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Darbonne
Joined: 27 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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Lake D'arbonne Farmerville, LA.
http://youtu.be/clQUgVpMY30
Not the greatest tacking, but I continue to practice and improve.
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20939
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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Darbonne wrote: | It's very tiring sailing upwind to avoid being sucked over the spillway. |
HAH!
Is that a metaphor, or reality? Either way, I can identify with it.
Mike \m/
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Darbonne
Joined: 27 Jan 2012 Posts: 252 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Oh it's very real. The only big open water on D'arbonne is down by the spillway. My favorite launch spot is right next to it. A NW wind blows straight at it. There is a floating barricade in front of it. I have had nightmares about having to pull myself along the barricade rope to shore. Hope it never happens. Most of the lake is full of stumps because it is flooded forest. Here is what it looks like behind my house during a drawdown. Slalom course from hell.
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20939
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, one of our NM lakes has an unprotected spillway dead downwind. I've had nightmares about it, too.
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johnson_brian_j
Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Posts: 163 Location: Ventura County, California
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 6:29 am Post subject: |
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isobars wrote: | You're describing virtually every body of fresh water and many salty venues. The "old" part is because so many kids are too lazy to get good at WSing, and the "tired" part is because we've had too much fun. |
Old and tired because, let's face it: In most places that are not on the ocean, plane-ably windy days are few and far-between. The only people who can just go whenever that rare wind does pick up, are retirees. Kids' laziness has nothing to do with it. They've just got better things to do than camp out on iWindsurf for six weeks waiting for two hours of wind. (Okay, this is a perspective from the northeastern United States. Things may be different elsewhere.)
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coachg
Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3561
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:01 am Post subject: |
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Oh yes they are.
Coachg
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boardsurfr
Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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johnson_brian_j wrote: | In most places that are not on the ocean, plane-ably windy days are few and far-between. | Life's much better on the ocean, like Cape Cod. So far, I sailed 75 days this year (28 light wind, 47 planing). Excluding 2 weeks in Bonaire still leaves 42 planing sessions. I used my large sail (8.5) only three times; my biggest board for planing (117 l) four times. I actually did miss a number of planeable warm days for various reasons.
johnson_brian_j wrote: | The only people who can just go whenever that rare wind does pick up, are retirees. | Or those with a job that gives them flexibility to take off for a few hours. I'm still working full time (well, almost ) in software development. Friends who I see at the beach on a regular basis on week days work in construction or similar jobs.
Living close to a sailable spot at the ocean and liking sailing in light winds also helps. The people I see windsurf most often around here have either moved to Cape Cod because of windsurfing, and/or enjoy going out in light winds, too. Some make the long drive on weekends even if the forecast is bad, and are often rewarded with unexpected planing conditions.
This is another perspective from the northeastern United States. Life is good if you live 15 minutes from the beach and have the right job .
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20939
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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johnson_brian_j wrote: | The only people who can just go whenever that rare wind does pick up, are retirees. |
While there's a lot of truth to that, there are many methods working stiffs can also employ to catch many or most "Windsdays", even from considerable distances (our lakes were > 150 miles away, yet provided the vast majority of of our afternoon sessions). If that interests you, check out the last, long post on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/khxrfej .
Mike \m/
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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" The only people who can just go whenever that rare wind does pick up, are retirees."
To be honest, as a retiree for some time now, I sail far less than when I worked. Folks that work are far more dedicated to effectively using their time off. I use to drive 20K a year, and only I lived less than a mile from work, so almost all of my free time was focused on windsurfing. For years I racked up over a 100 days a year. Even though I lived in coastal community within a literal handful of miles from the beach, I would often drive to the most favorable sites to get the best conditions. These days I'm not so nuts about driving all over the place. When you think about it, life is what you make of it.
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spennie
Joined: 13 Oct 1995 Posts: 975 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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The simple answer to the original question is:
Because we're old.
And we're tired.
Now I'm gonna go take a nap.
--Spennie, 58 on July 10th
_________________ Spennie the Wind Junkie
www.WindJunkie.net |
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