Cape Town Diary 2022/23

[Hugh2]

A most excellent day. Started at 2 at Kite Beach, nice big swell and decent wind on 9m Pivot and TT. Waved to dracop as I went by Mystic house, he was on a 13m Duotone prototype. I jumped my way north, around to Big Bay, and then the section from Eerstesteen to Derdesteen was spectacular, with almost noone else there and the crescent waves focussing the energy on the center with faces breaking up to 20 ft high. It was intimidating to try to ride them, but I also got some wonderful jumps off them. Altogether a splendid downwinder to Holbaai. Expect more of the same through at least Monday.

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[madis_and_kite]

Hey Hugh2. Since we are in Cape Town for a month, I have tried to find some reliable live wind measurements, but nothing. You seem to have some pretty accurate measurements there. Is it a secret where are you getting them?

[Hugh2]

Hi Madis, there are several ones you can pay for, but this is free and pretty good for Bloubergstrand. It is a site at the Milnerton Aquatic Club on Rietvlei, the open flat water on the east side of Marine Drive between Sunset and Dolphin beaches where the flatwater windsurfers, windfoilers, and wingers like to play. Link is http://mac-wind.appspot.com/?show=15min

[Hugh2]

Not such a good day, it was still pretty light at 3 when I launched 9m Pivot and headed downwind on strapped directional. Waves were good, but I ran out of wind around Mystic house, so waited for a while, then ran out of wind again just north of Big Bay, and then it switched to SW. Sometimes it will come back, and perhaps it did eventually, but by 5 I had given up and caught the bus back. It did fill in at Kite Beach, eventually. Tomorrow looks similar so might have to ride even later.

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[Hugh2]

I waited today to get out, starting at 4:30. Lanral from the BKA shop just came in on 9m and said it was perfect, so that's what I went with, and it was at the limit for me, trimmed down on TT, but the swells were big and the period long, so you had those long smooth sections between waves for getting speed up and I got some good jumps off them. Made it to the same spot about 1kilometer north of Big Bay and with nobody kiting beyond there and the anchored ships pointing SW, decided best not to push on to Holbaai. Caught the bus back and enjoyed a poke bowl and Proteas beating England in first of three ODIs. Good day, and tomorrow should be very interesting, possibly what is known locally as a black SEaster, cloudy, maybe even some rain, and strong wind and even bigger swell. There was a guy on an Ocean Rodeo at Big Bay riding a foil and launching huge jumps with megaloops off the big swells, impressive stuff.

[Hugh2]

A little observation from yesterday. While I was chatting with Lanral at Kite Beach, I noticed a student kiter with an instructor, but unlike most of the teaching setups here, the instructor was apparently going to kite alongside the student, something I have only seen a couple of times on the water here. The instructor had the student launch his kite, and now was trying to launch the student's kite. They were apparently communicating via a headset on the student, and a radio on the instructor, same as the other operations use, but with the instructor remaining on shore. But the student seemed uncomfortable launching with the instructor holding his kite with one hand while hanging onto his own kite in the air, so I ran over and took the kite from the instructor. I was patient as the student took his time getting comfortable, got the lines all straight and tensioned, and gave me the thumbs up and I released the kite. It was perfectly neutral and sat on its wingtip, but then the student seemed unclear on how to get the kite to rise up above him. I indicated he should tweak the upper steering line by pulling the upper end of the bar a little and he did this up and down a few times, very tentatively. I wanted to get back to my conversation with Lanral so left the situation to the instructor and walked away. I had just reached Lanral when the kite came smashing down behind us, luckily not hitting anyone on the beach. The student was clearly a little shaken, so I went over to him and suggested he needed to work on his kite control through body-dragging before trying again, and Lanral asked him not to try again without more instruction (Lanral's shop runs instruction on this beach too). We left again and I had Lanral launch me and took off, noticing that the guy, who was an older chap like me, was now talking with the instructor, who had landed his kite, and apparently deciding against the lesson. Seems clear to me both the student and the instructor majorly over-estimated the student's skill level, seeing that the apparent plan was for them both to be riding simultaneously, as both had boards with them. Thoughts on this teaching method?

[Hugh2]

Today was the strongest of the season, so far. The forecast told it all, a little rain in the morning, then around 11AM it really kicked in and now it is hectic, as they say here in Cape Town. I got out at 3 for an hour, just mowing the lawn survival kiting on 2012 Cabrinha Nomad 5.5m at Kite Beach and did a gentle downwinder to Doodles. Saw dracop at Kite Beach at the start and later in the parking lot, he was on 9m and enjoying it. Lots of carnage along the way. One guy was going big on 10m Core XR and then one jump left his board behind and with flailing legs, landed on his back, dropping his kite which then re-launched on its own and hauled him back up for a bit. I went over to check on him, but he waved me away and dragged to shore where someone better than me had taken his board. Another guy on an 8m Core blew out his knee and was helped off the beach, and another let go his 7m Naish Pivot on the beach and it came flying down till it hit the water and stopped. And there was another older chap like me surviving on a 5m Duotone Evo, but I think I coped better than him. I'm just glad to have survived the day, it's pretty special to be out there with gusts to 40 knots, and still some big swell to boot.

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[Hugh2]

Table Mountain had a duvet on today

[Hugh2]

This is just too much fun. Much gentler day than yesterday, so launched 9m at Kite Beach and rode TT down to Holbaai with lots of lofty jumps. Should not be allowed to have so much fun at my age. Tomorrow should be lighter yet, but still good for a late afternoon session.

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[Hugh2]

Another lovely day. Launched 9m Pivot at Milnerton Lighthouse at 3PM on strapless directional as the waves were tiny. Pleasant fast ride all the way down to Holbaai, taking just an hour as I turned on every wave.

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