So I managed to get a windsurf in today, but what with kids, work, early nights and general tiredness, trying to get out on the water is like a tunnel with a light in with a lack of an ending. I started work at 8 had two meetings before registration, 5 classes, a lunchtime of detentions and by 4pm I sort of managed to stop following my tail. Cycle home against a howling head wind which can only be a fairly good thing. Home, a 7 month old with a newly aquired tantrum skill, but a relatively calm wife looking for some non baby contact time. I have to try to get back in by 6pm to bath the tantrumic small person and it is playing on my mind whether it is really worth it. It always is though isn't. I manage, somehow, I don't know how, to convince Liz to come to the beach with Casey, Willow the dog and maybe take a couple of pictures.
At this point I am still knackered from the day , for some reason the students were really hard work today. What is keeping me going is the hope of a good session on the water, and the opportunity to try out my new 4 batten 5.0 Simmer Black Tip (Which I am very very excited about).
I realised long ago it was always going to be a lone session, however when I saw Andy Heighton-Jackson already out and some decent westerly waves, my mojo went into overdrive. Plus it was perfect waveboard 5.0 weather.
I also rang Coxy up, I wasn't even going to try and convince him to come out. He had just been tearing it up in Tiree all week and was probably well behind with work. BUT and this as you can see from the capitals is a very BIG BUT, he had borrowed my winter wetsuit and I needed it back. NO ANSWER, Coxy always ignores my calls if he thinks it might involve hassle to go out if he can't make it. Luckily I have more body hair than a polar bear, so my
shortarm suit did the job admirably. I just hope my winter suit is intact and Coxy lists me as one of his sponsors. If you read this James, it's going to be 13degrees tomorrow and I'm gonna come calling...
Turns out I had an amazing power hour on the water. The Simmer black tip is completely sensational. I don't think I can quite describe just how good this sail is. I will try in a minute...
Liz did well in the 15 minutes she took some pictures. I then returned home to father duties, then laid into two solid hours of marking, before eventually giving up. It ebbs and flows!!!
So just how good is are the SIMMER BLACK TIPS?
Representing Simmer sails, I would't really like to go on about how good they are because a, it is going to bore people senesless, and b, no one is going to believe me anyway because I would be biassed. So fair enough. They have a good reputation which speaks for itself I think. However I've got some icons which are my kind of category of sail. 4 batten sails I just didn't see the point of, a load of marketing hype and last year I was really disappointed when they turned the black tip (which I really liked) into some kind of all round 4 batten wavesail for the multifin board type thing, which sounded like quite a load of marketing bullshit that a lot of brands were doing. I am more than happy with my icons, and well that was that really.
Earlier this year, looking at some discussion on boards forum, particularly with one of the 3 batten 5 oceans sails being discussed. I kind of thought I better find out about it all really. I ordered a 5.6 Black Tip from Farrel. Surely, a 5.6 4 batten sail will be shit. However, if it is shit, then it will probably be fine for float and ride non-planing wave riding. I used it at the Bench at K-bay on a 0 - 25 knot day and was blown away.
I actually couldn't quite understand how stable it was, how throw around and how short the boom felt and that the harness lines were in the same place for a 5.3. I was on the blower straight away to Farrell to order a 5.0.
Today was the first day I used it. I have a feeling this is going to be most used sail. 5.0 could be the perfect Southbourne sail. This sail, is amazing. It has the maneovrablilty of a 4.7, the power of a 5.0. It springs with the gusts, the power delivery is unbelievable and it is ultra light. What I really noticed is how I could head up really high backside into the wave (it was quite sideshore), then turn really hard off the back foot to go frontside maintaining smooth power all the way round. It is really easy to move the sail around. The same goes for in the air, there is a lot of feel, if you like that sort of thing. So, I have had to change my mind about 4 batten sails quite a lot. I don't think they are as stable as the icons, it's a case of choose your weapon for your needs!
If you have read all this and not keeled over in boredom, then you are probably completely mental or extremely bored at work, ...
If you do get some then make sure you rig with plenty of downhaul and an inch of positive outhaul. Make sure the battens are really tightly done up also. Bring on tomorrow, waves are going to be big and it's going to be Westerly......bring some of that on, yes thankyou very much.
I realised long ago it was always going to be a lone session, however when I saw Andy Heighton-Jackson already out and some decent westerly waves, my mojo went into overdrive. Plus it was perfect waveboard 5.0 weather.
shortarm suit did the job admirably. I just hope my winter suit is intact and Coxy lists me as one of his sponsors. If you read this James, it's going to be 13degrees tomorrow and I'm gonna come calling...
Turns out I had an amazing power hour on the water. The Simmer black tip is completely sensational. I don't think I can quite describe just how good this sail is. I will try in a minute...
Liz did well in the 15 minutes she took some pictures. I then returned home to father duties, then laid into two solid hours of marking, before eventually giving up. It ebbs and flows!!!
So just how good is are the SIMMER BLACK TIPS?
Representing Simmer sails, I would't really like to go on about how good they are because a, it is going to bore people senesless, and b, no one is going to believe me anyway because I would be biassed. So fair enough. They have a good reputation which speaks for itself I think. However I've got some icons which are my kind of category of sail. 4 batten sails I just didn't see the point of, a load of marketing hype and last year I was really disappointed when they turned the black tip (which I really liked) into some kind of all round 4 batten wavesail for the multifin board type thing, which sounded like quite a load of marketing bullshit that a lot of brands were doing. I am more than happy with my icons, and well that was that really.
Earlier this year, looking at some discussion on boards forum, particularly with one of the 3 batten 5 oceans sails being discussed. I kind of thought I better find out about it all really. I ordered a 5.6 Black Tip from Farrel. Surely, a 5.6 4 batten sail will be shit. However, if it is shit, then it will probably be fine for float and ride non-planing wave riding. I used it at the Bench at K-bay on a 0 - 25 knot day and was blown away.
I actually couldn't quite understand how stable it was, how throw around and how short the boom felt and that the harness lines were in the same place for a 5.3. I was on the blower straight away to Farrell to order a 5.0.
Today was the first day I used it. I have a feeling this is going to be most used sail. 5.0 could be the perfect Southbourne sail. This sail, is amazing. It has the maneovrablilty of a 4.7, the power of a 5.0. It springs with the gusts, the power delivery is unbelievable and it is ultra light. What I really noticed is how I could head up really high backside into the wave (it was quite sideshore), then turn really hard off the back foot to go frontside maintaining smooth power all the way round. It is really easy to move the sail around. The same goes for in the air, there is a lot of feel, if you like that sort of thing. So, I have had to change my mind about 4 batten sails quite a lot. I don't think they are as stable as the icons, it's a case of choose your weapon for your needs!
If you have read all this and not keeled over in boredom, then you are probably completely mental or extremely bored at work, ...
If you do get some then make sure you rig with plenty of downhaul and an inch of positive outhaul. Make sure the battens are really tightly done up also. Bring on tomorrow, waves are going to be big and it's going to be Westerly......bring some of that on, yes thankyou very much.
Does your discount on the sails increase in proportion to the word count? (Just jealous as I haven't been out for over a week). Quite tempted to buy your 95. Would it snap do you think?
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