With the endless wind and rain, seems like windsurfing is the key right now to making the most of our wonderful climate. Temperatures have been around 14 degrees C today, which made for a pretty balmy sail in the mid of winter.

Blue skies, perhaps a little too onshore, but really fun to try Dan's RRD twin fin again (I bought the first shape in 2009). After a few runs on each I think we both agreed that in out and out onshore, the single fin or at least the shape of the Wave Cult still worked wonders and felt much quicker. I can't even pretend that my sailing has kept up with any of the recent developments in fin/board design, but I am pretty confident if my board does change it will be an RRD Wave cult again. 

Merry christmas !

On the darkest day amidst the filthiest storm I shared the dying light with a kiter unwilling to relent as the gloom set in fast. I think I probably spent more time rigging/derigging than actual sailing, but it was worth it all the same.  Totally powered (over powered) on a 4.0 in perfect side shore conditions reminded me why i still like to windsurf. I was gutted to have missed the guys yet again,  but as so many recent sessions have been solo, I must admit there is something quire nice about getting out on your own. As I headed down in the hope of a repeat session today,  the wind was light, onshore and clearly nothing like the day before !

At 5 a.m. it read minus five on the car temperature gauge, so I headed for the warmth of Northam pool for a pre-surf swim.  My obligatory mile was cut short, just in time to catch the icy sunrise and paddle out to the cleanest shoulder high peelers.

Ventured in from the wilds to take our children to see Peter Pan at the Old Vic on Saturday. Amazing to see so many people, and our children wide eyed at all the bustle. Probably the highlight of the trip, and certainly some of the finest acoustic talent I have heard in a while - The Bower Brothers composed and performed their original score for the play. At times the music with the performance moved so many to tears, have a listen and see if you can spot the link to Bonobo, L Garnier, Fila Brazilia and so many  other talented artists they have worked with.

Cold, from the north, and windier than we've seen in a while.

Bluenoser - An East Coast Romp from Sitka on Vimeo.

It was hard to figure if you would be wetter on land in the pouring rain, or submerged in the water today. It was wet, really wet,  but clean offshores and a nice little swell, helped put a smile on this dark and dismal day. 

Blue skies, The Bing, off shores and a perfect little wave made me late for work today. I am sorry but it was worth it !

On our Sunday afternoon ramble, Hector and I stumbled across what appeared to be a multiple homicide scene. Perhaps simple sport for a stoat or weasel, however my Beatrix Potter skewed childhood couldn't stop me from worrying about how Mr and Mrs. Mouse would be dealing with their loss of kin.

Went for an early morning swim and planned to be in work for 7.30 to miss the traffic. However post swim I glimpsed at the webcam and opted for the early morning push. Scored a totally empty beach and some shoulder to head high clean sections in 5 degrees !

Offshores cleaned up a really fun swell and it was great to surf alongside Randall and Jake from If6was9 and even spot surf royalty like Thomas Bexon all the way from Australia. Apparently word has got out, that the fair waves of Westward are well worth the trip ; )

Deep in middle England, roving the hillside with three small children, looking for hobbits and goblins.

Last of the bramble harvest, and not really the greatest year for fruit. Winter storms are officially here, and I can hear the rain cascading down the sides of the house. Must be time to go windsurfing !

Really enjoyed reading this little write up (at lee-reobertson.co.uk) on the contest at Welcombe last week, almost as much as realising it was Ed Fr%^&y who was the badass dropping in (at the Ho the week before), in the below sequence. When I watched it from the beach, there was a chorus of 'no way' as it appeared so utterly shameless. It was only on closer inspection that I realised it was Ed. In Ed's defense this was a totally genuine bad call, and he hadn't looked left before paddling in....hmmmm. That said, Ed felt he must have known the guy as he managed to hear a comment about his career in banking.

This coming week, I have some long overdue time off. So as it's a mixed forecast, I have been reflecting on next additions to the shed. Seem to have come by the way of a wood burner, so in the coming weeks will be putting it in here and hiding out on days that I can escape the noise of three small children. Pipe is optional, home brew already in the cask, and guitar essential.

Balls bigger than mine, and someone definitely not afraid to take a beating. Parky finally made it in, only to be confronted by this on literally a brand new board from Diplock.  Incidentally this was a replacement for the board he broke previously on his maiden voyage at the same spot. 

Today,  the swell came back to town.

Happy 5th birthday little smurf !

Haven't seen this place light up for a few months now, and when it does it always scares me. Often surfed at first light with a fire lit on shore to see where to paddle back on heavy fog days. Glad I had the excuse of work and a cold.

Have been stuck in all day nursing a cold, reading emails, and trying to progress work. By 4' o clock Bear and I had had enough and we ventured out to Backyards to see how the reef was working. Only two sharing a wide open range of peaks, whilst a leading international authority in hydrography huddled in a deck chair, collating data.

As a promise to RU today, I agreed I would post up my honest thoughts on my new CC slider 9'4.
Conditions were just about perfect, although carrying such a large board and in volant, it did feel heavy (combined with Hector's mini simmons, under the other arm). Rich explained that for him, boards like this fell in to two categories. Either hyped beyond all recognition, and not quite sure what the fuss was about (usually sold on within a month or so), or just amazing and best intentions to keep for the rest of your life. Despite a wobbly start, the board just powered out through the small waves. Its flatness allowing so much speed and grace in the paddle, and the only way you knew you were flying was by looking at landmarks. The board moved effortlessly, despite its size, and getting to the nose was so easy. Pulling cheater fives, and still sitting in the pocket of a crumbling slack wave was not something I had experienced at the beach before. It just seemed to go and go. Based on today's test flight, and a tandem ride with my 6 year old, we both agreed the board is a keeper.

Bear and I got out for first light, and ended up having to shelter in the gorse, as the squalls pushed through. Trapped for about 10 minutes, and thinking how AL must be getting on in LA didn't help, so I ended up scrolling through my emails waiting for the storm to pass.  With great surprise I got an email on a follow up post about Canadian Surfer Pete Devries, from Harry at Sitka surf out in B.C. Vancouver Island takes cold water surfing to a whole new level, and despite its beauty I don't miss the kelp beds or the drift wood tree trunks (AKA dead heads) that can littler the line up. Strangely Harry originally hails from Braunton but has wound up in Vancouver working for a very interesting and growing surf label.

Tricks Of The Trade - Part Two - The Pocket Knife from Sitka on Vimeo.

Its been the third pre-work session in  a row, and this little swell with strong offshores, has been so good. Finisterre, like some fabled cornish Aunt called to tell me some new woollen goodies were on their way, and they had been enjoying some of the cleanest conditions for a long while. But what I am really delighted by is the Bing 5'8 mini simmons. It has definitely been life/surf changing in terms of its speed and manoeuvre-ability, and I just feel I surf so much better already. It seems to pull power out of waves that I can only attribute to the Gephart fins, and their direct affect on drive. The board was flying today, often making sections before turning back into the foam ball to bounce off and attempt to cut back or even reverse.  

Got in for a paddle with Hector, and he certainly found it big enough. Stuck him on the 8'0 Spence hull but its flat outline wasn't working, in what was probably head high for him. As a result he has requested the red Fisher Viking mini simmons, to be used at all times. Kind of nice he prefers to ride my board, and I've agreed its his, to hang in his room going forward.

Caught up with the talented Mr Terry (when not travellling the world for National Geographic, he drinks copious amounts of wine), and hid in the wilds of Chagford with Bear and Hector.  We all had a great time, managed to get out on the moor, and hustle back in time to find that the beach was still flat. Had hoped that somehow a change of scene would somehow lift the surf jinx. With this in mind, I  also owe a big thank you to DT, for the new Chris Christenson 9'4 Slider coming my way. 

Seems like so long ago, that I had time to take pictures, go for a surf and somehow manage a day job. Solid Autumn seriously needed, so that I can justify some long deserved days off work. 

Collecting things, falling from trees.

South Southwest, Force 4-5

Allegedly the deepest depressions in September for  a hundred years, so we've had our fair share of wind and rain literally hitting the house straight from the Atlantic. Often weather systems appeared more like slabs of weather colliding with the building and I keep expecting the windows to blow in. The change of season and the excuse of firing up the Aga, makes me look forward to the winter months, but if more of this is on its way, I am not sure how much more rain I can handle .
In short,  this year it seems a touch more dramatic than usual.

Sadly though, having recently reshuffled my quiver, the acquisition of a new Bing Mini Simmons 5'8  has meant little in the way of quality swell. Seems like the new board jinx was in full effect, so sorry about that.

The new board has meant that finally I understand what all the 'purist north of the river' guys have been writing about, although I can't pretend to really understand how the dynamics of the shape are delivering in performance under my feet. It just felt fast and fun in swell that really looked neither fast or fun, and made probably a longboarders wave offer up some slightly more exciting options on a board half the length. Films like 'Sight and Sound' have been a big influence on me, on what and how people ride, and I really feel excited about a whole range of shapes that certainly in England, are shamefully considered alternative.  I am not sure quite where my new interest in quality californian shapes will take me, and certainly they would only be in addition to homegrown boards like my Seedhouse shapes.

Spotted this at Icons of Surf; namely a Chris Christenson - Beausoleil 5'4 - I want.

Kindly sent to me from Al, and definitely worth sharing. Enjoi

Haven't seemed to be able to find the time to get 'out there' in the last little while, so have relied on images from Desde La Croa. If you haven't got the message already, Windsurfing is alive and well in Galicia. 

West North West Force 5-6

Storm clouds amassing, the south Westerly has started to blow, and it really feels like the Autumn has arrived. The forecast looks solid for the week, and as if by some strange coincidence, Ed has taken two weeks off work as if to galvanise the fact its going to be windy and an epic forecast.

A friend from my old school days in Canada, sent this link through to me. Definitely worth a listen, have been enjoying his new album since.

Godrevy, Mexico's, and the Bluff all delivered this last week in Cornwall. I can't remember when sailing in such a location left me so inspired with my windsurfing. In the meantime, the RYA have been in touch pushing Project Windsurf. I signed up with them on Facebook, and I think they are keen just to get people back motivated into the sport again. For all the haters out there, I am fairly confident you won't be too impressed with their ambition to populate detail of good sailing spots near you, but for those who like to share, its worth checking out.

Early morning drop in session showing Hector how to (not) skate bowl.