2011-05-25

SW Two Sesh at Ramp 30 and Lifeguard Beach Plus More SeaLion Stoke!!


Update! See Keith McCulloch's stoker report (bottom of this post) about riding the SeaLion last night at the Lighthouse! This board is going to ROCK this summer in Hatteras!!

SW winds were up yesterday along with a fun wave found both at Ramp 30 (actually the bar is about 1/2 mile south of the ramp) and near Cape Point. I caught two back to back sessions at both spots with 4.5m juiced one/two hit wonders at Rmp 30, and a later mellow (Maui sesh) between Lifeguard and Cape Point.

The Rmp 30 sesh included a fun outer bar wave that, if you were in the right spot at the right time, lined up a fun hit! Lots of loops too with gusty inside wind which occasionally blasted you skyward on the incoming steep swells. Keith and Rick joined me at Ramp 30, and the only downside to the sesh was a shadowed/squirrely inside due to the high dune line along the beach. Once outside though, full power 4.5m wind prevailed! View the Bambuser pre-sesh report!
The second sesh was had at Lifeguard Beach in Buxton. I am always amazed by the water quality at that spot near Cape Point. It was simply like sailing in waters off Maui. Warm, tropical blue, sea turtles swimming, and smooth outer and inner surf conditions. Often I simply just laid out there in the water and thought, "Damn this is beautiful!" The wind was lighter there (as is usually the case), so I rigged 5.3m. For both sessions, I rode the Tempo 92, but I really wished I packed the SeaLion for the Lifeguard Beach session. The surf and wind conditions were perfect for the Sealion, and I should have known better. I packed my 75 Quatro Quad, expecting perhaps winds to increase throughout the day, but I should have went with the Sealion since a drop is usually more likely this time of year. Hopefully Keith got out there on the SeaLion for an evening sesh?!

All in all, two sessions under warm sunny skies, trunks only, and beautiful water. Ahhh, I love this time of year for Hatteras wavesailing!

Here is a pic from Lifeguard Beach in Buxton.  The NPS has Cape Point closed off to vehicle and foot traffic, but once on the water, you can sail anywhere along the area to hit the surf zones.  Just do not come into the beach!

UPDATE:  Keith's take on riding the SeaLion last night!
Bill,
Hello. yes I got a great and i mean great session at the light house.. head high, CLEAN peeling waves... must have caught 30 waves in a hour.. i was there from 5-7 absolutely fantastic.
i'm getting better on the lion. i'm amazed that no one didn't build a board like this sooner. this really opens up summertime wave riding. i still can't bottom turn the thing worth a damn but i'm getting much better at all other aspects of the ride. ...you'll have to try the LH (Lighthouse) out on the SW with wrap in swell. super fun. the waves were almost glassy..that's how clean it was.. felt like i was surfing more than windsurfing..

Wanna ride the SeaLion, or better yet have one for the upcoming summer season...?! Contact me for more info regarding demo, rental, and/or purchasing!)

2 Comments:

At 2:11 PM, Blogger George Markopoulos said...

nice! i just love Keith's candid prose. I can't bottom turn the thing worth a damn, but i'm figuring it out! HA. cracks me up.
hey, i learned last year that SUP's have bascially mitigated any risk of getting skunked, and absolutely guarantee's a fun day on the water, no matter the conditions.

 
At 2:23 PM, Blogger Bill said...

Yea George, how true!! Definitely the SUP entry into the wavesailing market simply is awesome!

As a long time Hatteras wavesailor (and for a number of years, only carried a 76 ltr, but made it work!), its amazing how much I simply missed! The SeaLion and related wavesailing SUPs (especially the aggressive designs) really add an entirely new aspect to catching waves with a windsurfing rig in hand.

I am planning a collection of summer Light Air Wavesailing 101s featuring the SeaLion with tips/tricks/techniques ranging from "how to head carry" to "smacking the lip!"

I just hope I can line up some decent photography to go with the posts?!

 

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