Wendesday Low Pressure!!

8:30 AM: Socked in with rain. Avon Pier meter is reading 32 gusting 47, due South, and 60 degrees air temp. Diamond Shoals buoy is reading 43 gusting to 56 mph, and 19 feet at 10 seconds... Stormy!! Time to go check it out!

Here's this morning's radar,


and a short video of the scene.



It reminded me of a tropical storm! Basically, the wind was cranking but variable, the rain was pelting, and the ocean was huge (the buoy maxed out at 20.7 feet!!). Stuart and I sailed the Hole in the morning, through the rain squalls, and gusts over 60 according to the iwindsurf Avon Ocean meter! I held down my 4.2 through most of it, and hid in the water during some of the major gusts. Basically survival sailing, with a few crazy fast spin loops thrown in for good measure. Later, when the sun came out, the wind backed down a bit and Mark, Jim K, Jeff, George, and Brian came out to join the fun!

Ego Beach breaking to the horizon
Jim K boosting
Current windsurfing gear is remarkable: I stayed on my 4.2 the whole day, in winds ranging from 32 gusting 48, to avg 49 gusting to 61 (I hid for a lot of that half hour), to 19 gusting 27, and never changed a thing beyond an inch of outhaul and a fin! I even did some speed runs (34.3 mph max in the semi bumpy water), and some freestyling during the lulls... Other sails ranged from 3.7 up to 5.2 in the gusty, shifty conditions! Here's some more pics:

Head high waves of sand were blowing through
Da Hole
I've been out of the water for 6 hours, I've taken a nice long shower, and I've still got sand caked in my hair and ears........ Yup, 'twas windy this morning!!