Just about found the strength to write this! Guernsey has been firing on all cylinders! I’ll start at the beginning…
Here we are in 2012 and waves are streaming in toward our lovely coast. Today I shared the water with Matt, Simon, Olly, Jas, Stu and a few others, and witnessed some well-versed wave riding. I watched Olly take off with speed on a waist-high left and then blast up onto the top of the wave for a long, fast, stylish floater.
Been watching a low track across the Atlantic all week and the met office is alerting us that all the ingredients are in place for a blow. Gusts of more than 50 mph were recorded in Cornwall as the storm roared in from the Atlantic. “There is a deep area of low pressure to the south-west of us, deep for this time of year and it's going to track north-east through Thursday night. The Met Office has warned of strong winds expected in the south on Thursday and Friday. The unseasonable weather has already seen a number of trees brought down so it's time to dust of the cob webs and break out the wave gear.
Ridiculously flat water, early afternoon overpowered on 4.7 perfect for freestyle but it was waves we were looking for. After sailing ankle slappers for an hour, the swell started to build as the low pressure and tide pushed in.
Thursday Late Afternoon Update:
By late afternoon/early evening, an explosive situation was in place with high instabilities and increasing wind shear, as the low pressure system intensified while moving toward the Channel Islands.
The approaching low had pushed in some heavy sets, building by late afternoon to some mast high bombs pushing in on the west coast. So it was time to make the most of the blue skies, clear water and some epic cross off summer conditions.
Had a little session today.
A couple steep drops to closeouts.
Tripped on the bottom.
A couple metres in the wrong place.
A couple of new faces out.
A few full-throttle monster carves that leave my single fin burning.
In the wright place this time
Off the bottom with speed.
Off the top with full commitment.
Air-drops back down.
Beach break fun.
I've missed my winter spot.
The forecast is looking like it will be good for the next few days at least, so there is plenty more sailing to be had for those who came out early and missed the increasing swell. Everyone was super pumped for the forecast the next day, 30 knots ALL DAY long!
Friday Update:
Serious wind out there this morning.
White-caps raging and colliding from beach to horizon.
Crystal clear sky.
After a well-earned nights sleep woke up to the howling offshores whipping through the trees outside. A gang
of us headed back to Vazon on Friday as the forecast looked sick! I was
absolutely broken from four hours of sailing on Thursday so just had a quick two hour jumping session on 4.7
and my 76 single fin.
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| ..Nasty.. blister forming after the first days sailing |
Two days of sailing later and I'm in a world of pain, no skin left on my hands, my back and sides are bloody from the harness rubbing, back spasms, tendinitis of the knees, elbow pain, sinus inflammation, small, infected cuts scream in pain all over my skin. Getting in the water at the start of my session was a blast of deafening sirens from my body saying, “this hurts, this will make the pain worse, stop” but of course I didn’t stop. Hell no. Anyway, by halfway through the sesh injuries forgotten. I had an awesome few hours out sailing smashing out some big air with nice cross-on down the line action on an angry and violent ocean. Loads of crew out and sailing really well today, good times!
Bring it on.............
Bring it on.............
Hopefully back with some photos soon as a few of us are heading down south to the canaries at the end of the month.
In the meantime here's a pic of my sore paws.
In the meantime here's a pic of my sore paws.
