The craziness is underway in Cape Town

[Herman]

Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun. It has been a tad breezy in Wales to. The 72knt (need to scroll down to third graph) spike was a genuine event, about a 10 minute squall. Shame the temps are not the same but at least usually nobody to land on. Forcast for w/end is reaching 58knts

http://www.stannsweather.org.uk/wind.asp

[Herman]

Just sussed screen shot - maybe? Weather station on a rock just outside Milford Haven. Based on 1min averages.

[Herman]

A better shot!!

[Blackened]

Had my last session here last night. 12m playtime in the lighter gusty winds. Was fun to kite with some of the pros one last time. Airton is so fun to watch, although he gives approximately zero fucks if you're in the way for his landings. Even with my head on a swivel, I still didn't see him coming 3/5 times. At least he gives a heads up whistle. Really sad to give up this wind, especially when the forecast is looking pretty good. Would love to see the pros try to jump goofy when the NW'er comes through on Sunday.

Hopefully will get here next year for KOTA again. The last 3 weeks have been pretty epic fun. Looking forward to your play by play next year, Hugh

[Hugh2]

Yikes! Never get's quite that windy here.

Glad to hear you have enjoyed your visit, Blackened, come back again!

Yesterday was exhausting, and then load-shedding at 9PM cut short this report. We climbed Table Mountain from the east side above Kirstenbosch in the morning, then around 4:30 set off for Kite Beach, launched 9/11m and TT at 5, and did our usual downwinder to Haakgat with local friend David on a 10m, getting there just before sunset. Lots of fun with some good waves for kickers and riding. Water was funky though, all dark and no blue, and wind had just a tad too much east in it, producing the gustiness Blackened mentioned. Still a lot of fun and good to do it with friends.

.

[Hugh2]

Load shedding again last night, so another late report. The SEaster came through a lot stronger than originally forecast, however also again a lot more east in it, so rather gusty, especially as we headed up the coast. We started at Big Bay for a change with Ken on 11m and me on 9m, around 3, but by 4 had to ditch the 11m and give Ken my 9m so I could pump 7m on TT. Rode just north of Big Bay for a while, annoying the directional riders who were in a rotation (not too much, by riding their waves, but by picking a gap and jumping off them). Then a downwinder to Holbaai, with almost noone else around. It felt like a downwinder at Cape Hatteras, where we usually have the coast to ourselves except for the Hatteras Village to Frisco run on a SWesterly. It was seriously offshore by the time we got there and far too gusty to even contemplate riding the waves there. But yet another nice afternoon. This morning all is grey as the clouds come in with the NWesterly we will ride later.

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[Hugh2]

Final day for Ken on 11m and TT, with me on 9m and surfboard, and locals David on 10m and Rory on 12m. Rode at Kite Beach for a while around noon, waited out the lull, and then did a downwinder in the NWesterly to Milnerton lighthouse from 1:30 to 3:30. Lots of fun even though nowhere near the forecast strength, and the waves were small, but also a sunfish sighting. Very few other kiters out, but a few diehards still riding down at Milnerton lagoon mouth at sunset.

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[Hugh2]

This morning was drizzly and grey after the NW yesterday, but around noon the forecast was vindicated as the SEaster came through and cleaned things out. I did two of my regular downwinders, first on 9m and TT from 1:30 to 3:30 with lots of great jumping as kite beach was deserted, and then again from 4:30 to 5:30 on 7m and surfboard, which was pretty hectic. Back at Kite beach, local friend David arrived with his fancy camera, being a professional videographer, and filmed the Naish boys including Stuart Downey just south of Kite beach.

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[Hugh2]

Lovely day today, wind filling in after noon. I launched at Milnerton lighthouse around 2PM and the relatively southerly direction meant the wind was reasonably steady, not too offshore, and the waves clean. 9m and strapless directional were the call and they worked well all the way down. But first I did something I promised myself I would not do again, rode way out in the bay after seeing a whale breaching in the distance, but it stopped. Sunset beach had excellent waves, if you could steal one from a windsurfer, then Dolphin and Kite beach were fairly busy, including lots of short tackers, who are as much a problem for wave riding as for boosting. But the real treat was the stretch from Big Bay to Holbaai, again essentially empty, with simply beautiful 6-10 ft waves with lovely crescent shapes perfect for scooting down the line on backside. Just wonderful, the best wave riding I've had this season. Finished up at 5PM, worn out and happy!

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[Blackened]

Lovely day today, wind filling in after noon. I launched at Milnerton lighthouse around 2PM and the relatively southerly direction meant the wind was reasonably steady, not too offshore, and the waves clean. 9m and strapless directional were the call and they worked well all the way down. But first I did something I promised myself I would not do again, rode way out in the bay after seeing a whale breaching in the distance, but it stopped. Sunset beach had excellent waves, if you could steal one from a windsurfer, then Dolphin and Kite beach were fairly busy, including lots of short tackers, who are as much a problem for wave riding as for boosting. But the real treat was the stretch from Big Bay to Holbaai, again essentially empty, with simply beautiful 6-10 ft waves with lovely crescent shapes perfect for scooting down the line on backside. Just wonderful, the best wave riding I've had this season. Finished up at 5PM, worn out and happy!

Screen Shot 2020-02-18 at 7.14.14 PM.png

That's a very long downwinder. Short tackers will be the death of a lot of us. They need to put up some signs along the different beach areas that state some basic kiting rules. I also don't think people get out of the way of surf riders well enough. If they're on a wave, just gtfo. It's annoying when they're on the perfect kicker when you've built up some speed, but they have right of way and were on it first

Random question: How do you manage your downwinders? Does someone drop you, or do you leave a car and uber?