Is winter sailing really worth it?

[kitesurferdale]

Here I sit at my computer. It is January and I haven't sailed since Sept'06. I read all the posts from people who have sailed this winter and think to myself, man, am I lazy? have I lost my stoke? what is wrong with me? why am I not out there on the weekends chasing the wind? There have been occassions that I could have gone out to CB or Long Beach, but on those days I looked outside, saw the nastyness of weather that went along with the sailing, considered that I might realistically get maybe an hours sail time due to travel, suiting up, rigging derigging, or just be plain tricked by the weather and it won't be sailable, etc etc and each time came to the conclusion.....naaaaaahhh. I can't head south or I would be there already, I play my DVD's alot, read every mag I can get my hands on, talk to my buddies from the summer, so that suggests that the stoke is alive and well. I also can't wait until Nitinaht starts to go in late/early May/June. Yet here I sit unable to motivate myself to get out in that winter cold, sleet, rain, etc etc for 1-2hours of sailing during the winter. So I wonder what others perceptions are of chasing the winter wind, their experience and why it is worth it to them to endure the "harsh" conditions for a possible limited experience?

[Gord Baines]

This is the first year i've done any winter sailing and it has definitely been worth it. The drive from Port Alberni to Columbia Beach is only 45 minutes, and it's nice to be on a paved road. The conditions on a big day can be Gorge-like, and i'd rather be on a 4.0 there in a dry suit than on a 6.0 at Nitinat in a shorty. Of course that's really a matter of personal preference. There aren't any crowds, and the other sailors and kiters who show up are clearly committed to having fun. The cold hasn't been an issue for me at all, and i have to admit i get a kick out of the harsher conditions. You may consider that expanding your sailing season from four or five months of the year to year-round to be worth it. It will certainly reduce your angst while waiting for summer to come. It's at least worth a try.

[jump'njibe'njim]

The older I get, the worse it seems. By 75 I'll be sitting in my lawnchair at Nitinat waiting for the warmest part of the day to go out for a few runs. Doesn't really sound so bad.

[downwind dave]

i came to windsurfing from surfing so getting in the water in the winter was completely logical to me. the cold is not much of a factor once you get a good warm suit and thats something to not skimp around on. beyond that its just a get out of your comfort zone thing in terms of location and conditions. that said there are lots of winter sailing days that are reasonable in terms of wind strength and temperature.
As far as a "possible limited experience" goes, that comment made me smile - id have to say ive come around to thinking all that summer sailing is just fun practice for the awesome hate-filled sessions of winter. (not to say i charge out there when its 45 kts like some others!)

[Tom B]

Winter sailing is rather hit and miss at times, but when it's good it's awesome. I learned the basics of windsurfing in the winter and enjoy having fun in weather most people avoid. Put my vote in the yes for winter sailing column.

Tom B.

[Russian Dood]

dood, just do it!

For me if it wasn't worth it I would not be doing it. Although sometimes when I am at CB at 6 AM on Sunday in +3C under pissing rain and 30+ knots wind I'm asking myself the same question. But only once before I start rigging ;)

[bean]

YES:
head-on ramps
down the line wave-riding

And it makes you look forward to the cold dark wetness of winter. I'm with DWD - summer feels like training for winter to me.

[Gareth]

You bet it is. For all of the reasons already stated.

[more force 4]

Dale
You'd probably find it wasn't as cold and miserable as you imagine. THe saltchuck stays pretty much the same all year round. Even on really nasty days this year it seems that there were sme decent breaks with no or little rain. I'm not charging down the line at CB like most of the above (still haven't sailed there, I blame gas prices ), and often have short sessions, but its nice to get out and clears the cobwebs even if you only actually sail for 20 or 30 minutes, and the feeling of accomplishment of sailing a 3.5 was great on the two really big days I was out. And it then becomes very easy to get out for hours on the moderate days.

Check out the thread I posted on the Aussi heated kidney belts that transform a summer suit to a winter (still wouldn't try it in your shorty though!), it makes an alternative to laying out $$ for a heavy wetsuit or a drysuit.

Get yourself over to CB on one of the many 20 knot-all-day days, and I bet you will kick youself for not going out before!

[KUS]

have I lost my stoke? what is wrong with me?

"Yes".....and...."Not too sure"

why it is worth it to them to endure the "harsh" conditions for a possible limited experience?

Anything above 2 degrees C air temp: Ya gotta be kidding, I echo DWD
....and Nitinat....is great for camping, the kids and rinsing the equipment

[kitesurferdale]

Ok, so I noticed that most of the entries are from the people who have been doing most of the logged hours this winter,. So now I am curious about those others that I know are out there that also frolic in the temperate and tame Nitinaht experience during the summer, anybody else care to comment?

As for the posts, so far, pretty much what I expected, although I get the "sail summer to practice for the winter" comment. So what I hear or "read" is that your experiences of winter sailing are more challenging/extreme, or as some put it "more hate"? and that is what drives you out into the nasty weather. As for Kus saying yes to losing the stoke, hmmm I wonder, does having a sensible ratiional for not going out mean I am not stoked?

[winddoctor]

"Is winter sailing really worth it?"

You have to ask? Think about the # of summer sessions you score locally. How many can you recall clearly? How many are actually EPIC? For me very few. Winter sessions have an intensity not found in many summer sessions. For example, during one of the big a$$ storms that rocked Kook st. not too long ago, I had serious dry-mouth and was actually shaking a bit watching Grant Watson tail walking on his 3.7 knowing my 4.2 was going to be bent out of shape. Someone needed to keep him company! I can`t remember the last time I felt `THE FEAR`quite like this. However, I launched knowing that the conditions were within my ability level and was completely blissed out experiencing surface conditions unlike any I`ve ever sailed previously. This is one of the most memorable sessions I`ve had in many years and I felt more alive than I have in a very long time. The combination of cold, gale force winds, big swell, and driving rain make almost every session in the winter memorable . Actually, the only good part is the gale force winds and big swell; the rest you just tolerate because it's just too much fun to miss. I do draw the line at the evil NE winds, though. They just plain hurt. Nitinat, while super fun and cruisy, rarely offers any kind of intensity (unless you lock your keys in the car or you wake up to the sounds of your dog vomiting the remains of someone else`s weiner casserole in your tent).
There is also a shared misery that the winter sailors experience; sort of a Brotherhood of Pain (Sisterhood too). There`s a twisted pleasure knowing that your friends are just as numb as you yet they continue to play hard in the Hate. You`re missing out Dale!

By the way, THIS is hardcore winter sailing: http://windsurfingdirect.blogspot.com/2 ... award.html

[more force 4]

A lot of your work is doing rigging/danger tree falling etc. isn't it Dale? Maybe you spend so much time outside already that you want comfort for your time off. I know I feel that way after a long shift in snowy/rainy mountain cutblocks. If you are already physically tired its very hard to get motivated to go outside in a storm.

But if you aren't that tired and you have the drive to look at kiting DVDs and wish you were out there, you should be able to channel that into trying some winter kiting. Look at Sunday's CB forcast - if it holds it would be ideal for you. Get out there!

How many people that aren't sailing during the winter follow the discussions on this website? It would be interesting to get their perspective. I would bet its mostly because they either just imaging it would be too cold, or they've tried it and had one or two bad sessions.

[KUS]

I should probably add to my post that winter sailing is for more intermediate/ advanced sailors/kiters. I definitely don't think it wise to have beginners try themselves in even light wind conditions in winter. You cannot afford to be in the water too long, no matter what suit you've got Which is likely the main reason the numbers are down, we won't mention the other reason

[Windsurfish]

As I progress in skills each year during the summer, it only takes a few winter sessions at CB or wherever in the salt to remind me that this is a "sport for life" - with a never ending learning curve. Windsurfing 4 yrs ago in the salt, for me, meant broken gear, little sailing and lots of humility. It still has the humility, but in the tortured weather systems, cold and waves, I tend to agree with windoctor - we feel 'alive'. I also enjoy the company of the dedicated sailors who are out there for the same. Besides, it makes summer sailing seem easy(er) ??....