I'm working in Thailand at the moment and went for a paddle. This place is a very popular windsurf location and many of the Starboard, Cobra employees that paddle, sail and kite leave their gear here in the shelters. It's a great set up, but wow it's so hot paddling in the middle of the day.
There was a bit of wind and probably too much for me to try windsurfing so I found an old prototype race board left in the sun on an old boat. I paddled up wind as far as I could be bothered before I melted in the sun and done a few downwind laps with a break under a cold hose and a drink after each lap. The pics do how fun it was no justice as the glides were so linkable and you could go for well over 100 meters on each run. The water is a little silty as it's fairly shallow and the wind stirs it up.
Looks like your down near Laem Chabang!!! I go to Jomthien a bit and often look at the wind chop of an afternoon and think that would be good for a downwinder!!! I have an adjustable paddle that I'm going to take over and leave there and was thinking of hiring a windsurfer board and getting a boat to drop me off at one of the islands when they go out and paddling back!!! Swadee ka.
Looks like your down near Laem Chabang!!! I go to Jomthien a bit and often look at the wind chop of an afternoon and think that would be good for a downwinder!!! I have an adjustable paddle that I'm going to take over and leave there and was thinking of hiring a windsurfer board and getting a boat to drop me off at one of the islands when they go out and paddling back!!! Swadee ka.
Khun Squeeky.
I went out to the islands off Pattaya spear fishing also and with a 15 knot wind looking down wind I have never seen such organised bumps and deep holes ever like that on the Gold Coast. Like corduroy and like mayhem looking upwind but when you looked downwind as glassy as you see it.
It would be the funnest downwind paddle ever, kind of what I imagine Port Phillip Bay or Maliko to look like.
CMC Sounds like you had fun. Spotting that board would've been like finding the golden ticket. I am heading over to Bangkok and Phuket in May. I have sussed out via friends of friends about getting a paddle in when i am there and so far it sounds promising. I have been talking to a guy in Ko Lanta about a paddle some Starboard guys done earlier this year from Lanta to Phi Phi, a distance of about 32 k's If i decide to do it next year, i will put some posts on in the coming weeks about training, paddle technique etc. After reading about the sixteen year old girl doing the mad paddle, i am thinking what the hell, i might have a crack at it as you only live once. Have fun!!! Craig
