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Cape Town diary

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Kitedicted
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Kitedicted » Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:25 pm

Is that the 2020 bar that they made a recall for? Quite worrying since we can't inspect the line. How old is the bar?
I have the 2021 navigator.

The clam cleat on the 2021 doesn't have that side opening where sand can get in

Hugh2
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:22 pm

I started another thread about this bar line break so will refer you to that, but yes this bar was supposedly after the recall, bought in June 2020, and the 2021 bar supposedly also fixed some issues.

Today, as predicted, was extraordinary, but too difficult for me. Swells were absolutely enormous, thundering into the beach and I woke to their roar at 4AM and could not get back to sleep. The forecast of 5m swell was accurate. I walked the beach at Milnerton around 7AM, and even though two hours after high tide the water was coming right up to the fences. The wind forecast was for a late SEaster here, but stronger and earlier further north. I decided to make a day of it and drove up to Langebaan, going through the West Coast NP, which is always a treat, but this time was extra special. I always visit the bird hide at Abrahamskraal and this time I spooked a rooikat, which is a rare sighting. And a pair of swallows had built their nest on the rafters inside the hide, so it was entertaining to watch them. Later on the road I found a karakal, another rare sighting, that allowed me very close before slinking off into the scrub. Langebaan itself was already blowing and I'm sure folks there had a good time, although it probably got very crowded with most people too intimidated by the waves in the ocean. I chose to go further north to Jacob's Bay, at a place called Swartriet. I've tried kiting there before two years ago but there was not enough wind. This time I waited till 3 and even then it was not windy enough to try to tackle the huge waves, plus the tide was coming in and the water rushing up the beach precluded even rigging a kite. Back at Kite Beach at 5PM there was noone out although the SEaster was starting to build. Eventually at Dolphin Beach around 5:30 one kiter headed out, so I went over to watch. Turned out it was Luke Thomas, the owner and designer of the local Lacuna kites, on their 9m Omega and strapped directional. And he put on a show for the few of us on the beach, ripping and jumping on the way out, only occasionally being forced into a chicken gybe, and regularly making it all the way out and actually riding the monsters coming in, including a bottom turn or two. When he came in he said it was seriously scary kiting, which was enough to convince me not to try. Various other guys did try after Luke, but until some hotshots arrived, none survived. One lost his board immediately and was teabagged half way to Kite Beach, another barely made it out and stayed out the whole time till I left around 7, another actually tried a strapless board, which was bizarre, and immediately got chomped. Two others could barely get over the first couple of broken waves and soon gave up. Even the first few hotshots had to chicken gybe several times away from monsters before making it out. I'm sad not to have the nerve to try, but tomorrow and Friday look good, so I'd rather live for another day.
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magnusod
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby magnusod » Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:55 pm

Holy....sounds thrilling....although definitely not my level either... You should have taken some pics. If you know someone posting pics from that day please share the link.

The conditions sounds massive so I'm not sure but when I was there and there were at least double overhead days I kited at the spot just north of Big Bay. Forgot what it's called. The waves are really clean just next to the rocks of northern Big Bay and it was definitely more manageable than Sunset to Kite Beach. It's also fairly easy to get out if you start from Big Bay beach and go downwind to head out just north of the rocks.

Hugh2
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:02 pm

Correct Magnusod, but the issue would have been launching. The beach at Big Bay was completely swamped, much like at Swartriet. One could have launched some distance north of Big Bay, but I'm pretty sure nobody was out there. I'll post some links to the waves below.

Today the waves were half the size of yesterday, so I was determined to kite. I got to Dolphin Beach at 5PM as the weak SEaster was finally starting to build and was second out on all of Bloubergstrand on my 10m 2020 Pivot, following a smaller guy on a 2021 10m Pivot. It was a little underpowered, which is not what you want in those conditions, but I did okay, regularly getting outside to be able to claw my way back upwind, after having lost a lot of ground jumping over or off all the incoming waves on the way out. There were still some big sets coming through though and I had to do a few chicken gybes. I only made one mistake and found myself facing a massive wave about to break, too late to jump off it, too late to chicken gybe, and too late and risky to try to jump over it, so I used the method of last resort, diving into the vertical wall of the wave and using my kite of pull me through the back. I rode till I was exhausted and the wind had built to the point I was having trouble keep my edge with the kite fully trimmed down, around 7:30. By then the beach was rather busy and with the sun low I was finding it hard to judge incoming riders and waves. Earlier I had talked with Lanral Ruddick, owner of the BKA kite shop, who went out yesterday after closing up at 6PM, and he said the waves were truly huge, the biggest he has ever kited in Cape Town and he's been here longer than I've been visiting, which is since 2006. He required five chicken gybes to finally get out, and he's won a local big air competition back in the day, so my decision not to ride yesterday was wise. Here's the problem, the forecast for tomorrow is fairly strong SEaster and 3.7m swell, so will I be brave enough to go out on my 9m??
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Hugh2
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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
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:27 pm

Here's a good description of what was going to happen and did yesterday and today and should tomorrow. Epic!



Here's a surfing video from Sunset Reef which is off Kommetjie down south.



This is a bit silly but you get the idea.



Can't find any kiting videos, sorry.
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magnusod (Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:51 pm)
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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

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Jan 20, 2022 8:45 pm

Maybe Kevin Langaree was out and will post a new video, or this kid who is way too good looking and cool and privileged to live on the south end of Sunset Beach, and is a decent strapless rider

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

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:04 pm

Today might have been the best of my trip. Forecast was for reasonably early but not very strong SEaster and that's what we got. I don't think the swell was as big as forecast at 3.7m, but more similar to yesterday, but better intervals and better shaped waves. I got out third kite at Kite Beach at 2PM on my 10m 2020 Pivot, first two were 14 and 12m, so glad I brought this kite as I usually only bring 9m to complement the 7 and 5.5m kites that stay here. I was fully powered and determined to do a downwinder, so off I set with rides down big waves and lots of jumps on the way out. Towards Doodles conditions got rather rough, I think because there was a rip current there, leading to washing machine conditions. I had to get out anyway, so headed far out to avoid any potentially issues with rocks if the wind died. As I came to Big Bay the swell coming in was really big, so I chose to skip it and went on down, but the usually wonderful section from Big Bay to Holbaai was not that great, with the waves all broken up into segments, much like Cape Hatteras, so I mostly stayed inside. Got back to Kite Beach by bus and conditions seemed exactly the same, except the tide was coming in and the waves were great. So out again on 10m for a wonderful session, with best jump of almost 11m off one of those perfectly peaking waves (pic from phone in next post). What a thrill! And not a lot of kiters out, so lots of room to play. I quit at 6:00, exhausted. Tomorrow is no wind and really hot here, so I will either take a break or go east. And SA beat India in the second of three ODIs, so now they have won both the test match and ODI series, and India was ranked first in the world. Most excellent!
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Hugh2
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Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
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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
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Re: Cape Town diary

Postby Hugh2 » Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:07 pm

Here’s part of my Surfr app record from the second session, several 9m jumps after that too
5681703A-C368-4DC2-96CA-49CA5AA91A1A.png
396BB6A5-D2B1-4990-A867-7BBA72994607.png

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 » Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:30 am

Some drone footage of the surfers at Sunset Reef in Kommetjie on Big Wednesday as it is becoming known here.


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 Jan 23, 2022 7:46 pm

That was a pretty forgettable weekend. Saturday was stinking hot with zero wind, had an ocean swim in the morning and a pool swim in the afternoon, hard to sleep at night drenched in sweat. I could have gone east to Struisbaai, Witsand, or Stillbaai, all of which had some easterly wind, but I'm a bit tired of the N2 by now. And today was downright frustrating. I headed north once again to Swartriet on Jacob's Bay as that was the only place forecast to be windy, getting there at 3:30 when it was supposed to start up southerly. Precious little wind, so tried 10m on directional and ended up doing ten walks back up the small bay. Unfortunately it turns out the little "resort" there asks day visitors to leave by 5, which is when it was supposed to be peak wind, but even then there was little by 4:30. Meanwhile Cape Columbine was showing the forecasted 21 knots, so the problem is this somewhat sheltered bay. Back in Cape Town the wind had turned south after a day of light westerlies, but just not enough unless you had a foil. Oh well, the coming week, my last here, looks excellent and BAKL is tentatively called on for Tuesday, see below from WindGuru.
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