Finally....

Today's North Texas forecast is only SE5-10.... Whew! Somebody pass me the Advil and some Aloe for this sunburn. I've got some healing to do (and some chores to catch up on).

No such 'luck' here...already gusting 33mph with 12' seas at 0600 hours. http://www.surfingsports.com/marineSCAL.asp? We now have a 1037mb High to a 1002 Low to deal with... http://www.surfingsports.com/f_mm5_west_s.asp? No end to the wind in sight, out West...

WARDOG

Well, we finally got ours yesterday in Charleston, SC. I played hooky with Dave and met up with a couple of locals for some side-on 4.5 wind and shoulder-head high stuff. Five hours on the water with Dave is like training with the Seals. But, that's the ONLY way to really enjoy such a treat. 78 degree water, and 85 degree air....ahhhh.

Alan P.S. Some pics to follow soon.

Maybe I've turned into a geezer, but I've found that I enjoy the 6.4/5.3 conditions the most. Yeah, I've got smaller gear for higher winds. But sailing a 6.4/100L combo is much more relaxing for me. No shortage of thrills, just not so much pucker factor that I feel like I've been in a fight the whole time.

S10-20 forecasted for tomorrow. Currently 63F temp, heading for a high in the upper 70's. Water is mid 70's.

I know what ya mean, and sometimes that's nice, but I really like a big day....4.0 messy and out-of-control too. It just makes me feel alive. Heightens my senses.

Thing is, I don't really see where a 4.0 and a 7'11' is any less stressful on your body than a 6.4 and a floaty board. I wear myself out man-handling all the big gear. With small gear things happen faster, but, it seems that there's less inertia with small stuff. I like being forced to move quickly. I'm naturally very lazy and any kick in the butt to make me move faster is kind of welcome.

Can't remember the last time I needed a 4.0. A flat 4.8 is as small as I've gone in many years. Amd it probably took wind that was close to a steady 30 to justify it. If I'm running a 6.4, the majority of the locals are on low to mid 5.0's.

Well... Perhaps a 4.0/7'11' has the same relation to you as a 6.4/9' has to me. 100L definitely does not float me, despite my reduced Liter Boy status. When things get to be 4.8 where I sail, it gets pretty dang hairy.

Plus my 100L rides a whole lot better than my old 88L board.

Gear doesn't feel big to me till 8.3 and up. And my 8.3 doesn't even feel big because it swings so nicely (a few year old Aerotech Ultimate III). My 325 Xantos is not what I'd call a jumper. But it runs just fine if the chop isn't too stiff.

Most definitely. At 100L, I become the inertia, not the board.

But mostly this is how I think of it.... If I get a week of 6.4/100L winds, I'll sail most of it. If I get a week of 4.8/Tiga winds, I'll get maybe two days.... With at least two days of rest between those days. And when winds get to my 4.0 level, most local folks don't have sails small enough to get on the water.

Gimme one big day a month and I'm content. And there's plenty of adrenalin in my 6.4 or 5.3 days.

Glad you guys are getting some. Here is some Jalama eye candy: http://www.surfingsports.com/jalama_wavesailing.asp

More from the archives: http://www.surfingsports.com/action_jalama2000.asp http://www.surfingsports.com/jalama_dreamin.asp http://www.surfingsports.com/jalama_whiteout.asp http://www.surfingsports.com/jalama_big_thursday.asp http://www.surfingsports.com/ian_air_boyd.asp

More vid and pic action coming soon...

WARDOG

You do sound like a big dawg. I'm down around 170 lbs (the heaviest I've been in my life) and 5'11'

There ya go, doggin' us again. Really nice shots Warren. Thanks! Did you make it out on the 'Big Thursday'? When was that?

Big Thursday was Fall 2000...I was one of 3 or 4 that made it out... That's me in the lower shot. Ask Will V about that day...pics don't do it justice. It was way bigger and meaner than it looked. Check the size of the white water on the inside...it's almost mast high. Guage the size of the waves by the RV's in the park. You could smell fear in the air as sailors showed up to look at it. Most didn't even drive down the hill, lest they be asked the question 'you going out?'... Myself...I never stopped rigging to look up or answer any questions... just doing my Zen thang...I hate when people get the him haws because of their own fear and try to be a buzzkill for others.

Will V got squished the other day on a 4.2m2 at 250lbs...he says he wants a rematch...I think the 'J' will accomodate him... (or any other aspiring wavesailing world champion) I have some killer footage of KP...Josh Angulo...Sean Aiken...Chris Wyman...Dave Osborne and others that I will have to bust out someday...

WARDOG

Hmmm, Fall 2000. That sounds like the infamous 'Labor Day Massacre' Dana had at Cape Sebastian. I've never seen photos like the ones somebody gave him of that place. Yours comes in second to those, and only because I have a frame of reference for Sebastian. (Hopefully, I'll have a frame of reference for Jalama after this summer) As in your shots, the sets were mast and half high. What was the cause? Do you remember?

With the side-off conditions, I can only imagine what the wind was like next to the green room.

Thanks, and as soon as you find the video of Sean let me know, I'll let him know cuz I'm sure he'll want a copy himself.