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Cape Town Diary 2022/23

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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 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Nov 25, 2022 6:12 pm

I could not stop myself from riding this morning, starting around 10:30 at Dolphin beach where my local friend David was riding already. I went out on 9m Pivot and had an OK session, but the tide was low, the waves were messy, and the wind was fluky. I got one decent 9m jump right at the end of the session. The wind was filling in and I was fully trimmed down, so swapped down to 7m Pivot for a downwinder to Holbaai, just past Haakgat, which is my usual downwind run. The 7m was not quite enough so even with full trim it was hard to get good jumps, and the waves were still messy all along Bloubergstrand. The section from Big Bay to Holbaai was better, as is usually the case, with longer period waves, but they were not forming the half-moon crescents they usually do, nevertheless some good wave riding and jumping with almost nobody else around. Caught the bus back, had lunch, and went down to Kite Beach in hopes of seeing some of the KOTA riders and others. Marc Jacobs put on a real show, Timo Boersema was almost as good, Aaron Hadlow seemed to struggle, Kevin Langaree was on the beach maybe went later, and other notables hanging around were Yanek and Rueben (neither seemed like to kite). The others were surely out practising elsewhere. KOTA is called on for this weekend, see the thread from Toby, so tomorrow I will go early again to get parking and ride 9m in the morning. Assuming they don't run till sunset I'd like to get a 7m session in afterwards, but I don't think I can handle that much sun, so we will see.

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 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:14 pm

That was a truly memorable day. I got to Kite Beach around 9AM in time to snag a nearby parking spot. Folks were milling around and I was a little surprised there were so few kiters out, indeed just one at Kite Beach itself, who turned out to be none other than decay, who posts regularly here. He was doing some very smooth loops so I was surprised to hear he mastered them just recently. I had a pleasant chat with his wife Sue on the beach, then decided it was time to have a go myself as conditions looked near perfect. I pumped 9m Pivot and had a great hour-long session from around 10:30 till I was overpowered even with the kite fully trimmed down. Top jump was 8.6m with a distance of 70m, what fun. I still need to get back to 10m, but am starting to get comfortable with heights again.

But obviously talking of heights the KOTA was simply amazing. No point going into details as most reading this will have watched it, or you can later. Suffice to say it had to be the best KOTA yet, with the most extreme wind conditions and simply amazing performances by everyone, but especially the young guns who have mastered double loops as well as more regular jumps. Watching guys doing board-offs and rolls during one-handed double loops was ridiculous. Crowd favorites like Beto Gomez were wonderful, and of course the three finalists were amazing with such a youngster as Lorenzo Casati coming out on top. This may have been the last we see of some of the old guard in the KOTA. I said yesterday I usually like to ride immediately after the KOTA, but not only did it end just before sunset, it was blowing far too hard for me. I don't think the Rietvlei meter below fully captured how strong it was, and certainly the forecasts I saw did not predict such strong conditions. Anyway, tomorrow we will have one more day of SEaster for the rest of us mortals to enjoy.
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CaptainKook (Sun Dec 04, 2022 12:21 am)
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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
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Sun Nov 27, 2022 3:50 am

Forgot the meter readings, I was so tired I was nodding off as I was typing. On the beach it felt even stronger and steadier than that.
Screen Shot 2022-11-26 at 8.58.17 PM.png

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
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:21 pm

What a great day! Wind blew all night and so this morning I headed to Kite Beach for an early start around 9. Used 9m and surfboard for my first outing strapless this season. Small waves perfect for trying to get un-rusty. Downwinder to Holbaai as usual, with a special treat. As I turned back for a wave, it formed and a small dolphin surfed into it and rode sideways down it, and I was able to turn onto the wave just behind it, which sadly spooked it, but a magical moment. Back at Kite Beach around noon, the wind had filled in so after a toasted sandwich for lunch I pumped 7m Pivot and made a new friend there, Lucas, and suggested he come along to Holbaai. Turns out he regularly does downwinders, but hitchhikes back, and had never gone all the way to Holbaai. He was riding a strapped surfboard very nicely, while I went with twintip for some jumping. Annoyingly my Surfr app malfunctioned so no record of this session. Back at Kite Beach around 2:30, we pumped up again and I rode in place, trying to do some bigger jumps as the wind had intensified, and with my kite fully trimmed down I was able to get 9.7 and 10.8m jumps, felt really good and smooth landings. One had to keep an eye out upwind as there were guys going massive. Around 4 it seemed to kick up yet another notch, although it does not show in the MAC windmeter below, and I could no longer hold the 7m down, so had to quit. I remain in awe of the hotshots, some of whom were still on 9m, although most were on 8m, like Lanral from the BKA shop. Tomorrow there is nothing here, only perhaps down at Cape Point, so I am going to Witsand at the Breede River mouth, although Struisbaai would also be good.
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duddd (Mon Nov 28, 2022 9:35 am) • CaptainKook (Sun Dec 04, 2022 12:27 am)
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decay
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Local Beach: Muizenburg, Cape Town
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby decay » Mon Nov 28, 2022 5:15 am

Hugh! So great to see you back in CPT. Saturdays session was fun and only a warm up such a HUGE day.

I was completely over sun/sand/wind after Caddy Duties so spent a chilled day at home yesterday, I'm sure it was GOOD tho.

Have fun in Witsand I love the riding there, sounds like a cool crew heading that way too. I do enjoy Struisbaai as well, Su and I regularly head there wind the wind swings too East for town.

Cheers

DK

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
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Tue Nov 29, 2022 7:14 pm

Monday was epic at Witsand, easterly was blowing dogs off chains as they say. I was on 7m Pivot fully trimmed down and still got hauled around a few times in gusts. There were three kiters when I arrived, then they left and I rode upwind through the river mouth to the ocean where once you get out of the washing machine stuff, the spacing between breaking and broken waves was good enough for fast smooth riding and small jumps over the incoming waves going towards the restaurant, and then big jumps off those waves coming back. Stupidly I forgot my burner iPhone that I use for the Surfr app, so have no records, but some seemed higher than 10m to me. It was a blast. Then I fought my way further upwind to beyond the huge swells coming in, which being immediately wind-driven were not continuous but breaking in patches, much like what happens in Cape Hatteras when a NEaster blows. So I could slalom around the breaking sections because when riding along the shore and wave lines, there is no way I could have jumped over them. It's really fun being that far out in deep green water, completely safe because any problem will just result in getting washed to shore. Not to mention kiting in a swim suit in the Indian ocean is a pleasant change from the cold Atlantic.

I had a nap after that session and woke to find about 15 kiters arriving, presumably the gang decay mentioned, mostly Americans from California and a couple South Africans, a Namibian, and a Kiwi. Several of them were very good, but it meant the slick behind the sandbar got very crowded, so I headed back to the ocean for more fun. One final session once they had thinned out and I was done. I was impressed with a small young woman who was riding a Duotone Evo SLS 7m with no problem when I was struggling to hold down my 7m Pivot. That must be a very forgiving kite, or I am just incompetent.

Today there was no good forecast anywhere, at least that I could see, so I went to the De Hoop Nature Reserve for the first time, and hiked the 6km Klipspringer trail at the Potsberg section where there is a colony of Cape vultures. Very nice hike, but by the time I was down around 10:30 it was blazing hot. So I headed to the main section of the reserve where there is beach access, albeit via a really long road, and a pretty good restaurant with a pool. Good ways to cool off. Finally back home with a stop in Hermanus just in case there was wind, but no go, just a bunch of guys sitting around looking glum. Tomorrow is equally useless, so chores instead. Thursday-Sunday look good for Kite Beach again.
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CaptainKook (Sun Dec 04, 2022 12:35 am)
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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
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Sat Dec 03, 2022 6:10 pm

Three days with relatively little wind in Cape Town, so I busied myself with other things. Yesterday lots of folk went to Hermanus where there was a strong SW forecast, which is perfect for the ocean and lagoon there. Lasse Walker was there putting on a show, as seen in this clip.



Anyway, a decent southerly was forecast for this afternoon, although not as SE as usual and some clouds. I launched at the lighthouse in Milnerton around 2PM on 7m Pivot and strapless board and had a pretty good downwinder. The best part was Sunset Beach with straight down the line riding on good clean waves. I should have stayed there longer, because the section to Kite Beach was messy, as indeed was all of Bloubergstrand. I stopped at Kite Beach for a break, also hoping the wind would fill in more, and found there was a Slingshot demo going on, so had a session on a 9m Slingshot Code, their three-strut kite and their Mystic carbon twintip. The kite is completely different from the Pivot, which has considerable grunt to it, even on the outer steering lines setup I use. Instead with the Code on the factory middle setting it was extremely light bar pressure, so much so initially I could not feel where the kite was, rather disconcerting. The wind was not strong, but even so the jumping seemed weak, but obviously it is not as their rider in the KOTA used a Code. I guess one gets used to such light bar pressure, and maybe it would be a good idea as I get older and weaker. Their bar is also interesting, having the main line and the flag-out line separately enclosed in tubes that are pretty well sealed, so presumably no sand in them so less wear. And the board was excellent, although a bit flat for my liking, I caught the tip a couple of times. Then I continued downwind, but perhaps half an hour too soon as when rounding the rocks to Big Bay I almost ran out of wind and barely made it in, with noone flying kites there, and guys getting ready to go out on 12m. I decided to call it quits instead of continuing to Holbaai as I don't like getting stuck halfway, but by the time I had packed up my gear everyone there was headed out as the wind finally filled in. Oh well, tomorrow is another day, hopefully with decent SEaster filling in earlier.
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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 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Sun Dec 04, 2022 8:06 pm

Forecast was for a reasonable southerly wind today, and that's what we got all day. I waited till rather late in hopes it would fill in more, but it never really did. I launched around 4:00 at Dolphin beach for a ride-in-place session there, using 7m Pivot and TT. Conditions were okay, but not great, lots of holes in the wind and I should have been on my 9m. Decent waves and some decent spacing between them, but somehow my jumps just were not working well, so max height was 7.5m. Lots of strange things today. One was a winger coming through the area. There are now enough good wingers around that some are riding the swells, but this is the first time I've actually encountered one while kitesurfing, and it took me a bit by surprise, but I managed to avoid him. I'd hate to hit one of those things. Second was the number of short tackers today, just way too many riders tacking back to shore before the final waves or tacking to go back out without going all the way in. It is annoying as most don't bother to look behind them before they do it, and second, they screw up the landing zones for those looking to jump. They are taking a real risk of someone landing on them. At the end my local friend David gave me a quick session on his 9m Duotone Dice SLS. Sort of like the Slingshot Code I rode yesterday, it has low bar pressure but he is able to get it to jump, and obviously so can the KOTA riders. I find it difficult, but again, might be a good idea as I get older and can't hold a Pivot for more than a couple hours. I really don't like riding in place, it wears me out, so today was only a hour long session. Light winds all week it seems. I have a US friend arriving tomorrow and she might have to wait till Saturday to ride, which is a shame. Finally, the load shedding is getting bad here. Today was Stage 4, with power out in our area from 2:00-4:30, 10:00-12:30, and 18:00-20:30, but the latter has continued till past 2100 and as I post this still not back this evening.
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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 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Wed Dec 07, 2022 7:45 pm

The last three days have been SW to West winds, generally building in the early afternoon. These are seldom strong winds, but a few kiters have ridden each afternoon along Bloubergstrand, and my American friend Susan and I rode yesterday. This wind is straight onshore and we were barely able to stay upwind with 12m Duotone Dice and twintip. Luckily at Dolphin beach there were only 4-6 riders, as well as some foilers riding outside, so it was possible to avoid each other while riding along the shore and back inbetween broken waves. Tomorrow the breeze should go back to SE, and be very strong at Cape Point and medium strong at Witsands, but I think there will be enough east in it to be extremely gusty there, so we likely will go to Muizenberg for reasonable breeze, but again straight onshore.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Peter_Frank » Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:13 pm

Kitefoilers or wingfoilers outside Hugh?

I know quite a number of wingfoilers in CT, and I believe you also know Peter Petersen.

It is growing like all over the world :D

But both works great down there, especially early on the day when loads of room and clean soft swells most often.

8) Peter


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