Start of a Cold Windy FUN Week on the OBX!

photographer:  Pete LeWando
click any image to open gallery

Today was Day One of an upcoming week of cold windy weather on the OBX!  NNW winds peaked in the upper 20s/low 30s calling the small stuff into the ocean.  I caught it at Old Lighthouse Beach along with Keith, Dano and Chad.  Surf ranged chest to head high with some bigger sets.  Large swell mountains rolled on the outside, and when they broke out there, it was like running ahead of a freight train!  Inside the current was ripping downwind from the groin at a velocity where it was near impossible to stand.  Typical Lighthouse!  Water felt great though hovering in the mid/upper 60s.

I began the sesh with my inaugural wavesailing ride on the 2011 Quatro Quad LS 75.  I've had the board since Wave Jam; however, I have not had a prime opportunity to ride it until today.  Paired with the 2011 MauiSails 4.5m Legend, the combo worked great in the strong conditions.  Inside was a little tricky given the heavy current and low board volume, but I made it with no real problems.  Wave riding on the LS was killer!!  Keith and I were lining them up on the downwind bar near directly offshore of the new Lighthouse location.  Clean crumblers mixed with top to bottom pitching sections made for some aggressive wavesailing.  The Quad felt like a rock star ride with effortless sharp carving bottom turns and approach to the lip.  Port DTL is my weaker side, but with the Quad, the ride felt great and I was able to connect some fun, aggressive top to bottom turns and lip hits!

As the day progressed, the wind dropped into the low/mid 20s, and I decided to swap the Quad for the Tempo Twin 92 to have a little more volume to deal with the light wind inside and strong current.  Also, the break off the Groin began to fire as the surf size increased.  Again, another hour or so of fun waveriding and challenging inside action!  At one point I was denied three times by constant head high closeout walls, but finally made it out for a final wave ride and peak hit!  Not sure if Pete L caught that one?!

all action photos:  Pete LeWando