Big thanks in 2012

Over the last 12 months we have a few people to thank who have supported some of our events and also supplied us with Watersports product.

Dave Annear at Fergs Kayaks in Wellington was a dynamo in 2012 "Mr go get it"............Dave supported our mix model sponsorship proposal for the Winter Paddle Series which involved craft from SUP, Waka Ama and surf ski sports, also our Motorway race and Manawatu river race he always offered to assist us in some way.

Ian, Ali and also Alan Ferguson from Fergs Kayaks (Auckland/Wellington) they supplied all my Think skis again for 2012, supported our Welly Paddlers/Fergs Kayaks demo day for 2012 and Ian was also back out on the water with us supporting a few kayak events, the Ocean Canoe Showdown (Warkworth) and Foxton Loop Race (Foxton Beach) to mention a few.

Across the Tasman thanks to Stewart O' Regan Think Kayaks Australia. Stew has been great with info on product and keeping in touch with sales and what's happening in the big wide world of surf ski...................also across the Pacific Daryl Remmler the man in charge at Think Kayaks International for his listening ear with feedback and product development and general info........... also in Daryl's patch................Deep Cove Outdoors (in Vancouver also)  who are always awesome, either supplying me with a surf ski while over there, or sending me one of their funky leg leashes.

In New Zealand Len Smyth at Legend Paddles for my blades....... hydra and fluid, Shane at Rochfort Paddles for my crankshafts.

Click on any photo to enlarge

Trevor Hamilton at Capital Sports Medicine for sorting out my tennis elbow once and for all, he's a Joiner by trade.......like me........ so he must know what he's doing :-)

Thanks to our SUP suppliers in the Wellington Region Glenn Butcher at Wind Warrior, Dave McPhee at Wild Winds and Chris Brown at Ocean Outfitters.........and again the Team at Fergs Kayaks in Wellington who sell and hire just about anything, sup, kayak, surf ski, roller blades, bicycles and don't forget the climbing wall.

Sometimes it's the little things that count, so last thanks to the Team at Bivouac in Wellington and Brent Harrison for supplying my Nuuns hydration tablets when................on the rare occassion I choose to exert myself.

In 2012 we look forward again, to more communication with the people above, because we are all about advancing sales of the equipment we are involved with.............because at the end of the day it's about getting more people out on the water.

Also thanks to our readers in the following Countries: New Zealand, USA, Canada, Ireland, Hong Kong, France, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Spain, Poland, Netherlands, Brazil, Colombia, Thailand and the Ukraine..............sorry if I've missed anyone.

Thanks to google stats for the info and also thanks, to you all, for your 3700+ views a month on our site.

cheers,

Chester and Sharlene

The wind is back!

Don't complain to me about wind, Wellington is reknowned for it, we even moved down from Hawkes Bay 12 years ago, specially for it..............that and a change of career for Sharlene.

We have been spoilt for the last two weeks with many still still days and light southerlies, so it was a case of back to reality with a good old 45kmh Notherly with menacing gusts coming through frequently at 65 kmh.

Today I went and parked up at Worser Bay, which is only 1.2 km drive from home and launched the Evo II off the nice flat sandy beach and did some loops up to both Scorching and Karaka Bays.

Some of the gusts coming through the various cuts onland were menacing at times, so a leg leash was a good backstop in case of a spill, as I'm sure it wouldn't taken too long for the 12 kg elite to end up on the South Islands Kaikoura Coast with some awkward gusts coming through.

Todays day at the beach finished off with a bit of paying it forward. A Dutch Tourist couldn't start her van after a short stop, after pulling both the terminals off the batteries and tightening all the "Repco handyman connections" more securely she was off again.
Thank God it started, as the van was an automatic and at worst it could have been a starter motor...............even better............every mans dream she was a lady with a toolbox..............fantastic :-)

The strong Northerly winds are here to stay for at least another week..............so go and buy yourself a surf ski.............because everything else bar a kite or wind surfer will be near useless with these winds! Click on any photo to enlarge   

Part of the Welly crew

Mum in law Bev is up in Welly at the mo, so we're out doing the old retail therapy thing..........well it wasn't all retail therapy here we are larking around behind the Quality Hotel on Wellington's famous Cuba Street. The photo is at the rear of the hotel resting up on the heated couch.

Bev was part of our crew when we hosted the Manawatu River race in August, which was based at the Foxton Township.

We had some awesomely fine calm weather that day for the race and Bev cooked up about 7 or 8 selections of good old "Ol Skool" baking.............a great feed and a good little race. We'll be back there again in 2013 with some more baking...........fantastic.

It's blowing it's tits off today which is great for paddling the surf ski (wahoo our World Famous wind is back!)...........but it's not all about me, I'm spending some Q time with the Mrs...........and of course with Bev.

P.S I didn't buy anything........... I'm still saving up from my Think Evo II Ultimate :-)

Click on any photo to enlarge

Finally escaped from work!

It feels like the last year has flown by that quickly that I've been feeling jet lagged at work the last few weeks................I'm sure everyone has been in the same boat, it's just the usual end of year tiredness and our bodies are telling us we need a break.

My 4 days off will just fly by I'm sure, but if I get up early and go to bed later I'm sure those days will feel a lot longer, then it's back to work for another 48 hours over 4 days again.

Hey work is good and it's even better to get out on the water after each shift and just chill out.

This morning Sharlene and I headed out on the water, on the other side of the Miramar Peninsula this time, parking up by the Seatoun Wharf.

When I said we were paddling to Breaker Bay, Sharlene looked a little worried. We headed out at 10am, instead of the planned 8 am, so the flat harbour had changed to a 10 to 15 kmh southerly breeze by then. We reached Breaker Bay in less than 30 minutes and were greeted by a lazy 400 mm swell and some boat and tidal movement which Sharlene managed without too many problems.

The first photo is Sharlene with the legendary Barret Reef in the back ground, where the Wahine hit and sank coming into Wellington Harbour in 1969. The next photo is by the Pinnacles on the edge of Breaker Bay, middle left of that photo you can see the road coming down the hill from the "Pass of Branda" into Breaker Bay.

I flicked Sharlene the camera and she managed to get me with one of the Interislander ships in the back ground. The trip between the North and South Islands takes around 3 hours and you never get sick of the journey it's stunning.
The actual journey is around 60 kms...............but the point to point, between each island is around 23 km Makara to Perano Head.

The second photo is me again (funny that) heading out from one of the cosy Seatoun beaches , this one just happens to be outside one of Fran Walshes houses.

In the afternoon I was out on the Think Uno Max.................so can't complain too much about that............the batteries are now on there way to be recharged. Click on any photo to enlarge

Two days off the water

I've had a good fix of life off the water over the last 2 days and exchanged that for some walking on the Eastern Suburbs walkways and connecting streets.............giving my butt a break and my legs more of a workout, and it's also good for the heart.

Tomorrow I'll be hanging out to get on the water again after finishing my weekly cycle of shifts at work. It's a bit cooler today but tomorrow looks good with warmer 20 kmh southerly breezes and 22 degrees C.

Sharlene is back from Levegas, so I'll have at least one paddling mate out on the water tomorrow with me, for a bit of sup and some more time on the surf ski, so looking forward to that.

Another photo from the other day, the Lifeguard tower named "Oriental Bay Watch"........... but with less rescue action, not as bad as wanting to place a tacky Wellywood sign by the Miramar cutting, some people around here just don't do original.

At least the "Airport Corporate monster" did see reason in the end and they ruan a sign competition to come up with this.................which I think best describes our great City. Click on any photo to enlarge

AM - PM and work inbetween

Great Start to Christmas day out on the Starboard K15 Sup before work, parked up at Freyberg Beach and headed over to The Waterfront precinct. As you can see in the photos the harbour was like a mill pond and the flat water sup carved it's way with very little effort through the water and over towards Fergs Kayaks. 

While there I caught a few snaps of the second Sea Sheppard boat "Bridget Bardot" which was parked up.
Anyone who's been watching the Whale Wars over the last few years will know that this boat is the replacement for the Adi Gil, which parked itself in front of a Japanese Whaling ship and came off second best.

There's another shot of the City just after sunrise, in the foreground are two of Niwa's research vessels the Tangaroa and Kaharoa, which are based out of Wellington.
55 minutes on the water then off to work.......... so others could go home to open their Christmas presents................by the way no Think Evo II Ultimate left behind by Santa!...............it'll be a long wait to September 2013 :-)

Work over and done with for the day and after going to about 4 firecalls in sweltering hot fire gear with an unusually high 29 degrees C and sweating like the proverbial............ I was well and truly pleased to dress down to board shorts and rash top to go for a ski paddle come 6 pm.

I parked up in Evans Bay and tonight took the Evo II and headed up to Point Halswell to get a good peek at Somes (Matiu) and also Ward (Makaro) Islands in Wellington Harbour. It's about 5km from Point Halswell to Matiu Island then 3 km between Matiu and Makaro Islands.
After taking a holiday snap it was then off to Oriental Parade to check out all the jellyfish that are plaguing the waters at the moment..............and being a stinking hot day there were plenty of humans out swimming around them and even more (humans) on the beaches as well.

On the way back to Hataitai beach I paddled with Kevin  'O'..............who is another Think Evo II paddler and looking to try out a Think Uno Max in the coming months.

Click on any photo to enlarge


 

Surf ski Capital

Whether anyone wants to admit it..................or not............. Wellington is really the place where you have to have a surf ski................no if's no but's.

All year round a surf ski!

Crazy that a number of hull designs in NZ have a surf ski hull what for?.............stop kidding yourself people, isn't it time you bought a proper surf ski and get over this weird thing that you have to have to be braced inside a cockpit to maintain your balance or stability

Did you know that theThink Kayaks surf skis have more points of contact to brace than a kayak and also that their seats have more than double the comfort of some of the stodgey old kayak seats and the ergonomics of thinks are way better so you don't get back problems that you get on other surf skis or kayaks..............and don't forget the full footplate and pedals all come from a surf ski.............also an underhull rudder steers way better in the rough estuaries, harbours and sea than a flip up rudder does.

If anyone thinks they are improving their balance by paddling a K1.................go and paddle Think Uno Max and you'll find that offers some very similar balance and seating characteristics.................or just try out any Ocean Racing surf ski for that matter.

My favourite multisport kayak was a JKK UFO 6.1 the Think Uno Max is a great crossover from that and is every bit the speed machine on a range of waterways. Don't always percieve that these surf skis are just for Ocean Racing.................just buying one as a training boat or just to have fun on is another angle...............also you can easily fit a flip up rudder on the back and walla you're on the rivers or other shallow areas. If the skinny Uno Max is not your thing there's always the Evo II or Eze as well.

Hey I'm biased but I've paddled just about everything available................and after all these years I've found a brand that really works well for me..........now it's your turn to try something different, you only live once.

Photos today the wind art sculptures along Cobham Drive on the way to the Airport...............and cheers and Merry Christmas from me.
Click on any photo to enlarge

Cruise ships and planes in the mist

If you wanted an afternoon with 300 metres visibility............ well you had it today.

Sharlene and I took the opportunity to get out for a SUP this afternoon in the sea fog, we set out from Freyberg Beach on Wellingtons Oriental Parade. Yes that is a cruise ship in the distance in one of the photos, though it was one minute you see it "nek minut" you don't.
The morning was still and windless, then after the sun burnt off the early mist, it became very warm, very quickly...............when we headed out on the water at 5 pm we had a 30 kmh southerly, which is pretty sheltered, as the City in the background, blocks most of the wind close to the shoreline.

Since it's Christmas and that's tied in quite closely with religion there's a photo of  Saint Gerards (a former Monestary) in the backgound, also Freyberg Beach is shown along with a few swimmers training for the Capital Swim Classic (on January 29) and even a white water kayaker paddling on flat water!

Well Christmas Eve tomorrow and I'm off to work for the next two days being the dedicated Emergency Service worker that I am
:-)................no sweat though, I'll be rocketing home straight after each shift to grab one of the skis to get out to stir the water up.

Click on any photo to enlarge

 

From the outside in

The view from the water to the land is worth more than living in a multi million dollar house.

The Think Uno Max had a great spin from one of my favourite launching spots Shelly Bay, which is only 4 kms from home. Where we live I can actually also portage my skis to Worser Bay only 1.5 km from where we live..............the joys of living on a Peninsula, and another transportation option for some of us closet greenies.

Today just had a 30 kmh sourtherly and with the Uno Max you can catch any bump and carve through the water quicker and upwind it slices though the water like a hot knife through butter so never too many complaints while paddling it................all the rest is balance and fitness, which comes and goes with me at times.

One of the Holiday snaps is looking north into Shark Bay with a view up to the ex All Black, and ex Jonah Lomu mansion up in Maupuia. He's the human wrecking ball who trampled a pomme while scoring a try at one of the Rugby World Cups.

Another shot looking back to the launching ramp at Shelly Bay and the other the nice grassy spot at Shelly Bay which looks back towards the Westpac Sports Stadium.................commonly referred to as the "Cake Tin".
The Stadium hosts mainly Rugby Soccer and Cricket games...........boo....................but should really be hosting Rock concerts like Foo Fighters, U2, Led Zeppellin, Incubus, Shihad or what's left of Pink Floyd............just to name a few.
Click on any of the photos to enlarge

 

Final sup set for 2012 ho ho ho

Hataitai Beach again produced some gold paddling tonight.............out of most of the wind...........and out further in the bay we had a 30 kmh Northerly that cracked into the odd gust of 35 to 40 kmh at one stage but then settled down.

Out past Greta Point there were some mint swells.

Tonight Sharlene, myself, Carl and another one of Carls sons paddled, joined by Jillian and a guest I've been trying to rope into our SETS for ages................The mystery man otherwise known as "Movie Guy" a local Lyall Bay celeb............... tonight it was a case of............off the movie sets and into the sup SETS.

For privacy reasons we can't show you his mug shot.......... only show his big waves skills from the rear...............and o.k. ............... so you don't slug me with your big right hook..............Movie Guy rides a Starboard............

Here's another random photo as you approach Wellington Airport from the North (Evans Bay).............it gets so windy here............ the last few letters on the Wellington sign are hanging by a thread!...............and a plug for Air New Zealand ............no charge............just credit us with some airpoints :-)

The organised sup meets are over for the Season, but we'll still see you all out on the water over the next week or so at different times, maybe when it's not so windy for the majority of people................other than that the downwinders start on January 17.

Thanks again Chester and Sharlene.

Click on any of the photos to enlarge



 

Ship ahoy Bob Barker

Some holiday snaps from the last 2 days of surf ski paddling on Wellington Harbour (The Capital City of New Zealand)

The Bob Barker anti whaling ship that harrasses the living be Jesus out of the Japanese whaling ships in Antartic waters............man in NZ kiwis are just happy to go down to get some takeaways................2 crumbed fish and a scoop of chips bro.

The second photo is of one of my little blue penguin mates seen on Oriental Parade, I see them every now and again around the harbour, they nest around the Seatoun and Breaker Bay areas where we used to live.

Yesterday I was out on the Think Uno Max, this morning out on the Think Evo II...................tonight we have the sup SETS so I'll be out on the Starboard Ace for a change...............though I am enjoying the rangey Starboard K15.
Making the most of the time out on the water at the moment as I'm working on the Christmas Day and also New Years periods at the Firehouse.
 

SUP Sets Dec 20

Sorry I'm late making the venue call I've been waylaid at my main job tonight.

Anyhow as predicted a few days ago............. this weeks SETS will be from Hataitai Beach start time 6pm.

The forecast is for a 30 kmh Northerly..........so it should be a perfect mix of some shelter and also some downwind..........but only if you want to.

Think carbon Ultimate, Please Santa

Here is the bling.......... of all bling......... and the only way I could get one of these suckers into NZ is if Santa, Rudolf and his mates could drop one of these into our yard just after midnight on 24/12/12...........though make it the Think Evo II in these colours............pretty please with sugar on top :-)

To keep the NZ Police off your back Santa, please put a flouro flag and on the tail and a red light as well as I'm sure there will be some overhang outta the back of the sleigh.

Thanks to Stewart O'Regan from Think Kayaks Australia for teasing me with the photos.

If you'd like one of these as well................ you'll have to harrass Alan Ferguson alan@fergskayaks.co.nz to order one prior to May 2013.................or you'll miss out as well.

Click on any of the photos to enlarge



 

The very last of the sup SETS

Yep that's the one Thursday December 20 we will finish the last of our 5 sup SETS for the year..........which were designed to bring SUP people together.

We'll go with a more realistic start for the last one 6pm!

So the last one will more than likely be from Hataitai Beach again by the looks, as the forecast looks like it'll be fine with a 15 kmh to a 25 kmh North to North Easterly.

As mentioned on the nice days the traffic runs a lot slower than normal so you'll get caught in it if you don't leave work a little earlier than usual.

Final decsision on venue always made 24 hours before the start time so check back here at 6 pm tomorrow night.

In the New Year we start the "lick and a splash" downwind events they are open to surf skis - W1's and SUP's info on the flyer on the right hand side of this page.
We're not running as many events as we could because we'd like others to run some weekend events for all the sports above and also the Kayakers may wish to run something as well.
February, March and April are busy with other events up and down the Country so we leave these months free pretty much................ until our main event for the year which is "The Motorway Race"  (13km long course and short course 6 km or 4km course for SUP's) which will be on April 14 next year. 

Any queries about events Chester 022 6455 820

 

Saturday @ Hataitai

Saturday evening 30 kmh North Westerly running down Evans Bay, starting in the shelter then poking out past Greta Point to get the 400 mm runs downwind then sheltering close to the shoreline upwind to make better headway.

Sharlene Fanatic Ray , myself (not in photos though)Starboard K 15 and Jillian Fanatic Falcon
Click on any photo to enlarge 

Wot sup tonight

Welly weather at it's best................niiiice. An easy 20 kmh Northerly gusting to 30 kmh early on but settling right down to about 15 kmh even at around 7 pm.

We had a late start tonight even I was late getting there at 5.40 pm and most people out on the water at 6 pm and then some more at 6.15pm. Tonight Sharlene was there first phoning me at 5.20pm saying where are you? I was next then Tio, Mick, Gillian, Q and Rick just the seven of us but then again it is Christmas and there is so much else on at  the moment...............but hey good to see people are getting out at 6 am in the morning and also people doing the sup thing out at Petone, Eastbourne, Mana. Paraparaumu and also Foxton Beach.

Mick came to his first set tonight, he found out what we were doing through Butch from reading the Wind Warrior website. Mick comes from out Paekakariki way and was on his red paddle inflatable tonight just showing everyone that you don't have to have a flash racing board to paddle the sets..................remember surf sups are welcome we had 2 young ladies on them 2 weeks ago................that's what sold Sharlene on getting a Kailoa Pipes paddle!

Anyhow time flys when you're having fun and the last of the group finally made it off the water at 8.15 pm.



I had a delivery today, picked up a Kailoa Methane paddle which I found through searching on the interweb :-). I found the New Zealand agent for Kialoa paddles then went through Ocean Outfitters at Mana for the purchase. Big thanks to Chris and Kate for sorting all the details out for me and providing me with some parts to extend the length of the paddle also. The standard length was just 218 cm and I'm use to a big arse long sucker at 230 cm...............so after paddling the shorter length, to try out the changed length, I found that the leopard was too old to change his spots and I went for the supersize version so I can stand back up like a meerkat again.

Like I said I'm not favouring any particular SUP retailer and we've both spent money at each of the local retail shops in the last few months.............you can't be fairler than that..............check them all out.

Fergs Kayaks - Ocean Outfitters - Wild Winds - Wind Warrior view their website links on the left of page.

The last of the SETS is next Thursday so get your butts out there to show the love...............if you don't we won't bother running any down winders next year......... jokes.............cause we will we're suckers for doing stuff like this............... Q is exempt because he's going to be a Dad very shortly.

click on any photo to enlarge

Thursday SUPing

Tomorrow night we will make our start location Hataitai Beach for the regular weekly Welly Paddlers sup SETS.

The kick off time is 5.30pm but we'll paddle around in circles for a bit till everyone turns up.

The forecast is for a 20 kmh to 25 kmh North Westerly...............and if it doesn't come to too much some of the group may like to head around to the fountain on Oriental Parade and back.................but we'll play it by ear.

As usual some people might like to cruise off at a quicker pass and some will be just happy to cruise and smell the roses.................or the fresh salty air in this case.

Any queries phone Chester 022 6455 820
 

Last Tuesday Twilight event for the Year

Mana Kayak Racing Club ran their last Twilight race tonight in a nice little 30 kmh South Easterly.
As much as it would have been tempting to run it from Oriental Parade it was good to see common sense prevail at the last one and to run it based from the Kupe Canoe Club and heading over to Cobham Drive...............after all it is our patch, we all use the logic to paddle over there to train when it turns into the occassional less than pleasant Southerly.

Anyhow good choice Mana KRC to run this course that Welly Paddlers intiated when we ran the Twilight Series before and after Christmas in the 2010/2011 Season............mind you it may have been a Kupe Canoe Club influence to set the course out there tonight..............big thanks to Sandy Winterton.

Yes there are people that get mincey and think it's the wrong choice............but then you do have to have a grade 2 certificate when you do the Coast to Coast and what we had tonight was still less than that. If you paddle flatwater all the time those are the skill sets that will continue to hold those people back..............more bum in seat is required in a variety of conditions to keep us all honest.

If anyone needs a real role model just look to Tim Sutton.........and follow what he's been doing, paddling up and around Evans Bay in all weather conditions.

Everyone talks about traffic to get into Wellington to run these things, it's about working smarter not harder. ...............and I still believe a like Series out at Mana or at Petone every week is possible......... the reason this has not occurred to this point is a simple lack of vision.

The question has to be asked how can you grow your Sport if you don't run any events in the area you live or where your waterway is based?
We live in Wellington City and that's why we are call ourselves Welly Paddlers.

Thursday see's the penultimate SUP SET for the year........... they start at a real time of 5.30pm...........yes rubbing it in again........... we usually end up on the water at around 5.45 to 6pm so don't be put off by that time we do circle around till everyone gets there.........view the flyer on the right hand of the page for SETS and Downwinders in 2013.
 

Surfing the lumps and bumps

Out today in a 40 kmh Northerly...... which was gusting through to 55 kmh......it was definitely either surf ski or kite/wind surfing weather today. The surf skis have been neglected a bit over the last week or so in favour of doing some time on the SUP's to get up to speed on them a bit better..........I must admit, it was nice to be sitting down again :-)

It wasn't exactly one of the cleanest bunch of swells running down Evans Bay, but at least there were some good reasonably big lumpy sets blowing through which meant less paddling, and more surfing no complaints from me.

Tomorrow is the last of the pre Christmas Tuesday Twilight events, last week it was cancelled, tomorrow should see it suitable for a SUP to paddle with the forecast looking like a lazy 20 kmh southerly. In theory we should be starting at Hataitai Beach and paddling to Oriental Parade to the fountain and back, a nice little 7 km paddle.

It's the last Mana Kayak Racing Club series event for the year and I believe they will be cooking up a few snarlers afterwards and throwing a few spot prizes around as well.

Sorry for the boring photos............but I don't have a hands free camera to get all the good bits. Click on any photo to enlarge

 

The night after

Had a few Christmas drinks last night so was a bit slow on it today, but not that bad that I couldn't get out and give another SUP in the fleet a good test run.

Yes a Starboard K15 found it's way down here for me. It's an ex Demo board and looks like it's a 2011 model and it comes in at 15 feet long and 30 inches wide.
Many of the SUP racing Boards were generally around 27" to 28" wide and now they are getting down to 25 inches wide.............so when you look at it,30 inches is pretty much stability personified, and after just one spin on it today it's going to fit the bill quite nicely for me.

The K15 is more for flat water racing, but it will work in whatever water your skill level will allow. Today a 20 kmh southerly was an easy test.

It comes with a rudder, and a tiller steering system that you can turn with your left foot, if you feel like shimmeying the tiller across when you need to, but you may as well just take this out and place a fin in it like all the other SUP's because that's how they all roll.

I actually paddled the board today with the steering rudder fixed in the neutral position and I found with the width and length rocker and the sharp nose on the hull, which actually dug in quite well, it actually turned quite nicely. My view is, if you are a descent enough SUP paddler you won't need the rudder and your most excellent paddle skills will see you take this baby anywhere................after all, it's not designed as a BOP board!

The board had a nice feel about it and I'm sure with a bit more paddling I'll get quite efficient paddling this longer board which has a reasonably good glide.
The photos are: at Snapper Point in Evans Bay turning around after heading upwind, and now looking towards Point Jerningham, then some angles of the K15 which you'll self draining scuppers, the tiller steering and also the rudder in relation to the fin slot. Click on any of the photos enlarge                                                                                             

Thursday sup SETS

Party of one.............whoop, whoop.
Well actually I wasn't really out by myself tonight I had the company of the Lyall Bay S.L.S. Club training squad again ,who were on surf skis and K1's.

Yeah it looked worse than it was but the good thing about Hataitai Beach is that it has the best shelter from a Northerly in the Eastern Suburbs of Wellington. The shelter is good especially on the upwind sections then you nudge out into the Bay some more, then you're surfing and in the wind you also become a human sail.

As I do, I looked at the Met Service website before and after our paddle and tonight we were getting a NW of 35kmh gusting through to 55 kmh................not that bad at all, a good work out on the SUP and I wouldn't call it difficult conditions to paddle in either.

The best time to paddle was actually this morning, there was a nice little 30 kmh Northerly, without the gusts we had later in the day, and with this a number of the Kupe Canoe Club members were out early, they must have been on the water at around 6 am and there were about 12 or so in multisport singles and doubles with the odd surf ski thrown in for good measure.

The weekend looks good with a moderate SW for Saturday and a moderate NW for Sunday looks like good surf ski weather to me .........and some SUP'ing too of course. 

Welly merchandise & Thursday SETS

If you're interested in some alternative Club/Groupy tops, here's some samples of the 2012 Collection from Welly Paddlers.............well stuff.
The Clothing is AS Colour and you can view the full range at the AS Colour  shop in lower Cuba Street Wellington.............or view online www.ascolour.co.nz

We get all the tops and vinyl logo print work through Verboom in Wellington, big thanks to Phil. www.verboom.co.nz 

The 3 tops in the first photo are the "Vector Hood" and "Paper "tee shirts, hoodie available with zipper as well, and a range of colours, the tees are available in various colours and styles.

The 2 tops are from the womens range a "Bevel" tee shirt and the "Slouch" long sleeve top.
The tees are $25, hoodies $60 and slooch top $35 all tops are approx pricings...........bulk ordering will see the prices reduced.

Weekly Thursday surf ski and sup SETS

Well there is going to be a lull in the wind at around midday to 3pm then it's going to pick up again....... but hopefully not till around 7 pm fingers crossed.
Anyhow we'll be based at Hataitai Beach from 5.30pm, as there's a bit of shelter for us to paddle around in circles out of the big winds which whistle through a few spots further out in the Bay.

Don't be put off by the wind, we'll show you how you can paddle SUP into the wind then whizz back down wind using your body as a sail........along with the paddling of course.

A good chance for anyone to talk SUP, paddle around, chew the fat and try other boards.

Chester 022 6455 820 or Sharlene 027 4581 005 for further info.

10/10 for consistency Lyall Bay!

Well a bit of a gentle zephyr blowing in Wellington ......nothing new there ...... what the weekly Tuesday Twilight racing is cancelled ....... get outa here. So it was a 40 kmh Northerly gusting to 70 kmh.
I think everyone was taking the mickey tonight. A number of kayakers turned up with kayaks on their cars looking around for the Mana crew no one to be seen, after a while they thought why bother and took off.

A few of the hearty Kupe Canoe Club people did get out for a spin. The Lyall Bay Surf Life Savers many of whom were in K1's didn't seem to fazed ........ in fact they were grinning from ear to ear ........ even Walter was smiling.

If we had, in fact had a race tonight at least there would have been 15 to 20 Surf Life Savers more than happy to come to anyone's rescue.........talk about having all the bases covered :-)

I was on my surf ski and was on the water at 5.30pm as per usual. There among the usual gusts of wind there was actually some good paddling conditions and skills to be tested.

On the water tonight was Trent son of "Movie Guy" in a K1 and earlier he was in the K2 with "Shipwreck". There was a bit of swapping around with some of the Clubbies taking turns in the K2 with all seeming to be mastering it quite well.
As usual Lyall Bay's surf ski Coach Craig Jones had everyone running sets of sprints with the faster bunch starting about a minute behind some of the younger juniors.

They may not be racing in the regular Tuesday night Series but it is always great to see bunches of surf ski paddlers racing around on the Wellington City waterways, no matter what the weather.

Good on yer people.

On other activities the Welly Paddlers surf ski and sup SETS are every Thursday till December 20...... view here 24 hours before the start date to reveal the final start venue, as we move around to get the best start locations for the SUP's.

N.B. Greta Point does have good shelter to run a course in windy conditions, especially at low tide as we had last night.
Mana KRC did send a generic e-mail out about the cancellation at 4.39pm...............51 minutes before the start of the event.

Click on any photo to enlarge