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daKine
Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 39
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Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 11:35 am Post subject: |
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I've been going to Maui for over 20 years. IMO the trades have changed. Eric Beale told me that he thinks the North Shore has gone form around 300 great trade wind days a year to something like 240. My opinion is that the wind is more easterly and less strong than 20 years ago when I too used a 3.5 often. This change is reflected in the persistent upcountry droughts which occur when the trades don't bring in the moisture. |
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motogon
Joined: 19 Aug 2000 Posts: 376 Location: Philly
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carl
Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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coachg wrote: | stevenbard wrote: | I used to regularly use my 3.5 in the early 90's. I haven't been on anything smaller than a 5.0 for 5 years. Change is inevitable. |
Most people get bigger as they age
Just sayin'
Coachg |
Also modern sails are designed different and are able to handle higher winds because the top of the sail twists-off in a gust.
The early 1990s more-trianglular shaped sail, didn't twist much. They were powerful, but didn't handle the gusts well. |
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milldo
Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 5
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nw30
Joined: 21 Dec 2008 Posts: 6485 Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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carl wrote: | coachg wrote: | stevenbard wrote: | I used to regularly use my 3.5 in the early 90's. I haven't been on anything smaller than a 5.0 for 5 years. Change is inevitable. |
Most people get bigger as they age
Just sayin'
Coachg |
Also modern sails are designed different and are able to handle higher winds because the top of the sail twists-off in a gust.
The early 1990s more-trianglular shaped sail, didn't twist much. They were powerful, but didn't handle the gusts well. |
And they had much less range, needed more sails in your quiver.
The boards back then had less tail flotation, and were narrower, which also made them less rangey. All that together made for getting overpowered quite a bit easier.
Not saying that it was only the equipment, but it was definitely a big part of the equation. |
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rigatoni
Joined: 25 Feb 1999 Posts: 498
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Had a week of solid 4.2-5.2 wind every day in September. My host was there the entire month and sailed almost every day. No complaints here. |
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shreddbob
Joined: 31 Mar 1987 Posts: 361 Location: Hawaii
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rich1
Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 156
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:44 am Post subject: |
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I've been doing the trip to Maui nearly every year since 1987, sometimes twice. I pretty much always go late Jan or mid/late Nov. I have (somewhat fond) memories of playing volleyball at Hookipa with some of the pros way back because there was no wind for the Aloha, and I have memories of 4.5- 5.3 head to logo every day for 2 weeks and everything in between. By the looks of the study that shredbob posted, I guess the trades are dropping, but I think that it's mostly offset by the improvements in gear as others have said. I'm still going, it's a fantastic place to sail. |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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nw30 wrote: | The boards back then had less tail flotation, and were narrower, which also made them less rangey. All that together made for getting overpowered quite a bit easier. |
I find just the opposite in B&J sailing on rough water. Fatter tails get bouncy quicker, limiting their suitability when the wind and terrain get wild. IMO and that of many articles and people in this forum, what they give up on the low end, relatively thin and narrow tails more than make up at the upper wind and terrain ranges. It's a tradeoff I love -- as shown by my fleet of older, narrower, skinnier boards -- until the wind dies. |
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beaglebuddy
Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 1120
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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Be thankful is you are on Maui, here on Kauai 2013 has been one big dud. Many times it has been nearly still here and I look on the Kanaha webcam for curiosity and see dozens of people sailing and kiting.
I'm seriously ready for a small sailboat. |
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