A quick but exciting update here to tell you that for the upcoming Kitesurf Ocean Confidence Course on 13th-14th July at Watergate Bay, Cornwall, I have teamed up with my very good friend and world class kitesurfer Will Bennet.

Ready for a rockin’ weekend!

Will Bennet is a bona fide pioneer in surfkiting and was probably the first rider in the UK to start boosting and landing legitimate strapless aerials. He gained international attention by being the first guy to get slotted at One Eye in Mauritius, a wave that till Will turned up, people thought could only be ridden with straps on the board.

Look who’s just showed up at the beach!

Because this course is running in beautiful sunny July, we’ll be cutting back a bit on the stuff that deals with coping with survival in overhead surf and other heavy scenarios, and really upping the tempo on technique and perfecting your riding in surf.

Get yer hits in the pocket!

As always, the course is open ended – meaning that we can cover a broad skill base so those wanting to get off of the twinnies once and for all can learn the basics of stance and switching feet, whilst the more seasoned riders can discover the secrets of a 12 o’clock backhand smack or huge frontside air.

The Knights of the Round Table; this is where we feast on knowledge!

Once again the course will be run from the executive training suite at the stunning Living Space at Watergate Bay Hotel. Here, we can run through the essential theory elements in air conditioned comfort away from distractions, and a hot latte is never far away.

Clearing the mind before unleashing seven kinds of hell

This is a theory based course with practical elements. Regardless of wind, the course will run and there will be two water based elements that will get your blood pumping. Because you will already be up and riding and attempting the stuff we’re talking about, presentation and visual aids will give you the tools you need to get it all clear in your head for the next time you ride. If there is wind, for sure we ride, but the emphasis here is on feeding you with information and unravelling any puzzles you may have.

Get a little bit of ‘vert’ on those lip bashes

Will and I are really excited to be running this course, I feel it will be THE surfkite performance course of the season. We look forward to seeing you come and join us for a rockin’ weekend in The Kernow!

£160 per person

6 places

Intermediate + (don’t hesitate to enquire about skill level requirements, basically you need to be able to ride independently, and have a thirst for riding waves at any level!)

Please contact dom@surfsanctuary.co.uk, call 07540 155123 to book or for any more info. Cheers!

Learning on the right kit is crucial to success

Most people have an enjoyable introduction to surfing in a group lesson on a foam surfboard. These lessons are great for catching that first ride and giving people the confidence to have a go themselves later on in their own time (between the black and white lifeguard flags).

However, as any surfer who has ‘made the journey’ will tell you, the learning curve soon flattens out and some big questions are asked:

1. How do I get past the white water?

2. What’s the best way to duck dive?

3. How do I go along the wave face and not straight down?

4. How do I start to make turns?

5. Why do I struggle to catch waves??

6. What is a floater / snap / cutback / reo and how on earth do I do them?

You on your next holiday?

People can get stuck in the ‘developing’ phase for months, but with the correct guidance, coaching and feedback, it is possible to blast through this frustrating stage and get right on track to really enjoying the freedom of surfing waves the way you want to.

There is one big secret to duck diving, and that’s sinking the TAIL first. Trust me it works!

If you, or someone you know, would like to book a lesson with me you can bring your own gear or use some of the excellent kit that I have here. I have boards for people looking to progress up from foamies, and also for people looking to get into riding shorter boards as they come down from mini-mals (if this jargon doesn’t make sense, just take it that I have the boards for the job:) )

Mini mals and ‘big boy’ surfboards, video analysis and coaching support material accelerate the learning process during my coaching sessions

I use professional video analysis software so that we can go over your session whilst supping on a hot chocolate. Video coaching is widely considered to be one of the most powerful tools in a coach’s armory for getting their clients onto the next level.

Learn what parts of the wave you need to hit to throw buckets

One-to-one lessons get you away from the crowds, you learn at your own pace and work out what it is YOU want to learn with me. My courses are relaxed and informal but structured and you should expect a rich and intensive learning experience.

£45 per hour – includes all equipment

07540 155123

dom@surfsanctuary.co.uk

Heading down a quiet peninsula in search of somewhere special…

30th-4th October

5 nights 5* self catering

5 days coaching and exploration

6 places

£295 per person based on twin room sharing (and kiting couples)

£350 per person based on single room occupancy

£25 per night supplement for non-kiting other halves who want a holiday

Early October is the pinnacle of the surfkiting calender in Cornwall. The first of the Autumnal long distance swells are ranging in across the Atlantic, steady tropical maritime winds are fanning the waves and the beaches are once again returning to the slow, mellow tempo that only kitesurfers and the wildlife will know.

Roam through the wilderness

Each day we will go to the best location for the conditions and ride till we get our fill. This is where the knowledge I have built up about the Cornish coastlines (we have two!) over the years comes into play; there are many rare jewels to discover but without an intimate understanding of the elements at play they can easily slip by unnoticed.

People discover that each swell has its own mood when they start tapping into the rhythm and flow. Being free to immerse in the quest of discovering waves with good people for a few days is one of the simplest joys in a kitesurfer’s life.

One of a kiter’s other great pleasures must be looking at a wind and swell forecast in the evening, pouring over a detailed local map and sharing the excitement of the next day on the water with new friends…

The accommodation

Our home base for Total Immersion is  a 5 star self catering home designed from the ground up for the ultimate Cornish holiday experience. After a full day on the water, imagine coming home to a home to the comforts of a hot tub, the highest standards of furniture and homeware, bright open chillout areas, a kitchen with a huge banquet tale, and let’s not overlook the 3D TV with full Sky package, Wi-fi, state of the art audio and visual systems…

I think you will be delighted when you step through the door of our home base after your drive down to Cornwall and contemplate the coming days of Atlantic adventure.

Where we reconvene, relax and recharge…

The feasting table. Hooray!

A space to reflect on that epic 200m right hander…

Votre chambre

A ‘life in the day’ on Total Immersion

We stir at a sociable time for the tides are in our favour this week. Fresh coffee burbles and percolates in the kitchen, juice is poured and breakfast time sizzles into life with the day. Jazz FM bubbles away softly in the background and kitey chatter gently fills the air.

Fuelled up and feeling fresh, the day’s plans are unveiled in the lounge. Via charts and virtual tools, we take a closer look at the location we’ll be heading to; highlighting the conditions we’ll find when we get there, the subtle nuances to know about, how to get the best from the spot and what kit to take (all of it ) We also cover safety protocol so that everyone is briefed for all eventualities and can ride with more autonomy.

Then we zero in on a wave riding fundamental that can be applied to all our riding. This may be breaking down and visualising a core move that we can all put our own stamp on, or examining some of the essential theories of catching waves by the power of ripstop. These inclusive chats are augmented by excellent visual aids and accepted surfing knowledge.

We leave for the beach and have timed it perfectly with the tides, giving us a huge area to play in with no time constraints. All that’s left to do now is ride as you wish, come to the shore for chats about development if you like, or just revel in the freedom.

After our session we’ll get together for some lunch and a symposium about the day’s riding.  What’s working well? How best to hit that section? After lunch, everyone is free to go for a second free ride session with me or to pursue the rest of the afternoon at their leisure and reconvene at the house later on.

Back at the house the glow of the sun and wind feels great on the skin. Refreshments are cracked open and lifted to thirsty mouths. Hot showers and a hot tub sooth muscles that have played hard. Facebook and Twitter updates are floated out into the ether; photos of sand dunes and cliffs and headlands and waters salted and green. Dinner is at home tonight, a team effort coordinated by the night’s ‘head chef’. Some nights we’ll be dining out at a local restaurant as we watch the sun slipping into Atlantic.

Parlour games, chit chat, kiting and surfing films, music, reading…these are the things that will take us through to a restful and well deserved sleep before we rise and do it all again…

Unravel the secrets of Cornwall’s most technical waves

An open canvass; what lines do you want to paint?

Perfectly formed peaks for the taking

A typical (but no less classic!) day in October.

Would you like some of that?

No wind? No worries…

I can’t guarantee you wind, but I can guarantee that no matter what the conditions, after this trip people will feel a greater sense of entitlement and belonging when kiting in surf, a deeper understanding of the swell and waves, and an increase in performance and a desire to do more.

To be in Cornwall in early Autumn on a calm day is a very good thing, for there is a strong likelihood of perfect, clean surf, just the right size if you know where to look, ready for the taking. Or surfing. Or SUPing.

As back up, I have surf and SUP sessions at the best spots on standby. We can score waves, paddle round headlands, up rivers, go exploring…

Ever been coasteering? Again on standby I have the most knowledgeable leader in the area  ready to show us Cornwall from a perspective that only the sea bass and mermaids know…

Out of the water, Cornwall recently received 12km of prime mountain biking singletrack, and it’s free to use MAny of the local road biking population have sold up and crossed over to the dirt side so you know it must be good…

Freediving, hiking, bodysurfing, surfing, SUPing, mountain biking, coasteering, surf rafting, kayaking, fishing, exploring, beach BBQ, we’ve got a lot of options to get through if it doesn’t blow!

A light wind day in Cornwall; a good problem to have

Time to go for a paddle

Anything else?

That’s 1023 words you’ve read through so far so I won’t ask you to do much more, for bookings, all questions, enquiries, requests for further info, anything at all, please call me on 07540 155123, email dom@surfsanctuary.co.uk or leave a comment in the box below.

All the best and see you out back this Autumn!

Thanks to Ding at Supersaturated for the pics unless otherwise credited.

Rigging up the 9.5m at the start of the kite comp

There were prizes for first place in the kitesurfing, first place in the SUP, and for the overall Legend of the Bay: the rider with the best combined results in both disciplines. There were about forty entrants in total, some coming from a purely kitesurf background, a few more coming just for the SUP, and a few of us who were going for the overall title.

Volvo generously allowed the use of my loaner XC60 for a judging vehicle. Reb wasn’t one of the judges however

Pep talk, or victory dance?

Saturday was the day of the kite comp and it arrived with blue skies, a fresh northerly wind, and rare for these conditions, a fair bit of swell. I won my first heat, putting me through to the semi final where I met North Devon ripper Sean Facey and Norfolk’s Jack Ridel. After a slow heat wave wise, I snagged one last wave on the buzzer and that was enough for me to win that heat too. Through to the finals with me were West Cornwall’s Lee Harvey and young Dan Maurice.

So I’m told this is the turn that decided everything…thanks to Kristian Butler for this shot

The wind had dropped off a bit for the finals, but I guess we were all in the same boat. Regardless, I had a shocker, found only one wave, crashed the kite, put the board through the lines in the shorebreak, struggled to get back upwind Back on land the results of the final were as I expected from what I saw of Lee and Dan – 1st and 2nd to them, 3rd to me. A good result and a reflection on the consistent judging throughout the comp.

Paddling out after a late start on the Sunday

Running to get my SUP board for the semis, Reb hot on my heels

Day two kicked off earlier, about 9.30am with the SUP comp. Overnight the wind had dropped and 2ft of clean, close interval swell remained. Due to riding flat out two days before the kite comp, and the kite event itself, I was a little late getting up and was legging it down the slipway at 9.45am as my heat was already on the water! I hustled out there to  cat calls from Anton who was commentating the event to join Josh Coombes, Kristian Butler and one other fellow whose name escapes me. Josh and I ended up having a bit of a natter and trading waves, after 8 minutes the heat was over and I returned to the beach to hear a few people say I’d done well. The results were announced and I’d won the heat, putting me into the semi finals.

Reb, standing still for all of five seconds

I had a long wait till the semis, in the meantime I got to watch Neal Gent, Josh Coombes, Lee Harvey and Paul Stebbings battling it out. As well as your own performance, the performance of others has a standing on how well you do. Josh fought back to the SUP semi finals, as did Genty, whilst Stubby and Lee were knocked out. Genty went out in his semi, Josh came second and made it into the losers final. I went out in my semi, but by that point the writing was on the wall and had done enough to win the inaugural Legend of the Bay

One hell of a trophy!

Hats off to the BKSA, BSUPA and Watergate Bay for hosting such a well run event. All the competitors seemed to have a great time; it was the first kite waveriding event in a long while that had sun, wind and whackable waves! The addition of SUP I think helps show the riders that have more than one string to their bow. Certainly the most fun I’ve had at an event in ages (not saying that just because I won), the only suggestions I’d make is can we have a surf category too for next year please?

The trophy winners and some of the competitors

Tomorrow it is then. 

I held my breath as I read the email :

“NW winds, 15 knots or so, bang onshore and sunny…exactly what we’ve been waiting for”

Oh yes indeed, exactly what I have been waiting for, hoping for, longing for. Here starts my new adventure…  I hastily tapped out my reply ” Tomorrow it is then ! ”

Less than a month since I stumbled upon www.kiteright.org  here I was zooming off to the beach for my very first kite buggying lesson. I was so excited I was bouncing around like a puppy with two tails and with a bubbly feeling reminiscent of a childhood Christmas Eve I wondered if I would get any sleep at all..

Sure I was a little bit nervous but I was free of the usual apprehension to which I have become well accustomed when embarking on something new or enrolling for an activity . Do you know that deep, dark, gloomy fear that you are yet again going to be turned away ? Be it gently or bluntly the rejection thump always hits hard and knocks the bottom right out of your stomach doesn’t it ? Which of these are you familiar with?

“I don’t think you should be doing this”,
“You won’t be able to manage the equipment”,
“I am afraid it will worsen your condition”,
“You’ll hold up the group”,
“I can’t imagine you will enjoy it”,
“Perhaps you should do something gentler”,
“Can’t you get someone to do it for you”,
“It’s very difficult you know, even normal people find it hard”,
“But it requires a lot of attention”,
“You’ll only get tired”,
“Disabled people would find it far too difficult”,
“We will have to charge you extra”,
“Our insurance won’t cover you”.

But with KiteRight there was none of that. I was my usual anxious self about listing and describing my complex conditions and difficulties for the referral, but the questions were painless and having looked around the KiteRight website I was flushed with confidence that there would be a level of understanding and acceptance of my needs and wishes, unlike those consent forms where they ask you to detail any health issues and want your medications listed but only give you one line on which to complete your answers.

Low April sun was shining, a fresh wind was blowing and my insides were bubbling as I met my instructor in the beach car-park. There was just the two of us. It had been assessed and agreed that 1:1 is what would best suit me. No rush, no pressure and time to explain myself and adjust as required. It was okay, I could say it as it was, no need to hide anything nor pretend I was something I’m not.

My instructor was totally unfazed when I mentioned the metal plates in my back or when I demonstrated the difficulties with my hands, and never even flinched when I had to slow due to chest-pain. We just worked around my needs with me setting the pace and he providing the tuition, but there was something much more apparent than that – we were two people united together on that sunwashed beach capturing pockets of wind from the blue heavens above to bring us both the joy, the thrill and the magic of kiting. With the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair we were one and the same, for the wind doesn’t treat us differently, it doesn’t judge and is free to us all.

Hands on tuition, a few simple diagrams drawn in the sand, everything at my pace and I was oozing with confidence. I want to do something amazing with my share of that wind, and here is someone believing I can, and hey presto – there I am flying up the beach  !!

…ten minutes later the lesson was over. well, no not really, it was a couple of hours but oh boy doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?!  It wasn’t only the time that was flying, kites were flying and I was flying high…and I still am. I had flown kites before, I had kind of taught myself, as with nobody believing that either I could or should be doing such a thing, getting lessons had been out of the question. Just how I would ever fulfill my dream of travelling over the sand propelled by kitepower had been beyond my imagination until that lifechaning evening my Internet surfing blessed me with finding those bright coloured KiteRight buttons and an introduction to the kiting team. Now I am on board. This is one huge turnaround for me: I am a kiter – yeyy, I am a kitebuggier!

So now when I turn up at a beach or approach a club and they say “have you flown kites before?” -yes, “have you flown (driven?) a kite buggy before?” -YES…and look, this is how I was taught by KiteRight  ;o)

see you in the sky !

D making tracks to becoming an independent traction kiter

Here are some things I’ve learned over the years regarding maintaining a decent level of surf fitness:

1. The best training for surfing would be surfing, but it’s not always possible since the conditions aren’t always there, it gets dark, you’re landlocked, you’re injured.

2. If there’s daylight and the surf is small, body surfing or open water swimming or freediving are excellent ways to stay sharp.

2 a. If it’s dark or you are landlocked, pool drills using interval training will suffice.

3. Interval training (hill sprints for example) beats a steady cardio workout (hour run for example) because it resembles the stop start random exertion of a surf session.

3a. Many situations in surfing rely on your ability to paddle explosively for fifteen seconds (catching waves, dodging sets, escaping impact zone) again and again and again.

4. Effective interval training can be squeezed into a very short space of time based on the Tabata principle of 20 seconds maxing out followed by 10 seconds rest, repeated four times.

5. Using ‘Tabata’, I do 20 seconds press ups, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds bicep curls, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds chin ups, 10 seconds rest. Repeat x 4. This trains upper body for explosive paddle fitness.

5a. For lower body, I do 20 seconds on 10 seconds off of soft sand running, or tyre dragging, or deep body weight squats. This helps with power in the turns and an explosive (that word again) pop to your feet.

6. Core – I find this is handled quite nicely by variations on press ups i.e. arms further out, slower reps, hand claps…variety is endless

7. Fatness. Basically, everything is easier when you don’t have much fat. I find walking very good as a fat burner – since acquiring my dog I’m out for a good walk every day, on top of my other activities, and weight doesn’t stay on. I use heavy walking boots for extra strain.

7a. If going on a fat shedding mission, be patient. Make some simple adjustments to diet like stopping eating before you are full up, cutting down on beer.

7b. Increase your exercise. There is always time – remember the Tabata principle!

7c. Be disciplined but don’t scrutinise your efforts. You will know in your heart if you are doing it right or cheating yourself. Let the body take care of itself and see how you look in six weeks time.

8. Don’t bother keeping a training diary. Just keep mixing it up, putting twists on your workouts, trying new things. Your body’s strength, speed, stamina and recovery abilities will vary against each other as you age. Learn to roll with it as your body changes.

That’s what works for me, exercise is different for everyone, but you can see that excepting points 1 and 2, all of this can be done anywhere in the country, at any time of the day, in a short amount of time.

If you are going a long time between surfs then the difference between doing something like the above, and not, is massive.

Sam and I with the wagons at the salubrious watering hole of Gordano Services, Junction 19 M5.

The CWP is Sam’s vision to capture remote areas around the UK that can be ridden using kite power and show them to a wider audience. He will do this by video and stills, and has hired professionals Kevin Lake and Sam Bailey to get the goods. I’ve seen snippets of their work on the screens of their cameras and they are just the guys you’d want for the job. It’s not easy to make kitesurfing on a forlorn stretch of cold, grey coastline look enticing, but they are more than managing it. Just to be sure, I haven’t used any of their images here, these are all captured from my phone.

The Cornish leg of the Coldwater Project yielded big steel blue waves, as you’d hope.

The first stage of the CWP was my home of Cornwall. I knew an area just up the road from Newquay that would provide us with a good little access adventure and an empty beach to ride. For all the kitesurfing that goes down in Cornwall, I really don’t think anyone has accessed the beach with their kit the way we did that day.

Sam and I picked our way precariously down the cliff. Note Reb above the crevice, she’d scampered up and down about five times by the time we made it through.

Hiding out in a cave whilst waiting for the hail to pass

Wales was next on the cards. We based ourselves up in Aberdovey, snatching a (rare for me!) flat water evening session, and maxing out the following day with a wavey beach session in the morning and an even more wavey reef break session in the afternoon. Access  in the afternoon was every bit as tenacious as the Cornwall session, but this time instead of trekking in by foot we rumbled in in our Volvo XC60 expedition vehicles.

A quick prowl along the coast by Snowdonia National Park revealed this little gem

Reb has been front and centre through the CWP, finding her way into quite a few images and moving pictures. Her sand digging and head-poking-out-of-sunroof antics mean she is probably drawing more lens time than me. Between us we form quite a ragtag bunch was we mooch from town to town, beach to beach, and sometimes pub to pub. It’s a proper boy’s own adventure and there has even been talk of bringing various acoustic instruments to the Scotland leg of the mission; you know you’re group dynamic’s going well when talk turns to forming a band. But what will our direction be? Will we be electrified for the second album? Can we go large and expansive to fill a stadium? Much to discuss.

Reb became a familiar sight to the residents and visitors of Aberdovey.

Right, that’s a quick catch up and I shall be posting more of my candid shots soon. I haven’t gone into much detail as this is Sam’s story to tell and you will be able to read about it in kite mags this summer. I’m really chuffed (not a word you hear much these days) to be a part of the CWP, can you remember seeing a British kitesurfing video along these lines? Aye, me neither, so I take every hat off to Sam for his conviction in getting this project off the ground. ]]> http://www.skyhooked.co.uk/2013/04/volvo-coldwater-project-my-involvment/feed/ 0 http://www.skyhooked.co.uk/2013/04/big-wave-boot-camp-am-i-ready-for-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=big-wave-boot-camp-am-i-ready-for-it http://www.skyhooked.co.uk/2013/04/big-wave-boot-camp-am-i-ready-for-it/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:46:23 +0000 Dom Moore http://www.skyhooked.co.uk/?p=3334 Continue reading →]]> ***Scroll down for a video of surfing the Cribbar and other bombs around Newquay!***

As you may know, Rob Small and I are running the Big Wave Boot Camp weekend on 13th-14th April at Crantock Beach, Cornwall.

The event has generated a lot of interest, and also a lot of questions from folk asking ‘Do I have to be able to surf big waves?’ , ‘How do I know if I am ready?’ and similar questions relating to entry level requirements. I hope I can clear these questions up for you now, and also leave you with a little teaser video of what you will be setting yourself up for by joining us for the weekend.

Taking off at The Cribbar, Saturday 30th March. Thanks to Ron Smith for the pic.

If you have messaged be with a question about whether you are ready to join on to the course, I would suggest that you ARE. The #BWBC is not for surfers who are already charging the bigger waves around, but for the surfers that want to set off on the path to riding those waves. Your journey will be different from the next person’s; you may aim to be charging 8ft Little Fistral this coming Autumn, whilst the other guy might want to get to that level in a couple of years.

I think of it like this: going on the #BWBC will give you the tools and techniques you need to step it up in bigger surf. That doesn’t mean that you need to go and book a flight to Lanzarote the weekend after, but rather once you have the tools and techniques you can take your own time getting familiar with them so that you can use them instinctively.

When the swells come, where do you want to be watching them from?

On the weekend itself Rob and I won’t be pushing people into waves they want no part of, though I expect you will look at the ocean in a different way by the end of it. Charging bigger surf requires a game plan, preparation, training and the right philosophy. Sure anyone can leap off the rocks and give it a bash, but also, any fool can suffer. People who prepare and take the time to understand what’s required pick off the set waves and enjoy the thrill of their best rides of the year, whilst those that just ‘give it a bash’ often end up getting pummelled for a couple of hours without much success.

As ever, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, and here is the video below:

N.b. Please select 1080p mode and TURN IT UP LOUD!

Underneath this suit I am wearing my pyjamas Photo by www.neilwilkinsonphotography.co.uk 

If you’ve never worn a drysuit before, it’s simply like wearing snowboarding outer layers over your thermal layer; or at least that’s how the Soul is. It’s a one piece suit designed to look like jacket and trousers so that you don’t look silly, and that is most important, for our entire Western Civilisation revolves around not wanting to look ridiculous.

As for mobility, it’s about as mobile as you’ll feel when you’re snowboarding…

The suit itself is totally waterproof; the Soul is built to the same specification as commercial and military diving suits. Cleverly though, it still breathes. So, although I’m toasty warm and building up heat through exertion, all sweat is wicked and evaporated away, meaning that when I stop for a breather, I don’t get cold from the chilled sweat (beware so called neoprene drysuits that are on the market, for they do not breathe).  The Soul’s got pockets in it so I can carry around extra GoPro mounts and screwdrivers to fit them, and spare change if I need a cup of tea or a taxi, and I can put a phone in there, and some snacks, and layer up to cope with Arctic temperatures….so you can see it’s more than a suit for getting in the water, it is in fact a piece of survival equipment.

It’s about 2 degrees outside, we’re a mile offshore, and I don’t really mind what happens because I am warm and will get out alive

You can fit a Gath Helmet under the fitted hood (which cinches down to fend off hail storms) and fit an impact vest under the suit for extra buoyancy (the Soul has great residual buoyancy since it traps air anyway). With all that, I reckon your chances of surviving a night lost at sea slumped over your kite or washed up in a remote cove just got a whole lot better…

It’s always worth flirting with the rocks on the inside to give a bit of detail to the background

I am offering a guided downwinder service (point to point kitesurfing excursion) to certain clients as part of my Surf Sanctuary teaching operation. Clients have to meet certain criteria, and then I will recommend they wear the Soul during the downwinder for the reasons above. I have the Souls here in my kit locker; unlike wetsuits, a large Soul for example will fit a lot of different body types.

I could walk into the cafe at Watergate Bay from here, sit down, order a pint and not look overdressed compared to the technical clothing loving patrons in there

Preparing and executing a downwinder is similar to going for a big hike up a mountain. You need to plan the route, mark out escape routes, pack supplies, arrange contingency plans and communications. Set up a home base. For sure you need to know the weather patterns for that day too. I love all this type of stuff. It mixes elements of the outdoor exploration lifestyle with explosive stuff like surfing and of course kitesurfing.

I’ll talk more about my downwinder guided tours later, but for now, and at long last, here’s the video…

The photo is one I took when I was staying at Jim ‘Hail Yeah’ Yarborough’s house near Sunset Beach, Oahu. Jim shapes handmade balsa wood boards for Dick Brewer; these towering 10ft plus guns sometimes find themselves on the walls of luxury call dealerships, art galleries, and sometimes at the peak at Sunset.

A handmade balsa wood Dick Brewer gun is shaped into existence on the North Shore of Oahu.