VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Second on the FSJ. "The John" pretty much says it all. Though a 3 or 4 hour drive will get you to some pretty nice places.

The Rock at Pistol does make a good sandbreak, but only if you climb to the top. Good till 35 knots, didn't experience it in more than that.

KUS wrote:This place usually doesn't announce itself ahead of time....as for the mid week thing, sometimes you just need to take some mental health days....Life balance and all that

I hear you on the work-life balance, but I think there has been a misunderstanding. It would have been great to taken in some of the ‘magic’ on the island, but I could not make two days mid-week away from my family.

Without the trip to the island, I got in seven (7) sessions in the last nine (9) days (tucking them in between other family commitments):

Sat (Feb 18 ) = 3.6/74 at Centennial / took my son to Karate tournament
Sun (Feb 19) = 91 cm fresh at Mount Seymour (with my family)
Wed (Feb 22) = 6.9/110 at White Rock / son’s Karate class
Thur (Feb 23) = cross country ski day at Cypress (with my son’s class)
Fri (Feb 24) = 4.0/74 at Centennial
Sat (Feb 25) = 4.0/74 at White Rock / son’s soccer game / daughter’s dance class
Sun (Feb 26) 12 cm fresh at Mount Seymour (with my family)

As you can see from the list above, I have some flexibility at work, with thanks and gratitude. I did make an appearance at the office each day last week, Monday to Friday (some days were full days and others just a quick stop in to check on things).

As for life/family/work balance my wife thinks I have too much time to ‘play’, but I kind of like my ‘special time’ to go outside and have some fun.

As for the state of my mental health – I will let others decide on that one.

Glad you guys scored 'big' last week and again on Saturday - those pictures are UNREAL!

C36 wrote:Without the trip to the island, I got in seven (7) sessions in the last nine (9) days (tucking them in between other family commitments)....
As you can see from the list above, I have some flexibility at work, with thanks and gratitude. ......my wife thinks I have too much time to ‘play’,

Good on ya....THAT'S A GREAT LIST
And in your case, wow, you included the family in some outings too, good stuff

...and that is what all wives, parents, sig. others seem to think I wonder what they would say about your playtime if they considered your days on the planet as numbered.....and they are, whether we like it, realize it in time or not

Body parts fail, money and jobs, availability, traffic, gear, weather, they all fail to make you miss days that are already far too rare. To get a day like Saturday is worth 30 hard earned days in the Gorge or 40 at the lake, probably 10 windy ones on the coast in KUS currency. A day/night in the fluffy white stuff rates highly too A deep powder day is killer and I miss those bigtime.....maybe next winter if the body holds on

14 more working days not much will change for me cuz I'm already lucky enough to mostly live my life like I want to but it's nice to not have to report in

You are retiring in 14 days Markus?

Maybe but doubtful....got my year off with pay from my deferred salary plan first I won't even know what to do with myself .... sometimes Just gotta try to stay healthy

More newbie training video:
Windsurfing Magazine did a 2 part series on Wavesailing 101 with Kevin Pritchard.
Part A Ready to Rock
Part B DTL technique
Is that Kevin's voice? He sounds tired. Or maybe he's just reading the text unenthusiastically.

FSJ has a good coffee shop.

Which one for next time? If so that is all it has, except a BP, and a fun waterslide in the Pomeroy.

KC7777 wrote:Total driving km to Nitinat from Chilliwack approx. 250 km. Nitinat is approx. 3.5 - 4 hrs of driving for me and 1.5 - 2 hours on the ferry. Ferry time = potential work time for me. The ferry cost is approx. $130 return. So if I can work on the ferry for 1 hr each way....approx. $150 in consulting income
Nitinat is a 6 hr trip (driving and ferry time) and actually has -$0 net ferry cost ($150 income - $130 cost = +$20, ignoring taxes of course).
So the ferry cost is irrelevant to this analysis. Stop talking about it.

Oregon is 11.5 hours of driving time and 700 extra km in distance = extra gas cost down to Gold Beach. This 1,400 of extra km would probably cost another tankful at $100 both going down and coming back = $200 extra cost of Oregon vs Nitinat travel.

...so Oregon is +$200 in gas costs (and apporx. 13 hours of lost work time.....which could be approx. $975 of lost income).

And there is also no way in my mind you can compare a leisurely drive across the island at 70 km/hr to bombing down I 5 at 120 km/h for an extra 8 hours. And gravel roads don't bug me as I have a pick-up truck.

In summary, a trip to Oregon could potentially cost me $1,175....$200 in extra gas and $975 in lost income. With $1,175 I could buy a case of beer that nice used quad 95L from Kus....which I would then ride it at Nitinat just to irritate all of you.

PS - don't argue with an accountant.

Keith, your argument is seriously flawed in the sense that you write off costs because you could be working you could be working on an Oregon or Nitinat beach, in the passenger seat cuz you carpooled or anywhere for that matter. It's not relevant, it's a holiday, so stop talking about it

Secondly, costs of the trip never entered the equation in the sense of our travel, except yours....we all have to take the boat to get there, you on the other hand don't but could be 3 hours closer to your destination because, unlike us, you don't have to make reservations and/or be early, or even miss the f&^%ing thing delaying you another 4 hours, you have no restrictions. The cost is actually a bonus saving, just saying.

Here is our breakdown:

=Fuel to Florence with a not-so-big but equally gas guzzling motorhome, return: $500
=Not caring much about fuel cost because of the pay-off, I would drive twice the distance: priceless
=Cruising down scenic highway 101 and night driving on I5 at 60mph cuz there's cops all along the stretch: relaxing and easy on the suspension
=Picking up a different pack of the best microbrews in the world fresh every day: a beer lovers paradise
=Avoiding the Malahat and Nat road where every failed component of the vehicle likely will cost more than the whole trip to repair and possibly leave you stranded on a no (cell)service road on a weekend and trash your well-earned holicay: ask me how I know
=You continuing to come up with lame excuses for not expanding your windsurfing adventure horizons and entering the geriatric windsurfer stage much too early: utterly sad
=For me, not having to share the water with another 400 drones on an incredibly boring flat water lake with stinky toilets permeating the area (and paying for it, hahaha) but instead crapping your pants on a heavy swell massive overheader riding it in at mach 2 slamming every lip in sight (or getting regularly worked, learning a bit more each time and that mother ocean is boss) and conquering your fears: a windsurfer's dream bit it doesn't have to be YOUR dream, no worries!

There is tons of enjoyment in being a dedicated Nitinat sailor, not everyone needs to do the Oregon coast, we are just encouraging you because you expressed interest but

=Not selling you any quad so you cannot piss us off and you will have to pay full retail elsewhere: mildly amusing

In summary, don't argue with a wave n wind addict

Or, if you're like me, a cheap "beer" lovers paradise! Mmm bud light keystone rolling rock miller PBR.

Guys,

Just pulling everyone's leg. You all know that I do not care one bit about the cost of this sport. I have had more $ invested in gear than one should living in the 'Wack.

I agree with you JL, the cost of the sport is really irrelevant.

I have had one or two mini wave rides at Tribune Bay.....total blast. I know I would love the Oregon coast. Even it I got killed. One thing I am good at is getting worked while surfing or SUPing in waves.

Just so fun mess with the "go to the Coast you Nitinat wimp" crowd that permeates these threads sometimes.

All good fun. Kus...I totally agree with your following statements:

=Not caring much about fuel cost because of the pay-off, I would drive twice the distance: priceless - Yes, road trips are the best, especially along the ocean.
=Picking up a different pack of the best microbrews in the world fresh every day: a beer lovers paradise - totally agree
=You continuing to come up with lame excuses for not expanding your windsurfing adventure horizons and entering the geriatric windsurfer stage much too early - fair statement
=For me, not having to share the water with another 400 drones on an incredibly boring flat water lake with stinky toilets permeating the area (and paying for it, hahaha) but instead crapping your pants on a heavy swell massive overheader riding it in at mach 2 slamming every lip in sight (or getting regularly worked, learning a bit more each time and that mother ocean is boss) and conquering your fears: a windsurfer's dream - scares me a bit but I think I can handle it.

Time and money will be made available to get me to the Coast!

K

hey KC, just fyi im a noob, heading down there june 23 thereabouts.

Cancel your trips now, not worth coming for a number of reasons:

1. No bomber burritos.
2. No authentic Mexican food until the owner recovers from surgery.
3. Think the road work over the hump to the cape is done, no more waiting 30 minutes this year? Think again. 4 washouts the size of a bus took out the lanes on the newly paved section, 2 heading each way.
4. 8 foot cliff down from the pathway to the beach at pistol.
5. The chick that checked us into the hotel was both personable and hot, I guess there is a first for everything in Gold Beach but to me this just ruins the "look" and "feel" of what we've come to expect here.
6. The water today was wayyy to warm, apparently lack of North winds do this. I think sharks like warm water.

Excellent accommodation guide for the OR coast trip

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/tra ... le2415909/

Love the article Perfect....now just add a few pounds of sand and salt whistling through the cracks in the vehicle's armour while pitting all the rest of it. The gentle rocking motion of the vehicle in gusts with the buoy's woeful hor blasting through the settling night and you thinking you can probably hold it for the night and make that sprint in time to the outhouse 1km down the road........and you too are ready for a night on the jetty

A couple guys sailed at Pistol today for the first time this season. The river mouth is probably 300m south of where it was last year, in front of the pistol river bridge, dramatically changing the shape of the beach. There was a gnarly shore dump, then a huge flat section, and then an outside sandbar with some mast high sets rolling through. Should be pretty interesting come June.