Sport Today

by **JimmySchmittsLovesChocolateMil** » Sat, 28 May 2005 00:15:16

Quote:

> Also I went for two week in Maui in August an got three days of 6.5 yet
> have
> never missed in October.

This is bad? I've yet to ever sail as small as 6.5 here in my home state.
to me 7.5 is considered "ripping"

Quote:

>> Wow. I just got back from 10.5 days in Aruba, the windsurfing capital
>> of the world, right? It blew 4.7 the first afternoon, 5.0 all next
>> day, 5.5 next afternoon, then died to 6.5 on a longboard the next day.
>> Just as I was really getting into the groove and hitting some jibes.
>> Rest of the week -- 7 days -- just about zero wind. Great for
>> horseback riding, Scuba, and reading. Except the days that had
>> thunderstorms.

>> But I went there to windsurf! This was May 12 thru 22.
>> Now, tis is the 16th year I've gone to Aruba and stayed at Sailboard
>> Vacations. Last year I had 3 skunk days. Year before was 2 days. All
>> the other years, hardly any non-shortboard days.

>> Is this a growing trend? Is global warming messing up the trade winds?
>> Or is the wind better in March or April, as opposed to May? Was this
>> just bad luck, or should we turn Aruba over to the *** tourists?
>> Even the kiters were skunked out.

>> But hey, the 5.0 day was like old times -- going thru the inner channel
>> at The Huts, and sails coming at me 4 a***!
>> --Mike K.

by **Jay Halfor** » Sat, 28 May 2005 02:32:22

not to mention last summer. I was in Cabarete all summer last year. I
brought nothing bigger than 5.8, and 105 liters. Used it less than half the
time. I brought gear based on summer norms for the place. The entire summer
was way below normal, except for about two weeks in August. Locals tell me
it was the lightest summer they've seen. I think the caribbean may have been
off for a year. Maybe El Nino?

Quote:

> the Carribean got skunked this winter/spring, period. I've spoken
> with people who spent a month in the DR, two weeks in Margarita, weeks
> in Aruba, and weeks in Bonaire. With one exceptional week in March,
> for example, Bonaire had no windy weeks period.

> The prevailing theory is that storms over Africa screwed up the normal
> pattern. I've been to Aruba and Bonaire a total of 9 times in
> February/March, and never been close to skunked. This was apparently
> a bad year out of the bell curve.

by **Alan** » Sat, 28 May 2005 04:03:12

Quote:

> I think scenery & connection is everything.. the rest is frosting on
> the cake.

I don't know....It's a tough call. I've been skunked in some beautiful
places....The Gorge, Maui, Hatteras, Margarita, Costa Rica, Corpus.....and
even Oregon's South Coast. I'd say, for me, the best place be skunked is
Oregon's South Coast. California is up there, but I really like the big
trees. The mountains are spectacular too, especially since they come right
down to the water's edge. If you like city life, Oregon's South Coast is
not for you.

Travelling is in my *** so I hesitate to say one particular spot is my
favorite. As tempting as it is to settle on one place, I find myself forcing
myself to move on to try different places. One day I'd sure like to try
Australia's West Coast and New Zealand.

Alan

by **windmtn pet** » Sat, 28 May 2005 08:48:43

Quote:

> I'd say, for me, the best place be skunked is
> Oregon's South Coast.

Have you been there lately? Many changes, my friend. Seems to be
attracting more and more city folks all the time. Problem is, place
can't handle a large crowd... roads are just not made for that much
traffic. It's a nightmare traveling to the So. Oregon Coast today,
specially when the tourists are flocking there.

-- Pete

Quote:

> > I think scenery & connection is everything.. the rest is frosting on
> > the cake.

> I don't know....It's a tough call. I've been skunked in some beautiful
> places....The Gorge, Maui, Hatteras, Margarita, Costa Rica, Corpus.....and
> even Oregon's South Coast. I'd say, for me, the best place be skunked is
> Oregon's South Coast. California is up there, but I really like the big
> trees. The mountains are spectacular too, especially since they come right
> down to the water's edge. If you like city life, Oregon's South Coast is
> not for you.

> Travelling is in my *** so I hesitate to say one particular spot is my
> favorite. As tempting as it is to settle on one place, I find myself forcing
> myself to move on to try different places. One day I'd sure like to try
> Australia's West Coast and New Zealand.

> Alan

by **ing** » Sat, 28 May 2005 10:43:57

Being on Curacao I can say it has been strange these few years.
Last season started late but lasted longer. There where more huricanes
than usual this year, and one (Ivan) almost didn't miss us.(Which would
have been disastrous for our islands).Last year we had great surf
untill March. Wind started in April and abrubtly stopped about two
weeks
ago. This year a huricane (or tropical storm, I'm not sure) formed
unusally early in the season. That huricane killed your and my wind.
The wind even turned south, which is a indication of an intense low
presure system elsewhere. I was on Bonaire where just as the PWA event
got underway, we got skunked bad. Just bad luck, it seems that it is
changing back, though. Sailed 5.3
today again. Tommorow looks even better.

If this is a trend? I don't think so. You have to look at it over a
decade. Good years and bad years. There have been consequtive bad years

in the past which where followed by great years.

I think that when you get consequtive great years, you forget how bad
it was before. So when it turns bad again, you think the wind will
never
come back the same again.

The wind however, will return. And when it does, I'll be waiting.

ing.

by **sailbri..** » Sat, 28 May 2005 20:36:51

It was a bad year. But if you speak to the people who were here the
weeks that it was blwoing, they would say it was some of the best wind
they had seen here. So, this year timing was everything.

Luckily, the wind has returned the past few days, I sailed 4.6
yesterday and should have been on my 4.2. So don't give up on the
Caribbean yet!

Lois

by **sailbri..** » Sat, 28 May 2005 20:40:17

Oh, we wish we were heading to the Gorge. Looks like it will be an
East coast summer for us, which means no sailing until the fall. Have
a great summer, say hi to the Utah gang for us, and also all our
friends at Stevenson!!!

by **weed..** » Sun, 29 May 2005 05:22:13

<< Oh, we wish we were heading to the Gorge. Looks like it will be an
East coast summer for us, which means no sailing until the fall. >>

East coast like Florida East coast? Plenty of wind on Cape Cod during
the summer.

by **sailbri..** » Sun, 29 May 2005 21:22:21

Hmmm, maybe we'll get up to the Cape, we'll be on Long Island Sound for
most of the summer. So, what does plenty of wind mean? What gear
should we bring?

Lois

by **ragtime** » Mon, 30 May 2005 09:25:49

Quote:

> Being on Curacao I can say it has been strange these few years.
> Last season started late but lasted longer. There where more huricanes
> than usual this year, and one (Ivan) almost didn't miss us.(Which would
> have been disastrous for our islands).

Each year there has been some kid of storm that messed with the
shipwrecks on Aruba's south coast. But no land damage to speak of.

Quote:

>Last year we had great surf
> untill March. Wind started in April and abrubtly stopped about two
> weeks ago.

Last year on Aruba, our three skunk days begain with very unusual surf
rolling in from the West. We got in a day of wave surfing before it
died!

Quote:

> This year a huricane (or tropical storm, I'm not sure) formed
> unusally early in the season. That huricane killed your and my wind.
> The wind even turned south, which is a indication of an intense low
> presure system elsewhere.

Yes, in the middle of my skunk week this May, there was enough on-shore
(backwards for Aruba) wind to actually sail a longboard.

Quote:

> I was on Bonaire where just as the PWA event
> got underway, we got skunked bad. Just bad luck, it seems that it is
> changing back, though. Sailed 5.3
> today again. Tommorow looks even better.

Even the Pros got skunked! Now I don't feel so bad ;-)

Quote:

> If this is a trend? I don't think so. You have to look at it over a
> decade. Good years and bad years. There have been consequtive bad years
> in the past which where followed by great years.

I'm glad to see it put into perspective. I was getting ready to blame
it on Global Warming, but that's supposed to make *more* wind (maybe
int he wrong places, though).

Quote:

> The wind however, will return. And when it does, I'll be waiting.

And I'll be back to Aruba. Must be nice to live next door in Cuacao.
I was there 20 yers ago, and I sailed a small boat on days when the
wind was screaming! Good winds to all -- Mike K.

by **ragtime** » Mon, 30 May 2005 09:27:02

Quote:

> Being on Curacao I can say it has been strange these few years.
> Last season started late but lasted longer. There where more huricanes
> than usual this year, and one (Ivan) almost didn't miss us.(Which would
> have been disastrous for our islands).

Each year there has been some kid of storm that messed with the
shipwrecks on Aruba's south coast. But no land damage to speak of.

Quote:

>Last year we had great surf
> untill March. Wind started in April and abrubtly stopped about two
> weeks ago.

Last year on Aruba, our three skunk days begain with very unusual surf
rolling in from the West. We got in a day of wave surfing before it
died!

Quote:

> This year a huricane (or tropical storm, I'm not sure) formed
> unusally early in the season. That huricane killed your and my wind.
> The wind even turned south, which is a indication of an intense low
> presure system elsewhere.

Yes, in the middle of my skunk week this May, there was enough on-shore
(backwards for Aruba) wind to actually sail a longboard.

Quote:

> I was on Bonaire where just as the PWA event
> got underway, we got skunked bad. Just bad luck, it seems that it is
> changing back, though. Sailed 5.3
> today again. Tommorow looks even better.

Even the Pros got skunked! Now I don't feel so bad ;-)

Quote:

> If this is a trend? I don't think so. You have to look at it over a
> decade. Good years and bad years. There have been consequtive bad years
> in the past which where followed by great years.

I'm glad to see it put into perspective. I was getting ready to blame
it on Global Warming, but that's supposed to make *more* wind (maybe
int he wrong places, though).

Quote:

> The wind however, will return. And when it does, I'll be waiting.

And I'll be back to Aruba. Must be nice to live next door in Cuacao.
I was there 20 yers ago, and I sailed a small boat on days when the
wind was screaming! Good winds to all -- Mike K.

by **Mike LaRond** » Tue, 31 May 2005 07:54:48

bring a fat wallet for outrageous parking fees

Quote:

> Hmmm, maybe we'll get up to the Cape, we'll be on Long Island Sound for
> most of the summer. So, what does plenty of wind mean? What gear
> should we bring?

> Lois

by **ALP** » Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:22:58

It's true. This year has been BAD for wind in most of the Caribbean.
Until this past week we had GLASSY conditions and not a breathe of wind
for KOTCaribbean. A nightmare come true. Now the wind is howling.
Better head out to sail while I can. Who knows when the doldrums will
return.

Quote:

> the Carribean got skunked this winter/spring, period. I've spoken
> with people who spent a month in the DR, two weeks in Margarita, weeks
> in Aruba, and weeks in Bonaire. With one exceptional week in March,
> for example, Bonaire had no windy weeks period.

> The prevailing theory is that storms over Africa screwed up the normal
> pattern. I've been to Aruba and Bonaire a total of 9 times in
> February/March, and never been close to skunked. This was apparently
> a bad year out of the bell curve.

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