Downwinder tips for newbies.
Declaration. I haven't done a downwinder for a couple of years. We did several a few years ago on 11-12' boards in winds up to 50 knots then didn't follow up with longer boards and car shuffles etc. Feel free to ignore anything I say.
Rule 1. Plan a series of exit points all along your route. Paddle from exit point to exit point. Never let yourself go chasing runners out to sea and get away from your exit points. If the wind is pushing you away from shore you must do the harder work to get towards shore early. If you leave it late then it will be too late.
Rule 2. Pace yourself. Just cruise along. Take rest breaks. Only paddle hard in short bursts. In 40-50 knots the difference in speed between paddling and not paddling is barely 2 kph. Don't try to chase the good guys. They are ahead because they are catching runners and that is an acquired skill. You won't do it by paddling your guts out. By pacing yourself you extend your time on the water and you improve your skills acquisition. Do it easy. Slip through the water like a ninja.
Rule 3. Buddy up with someone who will not mind waiting for you if you are slow.
A few statistics. Your paddling speed is about 8 kph. Your speed just sitting on the board getting blown along is 6 kph. (Try holding your paddle up as a sail. It's fun). On a runner you quickly accelerate to 15 kph.
The other thing is to wear a decent wetsuit. If you get stuck out on your board (or without your board 
) then your wetsuit will keep you alive until you can be rescued or make it to shore somewhere else.
It was great to see the three girls grining from ear to ear at the end and saying how much fun it was.. 
.. They'll be back for more.. 
DJ
COOL!!!!
)
)
)
Other tips for newbies.
Start with an upwinder. Go out in an onshore wind. Paddle out. Turn around. Have a micro-downwinder back to the beach. Repeat until pooped.
You can cheat at Sandringham or Black Rock by paddling out behind the breakwater to increase your distance. It's more of a triangle course.
For extra points go out to the yachting marker at Sandy. If the going gets tough on the way out then kneel, sit or lie down.
On the way in concentrate on being comfortable with standing with a following sea. Don't try to make too much speed. Just try to catch the odd runner and be generally comfortable. Go with the flow Grasshopper. Smooth like a ninja.
Graduate to short course downwinders. Brighton beach to Sandringham or Black Rock is quite doable and you can exit at Green Point or Sandy if the going is tough. There are some excellent surfable sandbars and reefs half way from Sandy to Black Rock.
Noodling around the Black Rock-Ricketts area is an option.
Go out for training paddles in 10-15 knots of wind. Chug upwind until you're sick of it then downwind back. In the Black Rock-Ricketts area you can sneak upwind inshore of the reefs (watch your fins), do a half decent upwind leg, a longer downwind leg, then sneak back inshore to repeat.
I must agree with PT, at no time did I feel in danger or out of control. Yes a little outside my comfort zone but thats what you get when you try something new. The reason I went yesterday was the fact that I felt the crew I was going with were very safety oriented and they would look aftre me, and they did.
So with all the above taken on board and some lessons learnt, when is the next one.
Yes some good points raised which will help fine tune the plan, beach brief,assessment of conditions, buddy system and pfd's all good ideas, mmm back up plan also. Me, I probably went out to hard got excited about all those runners, probably defied my age but did love the idea of being in the wild away from our controlled routine environment we live in ahh the spirit of adventure, but I was left with a slight feeling of vulnerability when I had to stop a few times to take stock of what may have been happening to me interestingly at hospital yep high risk male between age of 40-60 family history fortunate to lower risk ,not overweight, fit ,eat well low cholesterol,don't smoke but it still could happen ..... All is good
.. They'll be back for more..
A few of us did a wild and windy DW today and I spoke with Paul and Pete who said that the day referred to in this post was a real blast. These 2 guys know how to DW very well so in answer to LL the experienced guys loved it.
Today was a challenge!
Dave
Hey Dave,
It was pretty westerly if I recall. So it must have been not the usual downwinder route. Also, it may have moderated a bit from last night when it was just absolutely howling. Challenging conditions no doubt.
Wild weather lately. I was meant to be in Perth tonight - the volcano put paid to that idea.
Maybe we can refer to yesterday's downwinder as the winter solstice run - make it an annual initiation rite of passage for newbies! lol....and no, I'm not on the sauce.
Great job with the vid PT.. That must have been early in the run before the serious waves but it still was looking pretty stormy.. It was good of you to stay with Kathy even if it did mean a bit of knee paddling to stay with her.. The girls did great.. Mick's green DC looks awesome and it's a shame I didn't have my camera (batteries) because I got some of the longest runs that I've ever got and the big 17 was flying.
DJ
I left Paul and Kathy and Janette, to reel in my lost sheep Jean. She was having a blast going downwind to Sandringham via Tassie
So all I had to do was point the Race 14 Open Ocean in her direction and go for it.
And Jean thought I was doing her a favour....
Nice one Jonathan.. I hope you told Jean to stop having so much fun and stay on course for Sandy.. (Yeah Sandy.. over there to the left) ..
And excuse me while I look between your legs to see where we're going.. It looked like you were lining up a beauty at the 1.30 mark.
DJ
I love the bit when you get to Jean and she points to her far left. Yep, that would be Sandringham.
