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flipflop
Joined: 01 May 2013 Posts: 3
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 12:55 am Post subject: Windsurfing Oahu for a year? |
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Hi! I will maybe move to Honolulu for a while. Maui is first choice, but it's harder to make a living there with my working skills. I'm looking for a place to live where one can sail waves. I'm confident in logo high waves, and aspiring for mast high waves.
Is Oahu a good place to live for a year for wave windsurfing? Or will I have to fight unpredictable gusty winds and localism? Read a place called diamond head is ok in summers, but don't find much info about winters.
San Francisco is another option, but I belive it's a bigger chance of getting more days on the water in Oahu? |
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victor
Joined: 03 Aug 1998 Posts: 581
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 10:28 am Post subject: |
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>San Francisco is another option, but I belive it's a bigger chance of getting more days on the water in Oahu?
http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19380
maui is the place to be for wind.
compared to either island, you have a better chance of getting work and a better salary in sf. not as warm, but at least as many, if not more, days on the water, too. if you prefer waves you might want to live a little further south to be closer to wadell. |
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elguapo
Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 3
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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We have a couple decent WS spots on Oahu.... Mokuleia and Kailua can have excellent conditions |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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Diamond Head, Moks, Backyards, Revelations, and side off DTL wave sailing. You can add the beach N of Brownies to the equation, but I've never seen another wave sailor out in front of the big hotel.
If you're 175 lbs., plan on 5.5 to 6.0 sails, 95 liter boards.
Easily as many days as Maui, if you have that kind of gear. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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Problem can be, the really best DTL wave sailing options are surfer owned, so you can't really park and rig there, much less windsurf in the waves there. Lanikai, Chuns, Sunset, Kammies, are all surfer spots, and even the lifeguards would support the surfers.
I"m lucky I started wave sailing there in the mid '80's, before the windsurfer's were banned on those spots.
RIP, that wave called the "longest DTL" in the world. That's really Backyards. 'yards IS a DTL wave, if you don't mind ending up at Boneyards after 4 bottom turn off the lip combos, meaning dragging your fin on reef, no wind inside, by the time you get out, you're at the deepest peak at Sunset, and surfer's yelling at you, lifeguards waving you in.
Having ridden most of the wave spots on Oahu, including Yoks, Rabbit, Maili, Avalanche, 7th Hole, and a few more, I'd say the longest and best is Revelations into Velzyland for the most # of bottom turn otl combos, on winter swells over 10', but beware the pack at Velzy and your car upon return to Oopula St. |
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flipflop
Joined: 01 May 2013 Posts: 3
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 8:15 am Post subject: |
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I weight 190 lbs. Guess I'll get plenty of time practicing my early planing skills on Oahu. Fortunately it's a short flight to Maui, and will check out that island, too. Thanks for all the replies so far!! |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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Had plenty of wavesailing buds on Oahu who were heavier than you, and all of them sailed 4 days a week average, in surf.
Just need a 100 liter + wave board, and a 6.0 wave sail. They do make that kind of gear.
TomCastleton who made boards near backyards weighed 190.
CraigYester weighed that, and often used 8'3" x 22 poly glass wave boards at Moks and some now banned spots.
On the E shore, for summer wave sailing at DH, Brownies, or that hotel beach just N, you'd need a slightly bigger board to make it out and in thru the dead wind zone. You've seen the vids of DH, fully whitecapped but most sailors on 5.2's, you on 6.2.
Fly to Maui if you want, but it's more crowded wave sailing (DTL style) and basically ONE spot, Hookipa/Lanes, no matter what some people will say about Kanaha and Sprecks. |
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nodak
Joined: 13 Nov 2012 Posts: 130
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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zirtaeb wrote: | Had plenty of wavesailing buds on Oahu who were heavier than you, and all of them sailed 4 days a week average, in surf.
Just need a 100 liter + wave board, and a 6.0 wave sail. They do make that kind of gear.
TomCastleton who made boards near backyards weighed 190.
CraigYester weighed that, and often used 8'3" x 22 poly glass wave boards at Moks and some now banned spots.
On the E shore, for summer wave sailing at DH, Brownies, or that hotel beach just N, you'd need a slightly bigger board to make it out and in thru the dead wind zone. You've seen the vids of DH, fully whitecapped but most sailors on 5.2's, you on 6.2.
Fly to Maui if you want, but it's more crowded wave sailing (DTL style) and basically ONE spot, Hookipa/Lanes, no matter what some people will say about Kanaha and Sprecks. |
I assume you're in HI, z-man. One question for you and I've posted this in the general forum as well. Why don't you see folks with large volume boards (160L for example) with appropriate size sails of 8.0 + in places like Kailua? You do see learner boards that are that size. Most days the wind in Kailua is in the mid teens which isn't enough for smaller sail/board combo. So why not come out with a big board and a big sail?
Then again very few people windsurf anymore and that could be why. Also big stuff is bulky to store. What do you think? |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Haven't been back there in decades....
Kiting took over around '00, and big kites, like 16 meters, work there quite well with the same board you use for a 8 meter kite.
Parking has always been a problem, getting close enough with your van loaded with your gear.
And solo session with an 8 meter sail, 120liter board, is really not that fun.
Windsurfing just died out, like in Kaui also. |
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ryboi602
Joined: 23 Apr 2013 Posts: 1
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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Back yards oahu is the better than Hokipa when it's ON. It doesn't get windy or have proper direction after they built the V-land houses 10 years ago. I did see jason polakow out in november super slogging in 10 foot hawaiian waves, he made it look like the best spot in the world once he got on a wave, waiting for that podcast to come out, |
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