nick moffatt k-903

Gallery update: North coast Cornwall May

2011-06-27T18:28:00.019+01:00

https://picasaweb.google.com/nickmoffattk903/CornwallMay2011

Hit the link to my galleries. There's a few sequences. One of those fun days scoring so many waves where you need to neck a litre of water straight after. Everyone was going off! 5.3/84

One from a Marazion day, more to come for that album

K3designs

2011-06-26T21:44:00.009+01:00

How's this for first up in an advertising campaign?!..

I have signed up with k3designs. They support the SWA and had me try out one of their masts. Bring on the 400 Battlestick. We lucked in with demanding and fun sessions on the Cornish north coast over the last couple of months. Right from the get-go my rig felt lively, powerful yet light, nice and springy and responsive.

Recreational sailors, or those that arent yet using high carbon content masts, if you value your time on the water and you've already invested a lot of yourself into windsurfing, and in your kit, a 100% carbon mast could be the most important part of all your gear in terms of you being able to stop thinking too much about your sail in difficult or gusty condtions and enjoy concentrating more on the feel of your board at speed.

K4 fins

2011-06-26T21:30:00.008+01:00

http://www.k4fins.com/

Steve Thorp is getting great feedback from many team riders. It was a while before i clocked up a few sessions to be able to give him anything informative. Like them i did...they are as good as you hear..
Some great stuff on his website, and have you seen Graham Ezzy's one-handed taka yet?

Tenerife, testing summer 2010 album

2011-06-26T21:24:00.004+01:00

https://picasaweb.google.com/nickmoffattk903/Shiny2011GearTestingForWINDSURFMagTenerifeAug10

SWA Bristol and UWE event, March

2011-06-26T21:00:00.004+01:00

So out of another freezing uk winter as luck would have it the march weekend of Bristol and Univeristy of West England's SWA event wasnt cold at all! I hope my water and land coaching for the advanced clinic helped! It was a lot of fun with such a great turnout of all levels.

Boom, relaunch!

2011-06-13T22:29:00.004+01:00

Over a year on since posting, despite generally poor conditions again this winter gone there have been great sessions on home water, just seems we're getting them as some sort of late Easter gift. During the 2010 summer while testing for Windsurf magazine in Tenerife i decided to go completely my own way with which boards and sails i would ride...

boardseeker write-up link

2010-05-08T14:15:00.003+01:00

http://www.boardseekermag.com/features/windsurfing-action/gwithian-weekend-125.html

Use the link above to check out Steve King's nice little boardseeker write-up of a great session at Godrevy where many sailors from all over ripped it up all day long in the sunshine.

Gwithian /Godrevy action yesterday

2010-05-03T15:57:00.008+01:00

What a nice result for the bank holiday weekend... sun, wind and waves!

Sunday proved to be the best day going from 15 upto around 18 knts by late afternoon. Small but fun and the cool north-north easterly wind didnt feel cold at all with such powerful sun and around 10 degrees C air and sea. Powered up on the new 5.2 Rock and Quad 81 i got a few decent waves and some jumping was on too. So good... Everyone was pretty much on it all day! Knackered!

http://www.guavajelly.co.uk/2010_gallery.html

Mathew Burridge has an album (copy the link above) featuring the many that enjoyed the session, i've also got a few from the day so watch this space...

Bath Windskate

2010-05-03T15:20:00.008+01:00

During such a generally windless and waveless autumn '09 - spring '10 it was nice to come out of the cold! With a flat sea and lots of work to get done during week two of my Easter holidays at least it had got warm and sunny! Getting on the rowing machine in the back garden kept me sane... Once again time to pack my life-belongings in my car and head back to Bath.

My new sails had arrived which i picked up on my way, and inspired by my friend Charlie who's into his photography and happens to live in a very scenic part of town, on that large and slightly hungover weekend two weeks ago i couldnt resist seeing what the new Rock was like for myself.

photos: Charlie Ranscombe
http://www.faux-sure.com/

porthtowan mini stunt session 20th march

2010-04-05T20:16:00.006+01:00

happy easter!
Loads of snow out here in France- unreal, april 5th, felt more like january today. A last-minute call to come out here for the week was actually quite tricky given cornwall's somewhat epic forecast, and seemingly after the whole winter of no sizeable swells i was just as keen to head there, but coming out here one maybe 2 weeks a year is pretty special...And half a dozen rides from the top traverses of steep deep powder joy wasnt a bad alternative!

Shots here from Jonny Samuel, on a stormy day at Porthtowan. Steve King and I made the best of what was around on a difficult call for spots with the wind/wave directions that day.

Some number of weeks before this session i'd made it down to score two days good surfing. On the penultimate day of the school term i sneaked in a dusk session around bournemouth, side-on 4.7 full power with chest high ramps, but it quickly went too rippy with the incoming tide and the heavens opened with some serious rain/hail! I realised why my hands were aching as it had plumetted to 3 degrees never mind NW'ly wind chill.

the rush, the chill

2010-01-07T19:13:00.007Z

happy new year!

plenty of wind and waves for UK in 2010 please...

2 weeks holiday in france was a beautiful thing... mostly

very cloudy, foggy, only patches of good visibility - even rain for a day at 1800m while it was sub zero back in blighty! - but with reasonably good snow throughout, eventually it dumped proper for the last few days and gave clear blue skies. One first-tracks run just below the peak (from the other side of the ridge above) with one other guy supplied the buzz that was the trip highlight. 20 seconds of flying around big turns full speed over steep powder... What is it about these sports where just that short time of intensity is worth all of whatever happens the rest of the time...

Still there is never any time for anyone to bother taking shots, especially when it's that good! These are from a previous new year

4 new fins ruled Woolacombe and Porthcawl magic

2009-12-18T12:49:00.009Z

Porthcawl SWA PuraVida event
photos: Wayne Thomas

I am very happy to announce that i have recently moved to Starboard/Tushingham my new sponsors

I've enjoyed a couple of good sessions this winter in strong wind and wave conditions in Devon and Wales on the Rock sails and my new Quad 81 which i'm having a lot of fun with. It's had great feedback all over the world and it's been interesting feeling it out for myself, especially as a surfer. It feels great; so little effort to fly around the place, such a nicely balanced shape to cruise out through the break however rippy or gusty, and get fast quickly to jump higher with ease! Taking a few beatings at logo high Woolacombe a few weeks ago i seemed to cheat the weather, floating into position to take my pick of the waves. While it didnt take long to get comfy and just sail, it is different; so drivy and it can really flow or power through turns like a surfboard. I found i was generating more speed than i expected wherever i was on the wave and just started going for more stuff, sailing better without thinking about it! I know already now during 2010 it will help improve my level.

The rocks felt nice providing smooth power and going so neutral instantly on demand. I'm looking forward to getting hold of the new sail designs in 2010 which is very exciting. Also the Aeron booms are stunning. If you're in the Bristol area get in touch with Rich and Nick at Windsurfer's World to have a chat about all the gear.

autumn catch up and Windsurfer International article: 'fit to sail'

2009-11-13T09:43:00.019Z

Finally! A few minutes to post some news.
Hope everyone scores decent wind this weekend around UK. I put off having an awkward wisdom tooth out twice to go away sailing, so am now forced into a weekend just chilling for a change, bagga!

here's what i've been upto:

Training.
Look out for upcoming Windsurf International magazine. Dan Cossins, of Body Development in Bath, and I are running a strength series. I've been training hard when i can and it's been great working with someone at the top of their field to make it as effective as possible.

here it is!
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication0c5c4023#/0c5c4023/106

Marazion stunt fest last weekend! Always nice to get down at the weekend on a big forecast and sail with the boys! (Even if it did mean lesson planning fri and sat night! Fully knackering every day of every week!) Some sun sunday made up for truly horrible weather and light all saturday, scuppering some would-be-excellent action shots from Splashography.

Strong side/side-on with no where to hide from mast+half to 2x mast high N coast was a stunning sight, but frustratingly a no go. Would have been 10seconds adrenaline for an hour of punishment, or worse...

Cornwall Classic. Handily for me slotting into half term week many of us got some good freesailing and stunning clean head high surf in the days leading upto the event. Giwthian and particularly Godrevy provided the goods for a more-than-worthy contest which finished off the 4 nations year. The tour had seen the best conditions ever and the top guys battled it out all the way to the finish...

photo: JC /boardseeker

Boardseekermag.com as ever covering them all with great photo and vid work.

For me I sailed better on day 2 flowing more, forcing less, and got more speed and better turns.

I finish the year 12th Overall, which i'm happy with considering the company above me.

By the way, dont know if i should be keeping it on the down-low! but the latest Gul Windsurf suit in development is seriously good, building on superb current and recent windsurf and surf suits, and should be fully pimp too! Gold bling.

I'll have some big news on kit soon, stay tuned.

October:

Tiree Wave Classic 09. Mangaed to organise the week to do it around full time Uni/school committments. Sam Neil and i missed our heats! Long story... But at least we arrived on the island in time for one day at least of great wind and waves. We sessioned it hard! Following on everyone had a couple of fun days surfing. What can you say its all about the craic.

Coll Challenge triathlon was a great day. With 3rd in run, 7th on bike (didn't go well!) I had to settle for 4th place finish. I was happy with a 3rd in the SUP final with some experienced SUP-ers!

photos: JC/Tiree Waveclassic

September:

National windsurfing festival. A great success, so many people on one beach! (That wasn't your average day at Hayling was it?!) We lucked in with planing condtions all day on big kit and i qualified for the night race. I managed not to come last. At least if you were so underpowered you could sneak off downwind in pitch black on your return. The Boat crews did a great job we got to fly around the place with glow sticks attached to ourselves. Fun in the dark!

I was on the judging team for national windsurf freestyle champs. No planing wind but great lightwind competing from the youths and a few older youths! Brighton rocked!

Gower, S Wales, day trip one weekend turned out good, 4.4 in chunky waves. Gonna try and get there more often!

A Westerly kick in the balls! : Cornwall chaos

2009-09-01T12:44:00.003+01:00

I had a feeling somehow the evening before that the day could turn into a shocker, sat at Marazion watching great stunt ramps roll through-which i expected would disappear overnight-but with no wind on the inside in SW'ly at that time. Sunny and strong wind for most of the day, sounds great no?! But the day conspired against us and I don't think anyone scored much! -aside from a gusty but superb flat water day at Maza. Anyone chasing waves was stuffed! It goes to show things don't always go to plan, and not to always believe what you hear about conditions you missed, or be too miffed when you think you might be missing a good day when actually not much is happening!

Andy and I scoured beach after beach for 4 hours, including one south coast reef that i'm gagging to sail at some point when i'm around and its working!...the excitement of a potential epic session fading into frustration! The decent swell on its way to the Cornwall north coast was made quickly unsailable and unsurfable by the W winds, with logo high sets of white-water coming through at Hayle turning very onshore and light through the rippy impact zone! We would have been up at Daymer Bay getting whatever wind and waves came through if it wasn't for the A30 grinding to a standstill. Stuffed by the tides, wind and swell directions and now also the monumental bank holiday weekend traffic including a caravan accident! (What would Jeremy Clarkson say if he was a windsurfer...haha)

Dejected and 'over-it' I pulled into the M&S car park to get a coffee. It nearly tipped me over the edge as there was more road rage building in there doing laps and snatching the spaces! The radio reported the M5 was not doing well and as I approached Exeter i heard the A303 was getting stuck, so going south coast near southampton was my move of the day! My last day of 2 weeks holidaying it in cornwall and time to get organised for my move to Bath and imminent PGCE. I felt for those queued up 20 miles on the M5 for upto 6 hours! My journey was smooth and quick other than one near miss where some nutter driving his family home flew past up the inside lane just as the guy in front of me finally decided to pull in...

I cleared my head and thought back to a soulful session a week previous where i had Gwithian on my own for the last hour of light in perfect side-off with some of the cleanest waves i've ridden. On 5.0 and 85, head high and walling up so long and well. And that came from no-where as for the hour previous we were out it was closing and too light, so you just never know when it's gonna go off really do you!

Bring on next weekend's national windsurfing festival; it'll be epic whatever the weather but hopefully with some strong wind day and night too please!

Sotogrande to Sagres

2009-07-30T19:59:00.009+01:00

Within 24 hrs of booking the flights, hire car, Gatwick parking…it seemed UK summer was over and there was proper swell forecast…and wind! Of course I was hoping those down in Cornwall where I would have been otherwise were gonna score it –they could thank me!- but I was relieved to have not missed anything classic. So I put surf out of my mind and focussed on 38 deg C and wall to wall sunshine!

Inspired by a university friend Serena, 10 days based down in Sotogrande didn’t seem a bad way of doing probably my only warm trip for this year. Tarifa is only 45 ish mins west...

Taking just 5.7 4.7 3.7 and 85 One I was sure whatever I found I would be ready to ride!

This trip in Photo Gallery:

http://picasaweb.google.com/nickmoffattk903

the trip vid below or:

www.vimeo.com/5846304

Day1

Arrived late avo, getting -and then getting to!- the hire car in Malaga airport was a mission! All the hassle soon evaporated with the sea air once I got on the main road west to Sotogrande.

Tried to Sail at a nearby beach at the harbour and catch the gusts in the super-flat water, avoiding the occasional luxurious boat coming in!

Day2

Over to Tarifa

5.7 was just enough in the gusts, side-on from the right; Poniente

Day3

Scouring the forecasts every am and pm I decided now was the best time for the 3-day Portugal mission. The second part of the 500km journey was stunning, with such a marked change when you cross the border. I couldn’t help get a little excited that I may actually score some waves on what was really a freestyle trip/holiday! We got to Sagres late afternoon and checked a couple of the nearest main beaches. The wind was pumping out of Martinhal bay on S coast while barely a breath on the north coast!

Stacked 4.7.

Camped in Sagres, close to the Fortaleza, nice site, very chilled around the area in general.

Day 4

Checked most of the beaches north from Sagres about 100km up before settling on best place to surf, bearing in mind competing with many hungry and talented locals in a decent summer swell!

Day5

Got 30 mins sailing on north coast but the side-on wind soon died into the late morning. Another fun surf. As attractive as Lisbon and Guincho was, around 200km further north, it was time to head back to Spain and Sotogrande. I can’t wait to go back to Portugal to surf in autumn or spring…

Visited Vejer, a beautiful old town high on a hill overlooking the huge valley.

(No shots-camera battery ran out!)

Day 6

Tarifa in Levante

Powered-up 4.7. Quite gusty at the more side-off spots even a few hundred metres out to sea.

Days7 &8

Tarifa, windier!

Completely overpowered at times on 3.7

Hell-chop but fun! Chatting to a local who works at one of the centres and it seemed it wasn’t the nicest Levante they get, Good to hear I wasn’t the only one finding the conditions tricky! Especially after almost a year of no freestyle, having a few good crashes and mostly just pulling forwards!

Day 9&10

Trip clock since I picked the car up read 2200km. The call was a few drinks out in the evenings and chill by the pool by day! My shoulders were ruined and ankle just about hanging on (again). I didn’t even look at the forecast!

Checked out Gibraltar's rock for a great view and met some monkeys.

Flew home out of Gibraltar the next day in the evening tired and happy!

------------

Gib was great as it’s so small and some hire cars can be returned there even if rented out from a different location, and the car park is close.

Get a good hire car, mine loved the hill roads and there are lots of them! Watch out for crazy /bad drivers. You’ll notice most cars are dinged up.

Not wanting to promote sausage surfing but if you’re keen to kite check out http://www.giselapulidoprocenter.com and get lessons with a legendary sailor Ben Harrison (of the clubvass oldschool!) who’s made Tarifa his home.

It was pretty much 30-37 degC each day, a couple of cloudy days. Depending where you are the water is still a bit cool to swim for long but nice!

A shorty wetsuit was perfect for the windy days, boardies otherwise. I could have done with my summer steamer for surfing in the Atlantic/Portugal.

UKWA round 2 Rhosneigr goes ballistic!

2009-05-20T17:17:00.003+01:00

Action...

http://boards.co.uk/news/article.asp?id=3302

http://www.boardseekermag.com/wnews/show/1/1949

A day of carnage on the water trying to get comfortable on a lit 3.7. It was nuts to basically have the whole bay to yourself during your 10 minute heat, in saturday's nuking wind and waves! I drew Oisin and put together 2 good waverides that beat both his scores but was easily beaten on jumps with his 3 different landed ones vs my one stalled forward. Practice practice... Back and push loops got much better on monday in solid 4.7 wind, later getting blown off the water. Well worth the extra night stay given i could, conking out in nearby B&B after enjoying sunday's little waves that were breaking way out...yep on an SUP...Jem loved it. So did I!
Everything ached driving home... More great craic at another british event with a fantastic turn out for wave, racing and spectating. We really lucked in with the weather and the top boys put on the show to match!

UKWA ‘09, Round 1, Ireland!

2009-05-14T18:04:00.005+01:00

What an event… I’m still buzzing from it days later, I really did need a trip away! I’m sure anyone reading this has read about the event via the several boardseeker news clips;
http://www.boardseekermag.com/wnews/show/1/1932

The top boys threw some big moves down in good conditions…Jamie Hancock won, followed by John Skye, Ben Proffitt, Andy King, Phil Horrocks and Rob Jones

How it went for me:

A 13th place (=13th with one other if i've got it correct) out of 26 pros with everyone there wasnt bad for me, and it took a good performance to get that! I went straight out in the single elimination still just finding my feet again in the tricky conditions with mega-overpowering gusts. With another hour on the water getting dialled in, I got comfortable with my new board -the 85One- only the third day riding it.
The single final was action-packed in the logo high side-side off 4.1-4.7 weather. P1-4: Jamie, John, Andy, Ben.
The call came soon after that we’d be starting the double elimination…
I sailed well to win my first round heat, not doing anything that radical but just putting together good turns and hits on two set waves with no mistakes. I made sure I’d re-tuned my sail perfectly to the current wind, feeling ideally powered up. The One allows you to make speed on the wave and float out and upwind easily. I was glad I’d got the mental part of my game sussed this time; no dramatics or kit trashings like last year at Garry William!
I got a debrief from A. King and gleamed some top tips. Just working on the basics and doing those well is paramount and I got more speed, the best waves I could find and made more of them, missing the top12 fight by one place coming 3rd in my 2nd round heat.

The action the following day gave an intense top 6 battle in high winds and mast high+ conditions, creating quite a spectacle.
There was a great team vibe through the event for us at Zerogravity; Goya/Quatro. Everyone pushed each other on sharing good craic on and off the water.

After the contest (and a couple of big nights!) a few of us surfed Garry William point, I say a few, the session turned out to be packed! It was nice to get a couple of good waves from the peak, and to take a couple of beatings over the falls and escape unscathed! Garry William, me 1 all!
The surf sessions with the boys in fuerte had stood me in good stead…would love to surf it when it’s really pumping…

March/April roundup... getting the stoke back!

2009-05-14T17:13:00.006+01:00

So there was a move back to Oxfordshire; freezing Scottish waves; finding the stoke again and training; real training, in a boat!

N Scotalnd trip!

Thurso was called by Thorpy, with Potter and a 3rd seat still unfilled in his van I was drafted in very last minute for the long weekend mission.See more shots and read the story on his site:

2 shots of thorpy here, one ripping; the other, well, doing detailed reconnaisance of the reef!

http://stevethorp.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=38

To my relief I got a few good shots of the boys. We got some decent conditions and we all want to go back for more!As well as some proper windsurf reef-break action in nuking ;) winds, for me the highlight was surfing Thurso on a clean barrelling day.

Struggling to find work I reluctantly left Cornwall to move back ‘home’ to Abingdon, Oxfordshire. I did two swimming instructor/coaching courses and got part time pool lifeguard work, have been volunteering with a swim team and mentally preparing for September’s PGCE start(!) with some science lesson observations. Dealing with the frustration of not windsurfing or coaching somewhere consistent I put my efforts back into pure training for the meantime, in the knowledge that this would all pay off when the time came!

An old school mate suggested I get involved with City of Oxford rowing club where they’ve been preparing for the summer racing season, just in time for their Easter training camp at home on the Isis. Around 150km later, much of which was side by side 2km raced pieces at 80-90% again and again, I was feeling new levels of soreness but had got through it, tougher and faster, and more disciplined to stretching! But a second week on with a strained rotator cuff and minor deltoid tear; not part of the plan! An old injury from Egypt had come back to haunt me…

One of our coaches is our in-house physio and after some treatment made sure I did the correct rest and rehab training.

The next two weeks were frustrating not being in a boat, though at least I still wasn’t missing any UK windsurfing. I found new ways to train while resting the shoulder, running and cycling of course, but also some great circuits, and legs only pool sessions with fins, exhaling slowly underwater pushed the lungs!

Getting ready for the first 09 UKWA event in Ireland though I hadn’t been able to windsurf as much as others at least I knew-given the shoulder would heal in time?-I’d be fighting fit again.

wavejam 5 report

2009-03-03T13:08:00.018Z

My report from our epic Mexico's session is up online on the Wavejam site today: There's also several galleries to check out all the shots from several photographers...

http://www.wavejam.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90:wavejam5-mexicos&catid=2:jams&Itemid=6

above and below by Marouska Fili

left by John Parker

This month's Boards and Windsurf mags have covered it nicely and i'll see when i manage to scan the articles and upload to my Picasa gallery site linked on here.

below: skunked with light wind the following day at daymer bay

inches of snow in cornwall...!

2009-02-04T15:34:00.002Z

The last week of january saw a couple of great sessions at Godrevy in SSE with bowly logo high waves. Now we're into weather from Russia and varying strengths and directions not to mention freezing so not much happening at the moment!

While 8 inches of the stuff had london grinding to a halt we even had several inches in parts of cornwall!

Big Wednesday! It’s story time…

2009-01-22T11:07:00.005Z

anyone would be a bit scared wouldn't they!?

Yesterday Gwithian was hit by the biggest waves Ian Black thinks he’s ever seen there, not a statement taken lightly! As the 1 o’clock high tide dropped, by 3pm mast and a half high sets were walling up and breaking at the outside rock. I was glad of the camaraderie as we got prepared with a nervous excitement that doesn’t happen often, on a day where you’d want to think twice about going in alone. The butterflies were there, and didn’t stop! This was definitely the most memorable session I’ve had in a long while.

As I was about to launch I could just about see Blackie clearing a mast high set, and then the bigger one after it…The wind was pretty good, SSW’ly, powered up enough on 4.7/5.0. Timing and patience was everything. There were some situations I definitely didn’t want to find myself in today in the cold sea and air. But prepared and up for it this challenge was to be met. The good thing about the size was the period really was high, and although on the inside you would just be drifting much of the time there was plenty of room for a chicken gybe when you saw a 15ft face wall up ahead about to close out along the bay. Gwithian lets you out. The sets were regular enough and you could find 30-40 seconds of eerie calm around the impact zone, just some peeling at logo high to deal with, and hopefully catch a gust and tear well out the back.
I took a lot more time than usual lining up, watching Blackie take two waves, finding an exit to kick off and get back out unscathed. Planing in at one stage I watched mast and a half high sets throw just down the beach from where I was, I gybed, wondering if I really was out the back enough! The one wave I took walled up nice and smoothly. Over my shoulder I couldn’t see anything bigger; I wanted to take it all the way in anyway. There was so much more time positioning as the face gradually grew and I accelerated. Racing down into the bottom turn, it threw top to bottom just behind me. Carrying speed up into a big long face I made sure I held the carve around the top of the wall and flew back down and out of harms way as 100m of it closed out. Boom! From near silence to such a thundering noise. During the next attempts out I got caught awkwardly in a lull and let a head high throwing lip try to put the tail of my board through the top of my leg! Pretty stunned I managed to get back in, Blackie helping with my gear. I couldn’t even lift my leg! Gutted! Carrying myself up the cliff badly bruised I sat in the car watching the two of them; Steve Colesby had joined in. The rain was still relentless and the wind chilled the hands. There were no major swims and Blackie found one that connected all the way in, laying down warp speed turns one after the next. Very smooth and impressive.
They came in just before dark. Barely another soul in sight, no cameras or video, just the three of us, a memorable afternoon!

wavejam 5 went off last saturday!

2009-01-21T19:17:00.000Z

wavejam -event 5 It went off!

http://www.wavejam.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=11

Saturday 17th: We really did luck in with powerful mast high waves and strong side off wind giving rocking riding in St Ives bay.
Expect photos and articles in the next mags...

more gwithian action

2009-01-15T14:06:00.000Z

just got back and its still raining, solidly since i got up! Pretty bleak stuff but similarly to last sunday gwithian saw solid sets in 10-12ft range, today more true southerly. All the usual suspects were there and as soon as the tide dropped enough out we were. Even out the back we literally had 15-35 knts, and everything in between! Good timing allowed getting out with everyone again having a few good swims at some point, notably Ian Ross throwing up after swimming from out the back all the way to beach and kit. Hood and boots essential, hands a bit of a chill on! I timed it nicely setting up and bottom turning in front of one wall but didn't quite land the aerial back onto the wave, lots of stuff to work on as ever...

This is the most sustained period of large swell and high wind forecast i can remember. It should be a good weekend and apart from the tides being wrong Marazion could be rocking sunday. If it feels punishing here i wonder what they feel like in Ireland!
Right, back to the job hunt.

gwithian today

2009-01-11T20:45:00.000Z

got that tired and satisfied feeling going on...you know the one you only get after a big day out going for it in solid conditons. It was great to catch up with many people i hadnt seen in a few months, everyone on the water enjoying it, 'tropical' compared to a week previous was the joke. Previous to today the forecast of 10degrees, 12ft SW swell with 30knt southerly wind was music to my ears during some harsh re-acclimatising in recent subzero UK! And though today was by no means classic it was still so good just to be out in a powerful sea...
I think everyone had a good swim or two at some point. PC Andy King in training, who'd got straight out in the morning after a night shift, made some big hits and outrageous aerial attempts, going into a pushloop off the lip, admittedly unintentionally, and some goiters landed out the back. I hit the water with Thorpy late morning who went for it with no fear, and due to the hectic condtions not making any of the first several aerials, coming down with big sections in big bailouts, followed by big swims! laying down some good turns later. It took me until the afternoon to get anything together making a few half-decent turns amongst the fray. Blackie pretty much owned it with smooth turns and precise aerials floating down with the sections, somehow seeming always to be in the right place at the right time. Timo, Hunt, Wemms and co sailed upwind towards Mexicos and scored more ordered cleaner riding. Jan seems to drive as much as anyone and be able to sail all day without tire, and picked off the occaisional decent long wall. There were many others out getting some nice waves that i havent mentioned here.
Was a nice and dry day too...tomorrow supposed to p**s it down!
Thorpy has put up a few nice shots on his site:
http://www.stevethorp.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=34

happy new year's snowboarding!

2009-01-03T18:50:00.001Z

Happy new year from Sainte-Foy, France! It's been great catching up with family and friends in the snow this christmas and new year, which was quite a change!

These two shots by Will

Some snowfall made for a fun couple of days, otherwise the snow has been good but not epic, with mostly clear blue skies! Val d'isere car park hit a chilly -13 deg C by 4pm, its a fun day trip with a huge area to ride. The current park crew in town-mostly french but a few brits- were busting out big smooth spins in the park, with style being shown on skis and board.

-And one from Fuerte coaching late November last

Current 2008 Goya kit still remaining for sale:
this 5.7 wave3d in excellent condtion, similarly 4.4 and 3.7, and 81 custom wave.
I'll be back in england 7th jan and able to post anywhere.

Get it while its hot! give me a shout
moffattnick@hotmail.com
Cheers, all the best for 09, and may everyone get lots of windsurfing in!
Nick

extreme holidays bust!

2008-12-23T19:28:00.000Z

I flew back to England just over a week ago, after a short time stuck on the rock suddenly jobless and jeepless! Bad timing for many who’ve suffered redundancy with a uk company going into administration, it’s a little quiet there too on the job front, so from expecting to be there at least one whole year now the current thing is make new plans…With any luck I’ll land a job somewhere in the world, watch this space! It was quite bizzare, weekly checking the alarming headlines on the papers at the airport and eventually the downturn hit us too.

above- sunset at Rocky Point, no wind dusk surf.
below- Caleta de Fuste

We were still busy as ever with numbers of guests kiting, surfing and windsurfing still at a normal level and on a positive note all the schools on the island still have plenty of custom. It is a great place to go all through the year! Also it’s not too over- touristy, with plenty to do and explore. From limited information I’ve got it just seems the like rising costs in every part of the holiday was hurting us over recent months–although fuel is cheap on Fuerte with the amount the jeeps use it makes a big difference. To carry on would have needed a bigger increase in sales than we could hope for and cater for with spaces and kit. The rapidly falling pound against the Euro finished the company off during November. The whole thing wasn’t official til recently and there are still people going out having a great time with a few for whom Fuerte is home –contact Richie- and also out to Davos, Switzerland for snow with the guys there -contact Donnie. For anyone booked the Extreme website has a number to contact. I would encourage anyone keen -booked or not -to still head on out and have a wicked holiday whatever your sport with great guys!
0041 797661658 -Donnie and 0034 630104778 -Richie

Photos: chris, apart from above of him - checking out the West Coast view. The drive to Cofete is worth a trip!
Punta below.

Big shout out to all the crew! Hopefully things will work out good in the end for everyone. Many memorable sessions in the water and at the bar!
My mate Chris came out for a week of kiting and boozing which was around this time We got a couple of good flag beach sessions and couple elsewhere. He tends to go all out when he gets back from offshore, deciding it would be great fun to buy four bottles of whisky one after the next plus mixer for the team at the last bbq. The partying went off the scale for everyone. Thanks to those that helped us out!
We had a few days of some good size swell and bits of strong wind here and there to play with.
During the windless days each surf was special as for many it would be the last together for a while!

My timing was good for driving out to France with the family for Christmas in the snow! Hadnt been for a while so extra special to go. Brrrrr!
Happy Christmas!
Nick

surf missions

2008-12-14T16:25:00.000Z

photos : Laura

ant and alex decided hugo had been taking too many waves and it was time for a mass drop in!

from right to left

hugo, alex, me, ant

team extreme party wave sequence!<

>Alex ripping>

The lineup was a lot more hectic than it looks! We were there soon after dawn and had a few good waves each - i had my longest and most perfect wave ever! felt like playing playstation! - but within half an hour it was packed with locals and the game soon became how to not get dropped in on and to actually get a wave! Didnt get much...
This is a well known wave off fuerte, used to be ok but is just too rammed now when its good.

I managed to land on a rock on my ass not making my takeoff a little too deep and lost a fin at the end of a good wave staying on too long and taking another minor rinse!
Best morning surf in ages...
...And late in the day shared majanicho in easterly wind on 5.0 goya wave3d with slightly bigger waves, with only 2 others, squeezing as much daylight out of it before it seemed too dodgy with the fair amount of current! Best transfer day at work of the season!

Nick moffatt signing out.

yachting madeira to gran canaria, a big week off from fuerte windsurfing!

2008-12-14T14:11:00.000Z

Well...i have a bit of catching up to do on here...
Packing some things late in the evening back in Corralejo, after a long hard day at the office-taking my group windsurfing down to sotavento!-and fixing the trailer lighting, i was actually feeling a bit nervous due to the big wind and swell forecast for the atlantic/canaries, and my mates laying down the banter on how my crossing might be!
After a scenic drive up and down the twisty roads surrounded by green mountainsides I found Ewan busy onboard his boat in the sunny harbour on Madeira. What a stunning place i'll have to go back! There were now 8 of us on the yacht for this leg, tight squeeze! I can’t believe the 4 of them are crossing the Atlantic in it, not big, and built for speed not comfort. After some briefing we attempted to set off and were hit by a steady 33knts and lurched into action accelerating on a beam reach. Adam, also a new recruit pretty swiftly found himself seasick! sort of funny but not for him! Ewan got 10-11knts only on the jib/headsail A few of us did have a bit of a 'what the hell are we doing/about to do here- feeling..! Back to the bar... i was on holiday after all!

The next day we were to set off again aiming for less punishing conditions on the yacht and its crew. Windguru was still forecasting 5m and 25knts out to sea...
We made it out in gentle breeze and it wasn’t until Madeira looked pretty small that we really found some proper wind and the swell size and period increased gradually but consistently the further south we got. I learnt some basic crewing as we went on and tried to keep attached to the boat helping get a sail up and down while we surfed down 4m waves, Ewan skippering. The sun set and we were into the watch patterns that
had been drawn up, which was 3hrs on 6 off for most. It all went pretty smoothly though i don’t think i got much sleep!

>above>taking in the view on deck, Duncan at helm

The next day we had larger swell with changeable wind strength and direction. We got the spinnaker up and i took a helming lesson! The yacht is pretty high tech with large repeaters showing boat speed, wind speed, apparent wind angle, bearing and other info. We were heading as downwind as possible but keeping the wind on the right side of sail is pretty crucial! It felt pretty weird to feel the boat get planing down a swell line - a fair bit bigger than my Goya 81 custom! - and to respond at the wheel to keep the spinnaker full during speed and direction changes, quite a lot like windsurfing actually! and not let it back which would flatten the boat! I got 10.6 knts in the 20knt breeze, happy with that!
Later we sailed just on full main as we had more like 25knts wind and the boys got 13.8 knts ...a new top speed for their boat, pretty quick!

It was quite cool on night watch though my Gul technical clothing kept me warm and dry enough! We had clear skies and shared stories to keep awake and alert, fun using a remote control while huddled on deck out of the wind to adjust the autopilot compass bearing, keeping a safe apparent wind angle but still trying to go as deep downwind as possible. On another watch later that night eventually getting some sleep i woke up to a loud crash, some shouting and a huge judder that shook the whole boat! I really thought the boom had just fallen off! From a steady 20knts we'd been caught up by a surprise 30knt wind that powered us up on the full main and crash jibed the sail -where it flies from fully out on one side to powering up the other as the sheet (ropes) and blocks stop it again. We had another couple in the gusty wind...luckily the boat stood up to it!

We made it to sunrise and in sight of gran canaria...the wind and swell eased as the storm system was passing and we cruised into a cloudy las Palmas. 280 miles in 48hrs was pretty good considering many periods of light winds as well as strong, and we were all pretty chuffed!

With all the northerly swell around we lucked in with overhead-high clean surf at Playa las Canteras. Was so fun to just go for it at a beach break for a few days. I got plenty of closeout barrels! Great practice for quick take offs, pulling in, and taking a beating! A few locals out were pulling some sick turns and aerial stunts...

Keep up-to-date with the crew on http://thelongsailunder.com/

including photos, video, planned journey, current position and a blog

currently mid atlantic, probably searching out bigger waves! Good luck guys!

soulsurfs, feet ups, beers out and stolen kit!

2008-10-20T21:54:00.000+01:00

With intentions of putting some news up a couple of weeks back i've just got around to it!...
Well, september here this year turned out to be winter come early. I heard last year fuerte saw lots of wind, this year was all about the surfing. Several decent size and long period swells hit seemingly week after week. And when i say winter, anyone that's been here during this time knows that the temperature only drops a little and gradually! I only used my summer wetsuit the other day and was still too warm...Some rain here and there to keep things interesting but still mostly very sunny! I dont have any epic surf shots of those ripping to put up here yet but no doubt i will soon. There were a couple of stand-and-watch parts of the day for msyelf and others where those brave enough were carving up doubleoverhead fast rides over very shallow and harsh reef at one of the northshore spots.

I've had varying levels of windsurf group and we've had enough wind here and there for everyone to learn or improve techniques and have fun. There's also been some great conditions for surfers in the early stages.

Into October and i have to admit there's been a few days where i'm missing cornwall's beaches and sailing with the guys there at this time of year! I hear there's been wind and waves; as nice as i have it hear its always a bummer to miss it at home! Hope you've been getting it good fellas...
I couldnt make Tiree this year due to work, wish i'd been there so had to follow the action on boardseeker online...Good craic and some conditions you dont want to miss!

>bit of fun messing around during guest's lunch break! >

I had my boardbag stolen off the school trailer mid morning a couple of weeks ago containing 1 board -95 'one'- an extension/base and 2 booms, gutted! Word is spread around fast out here but not heard a thing since...

Luckily there's been some decent sessions here and there to distract myself from this stuff. Routine is tricky with every day at work being different, which is really nice! and the odd nights out just happen all over the place, some bigger than others! Its a hard life! So far most days i've been doing things to keep myself in check, fitting in at least half of my training plan and feeling the benefits...

We had our first taste of winter sailing with some strong wind days around the north, and further south at a less sailed and more localised spot where Ritchie and I scored long walling logo high sideshore at the end of a day til dark...had been in need of a special session like that!

A week wednesday i take my first holiday, a week off where i'm joing a friend Ewan for the Madeira to Gran Canria leg of his yacht journey from South Coast England to Sydney! Hopefully it will all go smoothly (Secretly hoping for wind and waves-likely!- but then what have i let myself in for?! Reckon he's good at teaching crewing on the job so lets see how it goes...!)

thanks to Hugo Valente for photos

whats the craic here then

2008-09-09T21:53:00.000+01:00

so i've finally got my site up and running! i'll try and keep this regularly updated...
can't believe one month has gone already since i moved to fuerteventura...there's been plenty of wind and we've already had an early winter swell!
The first (a biggie!) has a round up of my year in uk just gone. Following that is some news and shots from my first month out here . Check them out in the other september posts

UK diary july 07-08 inc. UKWA and PWA comps

2008-09-09T21:14:00.002+01:00

Reflecting on a year in UK...

my first winter in 4 years this year in 2008, and it wasn’t bad! ...and the longest I’d gone without a trip to warmer climes ever- 14 months! Re-acclimatising was ok, some good wetsuits helped!…I was sailing or surfing most days while based in cornwall til January, weekends from then on.
A natural time to pause and look further ahead seemed to happen off the back of my last season in part working abroad, in cape verde, and as mixed as some of the conditions and spells were, we had many epic days…you know that knackered but satisfied feeling you get from nothing else but a hard day’s fun on the water…pretty much always worth any hassle or low temperatures. It was great to work in cornwall, managing to not miss much, learning loads from and having great fun with the guys that sail and live down there. Returning to studies in Bath jan-july it was always worth the drive though my credit card wouldn’t agree but lets not get into the world oil crisis!
I was kind of keeping a diary here and there and thought may as well pull it together…
Take a deep breath… dip in and out! Maybe it’s so good you might fall asleep…In reverse chronological order…

JUNE/JULY 08

With a respectable swell for this time of year and light easterlies it was nice to surf again in my 3/2mm suit, though it was rammed! Cornish summer…
We also scored a few special and quite mellow days at marazion, sunny windy-and sideshore-wavy, and warm!!. Unreal… Great conditions for everyone around. Nice to all hang out post sail in the car park without getting pissed on with rain and cold like earlier in the year!

Packing up from bath…
And end of the ongoing assessments! Woohoo. The class was happy to get to the end! –though its just the beginning…5 weeks off til PGCE!

...I got a call seeing if I was interested in job in the canaries with some guys I knew…see following news !! It was the last day of my course, it had to be done so after saying yes it was then a case of putting PGCE on hold!
I requalified my BSA surf instructor's at Fistral, Newquay which was fun as they were just getting into the Boardmasters comp. Inspiring to watch world class surfing live...

MAY 08

National windsurfing week
-my news-

With no wind or waves close enough to Bath for me at the moment I decided to take windsurfing to the lab, where I’m doing a physics course pre secondary education PGCE. Our class is in there 9-4 with our tutors every weekday. 3-4pm friday afternoon is never easy so as a bit of an aside we looked at physics in windsurfing! I presented a small slideshow and movie clips from my work and travels around the world, and explain where windsurfing is at today, uk and abroad, and how to get into it, even some techniques! We got into the basics of how windsurfing works, which they all quickly grasped -as you’d hope being the next line of physics teachers!- touched on fluid dynamics around foils –only scratching the surface!- Happily I managed to maintain everyone’s attention, they even found it entertaining! Congratulations to Phil for winning the quiz!
Hope all is going well getting into the PGCE guys!

Summer hit Bath! For a couple of weeks…did it ever come back at all? My ankle was really doing my head in and I couldn’t seem to get the right levels of rest/light physio training they were giving me. At least I wasn’t missing out on any wind/waves.
I’m so bad at being forced into no training and just chilling but at least the atmosphere around town was getting right in the summer groove.

IRELAND, 2008, APRIL

3 or 4 fun sideshore days, 3 unreal flat calm bask-in-the-sun and drink guinness days, 1 epic contest, for me 1 completely trashed set of kit, couple of big nights, plenty of good craic…torn knee and ankle ligaments! this 12 day trip was my first to Ireland and one I wont forget! It had everything great and not so great!…

If you didn’t catch the mag coverage from this event go and find it!

Stuffing my ankle the day before day 1 wave comp in the unofficial freestyle heats feeling a bit cold and tight didn’t help, was broken and gutted!
Further to injury was nailing my kit after coming out the back of a wave! I know I can sail heats better if I keep my head…
It was great to see the fleet laying down turns in the cape-verde-esque break, and for some to really hit it hard! The irish lads showed everyone what they can do, as did Garry Williams break. Great to see Thorpy get hugely deserved 2nd place behind Andy King who nailed it to win - long overdue !
The atmosphere was so good and friendly everywhere we went! I have to go again, and hopefully for some storm action! photos: Rea Coskinas

FEBRUARY/MARCH 08

Winter wind…Though getting many really good days since autumn wasn’t easy, there were still a few memorable good ones, including one of the most savage storms to hit cornwall, ever? As with most sessions down here a few photos of those out nailing it in crazy wind strengths on the local photog's sites, 'guava jelly' and splashogrpahy galleries...
Watching triple house size waves crash into the north coast was quite a sight! Sketchy driving...
(If only i had a good enough camera of my own!)

One weekend I joined Thorpy, Russ, Potter who were hitting the Gower. Cold on the hands! But the strong NNW swung right in N in the bowly waves at Llangenith gave us some highly smackable sideshore riding at dusk. The next day was such a gorgeous sunny day but just way too cold, I bottled it and headed home!

WAVEJAM !!

there had been 2 other successful events during the months prior to this but conditions wise this one really turned on...check out the site to find out what this free format event is all about...
http://www.wavejam.co.uk/index.php?view=article&catid=2%3Ajams&id=39%3Awavejam3&option=com_content&Itemid=6

image courtesy of Wavejam/Simon Burgess
rider: Andy King

i think as the guys had intended, it was so much fun with most who were available getting together in one spot in great conditions. The article (author-thorpy) looked good in windsurf mag and even better in full glory with all the shots online...check it out. I had just as much fun watching everyone go for big moves as sailing .

photo: Russ Tetlow

JANUARY 2008

I started a 6 month intensive science course pre PGCE at Bath Spa uni. I didnt exactly live it up as a student again! work hard durng the week, then weekend sailing...lets just say i've become a lightweight.

There was another big student event going on this time in London! We got some solid F4-5 conditions on Datchet lake making it great fun to sail somewhere unusal, the next day, again students in the hundreds making the most of great learning conditions and a great service offered by all the clubs and the boardwise team. Hangovers for all...

on borrowed sail...

for photos and more check out: SWA http://www.studentwindsurfing.co.uk/

We had a few stong wind and wave days around the south west.
I joined Thorpy and co to sail Woolacombe and I did the most swimming in one session ever! 3 consecutive swims losing my gear on the outside set all the way back to beach! Big and ugly at times…
There was one particularly memorable gwithian session in mast high with strong sideshore. It was such a moody dusk session with very low light well before dark-photographer’s nightmare!- Blackie, Fawcett, Ian Ross, Stevo, King twins, many others...everyone was going for it seemingly fearlessly and nailing impressive moves. It had been a few weeks going without conditions like this, it was coming into high tide ever closer to the rocks and the waves were just getting better all the time…once I shook the nerves out and got in the flow with the other boys it was good… And unlike the surf earlier in the day, not cold.

me-above, Jan and Andy -right

While we were waiting for the wind to fill in Sleigh and King were out tow assist surfing just at Upton, flying around at times! I got a go behind it the next day-so fun to be whipped into your first turn at 30mph!

DECEMBER 07

‘The first big swell… It was exciting for this week, pumping swell and the flat south coast of autumn transformed…
Windy..!!

Not so fun for those hit by flooding…but we enjoyed watching the tv forecast the nights before…’ the infamous words of don’t go near the sea, don’t drive…’ we all survived…

While many folk hit full on k-bay fawcett put down fast rail to rail turns and aerials, blackie styled it, and the rest of us went for it too! I tried one goiter/ponch kicking out of a wave and properly winded myself! (in video!)

photo: Joe Cockle

NOVEMBER 07

Will we see some solid Lows? Not yet…Blocking highs for the first two weeks, getting a little frustrating. What happened to summer? And autumn?!
Apart from the East Coast surge, not much swell, some wind here and there…
(but look what we were in for next...!)

Before this came just one decent strength NW day with waist-chest high at Hayle- I’d forgotten what cold hands and feet felt like!
With all this settled weather lately hopefully this means we’re in for some solid storms December/January…Might not be that long before the hood, boots and gloves have to come out…no worries!

OCTOBER 07

1-14th

Corona Tiree Wave Classic

I’d been looking forward to this trip for months-the tiree events have such a big reputation…I’d had a bit of wavesailing but not nearly as much as I’d wanted to prepare for my first UK pro wavesailing comp. We had good down the line conditions in ok chest-head high waves. In a tough heat against John Hibbard, upcoming Adam Lewis and Richard Jones who all sailed well I had to settle for =13th, from which I know I can better for sure as I made a couple of basic tactical errors. The rest of the UK comp was very heated, with the proffitt/ horrocks/ King semi being a professional showcase... Phil landed clean and technical moves to earn the event win.

photos: Simon Crowther

The world cup round was quite something on the final day which got plenty of good magazine coverage. With a fair few UK guys already entered I was lucky enough to qualify for one of the 8 wildcards available for this, a first PWA event in scotland. It was a very special to be involved in, and a dream of mine to make it into one just to be a part of it all…everyone hanging out under one roof pretty much for the week treated to some superb Scottish hospitality. The Mitchell’s whisky flowed!
After days of forecasts that seemed to never want to come through and flu that got through everyone we got to the final day and pumping head high, side offshore. I sailed ok against Moroccan wonder Boujma Guilloul, and was even in the lead with one decent turn on one wave as he was still yet to make a move, and. Late on he certainly did with a big stylish smack expectedly he stormed through! Oh well! It was fun and I’d love to do another but would need to be able to fit in some serious pre-event training if I am to get through a first round, as of course every heat is tough! It was great to see the action go down first hand and in great waves. Kauli’s freesaling in the dusk after the comp close –when the result meant he’d won the title for the year- was so fluid, a real treat, as it was to have many of the world’s best out in a small bay way up north in the inner Hebrides that day.

Other sessions late October:

Gwenvor: good late afternoon surf, so cloudy it felt dark at 4pm mid –low tide no wind, solid head high, got nailed in outside closeout sets as the tide dropped out and it really got dark! 530pm…losing daylight.

Marazion: freestyle windsurf, Long Rock, time to have a go at learning some new tricks. Nicely powered up on 5.7 in SW wind. Some moonlight and the bright lights of St Ives and Penzance kept me out for a bit longer -Why is it I always seem to be sailing or surfing in the dark? -denial that we are approaching winter! Bad move. While I wasn’t looking someone had searched the undercarriage of my car until they found my key! Nothing stolen –not that there is ever anything in it- and the car still there, maybe I was lucky? Never leaving a key again, always put it in your suit or around your neck! So the new 5/4/3 Delta got an unexpected test and did well staving off early hypothermia stages waiting for the Tow truck to take me+car home…

27-28 SWA Bude/Roadford Lake

I didn’t take much persuading to come and help do some coaching and judging at this year’s SWA event, a big turnout was expected and a big party lined up. 700+ keen students arrived at Bude holiday park, some to learn from scratch, others to improve and some just to party hard or both. A big hand to the SWA team. Plenty of instructors at the unis organised great day with a huge number of beginners doing well in the prime conditions supervised by a fleet of rescue boats! It was good to see such a healthy numbers. Colin 'whippy' Dixon, Palmer and I held some forward loop and freestlye clinics, a shame we didn’t have the wind on the lake to really get these guys and girls right into the planing moves with on-water coaching but the on-land stuff will stand them in good stead. Next time!
The SWA team held a non-planing freestyle comp on day 2, Sunday. There was some very technical stuff going down, and some entertaining moves also, including great use of a kayak in place of their beginner board by one entrant.
I managed to sneak a late (dusk again…) sail on Saturday evening pre party at Widemouth. Getting onto low tide it was producing the harshest shorebreak I’ve experienced, barrelling overhead, with head size stones being flung around, a waist-head high surge and a 5-10m yes/no distance to make it out over it…can’t believe I dodged getting nailed, 5.3, 92, light sideshore S winds logo high and low tide made for a heavy bowly wave in places and a challenging session with some good turns to be had, most fun in a while!
The following morning before the hangover kicked in (which it fully did for one-and-all later on I can assure you …) it was round 2 at Widemouth for stronger wind, more westerly. 4.7 , 76, similar waves for some jumps while it lasted. Some crew from Exter uni were going for it which made for a great atmosphere

SEPTEMBER 07

September had some sporadic swell and wind, plenty of sun too, nice! A few evening sessions still light almost til 8pm at the end of the month. I worked on marquees for a short stint and it was as tough as I’d heard, gave me some endurance and strength training! Day 1 - 17hrs and they were surprised to see me day 2 after a bit of sleep for a mere 10hr day. Dunno how those boys do it day in day out big up, and i'm feeling soft! Tell you what it’s pretty sketchy getting one of those up or down in 30mph wind, which we did in some of cornwall’s most exposed back gardens!

photo: Joe Cockle

Of course on these days I couldn’t handle not getting on the water, just making it before dark a couple of times, one session I got to Godrevy at 735pm to see a few sails flying around in solid head high f4-5 side shore, NE. So I got about 20 mins in the dusk, and then another 15 in the dark, which was fun too with at least ¾ moon on show!…I called it a day after a swim to my kit getting nailed by a heavy outside logo high set! Oops! Was a bit sketchy but felt ok and was worth it!
Another evening session at Gwithian was ok.

The biggest day for me for a while... Perrenporth.
With a pumping W swell we’d had for a couple days that was getting at the north coast and W going N-NW winds, but nothing much at all on S coast nor great sailing anywhere really, I drove up to find, as I expected, mast high, 20-25 knt side side-on, so it was breaking all over the place, way far out and rippy as hell, must have been 8knt current inside in places... I seriously thought twice about going out but had a go in the end and my Goya 4.7 and Quatro 92 gave me the power and float when I needed it most, which got me out of some dodgy situations, rewarded with some big bowly turns. On top of that it was kind of weird the whole of Perran Sands park was like a ghost town, summer definitely had ended! One other windsurfer turned up and came out -fair play!- which was nice and took the edge off it! And a couple of beach walkers enjoying a stormy day. There was even some sunny spells breaking through, but no photog. in sight! gutted!

JULY/AUGUST 07

My first week or so back in england and we had full force storms! This turned into the Andy King cornwall training camp where i was duly punished everyday on a mission to improve and go harder! Results? For fear of being taken the p**s out of i went round my first pushies anyway, felt good! As far as Andy's sailing which is well known for being top class, anyone around at the given beach is caught standing staring at jumps of large amplitude!

I was then teaching at 'Surf's up Surf school', Polzeath, (i'd still kept my aussie surf instructor's going since WA in 06) so I enjoyed the rainy weather from my tent and just-about-still standing-caravan! The team is fantastic with some highly experienced surfers/instructors, so it was great to further my coaching and own surfing. There’d always be a few of us surfing around lessons each day. With the dodgy summer the way it was we enjoyed more waves and wind all around the uk I think! I got out sailing in Polzeath bay, avoiding running anyone over but probably scared a few water users (sorry!), and naturally copped a bit of flack from the surf school team! ‘poledancers’ but when the conditions were good for sailing a couple of them did admit they could see the attraction. Result! One session was pretty good, solid logo high swell, f4-6 sideshore from the left, S’ly, around a lowish tide.

photo courtesty of Pete Craske/Surf's Up

moved to Fuerteventura!

2008-09-08T23:44:00.000+01:00

The time came to trade in the lush green landscapes of Bath and Cornwall for a harsh sandy rock- fuerteventura, isles de canarias…

FUERTE-VENTURA,
AUGUST 2008

While of course there are some things I’ll miss, as expected its felt good since day one.
I love it out here and was very happy to be offered a job for extreme holidays, with whom I’m mostly coaching and running the windsurfing, as well as teaching surfing. It’s a great vibe, fantastic to be doing my favourite job and coaching/teaching in the water again. Around work we play hard! There are many spots to sail and surf, and as you'd expect the very skillful team have vast knowledge and experience, as do many other locals and ex-pats who I'll also be learning from and pushing myself with. So over the coming months/year or so we shall see if I can raise my level to where I hope it can get to! I’ve been so busy since arriving I’ve not had a chance to stop and think til now, with peak summer winding down and this day off I deliberately did none of the jobs I’d been meaning to do, just went for a run and swim after a marginal session at cotillo….

It was such a nice change from 14 months solid in neoprene... I had fully forgotten what being in boardies felt like! Memories of all those harsh winter days back home evaporated as I stepped onto the beach in the hot dry Saharan air and into the warm clear turquoise water.
We’ve had consistent wind for decent planing conditions and plenty of sporadic strong wind days, mainly N E’lies, so punta blanca and cotillo have been the spots, with occasional N-NW to play on the east coast. Full power cross-on starboard tack felt so alien after most of my time in sideshore port tack in cornwall. It was good to nail a couple of ok stalled forwards and break the tail out on the decent waves peeling in. The impression the island had made on me 5 years ago on a 3 week trip came back in full force, logo high cotillo shorebreak giving everyone out something to think about while trying to ride full speed to finish in inch deap water. One guy - a local born and bred, Jaume - amidst a few punishings trying some outrageous airs and goiters pulled a wave 360 in the pocket and back in greeted by cheers from the beach...

I had only thought about freestyle again for not more than a few days this year gone but its been fun getting back into it full-on out here during periods of small swell. There’s been Sotavento a couple of times lit on 4.4s. I was pretty happy to find my feet again especially with the ankle recovering, and nailed some better air flakas, and got my first clean switch and clew-first switch spocks-Finally! Still badly need to get on the ponch mission though. Handily these moves and more are thrown down day in day out not just during the world cup, but by a few of the local guys and instructors there too. Corky’s new bar has been firing. Amidst the big nights I’ve been developing tactics already for avoiding too many shots…
There are so many good places to eat- to mention only a couple, Sean's bbq at Cafe Lounge, Plaza, Gibsons-great food served with great craic-must be the northerness. There are many great restuarants and bars off the tourist strip to explore.
Corky, Will Ward, Ben, Steve Gibson, and others i've met so far are so positive on the water you cant help get into the go for it vibe especially on the really good days. John Skye who’s spent a lot of time here in the past was out for short trip- it was good to see some big moves landed at Punta as well as one superbly controlled double forward bail out!
Some of the SWA team have been living it up on a holiday trip going hard on the water and having fun.
We’ll see how much wind September brings and already I’m look forward to getting fully into surfing here All the windsurfers are getting excited for some special wavesailing days ahead with new powerful swells and more varied wind directions.

Thanks to Hugo Valente for these photos, as well as out-surfing most in the water he's shot several cover shots on surf mags around Europe over the years

-a group of advanced windsurfers i had during my first week did very well learning improved wave skills in testing conditions. Well done fellas! and more forward loops!
(cant remember if he made this one?)

BALANCING ACT

Its 4 months since I tore medial knee and ankle ligaments and I’m still working hard on getting it back to 100% It hasn’t stopped me sailing at all -and at the time after injury I wasn’t missing any uk sailing really, while we had a brief premature summer spell!- but lately I have to say a huge thanks to Jules, one of my group a week ago who is a highly experienced chiropractor and got right to the root problems I’ve developed: lower back, shoulders, ankles, feet…its all linked of course! She’s giving me ongoing help with my training programme, I’m almost into full swing with it, ‘hard to find the time’ doesn’t cut is an excuse does it!

Eat, sleep, windsurf, surf, coaching, driving, organising, and socialising… all in a hard days work! But sometimes you just don’t want to drink you know? ‘No, you have to/of course you want to, here you go!’ Cue: a beer is thrust in my hand followed by round of Jagermesiters…

After physio work in England, with some advice better than other's, I now understand exactly what’s going on, why certain rehab and training levels are right and the importance of striking the right balance between windsurfing and non windsurfing activity during this time. If i find any spare time I may try and take up tennis again, not since I was 16?! Also maintaining/improving core stability, general fitness -surfing is good plus some running/swimming, and crucially foot pro-preoception; for me, balancing on one leg at a time 30 seconds eyes open /closed x 5 mins each foot. When I get better at this (ie. stop flailing around like a drunk) I’ll be moving onto a wobble board. All of this is good for anyone whose shot foot/ankle ligaments - eg. trying a lot of freestyle -and is not so young and bendy anymore- and need to build up more of all the little muscle regions around the joint to control and protect it…I think the group enjoyed me being cracked on beach a lot more than I did! All good... They were a great group of beginners, now fully hooked!
And guys I don’t think your singing to top gun album in the jeep will ever be bettered!

-Jon and his angels!