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Cape Town Diary 2022/23

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decay
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby decay » Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:57 pm

See you at home (Muizenberg) tomorrow Hugh, looking like a fun session

DK

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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Dec 08, 2022 5:28 am

We saw mostly kitefoilers, Peter. Two wingfoilers struggled to get out through the medium size waves, and I don't think either made it,when we were there. But yes, wingfoiling has taken off here too, although still nowhere as big as kiting, of course. Reitvlei, which used to be the province of the slalom windsurfers, is now almost entirely wingers, and a few foiling windsurfers. In the ocean I've seen a few wingers, even riding the swells right amoungst the kitesurfers, however most stay outside, often far outside, basically doing downwinders from Milnerton to BigBay or beyond riding the swells with the wing to help occasionally. For winging in place I imagine Big Bay would be best as it is easier to get out there. The hordes of windsurfers that used to dominate at Sunset Beach are thin on the ground these days.
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Hugh2
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Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
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Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:06 pm

My forecast for today was off. We went to Muizenberg around 1PM but no decent wind and in fact it was SW instead of SE and the wave period was far too short. We stayed there two hours trying everything we could with a 12m Dice to no avail, lots of walking back up the beach. So instead headed over to Witsands and it seemed everyone was there, really crowded. Local friends David and Stef had finished a session but were not happy with how crowded it was, so they left for Glencairn on False Bay and had a good time there. I decided to kite at Witsands, and fortunately had my 9m Pivot along. I was riding with full trim and negotiating the crazy congestion reasonably well, as well as the sets of large waves coming through. First session I worked upwind to get away from the crowds, and second session went downwind, almost to the crayfish factory and got some nice clear jumping there, but as usual forgot my Surfr phone. It was too hectic for Susan to try her first real Atlantic session. Several KOTA riders were there putting on a show so she enjoyed watching them instead. Tomorrow is NW, so anywhere on the Atlantic coast should work, we will probably go to Kite Beach.
Last edited by Hugh2 on Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:01 am, edited 2 times in total.

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decay
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby decay » Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:01 am

Yeah, we didn't even bother with Sunrise looking at the meter Hugh, way too west, ended up at our testing spot further E along False Bay.

Weekend wind is looking GOOD, looking forward to it

Cheers

DK

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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Flyboy » Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:10 am

Looking at the forecasts, the wind seems to be all over the place in direction & strength. Is that normal?

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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby duddd » Fri Dec 09, 2022 7:53 am

Misty was super overcrowded on Thursday and the forecast did not deliver.
Note to self ..never go to Misty again when all other spots have no forecasted wind
Saturday looks really good at Kite beach and i'm hoping that Sunday will deliver also

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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Dec 09, 2022 8:58 am

DK, which meter are you using down there? Yes, I was surprised at how SW the wind was at Muizenberg, if it was SE as forecast I think we would have been fine.

Flyboy, a short-lived low formed offshore that has resulted in this rapid switching from SW to SE to NW to SE - you can see it in Windy. Some believe the SEaster should blow constantly all day every day, but after coming here for the past 12 years for 1-3 months each summer I know you can easily get 4-5 days without SEaster, as seems likely next week. So I tell friends who want to come, you have to stay at least two weeks to be assured of at least a few days of SEaster, and be ready to do other things the other days. One other thing to keep in mind is that after a SEaster has blown here for a couple days or more, the whole system that generates it (a high pressure offshore and a little south of Cape Town) usually moves east and hence you get one day of strong easterlies further east, like Struisbaai just east of Cape Agulhas or Witsand or Stillbaai further east, and the next day the easterlies will blow all the way up to Port Elizabeth and East London if you are willing to drive that far.

Dudd, you are right about Witsands (folks should not call it Misty Cliffs, that is a tiny launch in the village of Misty Cliffs about a kilometer upwind) being overcrowded on a day like yesterday when the forecast for Bloubergstrand was weak. But if you just work your way upwind or downwind you will find room to ride and jump. The same is true for much of Bloubergstrand, and if you still find that too crowded, try the stretch beyond Big Bay. And in future if considering Witsands but it is too crowded, consider going to the other side at Glencairn on False Bay where my friends went yesterday and had fun. Or if you are really competent, try the two launches in Cape Point NP. Buffelsbaai on the False Bay side would be side-on or straight-onshore in those winds, while Platboom on the Atlantic side would be side or side-off. Both likely would not be crowded, but I have never used larger than 7m kite at Platboom and usually 6 or 5.5m.

A final note, when there is a hint of southerly breeze but it does not fill in at Bloubergstrand and beyond, it is commonly because there is a competition between the SEaster coming over the Cape Flats around the East side of Table Mountain, and SWesterly coming around the Atlantic side of Table Mountain. In that case, if you are truly desperate to ride in Cape Town, consider coming to near where I stay in Milnerton at the mouth of the Diep River or Milnerton Lagoon. The SEaster will likely be pretty good there, albeit side-off and gusty, so no good for beginners who might get into trouble.
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Hugh2
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Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Dec 09, 2022 6:43 pm

We got to Kite Beach a little late today due to load shedding and other issues. Started around 4 when the wind was already dying, and tried to downwind to Milnerton, but barely made it to Sunset Beach, me on 10m Pivot and strapless directional, Susan on 12m and TT. All sorts of others out too, on TT, surfboard, and foil boards, including one guy looking really good in the waves on a foil board and tiny foil kite. Still nice to get out, water warm as the NW brought in the surface water. Guy we met at Sunset insisted he had a large shark alongside him for a few seconds. Tomorrow looks good for SEaster and we will probably try for Kite Beach to Holbaai downwinder.
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User avatar
decay
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Re: Cape Town Diary 2022/23

Postby decay » Sat Dec 10, 2022 7:01 am

Hey Hugh,

Su has a subscription to Cape Kiting:

https://capekiting.co.za/muizenberg/

Well worth the money to see places like Witsands and Muizenberg

Cheers

DK

Hugh2
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Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
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Weight: 180lb/82kg
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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 Dec 10, 2022 5:29 pm

Thanks DK!

Today was a superb SEaster, as forecast. We started at Kite Beach at 10 on 10m kites and had the place to ourselves for an hour and a half, my best jump was 10.6m. At one point there was nearly a serious accident on the beach. It occurred upwind of me and I was not watching or I would have intervened. A guy had pumped up an old 8m Cabrinha Switchblade and launched it with his girlfriend in street clothes hooked in. They had no idea what they were doing and of course the kite swept through the power zone and she was hauled down the beach. All that saved her was the kite hitting a bunch of guys setting up their kites who held onto it. She was in shock, but very luckily uninjured. I urged them to take lessons instead.

We took a break for lunch, then walked upwind a bit to a Duotone demo where we tried a 7m Evo as it was pumping by then. I only had a short try and was not impressed. Then we launched our own 7m kites, me on Pivot and Susan on a Slingshot Rally, and with them fully trimmed down, headed north on a great downwinder. I recorded a 9.8m jump amoungst 83 jumps. Down at Holbaai it was blowing seriously hard so I released my kite to safety before landing Susan's and a couple of directional riders who arrived shortly. A very good day indeed. Tomorrow should be similar, but we are off to Kruger NP for the week, see you all next weekend.
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