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Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing


:P
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We've just had a long spell of major Kona winds here in Hawaii with winds yesterday reaching up to 70mph here on Maui in a few spots. Kona winds blow from the opposite direction than the more usual trade winds and it's always quite a scene here on the northshore as big waves run into these strong winds.

To go along with that we also had a huge swell that came in at the same with face wavel heights of 40 feet at times. I took a few pictures over the last few days, and although the pictures don't capture it all that well (especially the wave size - no point of reference) it's still pretty amazing.

Check out the plane in the top of the frame <s>. It was so damn windy it looked like the plane was going 10 miles an hour on its way to the airport. Probably not, but the wind certainly slowed down that flight considerably. Wouldn't want to have been on that flight!!!

Here's another picture which has a windsurfer on one of the waves at Hookipa so you can get a feel for size. Mast is approximately 15 feet and you definitely can't see the bottom of the swell <s>.

Unfortunately I got there a little late and this guy was the last one out before getting blown off the water. It was blowing a solid 40 knots that day which on the wave face gets amplified even more. And no - I don't do that. I may like to go windsurfing in big waves, but wave sailing in 40 foot swell with 40 knot wind  is just plain crazy!

I did manage to get out one later day but it was still too damn windy for the gear I have here. 40 knots are fine in the Gorge, but here nobody has small gear. Funny to see everybody scrambling for their dishrags <s>.

This is what the reef in front of my house looked like. Usually this reef breaks very tiny waves but it managed quite a spectacle between the big waves and wind:

I'm surprised there wasn't more damage with all this wind. Usually the power goes as soon as it blows more than 20 miles an hour <s>.

Posted in Personal  

The Voices of Reason


 

Colin
February 01, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Awesome pics, I wish we got wind like in Jo'burg, ZA

Bruno
February 02, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Spectacular pics (or shall I call them enchanting?)! Thanks for sharing.

Bruno

Boas
February 02, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Wow I 'd die to see this in real.

Really great pics

Mark Beno
February 02, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Concur that those are amazing picss. What kind of camera are you using?

E.R. Gilmore
February 02, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

That right peeling off in the third pic is insane. Trying to paddle into waves in heavy winds is no picnic. The wind gets under your board and you get stuck at the lip and over the falls you go. Not so bad at beach breaks but sketchy at reefs.

Was Peahi breaking?

Regards,

E.R.

Peter Bromberg
February 03, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Jeesh! That's why the "real surfers" over here by Daytona Beach / Cocoa Beach wait for a hurricane before they will go out...

Thomas Wagner
February 03, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Ahhh.... winter in Maui. Nice. :)
I've only been there April through Sept never in Dec - Mar but I've heard stories of how it blows.
Great pictures.

Thomas

Rick Strahl
February 04, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Mark - camera is a Nikon D50 Digital SLR with one of the stock lenses (75mm-300mm). Love that camera but you have to plan on taking pictures.

E.R. - I'm sure Peahi was going and it was probably giant. If waves here in town are hitting nearly 40 feet, Jaws was probably hitting 60. But there was a lot of wind I doubt anybody was out there - too dangerous when the wind is this strong.

Peter - <s>. This was a reverse hurricane. The waves weren't kicked up by the wind instead the wind ran into the waves which is what makes it so spectacular - waves that stand up forever and kick up half their height in spray.

Joe Maier
February 05, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Wow - phantastic pictures!
I'd love to hang the surfer at my wall - any chance to get that pic in full size?

MB Calgary Canada
February 05, 2007

# re: Big Wind and Wave and little Sailing

Awesome pics!

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