Sailed at Aucland, Takapune
Rated a 6 of 10

Wind from the NE (knots)

lulls: 16

average: 28

gusts: 35

Board: Starboard Carve 99 2004 Wood
Sail: Loft LIP Wave 4.7 2006, NP Zone 5.2 2007
Fin: Drake Freeride 280
Suit: XCel 4/3 infinity x-zip.
Air Temperature: 13 C

I initially thought the forecast was completely wrong. No wind at all. But al-p said that it was already 20-25 knots. And indeed after awhile the Takapuna windmeter really started to give high figures.

Too high for me it appeared. At least after a while. Went out on the 5.2, but the wind was quite gusty. Sometimes enough wind and then almost nothing, so I fell of my board. Spend a lot of time in the water. Had also trouble pointing my board, I pointed way too much upwind. But after a while it became really windy.

So went to a 4.7 and that was ok on the southward leg, but getting upward was very hard, still the pointing problem. As others didn't seem to have that issue I thought it might be the boom. When I lowered it, the pointing problem was basically over. But got smacked really hard when a gust blew me into a jump. At that time I was too tired of all the waterstarts and the cold, so didn't windsurf much more.

After a rest I went out once more, but the tide was low and I got too close to the beach and wiped by the breaking swell. Couldn't get back out so had to walk back two hundred metres to the wharf.

The swell was towering, at least for me. High over my head if you were in between them.

Clearly these conditions are much more than I can handle. An 80 litre board might have helped a bit, but my technique isn't up to these conditions.

Tomorrow the conditions are even worse it seems, so I'll see if I can find a place without this kind of swell.