Sunday, December 29, 2013

Strong Wind on Christmas Eve


Christmas eve strong North winds blew in. I wasn't able to sail but Ron told me he was out on a 5.1 and a 72L board. The wind was still up on Christmas day but had turned out of the east. At 8:00 am Jeff and I were sailing out at the House of Refuge. It was sunny and I was fairly well powered on a 6.0 and the 101L futura. I sailed for two hours and when I got back to the causeway a fair amount of sailors had showed up.

Yesterday the wind came in out of the south better than predicted. I was the only one on the water at 9:00 am, except for some fisherman. I was sailing the same rig I used on Christmas day and the first hour was good and then it turned awesome. By 12:00 Jon, David, Rolf and Dorian had made it out to The House of Refuge and were enjoying the flat water and strong wind. When I returned to the causeway Tom C had just arrived and James was rigging.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Earth Wind Map

I added another link on the weather page called Earth Wind Map. You can actually rotate the globe to see what the wind is doing around the world. Click this link to check it out.

Saturday Brings Steady SE Wind

The North wind that came in on Thursday clocked around to the SE by Saturday. I was down at the causeway around 10:30 am and was pretty disappointed with the rain cells popping up and traveling up the coast. I rigged a 7.0 on the 101L futura and headed out to the House of Refuge. As the morning went on it just got better and better. The skies cleared and wind was pretty steady. A lot of windsurfers showed up at the causeway plus two kiters. Jerry, David, Dorian, Rolf, Ron, Mike, Brandon, Jon, Tom and some others sailed from the east island. I was told Joel and Susan were on the west island. It was a great day sailing!
For more photos click here.

Mild Front, Great Wind

We had a front push through on 12/12 that brought milder temps and a pretty good breeze on the river. The wind was out of the North and and I sailed late in the afternoon. I rigged a 5.2 on a 258 axxis and rocketed along at times. Jerry, Henry, Rolf, Dorian and a few others were packing up when I got there. Ron was out on the water and I sailed with Susan, Norman, Tom, Dino. I think Brandon was out as well plus some other sailors. Here is a link to some photos.
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Health of the River

I have been remiss in updating the state of the river. They have stopped  dumping water out lake Okeechobee for quite some time so water quality has vastly improved. I checked the Martin Co health department website and it has warnings for sites closer to the source on the St Lucie river. So we are "good to go."

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Evening Sail

I was able to sail after work yesterday. I didn't get on the water till 5pm. Everyone had left and Jon was packing up. Wind was out of the NE and squalls were coming through. Jon told me Brandon was out on a 7.6 and he was over powered. I rigged a 6.0 on my 110L futura. When I took off I was way over powered but then the wind seemed to back off a tad and I had an awesome time. If I stayed on the east side of the river the water was fairly flat and it made for some high speed runs and gybes. With the heavy cloud cover by 5:45 I was traveling way to fast with the limited visibility.

Losing daylight savings time really bites. The last two times I have sailed at 5pm I had to stop after an hour because it was to dark, of course clear sky and some moonlight would help.

My company has added a gps app to our phones. So now it is tracking me like a dog from sunup to sundown, no more lunchtime sailing. I was able to get some afternoons off using my vacation time but now the are wanting a 30 day notice.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Jon Makes it on Channel 5 News

Check out this video link. http://www.wpbf.com/hurricanes/Kite-boarders-enjoy-windy-conditions-at-beach/-/8886336/22957954/-/cqgg5b/-/index.html

November Cool Fronts

We have had some mild cool fronts push through the state recently. On November 3rd I sailed at the Ft Pierce inlet with about a dozen kite boarders. I rigged 6.0 on a 92L wave board and had a great time. It was sunny with a fairly clean ocean swell coming in.
By wednesday the wind had clocked around to the east and the wind was up and down as storm cells moved through. I was on a 118L with a 5.2, it got me through the lulls but when the wind really cranked up it was way to much board. I sailed the afternoon on the west island of Stuart causeway and saw a lot of windsurfers. Jerry, Bill, Henry and Norman are here now.
On Tuesday the 13th another front came in and I sailed the east island of the Stuart causeway in the afternoon. Skies were cloudy with temps in the low 70's. I rigged a 4.7 on my 92L wave board. The wind was out of the north and I read 22 - 29 mph on my wind meter.   I was well powered but had plenty of control for the first hour. I was up near Riverside park when I decided to make my way back. It seemed like the wind came up some plus I was bearing off more and I was way over powered. I got hurled several times as I headed to the causeway.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Finally fall is here!

This summer didn't provide much for windsurfing. I maybe went out once or twice a month chasing gusts on my isonic and an 8.5 sail. The water at the causeway still looks like coffee from all the water that is being dumped out of Lake Okeechobee. For what we didn't get in wind this summer we sure got in rain.

Friday we had a mild cool front push through and it provided a NE breeze. I got out on the water late in the afternoon and was well powered on my isonic and 8.5. I was up near the sailing center and enjoyed making long runs across the river. The air was dry and the sun showed itself frequently through the clouds, it was a pleasant evening sail.

Saturday I went down to the causeway in the afternoon. Some storm cells were coming on shore and stirring up the weather. Of course when I arrive the wind is barely blowing as I follow Ron out on a big board and sail. I was really second guessing what I was doing when all of a sudden the river goes white with chop and that big rig that barely got me moving was now blasting across the chop at white knuckle speed. Typically the wind generated during these cells doesn't last so if you stay out long enough at some point in time you will be rigged right. Not so in this case, we blasted around for about an hour and then disaster struck. Ron was coming up behind me and all of a sudden I hear this loud crack and I look around and Ron is going down in the water. I kept going looking for some flatter water where I could gybe and not get hurled off the board. When I got back to Ron he had crawled up on his board but he wasn't moving, not a good sign. His sail was crumpled up and I figured his mast had snapped. He said he was having a hard time breathing and was about a mile from the causeway. I took off and flagged down a boater who brought Ron and his gear back to the causeway.

After getting all his gear rolled up and stacked on the beach Ron sat back on the railing by the parking lot. He was still stoked over the wind and the ride it had provided but he was having some pain when breathing deeply. His main concern was his gear and he went through a check. "My fin sheared off but it didn't damage the board, sail wasn't damaged by the broken mast and my boom is OK."Then he let out a long sigh or maybe it was a groan and says, "it was worth it!"


Shortly after Art walks up and inspects the head of the boom and finds it is broken and Ron's response was, "well now I am pissed".

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Health of River in Question

TCPalm has been covering this problem. Here is a link to one of their pages with some good links for more information.

Monday, July 22, 2013

South Wind Sailing

Friday after weeks and weeks of rain we caught a break. Ron alerted me to the fact that the wind was coming up and we were at the causeway around 5:30. The water was red from all the water they are dumping from Lake Okeechobee and a stiff breeze was coming out of the south. The tide was low and there was a strong incoming tide running with the wind. I rigged an 8.5 on the Isonic 117w and was well powered. Ron was on his Xfire 115 with a 7.8. We had an hour plus of good sailing.

Sunday Dino, who is somewhere in New England, forwards a wind alert to Ron and I. The conditions are the same except the wind is a bit stronger and it was a thunder storm north of us generating all the wind. We rigged the same as Friday and were really powered up and surprised how long the wind lasted. I could here thunder but never saw any lightning. Storm sailing is tough; wind can increase or die in a mater of moments and getting fried like a bug is a possibility. We ended up with another great hour of sailing. Art was on the water in mid afternoon on a SUP before the storms stirred things up. Then he was out on a 7.5 when the wind kicked in. Brandon showed up when we were rigging and came back later with his gear.

Friday and Sunday was really the first time I had some well powered sailing on the Isonic with an 8.5. I was able to get my jibes dialed in and am very pleased with the board. About a month ago Ron and I sailed in some lighter wind, he was on an RRD formula board with his 9.2 and I was on the Isonic with the 8.5 and they seemed to perform about the same. In the spring I sailed the board in gusty SW wind with a 7.0 and it performed great.










Friday, June 7, 2013

TS Andrea was a dud!

After driving and working in torrential rains yesterday I made my way down to the causeway around 5:00pm. The radar showed a break in the feeder bands so I expected the wind to fill in. I talked to Ron and he just experienced high wind in Hobe Sound and was on his way up. The river was starting to white cap and I was showing 16 - 21mph on my wind meter. I rigged a 6.0 on the wave board and headed out. I could make a short runs of 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and have to turn around because it would fade. On my last powered up run Ron was driving over the causeway, saw the white caps and was stoked. He rigged a 6.6 on his 115L board made one run and that was it. Wind faded and never came back up. I stayed till 7:45 thinking it would.
For recent go pro photo's click here

Friday, May 31, 2013

Who is this guy?

Break Time.

SE wind continues to blow providing some nice windsurfing. I sailed late yesterday and was well powered on a slalom board. I was trying to do some speed runs on the leeward side of a sandbar. Tide wasn't quite low enough to cut all the chop but I was able to hit 33.5mph. After sailing for over 2 hours on a board that was just barely under control I switched to a wave board. What a sweet ride that was!


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Wet Windy Weather Pattern

This present weather pattern in South Florida is making for some lively windsurfing. We have some fast moving storm cells passing through with winds out of the SE blowing 20-25mph. It's supposed to last through Friday. I sailed yesterday after work for 2 1/2 hours and it was never a dull moment. Here's how it went. Wait for the wind to build, sail for about 20 minutes. Then the next approaching cell causes wind to increase for a 10 minute white knuckle ride followed by a stinging drizzle (this is the signal to head in). Sail through a blinding rain back to the causeway. Wind dies, cell passes, wind builds and repeat.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

South wind on Sunday

Sunday afternoon the wind came up out of the south. As I drove over the causeway it was mostly sunny, small white caps covered the river and there was a fair amount of boat traffic. I spoke with Jon and decided to rig a 7.0 on my futura 101. For the most part I was moderately powered as I made my way out to the House of Refuge. It seemed to take forever to get there but it was about 30 minutes. Once there the wind filled in and there was 6 or so windsurfers out there. Art, Clark, David, Susan and Jon were among them. I sailed mostly north of the spoil island and then made some runs between the spoil islands to the other side of the river. The wind kept building so I stopped and flattened out my sail but it didn't help much and it was a tough ride back. Mike and Susan were making there way back as well and it was a struggle. Once back at the causeway most people were on 5.5's. It was a great afternoon and the wind was better than expected.


Monday, April 8, 2013

Saturday Recap

I had a great time sailing South Jetty on Saturday. On a N - NE wind and an outgoing tide it is easy to get in and out. When the swell passes throught the outflow it is clean and fun to sail. I rigged a 6.0 on the 92L synchro and was well powered. There was 10 kite boarders on the water and no other windsurfers.
Parking at South Jetty is a problem, parking lot and road is under construction. I was glad I loaded what I needed in the truck and left the trailer at home.
The wife messaged me that Ft Pierce had Oysterfest going on. So I swung by the downtown water front and got a plate of oysters and a draft beer, it was good!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Wave Sailing

Wave sailing South Jetty, Ft Pierce inlet is looking good for Saturday. Forecast shows wind N 15 - 20. Low tide is at noon.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Paddle Boarder Dies on River

We had some south winds come up Sunday and Monday. Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00pm it blew pretty good. Dino sailed for an hour or so and said he was well powered on a 6.2. Monday it blew all day but not as hard and some rain came through. I was able to sail for an hour in the afternoon on a 7.0. There was a lot of commotion at the boat ramp with the Marine Patrol, Sheriffs dept. and a news van. Someone saw them removing a body from a boat and I found this link to T.C. Palm news saying a stand up paddle boarder had died.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Swap meet?

The causeway cookout is coming up on March 23rd and I was thinking we could have a swap meet. So bring that gear you no longer use and we could buy, sell, trade.

The Night Crew is Back

I was on the water yesterday at 5:30 and sailed till sunset. At times I thought it was going to die and then it would fill in with a vengance! I was on the 101L futura and a 7.0, the wind was out of the NW with a clear sky. James was there and we kind of pushed each other to see who would quit first. OK he was the last one to haul his rig out of the water.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Causeway Cookout

We thought we would have another cookout before folks start migrating north. When: Saturday March 23rd. Where: Stuart Causeway east island. Time: I will start firing up the grill around 2:30pm. Bring your favorite cookout food, beverage & appetite. I will bring ice, eating utensils, plates, cups & charcoal. Please talk this up with fellow windsurfers since I don't have everyones email address. See you there!

Monday, March 4, 2013

NW wind made for some chilly windsurfing yesterday, especially when the clouds came in. This is the first time I wore a full wetsuit this winter. I rigged a 7.0 on the 101L futura, I was glad I had a lot of downhaul because I was really powered at times.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Southwest wind blowing 25 - 30 mph provided some nice windsurfing yesterday. Mostly sunny skies with temps in the 80's made it especially nice.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Palm Beach, Aruba 2/12/13

Last stop on the cruise was Aruba. When sailing this beach it is an offshore wind so standing on the beach it seems real disappointing because there is no wind. However if you look carefully offshore you can see the white caps. I sailed out of the Vela windsurf site which was great because you had a nice selection of equipment to choose from but it was difficult to sail from. The shop is sandwiched between the Mariott on one side and an equally huge hotel being built on the other. They judged the wind to be 18 - 20mph off shore and I usually sail a 6.0 in 21mph. He said to rig one size up because of the gusty conditions. So I went out with a 7.2 on a 121L futura. I was able to get offshore without to much trouble but when I found the wind line I was super powered and the water was pretty choppy. So I decided to sail closer to shore and find the right combination of flatter water and wind speed and this worked pretty well. When sailing directly offshore of the hotels the wind was gusty in places and dead in others, however when sailing north of Vela it was great. The wind would fill in and near this rusted out boat this gentle ocean swell was coming in. Passing the boat you would pick up speed when bearing off on fairly flat water. Returning to Vela was a struggle with zero wind close to shore. This must have been an awesome place to sail before all the high rises were built. I logged 30mph top speed on my gps and sailed for 2 hours. For more photos click here: more photos.

Lac Bay, Bonaire, 2/11/13

The fifth island we visited was Bonaire. I wasn't sure I would be able to sail because the day before in St Vincents I stepped on a sea urchin and had about 30 spines in my right heel. I spoke with the cruise nurse and she said they wouldn't be able to remove the spines and said to put vinegar on it and soak my foot. Tammy and my cousins husband spent several hours working on my foot and couldn't remove a single one. Fortunately my foot didn't swell and only felt a bit tender so sailing I went. I sailed in Lac Bay at Jibe City. The wind was on shore and pulsing. I sailed a 6.6 on a 101L Futura, I should have grabbed a 121L board. I was moderately powered and occasionally well powered. It was a beautiful place to sail with turquoise water, white sandy bottom and plenty of windsurfers. Close to the beach is a great place to learn and further out the wind was filled in more and made for some fun sailing. I logged 30 miles on the gps after 2 hours of sailing. Click here for more photos: more photos.

Silver Rock Beach, Barbados 2/11/13

Tammy and I went on a Caribbean cruise and I was able to sail on three of the six islands we visited. The third stop of the cruise was Barbados so we headed over to Silver Sands Beach home of Brian Talma's DeAction Surf Shop. This is a wave sailing site with a strong current. The day we arrived the wind was light, side shore, with a moderate break. I watched someone schlogging around on a 6.2 so I opted for a 7.0 on a 145L wave board. I was moderately powered and after 45 minutes the wind faded with a light shower that passed through. I was able to ride a wave back to the beach but I was so fatigued I called it quits. To see more photos click this link: more photos.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

We had a cold front push through early this morning. It created some strong south winds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday it was overcast with some showers and I wasn't able to sail but I understand that late Tuesday it got pretty good. Yesterday it was warm and sunny with a strong south wind blowing. I was on the water at 11:30 and rigged a 5.3 on the 101 futura. There was heavy chop so I made my way south near the House of Refuge to get into flat water. I sailed around some with Bill and the wind built up quite a bit. I flattened out my sail and made my way back to the causeway. Bearing off the wind was a handful, I wish I had the gps because that board was humming.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Causeway Cookout

Causeway cookout was a big success! It was sunny and warm with a slight breeze out of the north. We had plenty of food and a good time. Click here to see more photos.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Mild front pushes through

Yesterday I watched as the front progressed down the peninsula. It appeared that it would hit our area around sunset and it did. I headed down to the causeway around 5:00pm and the wind line said SW at 13mph. When I was crossing the bridge Ron, James and a few others were on the south side of the causeway but the wind had clocked around to the north west. I rigged a 7.0 on my 101L just as the wind really started to crank up. I made one run way overpowered, so I flattened out my sail and tried again. By this time Ron and James joined me on the north side. I made another run and blew a harness line. So now I had to rig a 6.0 so I could use my smaller boom. By this time it was pretty dark with a setting sun and heavy cloud cover. We could see the channel markers, white caps but not the wave shapes. Even with a 6.0 I was really powered up. So around 6:30 we called it quits. The chart above should dispel any myths that every time I show up at the causeway the wind dies!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Great SE Wind

We had some pretty decent wind last week. A high set up off our coast and created a SE wind on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday Jon and Ron got the best of it from 9 till 11am and I think they rigged 6.5 or 7.0's. I arrived at noon and the wind had backed down and ended up rigging an 8.5 on my formula board. Even then I had to hunt for gusts frequently to get on plane. Thursday was a different story. It was a bright sunny and warm day and I was well powered on a 6.0 with my 101 futura. The rig felt light and the board was fast, I had a great time. I didn't sail Friday but when I looked at the wind history it looks like another good day. There was a good turn out of sailor on the two days I was there.