Westcountry Watersports - www.surfsale.co.uk

New Newsletter format from Novemer 2011

2011-11-21T13:52:00.000Z

We used a local company called MailAway to help us with our new more graphical formatted newsletter - Here is our first one in the run up to Christmas - Lots of offers including a 3 for 2 on boots, gloves and hoods - some clearance stuff - and an item on the new GOPRO HD 2 camera.

http://client.mail-away.co.uk/t/ViewEmail/r/52E143379C0CB895

BSUPA - NAtional Stand UP Paddleboard Champs - Watergate Bay 15th & 16th October

2011-10-05T11:07:00.000+01:00

Britain’s stand-up paddlesurf (SUP) champions will be decided in a winner-takes-all national championship event at Watergate Bay in October.

The Extreme Academy will host the British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) championships on the weekend of 15th and 16th October 2011 in an event which will attract the UK’s best exponents of this emerging form of surfing.

Competitors will take part in two different disciplines, with divisions for men and women. A long-distance ocean paddle race will see competitors cover up to five miles, requiring skill, technique and stamina; while wave-riding skills will be tested in a performance surfing competition.

Competition organiser Richard Marsh said: “Watergate Bay is one of the UK’s premier watersports venues; from its consistent surf conditions to the natural amphitheatre, it gives competitors the opportunity to showcase their skills, and spectators the chance to see the action.”

The surfing competition in which competitors will show off their tricks on the waves will take place on Saturday, with the distance race from Watergate Bay to Porth and back taking place on Sunday.
Also taking place on the Sunday is the Westcountry Watersports Wave Expression competition, followed at 3pm by a prize giving ceremony.

As well as competing for the championship, the surfers will also battle it out for the coveted title of ‘Watergate Bay Waterman’ sponsored by The Beach Hut. This fiercely coveted title will be awarded to the competitor with the highest combined score from both the men’s wave and distance competitions, who will win a meal for two at The Beach Hut restaurant.

For more information on the event go to www.ipaddleboard.co.uk - for entries please contact the event organiser, Richard Marsh, by emailing masthighltd@me.com.

Kite mares or kite tears- and how to repair them in a hurry....

2011-05-16T15:35:00.000+01:00

KITE FIX

....

I just had an e-mail from an old friend and long time kitesurfer and ex-instructor of Local Kitesurf school Mobius - Chris Worboys. Chris has abandoned our chilly waters and spends most of his time working as a policy analyst at the Department of Energy for the Bermuda Government. Kitesurfing Instrctor in Cornwall to 'proper job!' Bit of a sideways step if you ask me but I guess it is a bit warmer.

Anyway Chris said:
"Thought you might be interested in this stuff called 'kitefix' - it's a really fast/cheap/simple/tough way of fixing kites.

It's a self-adhesive fibre mesh that is held in place by glue and then sandwiched on both sides by dacron sail repair tape, but it totally works! I had a strut blow open on my 10m torch - it had a 1 foot long tear down the seam and the bladder blew open as well.

Repaired the bladder using a (snowboard) iron and some greaseproof paper to melt the seam back together (found the 'how to' here: http://www.kitesurfingschool.org/bladderrepair.htm) and then borrowed a friend's kitefix kit to glue the seam of the strut back together - got back out on the water in 2 days. Way cheaper than a sail loft and great if you're travelling."

I am happy to say we know and we have it in stock already in the shop and Kitefix do a whole range of Really useful stuff to keep your kite flying when those unexpected accidents happenso if this sounds sensible stop by or order it on line:
Get your kitefix here!

For a visual display of almost all their products and how best to use them check out the KITEFIX youtube account:

We can still arrange a full repair service should you need it, but Kitefix comes recommended especially if you are traveling.

Mylor Shop up and Running & Happy Birthday to me.....

2011-05-11T17:29:00.000+01:00

The Mylor Shop is now up and running allowing me to take a day off! Unusually this year it coincided with my birthday and to be honest presents do not get much better than this...

For 3 hours I was the only person out a Gwithians - It was 5.8m Ezzy and the big RRD Twinser weather. There was the usual bogging in the impact zone but the weather was sunny and I enjoyed more head to logo high waves crossshore planing conditions than I have had in a long while.

This after last weeks epic session at Pendower and a few maxed out sailing sessions in the Carrick Roads after the Mylor shop has shut - That makes 5 great sessions - Are we back to the good old days?

If anyone wants a wind report off Mylor / falmouth Harbour why not give the shop a ring between 10am and 5 pm - The Telephone number is currently 01326 376245. Look out for the paddle club coming back on line in a new format as well(with the Pandora no longer offering the ideal refreshment stop). If you fancy a go on either a stand up paddle board, sit on top Kayak or a canadian Canoe then drop by you cannot miss the amazing new building we are in adjoining Mylor Cafe or call /e-mail us to register your interest.

Wind at last - 31st March

2011-03-31T19:57:00.000+01:00

Finally Cornwall has been blessed with solid breeze after almost a 3 week wind drought!

An enjoyable sail down at Marazion, Station Car park on the trusty Ezzy 5.8m Wave Panther 3 and RRD Wave Twin Ltd 90. Typical cross onshore conditions and a waist high wave allowed a fun cruise with some chop hopping and the occasional slash when any swell peaked. Around a dozen windsurfers were out with mild temperatures and a slightly overcast day.
It was my first opportunity to try out the Shock XTR extension system from North Sails. Basically it is like a suspension unit built into the extension which combined with a specific north deckplate - Certanly it is not a cheap piece of kit but does it work? - The idea behind it
First impressions......
Rigging - The north ratchet XT system has been around for a while and I think it is simply a joy to use. It is efficient and allows you to tune your downhaul to perfection on the beach and is not at all fiddly once you are accustomed to it. The extension is alloy and means it is robust and the adjustment collar is operational with the minimum of fuss.
On the Water:
In all respects it behaves like a typical tendon style deckplate (a little stiffer than the tradional boge UJ) Sailing in a straight line on flat water between the waves I do not think you would notice the difference but where it comes into play is on choppy conditions and in landing from jumps. The jury may still be out on the choppy water but it certainly felt very comfortable with less rig vibration once I was fully on the plane - Considering it was Starboard tack jumping (my worst side) and I typically have more than my fair share of 'slappy' landings I felt it really came into its own when landing from jumps.

More testing with it is required to build more concise feedback on this piece of windsurfing engineering, but first impressions are definitely positive - If you want to try one Let me know!
For a boards Video review of the extension - click here

Bear kicks off outside Westcountry Watersports! - Or how to raise £9000 from 2nd hand wetsuit sale for Charity

2011-03-22T15:07:00.000Z

Local Truro man Dan Brown and his pal 'Bear' must have created a bit of E-bay history for the sale of a second hand wetsuit and as the saying goes - All good things must come to an end one day.

Last night saw the end of the auction of the wetsuit on ebay.

It got 665,633 hits and the sum reached was £8999.

Dan and the Bear discussing the Wetsuit on eBay

How you may well ask does this e-bay item generate such a response? - and its not just because Dan generously donated 95% of the money to charity. Read on.....

This was the fairly innoculous post...

Possibly it was down to his description?

I bought this wetsuit brand-new last year and have worn it a fair bit. When I say 'fair' I reckon about 20 times, but then probably more like 30. A fair few times anyway.

HOWEVER you will like this, If it was not being worn, it was hung on a hangar or rolled to prevent creasing AND I rinsed it in fresh water after EVERY session so it's in VERY good condition as I look after my gear, I always do, similarly I take care of my body and shower at least once a day and always moisturise. Yes you're probably getting a feel for the kind of man I am. You can see from the pictures it has no creases and looks lovely. My friend Gaz has got a wetsuit that he doesn't look after and it looks like an Elephant's arse, all wrinkled, a bit like an old man's testicle.

You're probably thinking "People p*ss in wetsuits, I'm not sure about a second hand wetsuit", but believe it or not I have NEVER urinated in this suit, seriously, these suits are too good to be doing such a vulgar act in, the wee just ends up staying in the suit and then when you're sat having a post-surf pint in the pub you smell awful and girls don't like boys that smell of p*ss so you just sit there, alone all night, sobbing into your pint of Betty Stoggs like a lonely desperate p*ss smelling man.

I've included a picture of a bear using a urinal, this is how I normally use the toilet, notice that the animal is not wearing a wetsuit. Although I am not a bear, I, like a bear, do not p*ss in wetsuits.

It's a size medium or "m", it was the top of the range suit when I bought it, I think I paid around £300 for it, still a great warm suit that will make you surf at least 200% better. It won't really but it will keep you warm and it's flexible so you'll be able to throw your arms around like Beyonce whilst you're bouncing along a wave. People will look at you and say "f*ckin hell check that dude out, he knows what he's doing wearing one of those Xcel suits and he's got some fresh dance moves". They probably won't say this.

Now as it's been worn, there's some signs of wear around the neck, which I've taken pictures of, so you don't say "oi you c*nt, there's area of wear around the neck I'm giving you bad feedback". The pictures make it look worse than it is (because they're close-ups), and I've taken the pictures with the suit turned inside out, when it's the right way round you don't see the wear and it has no effect on the performance of the suit. That was a bit boring wasn't it, but it had to be done so you can't take me to eBay court for not being honest with you.

Why am I selling it? Well I've just bought a new one, as I'm a flash tw*t like that, I tend to get a new suit every season, I just like the feel of fresh neoprene on my soft skin, and well to be honest I could do with some cash to pay for prostitutes. No, that was a joke, now you're going to think the suit is riddled with disease but it's not as I was joking I do NOT engage with ladies of the night.

I'll post it out the next working day following cleared payment, or if you're around the Truro area you can come and collect it thus avoiding postage charges. Having said that, if you're a maniac, maybe you should just let me post it to you as I don't want to be murdered to death, especially as the summer is just beginning! WOO HOO.

Any questions just ask, I'll answer them very quickly as I'm sat at a computer all f*cking day, unless there's waves.

Thanks for looking and reading all of that ridiculous text, I hope you have a wonderful day.

And then came the Updates...

On 14-Mar-11 at 23:43:11 GMT, seller added the following information: UPDATE.

This listing for my urine-free wetsuit is getting a lot of unexpected attention which is nice but I'm feeling I should do something positive with all the 'f*cking energy man', so I've decided to give 90% of the money it makes to the Red Cross to aid their efforts in Japan. That sounds all 'oh look at me I'm so nice I'm giving to charity' doesn't it... yeah well p*ss off.

On 15-Mar-11 at 00:42:42 GMT, seller added the following information:Okay so people are now saying "only 90%", and I agree that sounds a bit sh*t, you see I was worried that if it only made it up to £20 or something I'd be unable to afford the postage! So let's say as the value goes up so does the percentage!

On 15-Mar-11 at 22:38:01 GMT, seller added the following information: VERY IMPORTANT NEWS.

Just got off the phone to XCEL wetsuits in Hawaii, who are very kindly donating a BRAND NEW 2011 Drylock wetsuit to the auction, it will remain a 3/2 (summer) but will be available in a range of sizes to suit the winning bidder. So now, in addition to the original p*ss free suit, you'll also get a brand spanker, but still no bears or doors, just TWO wetsuits free of urine, one old and knackered (m) and one lovely and new (any size).

Big love to XCEL for their kind donation.

On 15-Mar-11 at 22:48:23 GMT, seller added the following information: I should also add, that the new 2011 Drylock Summer suit retails at well over £300.00 and isn't available over here in the UK yet. So dig deep or you may get bummed by the bear.

On 16-Mar-11 at 14:29:07 GMT, seller added the following information:More Stuff!
So the lovely lot over at DryRap are now donating one of their special change towels to the auction. This towel stops you exposing yourself whilst changing. It's one of those ideas you wish you'd thought of yourself. Jeff at the Miners Arms reckons he invented 'the horse' when he was a lad, we explained it was an animal and that evolution created it, he was having none of it, reckons he crossed a deer with a cow after a bottle of scotch.

On 16-Mar-11 at 22:21:51 GMT, seller added the following information: And now the generous crew over at Carve magazine are also donating a year's subscription to their publication. This is great news to all us humans capable of reading but somewhat disappointing for bears.

On 16-Mar-11 at 23:36:41 GMT, seller added the following information: So eBay called me at 17:30 GMT (16th) telling me the listing did not comply with their rules and would probably be removed, it is apparently 'unprofessional' and 'contains profanity', I did my best to explain that it was all in good spirit and for a good cause and asked if some discretion could be exercised in the name of charity, perhaps it could be considered an exceptional listing and could be allowed to run its course? They seemed unwilling to budge but it's now 6 hours since the call and it remains live, I'm hoping they've reconsidered and recognised no good can come from the removal, not only will it make them look incredibly bad, but it will also mean a charity will miss out on a $1,000+ donation.

On 18-Mar-11 at 21:32:00 GMT, seller added the following information:IT GROWS.
This auction is now more packed out than the legion on a Wednesday when you can get a pint of Stoggs for £1.50. I had 4 once and was sick on the bath mat.

So first of all XCEL, my favourite wetsuit company, are now throwing in Men’s Drylock Boots AND Gloves (3 or 5mm) and are saying the winning bidder gets to choose their Infiniti Drylock Suit in 3mm,4mm, 4mm Hooded, or 5mm Hooded.

NIXON Watches are also contributing to the package by adding an Outsider Tide Watch!

Magicseaweed.com are throwing in a 6ft Fourth Speed Fish surfboard, hand shaped in Cornwall!

Nicole Morgan, pro surfer and all round legend, is kindly donating one of her Quiver boards to the cause which is 5'10 by 17'7/8 by 2.

Devon based company SURFPLUGS.com are throwing in some custom made ear plugs.

DVS footwear will do a pair of Rico CT (god went surfing with the devil colab) and a pair of Jordy 2 Sandals in whatever size the generous benefactor wants.

Madmonkeysurf.co.uk are donating a Northcore Double soft roof rack system.

thainleisure.com are throwing in a Curve 2 in 1 Changebag

Mambo: are providing their rare, out of print arty book "Still Life With Franchise".

Hickorynines are throwing in two tickets for the awesome Leopallooza festival which takes place over the weekend of 30th & 31st July 2011 near Bude, North Cornwall.

Ben Hall from Live Music Connections is donating two tickets for the REEF gig at Lusty Glaze this summer, 29th May 2011.

Ashortwalk.com are donating their moon, tide and time combination clock.

A1Surf.com are throwing in the DVD "Surfing Techniques with Timmy Curran"

Martin Dorey is contributing a copy of his book The Camper Van Cookbook.

Awesome Penzance based photographer Jacob Cockle is throwing in a free photography session (in or out of the water). See jacobcockle.com

AND Shipwire.com are shipping all this out to the winning bidder!

On 18-Mar-11 at 23:47:54 GMT, seller added the following information: I was bound to make a mistake, inevitable after being forced to drink Jägermeister with the bear at 5pm. I listed SurfPlugs as SurfPlugs dot Com, and that was a fishing tackle company in America, they're actually SurfPlugs.co.uk and they make ear plugs that go in your ears not fishing lures. Sorry Rob. At least I didn't mistake Surf for Butt.

On 19-Mar-11 at 15:40:19 GMT, seller added the following information:THIS IS GETTING DAFT NOW.

Okay more from the XCEL crew, they're now throwing in a Drylock bag. Which lets you carry around wet stuff without getting wet.

VonZipper are giving us a pair of their limited addition Smokeout Elmore sunnies in Purple Erkel.

Gwithian Academy of Surfing are throwing in two lots of surfing lessons! surfacademy.co.uk

saltrock.com are kindly donating a Mermaid 43" Pintail Long Skateboard.

100percentorganics.com are throwing in a complete set of organic skincare products worth £195 as well as the very first pot of their After Surf Face Balm. I like the sound of that, can I have the second pot?

Shredhead.com are donating a Dakine Traction Pad. This provides traction.
And my pal Leon at feelcreative.com is going to print a 120 x 90cm canvas of one of the shots Jacob Cockle gets during the photoshoot.

On 20-Mar-11 at 20:56:11 GMT, seller added the following information:NEW WEBSITE

I have received over 2,000 questions about the wetsuit, which I've not even made a small dent in (sorry!) so I'm setting up a website which will allow the Q&A's to continue long after the auction ends.

I'll be answering the questions I've missed as well as responding to new questions about other subjects such as garment care, manners and soup.

Visit the site to register your interest: www.bearsdontwearwetsuits.com

AND SO it ended. Dan and the bear came into Westcountry Watersports, Truro to be awarded with a Limited edition Pyrofreak from O'Neill Wetsuits courtesy of their fine prose, generousity & ingenuity. We luckily manged to get them out of the shop before the bear kicked off and most of the blood stains have since been washed off the pavement!

Dan and the Bear fight over the Limited edition Pyrofreak

A real kitesurfers review of F-One Bandit III v's Bandit IV

2011-03-01T11:47:00.000Z

"Well I've now had my new Bandit 4's long enough to have had a few sessions on both the 7 and 11m.
The instant observation on both, is how stable they are. I thought the Bandit III's were great, stable freestyle or wave riding kites, but these are instantly noticeable as even more stable. Gusty conditions with the kite overhead when on the beach or if the kite is pretty depowered as you come down a wave, they just sit there, solid, no bounce, no flapping, no vibration down the lines, nothing. There is a downside to this though! Self landing is a little bit more tricky without pulling the kite onto the safety system.
The 4's seem to turn faster than the Bandit' III's, which with the faster and increased depower make them even better for wave riding (my preference). Speaking to Denzil he is loving how they kite loop to. I'll leave that to him.
I've heard a lot that each kite size will cope with more wind, than the same size Bandit III. So far, yes, I'd be comfy in more wind on the same size 4' than the III's, but I'm not yet convinced that also means the other end is less. The 4's seem to be that little bit more responsive and with the increased stability, I reckon you'd be able to get out on the same low end of the wind range. As ever, just work the kite to get your board speed up and off you go.
I like the rubber ends to the bar, the more obvious and easier to grab quick release safety and most of all the ball valve on the inflate valve. As a one pump kite there's a dump valve, but not having to rush seal off the inflate point is a niggle removed compared to the Bandit III's.
The Bandit III's were amazing, the Bandit IV's are even better." Rory Jenkins

Feel free to make your own mind up we will have them back in stock imminently and we will have a 9m on demo. For Price details click here - or the F-one Website here

I will see if Denzil can add anything to this as he has been using them for quite a while now and although he is probably somewhat biased being one of the UK's longest sponsored F-One Riders his feedback would be invaluable as he uses them over freestyle, wave and course racing disciplines.

Kitesurfing - The Bluff goes off all weekend 26 & 27th February

2011-02-28T17:49:00.000Z

Board off!

The Bluff at Hayle River mouth must be one of the most iconic Kitesurfing spots in Cornwall if not the UK. It is where many pioneering kiteboarders took their first steps in the ever changing and dynamic pools that were crafted by the tidal ebb and flows of this estuary at mid and low tide. In the early days with rapidly developing equipment and styles of riding we saw a world champion Aaron Hadlow take his first tentative forays into the sport. Many more have followed in his footsteps although maybe not quite pushing the envelope in the same way.....

The weekend of 26th and 27th February resulted in many an exhausted kitesurfer making their weary way up the path to the Bluff Inn car park. A 20 - 30 knot North Westerly building breeze, with sunshine, provided them with the perfect conditions to kitesurf until they could hardly hold onto their bars or physically pick up their boards by the end of their session.

I had 3 hours before taking time to snap some photos of a few of the participants. The North Evo 7m is really perfect with offering a super fast reacting kite for any change of direction yet provides a super stable reasuring power source at all times. It is a great compliment to anyone riding a directional board - I certainly found it really comfortable allowing me to concentrate on the board which can be somewhat tricky in slightly unpredictable on shore swell.

Steve T ...

Straps or No Straps(strapless) ? - I tried both on this day and would safely say that I think strapped riding seems to be the prefered option, especially if choppy conditions prevail. The North Whip 5'7 with no straps was a bit of a handful at higher tides with the severe chop but as the waves cleaned up it really showed how well it copes when you need to stay in close contact of any waves.
Anyone else have any feelings on this issue? What do you prefer?

With the flat water pools forming at mid tide particularly over on the Lelant side it gave the twin tips some of the buttery smooth water to practice their freestyle tricks and just simple plain boosting.

A month on from the start of the trial run of the full access to the harbour mouth rather than the limited 3 hour period prior to Feb - It was great to see everyone wearing their permits and proving that the KKC has done a great job in its all its hard work behind the scenes. All the more reason to go along and support the KKC AGM on 20.3.11 at The Seiners in Perranporth. More details on this link.

Busy

Mr Bentley I presume...

Have you read the code of conduct... and have you got your permit?

Pools on the other side..

I do have more photos if you are passing the shop drop by and check them out if you want any higher res one drop us a line at the shop...

Cheers

Peter

Kitesurf marazion - 20th Feb

2011-02-21T13:47:00.000Z

A busy Sunday afternoon at Marazion

A classic South South Easterly breeze, Bright sunshine and a small swell greeted us as we drove west through the quaint narrow main street of Marazion. The Imposing backdrop of St Michaels Mount with waves breaking on its dramatic rocks always seems to make your right foot be that fraction heavier! Not much help driving through the traffic calming in the village but psychologically it may get you to your launch spot that little bit quicker. Parking at the village car park allows for a convenient piece of grass to rig up on be it windsurf kit or inflating your kites. The tide was well out and checking the tide tables it looked to be one of the lowest of the year at 0.2m! A few kites were already out and a frenzied burst of energy dragged my 11m Rebel, Cabrinha 6' quad, and one of my favourite boards for these conditions, a 5'7 North Whip (Also a quad and can be ridden easily strapless or with straps) from the back of my van. Thanks to one pump the kite was up and ready to go in no time.

With a GO PRO HD surf mount on the front of the Cabrinha I had a great hour or so riding the on shore swell. Video to follow! Generally the wind was a little gusty from the launch spot so headed down wind (and swell) to the main beach between the Station House Inn / Jordans Cafe car park and Long Rock.

As the day progressed the tide turned, and although the weather clouded over and the wind steadied. people were riding anything from 13m to 9m. Not sure I have ever seen as many kiteboarders out here before -

Dropping the Cabrinha back on the beach I grabbed the Whip - This board is one that certainly puts a smile on my face whenever I get out on it. In These onshore slightly mushy waves it excels with a super tight turning curve keeping you in touch with any wave that jacks up - We have one on demo if you fancy trying it.

Heading home for a roast I managed to delay long enough to chat briefly with Pasty and a few others as well as snap a couple of photos...

Late afternoon SUP at The Bluff - Thursday 17th Feb

2011-02-21T12:22:00.000Z

I had to be in Hayle to drop some repairs off to our local sail and kite repairers RB Sails. They not only offer us a great efficient service but they are experts in producing covers, sunshades and all manner of other stitched and material stuff.
Conveniently the river mouth was once more producing quite a substantial swell and it was too good to resist.

It proved to be quite a popular spot especially as more people arrived as they finished work, What a great way to get some exercise and make the most of some classic Cornish conditions. Once again I took out the Starboard hero and for the likes of me 'a heavier rider', it is proving to be a real joy. Some great waves and a bit of slalom once it got busier proved the board to be more maneuverable than I thought - Plenty of room for improvement!

Before work kicks out....

Sunday 13th - SUP Session The bluff

2011-02-16T16:45:00.000Z

SUP Session

Hayle River Mouth from Lelant side - Photo by Marcus Way

Plenty of Longboarders for company..

Sunday dawned pretty overcast but mild and with little or no wind leaving a stand up session the only option. With a big swell forecast a rising tide and the option to try out the Starboard Hero directed me to the Bluff, or the River mouth at Hayle hoping to be the ideal spot. At 33" wide the Hero is classed in the 'Widebody Range' and exhibits excellent stability, although being only 9' in length the board behaves really well on the wave too. It has 146 liters of volume providing plenty of float despite being short and the classic 3 fin setup with 2 FCS thrusters along side its main classic fin box allows both short snappy turns or longer more powered bottom turns depending upon your style of riding. This board is available with the windsurf Option allowing you to plug a rig - This proves ideal for lighter winds and smallish waves if you prefer sailing or simply cannot be bothered to paddle. If you are interested in trying one why not e-mail us and book a test drive...

Pretty clean sets and reasonable wave period provided a very enjoyable session - Photo Marcus Way


Starboard Hero 9' x 33" - 146 Litres - 2011 will be the Second year for this succesful shape

Currently the Porthtowan Surf Boat are competing in New Zealand

2011-02-09T14:02:00.000Z

A great clip. They do deserve so much respect.... Good luck to the Cornish Crew

Sunday 6th Feb - Marazion Village Car Park - Kitesurfing

2011-02-08T14:35:00.000Z

Add caption

A classic overcast dull SW 25knots breeze with a dropping tide laid out a perfect morning of cross on short conditions at Marazion
Village car park. With a solid wind blown swell up to head high in the bigger waves it proved to be a perfect time to try out the 7m North Evo kite, coupled with a a 6'1 Cabrinha directional Quad.
Being a little rusty from the lack of kiting recently I opted for going strapped. A great combination of kite and board allowed comfortable 'no brainer'' front and back side rides. The kite proved to be a bit of a revelation. The Evo this year has one pump to make it extra quick on the beach to inflate and you can fly it on the north 4 or 5 line trust bar. It was super stable in the sky with good bottom end power when the wind lulled and never felt pressured in its top end either. With on shore conditions some kites require nurturing when turning on a wave face towards the kite to keep it in position - the Evo turned speedily even with slack lines and sat comfortably almost all the time allowing you to get the most out of surfing the board. This is certainly a kite I cannot wait to get to use in good down the line front side conditions - Will keep you posted.

One final point is I have been wearing single lined wetsuits this winter. Recent research says they can be over 50% warmer related to wind chill than your conventional double lined version. Certainly my NeilPryde 5000 windsurf suit is proving to be positively toasty this year along with the stretch in all the right places too. The down side is they may require a little more care but we have been stocking a good selection from both NP and Spartan (mens and womens sizes) this season.

First Week of Feb 2011 - Wind Waves and mild too - Demo new stuff

2011-02-07T16:36:00.000Z

Since the beginning of the new year I have had some kit burning a hole in my van with no real opportunity to use it in anger.
Friday afternoon saw South westerly 20ish knots, a rising tide down and at a packed Bluff car park. More than a few sailors and kiters had crossed the boarder in search of a good swell to make use of the stiff breeze. On the windsurfing front the Ezzy Wave Panther 3 5.2m had its first outing. Usually the Ezzy wave sail have developed with a steady refinement of materials over the last few years with never any real change in luff or boom measurements. A reduced luff length on the 5.2 made me pay more attention when I rigged it for the first time and although there is something very appealing about using a new sail for the first time - This years model seemed much lighter in the hands with the same exceptional performance of previous years.
Current Board of choice is still the RRD Wave Twin Ltd V2 90 - Great volume distribution has created a board that makes you feel like you can wave ride with the best of them.
First Sail of the year - with less wind than expected on the water managed a handful of quite exciting waves that seemed to close out really quickly most of the time - generally just bogged around in the line up & some fairly tame swims. All in all a good way to get back into the water. Many of the usual suspects - With Chris Jackson staying dry due to still nursing a bruised foot but getting wet:
Alan Mitchell, Tim Kellam, Marcus Way, Danny Pollit, Daniel Macaulay, Lee 'Pasty' Harvey, Will Bennets, Steve King, Blackie, Harvey.... And many more...