We were hopeful for a SW breeze today and the wind report was tempting us so we headed up to Waikanae mid arvo.
Location: Waikanae Beach
Equipment: Naish Matador 6m wing, Naish 125 Hover Ultra, 1650 Jet Foil
Wind: 8-10kts SW
It wasn't quite as Windy at Waikanae as we were hoping but it was a beautiful day and the water was flat so we couldn't resist getting out there. After playing with different boards and foils the last few sessions it felt good to be jumping back on the 125 Hover. My first tack out and I ripped upwind easily. The new Naish Matador 6m was brilliant. So easy to hold and get the most out of it. The wind was light but I did manage a few very brief moments of lift on the foil today. I felt a lot more in control than I have previously and the lift was slow and steady.
The conditions and the gear today really worked well and made me feel a lot more confident. I could have used a couple more kts of wind as I was relying on the few puffs that came through to give me the lift, but didn't have time to maximise on it. Each time I did get lift I dropped back down pretty quick or fell off. But it is starting to come together. As I get more familiar with the Wing and the board I feel more and more comfortable and am really thinking about foot position on the board, and weight distribution.
Bring on the next Southwest wind. It gives the best conditions to learn in at Waikanae Beach.
Until next time!
(Now that we have 2 full lots of gear my photographer was too busy on the water so it was a cheesy car selfie today. Any suggestions for how to get photos when Winging?)
4 comments
Thanks Geoff. Yes Laurie is a legend and an inspiration!
Love the blog!
And hi to Laurie the Legend!
Thanks Laurie. You had a good run out there. The wind was pretty light! See you next time.
Good to see you both on the water. Photos can come later when you are not struggling with the gear! My kite foiling was ok apart from the big holes in the sky that caused the kite to want to stall out in the lulls. It seems to happen when the wind is true sw ie straight along Waikanae Beach.