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windward1



Joined: 18 Jun 2000
Posts: 1400

PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:00 pm    Post subject: Feeding Frenzies Reply with quote

Hi Gerritt,
The feeding frenzies can add excitement to the mix. I was out SUPping the day before on the Angulo and went out about 1/2 mile to watch the Humpback whale. Watched it breaching from about 200 meters. I had pre-warned myself that if anchovies started flying out of the water to paddle like crazy as a whale could be coming up from underneath. I did see one incident of this, but it was about 30 meters away and as I watched waiting to see if a whale's head was coming out of the water, three sea lions popped up. So not a whale that time. Then in the Capitola anchorage there were two groups of sea lions, one of about 25 and one of about 20 members. They are overlapping and side-by-side as they swim corralling the anchovies. The group of 25 turned and were coming right towards me. I got a little concerned as I could see there teeth and they were looking right at me and not indicating they were going to turn. I started saying loudly and deeply, "Hey now! Hey now!" and they turned right at the edge of my board and had the water in such a turmoil, it was hard to keep my balance and stay on the board. At least none came on board.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoP1N0OyFic
Windward1
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:28 am    Post subject: Candelstick time, Oct th Reply with quote

Nice day at the stick with 6.0 Firelight + 100L in up and down conditions, a good ten people out and a little gift of powered up sailing from 4:45 to 5:45. Very Happy

Today probably windier: the season slumbers on ...
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Berk Tuesday 6.0, maybe 16-22, pretty solid from 2:45 to 4, then a slow die to zip.
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windward1



Joined: 18 Jun 2000
Posts: 1400

PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:49 pm    Post subject: New Brighton to Pleasure Point & Back Reply with quote

I launched at New Brighton State Beach sailing my Angulo 10’-10” Sail/SUP with an Ezzy 7.0 Cheetah. Wind was measured pre-launch at 2 to 11 knots, coming from the southwest.
I headed out on a starboard tack going SSE. It was going the only direction that I could if I wanted to head up the coast, which I did. I had seen a humpback whale out about ¼ mile prior to launching. It was still there. I watched as it blew and arch its back out of the water as it fed on anchovies. The water out there was red from the various critters and birds gorging themselves on the anchovies. The whale surfaced about 50 meters off my starboard bow and went under going from my right to my left. I sailed on figuring if it held to its present direction it would surface to my port side so I was watching in that direction. Anchovies started to fly out of the water about 30 meters away and then the whales head came up gulping them in. Sea gulls were following this activity trying to pick up on the stunned and injured anchovies that did not make it down the whales gullet.
I sailed on and tacked to head up the coast. Came in about half way to Capitola, tacked out and came in off of the Capitola wharf. As I entered the anchorage the water went from the red to the green-blue that is more normally representative of the bay in that area. I was surprised at not seeing any sea lions or harbor seals. The sea lions had been doing conga lines and gorging on the anchovies in previous days. I thought they might all be at home with tummy aches from having overeaten.
There were a couple of SUPs off of the wharf that had paddled downwind and now turned around were trying to go upwind. It appeared to be a struggle. The wind was swinging more westerly as well, making it more gusty and up and down as it came off of the cliffs.
I sailed in to off of Privates and checked for swell to ride. Not much there and tough to catch with the wind lighter near the cliffs. Sailed up to Pleasure Point and found that with the tide as high as it was the swell was not forming the perfect surfing waves that usually occur there as it was reflecting off of the stuccoed cliffs and creating a hodge podge of wave action that was not dissimilar from moguls on a ski run. It was so bad there was only one surfer out. Only one surfer out at Pleasure Point is practically unheard of. I tried to catch the swell and get some rides anyway.
The swell would come in as I watched for it out by the kelp bed. It was tough to do good wave selection as the water was in such turmoil. I would pick one that I thought might develop, fall off wind a bit so as to be on a beam reach and try to catch the wave as it developed a proper face. Proper faces were essentially non-existent, as the swell was covered with lumps and bumps and counter waves. But catch some I did. And I would ride them in a ways, jibe, and head back out to the kelp bed in search of another ride. This seemed to be a bit of a chore compared to normal as the sea was so confused and the wind not all that steady. But after a while I realized that I was actually enjoying it as I was doing it over and over. Then I caught a nice one that reared up well and was about 4 feet on the face. Rode it in to under the cliff and found I had hardly any wind there. Decided that with that little wind and being as late as it was that maybe it was time to head back to New Brighton. Also, it is always nice to quit after a good ride rather than bad.
I headed outside the kelp as the wind was better out there. Then jibed and made an almost direct line back to New Brighton, aiming for Pot Belly Beach. I was able to catch the swell and wind swell and move right along. By the time I got off of the Capitola wharf the wind was subsiding and the going became a bit slower, but still making relatively good time. Then the wind decreased proportionately as I neared New Brighton. Barely pulled up to the beach before the wind died. What good timing!
Along the way as I headed back, I had seen anchovies flying out of the water but nothing surfacing right after. I did see one pod of dolphins. And a tern that had a marauding gull grab its beak as it flew along, apparently having just caught an anchovy and they both almost crashed into the water. The pelicans were sending up little geysers all over as they dove for anchovies. Looked like you were in Yellowstone with geysers here and there and everywhere. The terns could dive and go completely under water to catch an anchovy. The pelicans, with their long necks could reach far under water as they crashed into it, even though their bodies stayed on the surface. The gulls just tried to steal whatever they can get from the others.
Busy day on the bay where I play.
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Candelstick time, Oct 11th Reply with quote

Stick delivers with nicely powered 5.0 sailing. Started with 85 but grabbed the 100 after a while. Wind died around 4:45-5:00 but than came back stronger. When I left after 6pm still going strong with 4 sailors still out.

Cold! Shocked
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dsgrntlxmply



Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 3:11 pm    Post subject: Bodega, Sat. Oct. 12 Reply with quote

Arrived while it was still light, figuring that the wind chime come up at any time. It finally did. Four others showed up. I went out on 5.7 and was o/p in gusts to the point of being unpleasant. Lulls were deep though. Glad I went out.
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windward1



Joined: 18 Jun 2000
Posts: 1400

PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:00 pm    Post subject: Natural Bridges 10-14-2013 Reply with quote

Sailed Natural Bridges on Monday. Wind was juuuuusssstttt on the threshold of planing, so most of the time I was not. One of those teaser winds. Plus I gained a few pounds so no longer can plane at 14 knots. I kept thinking it would come up a little stronger like it had on previous days. It did not.
So a 135 L Naish Titan and a 7.0 Ezzy Cheetah were just a little too small.
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:55 am    Post subject: Stick 10-18-2013 Reply with quote

The Stick is doing what it does best: reliable wind at the beginning and end of the season. Very nice session from around 3:30 to 6.0. Started light and only outside but quickly filled in. I was very nicely powered up with a 6.0. Only five people out. Fred, Bob, Dan and Devin who started with his 9.0 or so and had to grab a 6.5 when the wind picked up.
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gerritt



Joined: 06 May 1998
Posts: 632
Location: Redwood City, CA

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:57 pm    Post subject: Gazos 10/18/13 Reply with quote

I needed a sesh and Gazos delivered. I drove down the coast due to favorable fog pattern and encouraging forecasts from iWindsurf. I passed by Gazos noting it looked pretty windy. Waves were nothing to waist high. I stopped at Waddell and it was light inside. 11 mph on the beach per my iPhone. So, back to Gazos. 5.7 and 84 liters (my light wind set up at 160#'s) was plenty. Backside and frontside beach break fun. One other guy joined me late, but he was struggling on a 4.9 Banzai. Not epic, but just what the doctor ordered.
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tcevans



Joined: 16 Jul 2002
Posts: 78

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 10:23 pm    Post subject: Gazos 10/19/13 Reply with quote

Gerritt, thanks for the heads up on Gazos! I really needed to get on the water today.. it had been more than a month. I headed to the coast hoping something would happen. Heading north NB was sunny but very light inside, DP was fogged in, WD was clear with a few kiters out, but still pretty light.

Gazos had decent wind, the one kiter was finishing up when I arrived. 6.2 & 117L for me (I'm 200#'s), planed the whole time. Waves were nothing but it was great to be on the water at the coast on a beautiful day!
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