Thursday Nite

[ricki]

Did anyone get out? Did anyone not have to swim in? I think the earlier guys probably did OK. Folks that arrived later like myself it was very close to side shore to slightly side offshore. There was a wind line about 1/8 mile offshore where the wind picked up to around 20 mph. This was unforecast, sudden and out of nowhere around quiting time. Rigged an 11 m big and headed out. About a 1/2 mile offshore the wind filled in. I think the wind was slowly ticking inland a few degrees on and off shifting things offshore. It seemed like it was getting late and the wind wasn't improving, I had worked upwind a ways so I could figure 8 close to downwind to get in if necessary. A little inside a 1/4 mile the wind just died. I noticed Brandon a bit further south and closer to shore. His kite hit the water as well. No big deal, just tied the board off to the kite leash, worked my way up to the kite and started sailing in. Within a couple of hundred yards there was so much wind shadow that I started side stroking the lot in.

Moral, watch out when fronts deliver northerly (or southerly) winds that hang from that direction as sometimes they will back inland. Kites will fall out of the sky, boards might get lost and kiters may have to self-rescue. Make sure you practice using your kite on the water as a sail before you actually need to do it for real. Oh, almost forgot, the minor flotation of an impact vest can take potential consideration, drowning, largely off the table. Despite all that, it wasn't a bad if not pretty short session.