I can't believe how many people weren't at Shearwater today. With the wind being pretty crappy lately i thought on a day like today it would have been packed or at least the usual suspects would have made an appearance but no. Man it was awsome from about 10.30 for about 2 1/2 hours. The tide was right and everything. Most of the kiters even started packing up and going home so that tells you how strong it was. I am still buzzing if only all the days that i sail could be like that. It was epic massive catapult and all.
How was currumbin after 1ish? We had to leave so only got any early one in... The waves were schweeeeeeeet today! 
I was on Shearwater but I made tactical mistake. Wind, white horses and chop looks wonderful and suggested to take smaller rig 5m and smaller board 84L instead of my usual 5.7m2 and 91L. I could be ok but wind was so gusty and choppy that combination doesn't work for me most of the time. Works fine on gusts but then almost drowning when winds drops. After 2 hours I did change to usual and till dark I had good ride.
I wonder what works for you in such conditions on Shearwater? Big chop , 25+ kn
Alternatively there is somtheing wrong with my 5m KA or setup 
Mahi, Haha Currumbin boys! So full of it. 
SW had heaps of ramps to hit, fully powered up, had an awesome time, heaps better than the days I have stood around watching the flounderers at the Alley talking about epic conditions, too few and far between for my likings.
In SE winds, in my opinion, SW is the best, hands down. Look at the wind chart, all over the place down south, cranking at SW, proof is in the pudding boys.
Windsurfing the alley in the wrong wind conditions, to me, is like riding a motocross track with no fuel in my bike!
BTW qldnacra good work bud I heard you say you are new to the sport, welcome and good effort out there.
Macroscien
I did say I had the 6.2 and Eggs was running the 5.8.
1 board, 2 sails, 1 boom, 1 mast, all you need for goldy wind range.
Thus endeth the lesson.
was nice to get out on the water again after a few months off. nothing beats mid-week cruising at sw.....
excuse me whilst i remove my tongue from my cheek!
oh and I was working 5 minutes up the road.
I was on a Jp All Ride 106 with a 4.9 Neil Pryde Fusion HD. Had enough power for my 67kg arse. It was the best sail i've had in the 4 months i've been sailing. Yeah it was gusty from time to time but when it was on it was on. I was powered up to the point of butt clenching at times but it felt unreal. Around 11.00 till about 12.30 was best. Couldn't get the smile off my face almost every run and i mean literally. So it looks like i will be out there again in the morning because it looks good again. Here's hoping. Can't get enough of that "flat water" when it's like that. Must be a different Shearwater to the one that i was at because i wouldn't call that very flat. In fact there was a guy out there getting some decent air off some of the waves which looked pretty cool. He was pretty good though, i got some air too a couple of times but it was totally unintentionally which sucks wish i could do it by choice. Oh well give it time
good on you nacra!
I wish the conditions you describe would still give me as much a buzz.
Its good to see enthuastic newcomer to the sport which is so suffering.
My 'flat water' comment wasn't intended to be-little ShearWater nor offend anyone, rather, just telling you 'how it is' for some who have been riding the horse for too many years, and why we are absent from places like SW these days.
peace out...
So my complain was purely technical nature. My KA 5m2 cam/race sail took all this gust on the chin, maybe I didn't down-holed enough? Such sudden gust want to rip your boom from hands. When speed up then looks like never ends On another hand 5.7m2 wave sail was smooth and feels, light and power with much more controllable speed over this chop.
I saw 3 guys in the morning doing really well in conditions ( with nice looking planing jibe every time)
No offence to wave riders but as beginning enthusiastic sailor I put three categories here.
1 . Speed sailing - on flat water give you rush on Sandy Point ( Or Welington Point) above at certain speed - the splashing noise itself is incredible pleasurable at this speeds
2.Wave sailing - just tasted a bit and happy when still standing when crossing braking waves
3. But the third category - full speed (well overpowered ) on regular more or less but big chop that is something completely different and new for me.
yeah Mahi, nacra was doing really well for someone so new to the sport. Powered up through decent size SW chop, as I am sure you know with 25kn can ramp up pretty decent and would be intimidating to a newbie for sure!
I saw him charging across to the centre bar and back several times, top stuff!
I will see you lads down at the alley when we get our ne arvo hits!
Love this sport, so many facets to it.
Macro, I personally just use wave gear everywhere, Naish wave sails, and JP thruster. Still generates plenty of speed, good control, plus versatility for all conditions, flat, chop, waves. It also eliminates carrying so much gear with you.
I use a 99l board, a 5.4 and 6.2 and thats it. Covers me for 90% of Goldy weather, bit of a handful with the 5.4 in 35kn winds, but I just flatten it down, downhaul to the max and hold on!
Hey Mahi i wasn't offended in any way. The "flat water" quote i made was in good humour because anyone that has sailed at Shearwater in over 20knots knows that it's not flat and usually very messy. In fact to help me learn quicker when i'm not on the water i tried turning the washing machine on at home and hopping in but my harness hook just kept catching the lip. Prick of a thing. That's the best way i could think of the simulate Shearwater in wind.
My aim is to get out into the waves and do a bit of jumping but i'm just not good enough yet. I need to be able to water start quicker than what i can now and nail it every time and learn to plane jybe and pull off my quick tacks every time not just 1 in 8 or 10. I could do them on my 130 Fun Ride but i've just bought the All ride and can't quite get them yet regularly but i'm working on it
nacra, don't stress about gybes and tacks, I am rubbish at tacks, just work on getting your deep water starts, heaps of people still can't turn! But if you stuff up a gybe, try and get the boom in the right spot as you fall, saves a lot of stuffing around. btw I was the one who said hi yesterday, blue Naish sail.
ooh first green arrow for the morning! If we get a few up I am heading there in half an hour or so.
Well it was crappy. Promised so much but delivered so little. From about 1 got to plane a bit but nothing like Thursday. Hey md74 i was thinking who was down there and i kind of figured who you were, white board i think for memory. The turns are ****ting me a bit and i get quite frustrated with myself at times but i will get them. I seem to have picked up the rest of this windsurfing thing pretty quick so i'll get the turns but not without a few profanities. Pulled off 6 quick tacks today and 3 gybes but i have to say they didn't feel pretty. I'll work on the style thing once i can do them better. Anyway might see you out there again sometime
nacra if you pulled 8 gybes that 8 more than me!
I have a silver board, JP thruster, I was the first other windsurfer on the water, Eggs had the white board, NP sail.
See you next time it blows! Bummer about today, never looked too good so I never bothered.
Perfect day for Formula on SW. Could be planing 100%, I have been only 50% on my 7.5m. At times so boring 5 knots that I try to learn up-hauling on sinker board. Surprisingly possible even when sinking below knees 
, as I been willing to give that a rest to this rope definitely, as useless in last two years, and most of you possibly don't have up-haul anymore. Actually they create more problems when water starts, always catching foot straps.
Ah roger that i got you mixed up. No it was only 3 jybes the others were quick tacks but slowly but surely i'm getting there. The one thing about this sport is there really isn't any shortcuts you have to pay your dues. It takes time and patience which is something i am a little short on but when you achieve something man it feels good and i felt like on Thursday i handled what i consider tough conditions pretty well. That was the hardest/best conditions i have ever sailed in and loved every second of it.
