Yesterday I met up with Oliver and Nic for a paddle at St Kilda beach Melbourne..and here's how it went..btw..I was on my new Naish 11'6".

9am..Glass..Great!..

Suddenly the wind picks up from the Nth West at about 10-15 knots and gets very choppy..Bugger!..

Then the wind turns Sth West which is a good direction for St Kilda because it's protected by the breakwater wall..and then the wind drops to nothing..Great!..

We spot Nic paddling towards us through the pier and we had a great paddle together and it was perfect glass..Great!..

We decide to paddle around the breakwater wall to the other side and do a loop around it..It was still very lumpy on the other side..we all almost fall in..Bugger!..

Nic heads back the other way on the calm side (to meet his partner) and Oliver and I continue around the outside and it gets better as the wind swell drops..Great!..

We all meet up back around the protected side..Nic meets his partner for brunch..and Oliver and I do a paddle around to the other pier and yachts..Oliver shows me how he can move back on the board while paddling..and Spash!..he falls in..Bugger!..

He gets back on and as we round the corner at the end of the pier the wind suddenly picks up to about 20 knot headwind..Double bugger!..

We paddle across..into the headwind to the protection of the breakwater wall..Great!..

We all meet up for another paddle in the protected area..the wind has swung to the south and picked up even more..Nic heads back for home and Oliver and I paddle along to the end of the breakwater wall..

The swells are surging past the end because the wind is now honking..This gave us a perfect down winder to head back..Really great!..

We are paddling downwind on these big lumpy swells..I hear Oliver behind me yell **** as he falls in behind me..Bugger!..

I have a big grin and try to look back and almost fall in myself...Concentrate I tell myself..I wait for Oliver to catch up and we paddle hard to catch the wind swells..I almost got plaining a couple of times..and also did the stagger forward then back as I drop off the swells once or twice.

I hear Oliver behind me fall in again and I was laughing so much I don't know how I didn't fall myself...

I got a nice wave that took me all the way to the beach..I did a big "Yeeh-Haar"..and look up to see people looking and wondering what's so great..

I look back and see Oliver paddling hard to stay on a nice little swell that took him all the way in and up the sand..

Well...that was how it was yesterday..Heaps of fun..but then..maybe I'm easily amused..

DJ

Sorry Oliver....I hope it doesn't sound like I'm making fun of you....You are doing great considering you've only been SUP'ing for a couple of weeks now....It was just luck that I didn't go in.

I would stick with the grip..(sorry about the pun)...It looks great...but then pulling it up will not damage the board..I'm sure.

Here's some pics from yesterday.

First pic is before I even left home..You know it's going to be good for paddling when you see a balloon float past almost motionless..



Olivers Naish 11'6" with his new oval Naish deck pad...Looks good I think.



Here's a pic of Nic's 11'6" C4 (very nice) and my Naish 11'6" with my new Naish deck pad..The camo one with the neat side ramps on it.



Nic had 6 leash plugs put in the deck of his new C4..So he can carry stuff on the deck area..It looks good and works great...I might even do mine the same.



When I got home and was about to unload the board I noticed that my new deck grip was starting to lift from where the side ramps meet the main grip.

I'll squeeze in some glue before it gets worse..Maybe I should have taped it down after sticking it on to help hold it tight while the glue cured.

It's just something to watch out for if anyone else sticks one on their board.

DJ

Great stuff Rev.

Some may wonder why I like to paddle flat (boring) water so much..But it's the things you see..and the People you meet that makes it interesting and fun.

You're gunna love it when you get a real SUP board...I'll catch up with you one day soon and we can share my two Naish boards and do a paddle together.

DJ

poor relative said...

Always look forward to your tales DJ.
Where are the blow by blow photos..

Thanks....Sorry I didn't take any...(other than those few).....My bad..

DJ