice to read….
👍👍👍
Keep writing please!

Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:00 pm

Thanks Simon! Forecast for today was a little strange. Kite Beach was supposed to kick in late, but otherwise the only wind was down south, and it looked intense. I should have paid more attention to the meter at Cape Point, below. Anyway, I enjoy visiting Cape Point, so I headed down. As I got to Simon's Town I could see the SEaster blasting in across False Bay, which till then was a duck pond. At Cape Point it was howling. I went down to Platboom on the Atlantic side, where three guys were out on tiny kites, but soon came in and turned out they were overpowered on 5m kites. I could hardly walk on the beach the gusts were so strong. So since I was now on my own and my smallest kite is a 5.5m I chose caution over chaos. Further along at the road to Cape of Good Hope were about 8 windsurfers and one guy on a 5m and directional, all having a blast. That stretch of beach is simply spectacular when it is windy, photos don't do it justice. I include a few animal shots below, the ostriches appeared to be eating gravel in the parking lot, something some birds do to provide grinding material in their gizzards. The antelope is a bull eland, favorite prey of the San people back when. And there were lots of tortoises on the roads.

Back at Bloubergstrand the SEaster finally showed up around 4:30 and I got out on 9m at 5 at Dolphin Beach. Almost no waves and a lot of chop made me struggle a bit, and again I could not break the 10m mark, with a bunch of 9m jumps. But it was fun watching Lasse Walker put on a show, and my friend David had his highest jump ever at 14.7m. Back on the beach I again watched a couple novices trying to fly a 7m Naish Park on the beach. Turned out they were paragliders who had taken a lesson or two a few years ago and were keen to get going, but yikes it pains me to see folk struggle like that. So I gave them some pointers. The one guy then had his girlfriend have a go, and that almost ended in tears as inevitably she, having never had a lesson, lost control of the kite. Luckily a line snagged on one of the posts sticking out of the beach and depowered the kite. I surely wish these people would just pay for lessons, it could save their lives.
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Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:06 pm

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These users thanked the author Hugh2 for the post:
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