Right, this is going to be an onoing thread for people to vent their frustrations when work (schmurk) or anything else gets in the way of a good session on the water.

I'll start it off today as after popping over to the beach to see how much wind there was a few times only to find it a little marginal at around 15 knots, I finally gave in and decided to go off for a wedding anniversary meal with Anna so booked a table for 7.30pm.... Guess what, 10 minutes after getting off the phone and it is now 20 knots + and the sun is shining.... Grrrr, grrrrr and thrice grrrrrr!

Oh well, think of the brownie points Al.


Al.

is it one year already?!? doesn't time fly! congratulations both!

15knts, should have stuck up your 15 strike Al

re: 30th june.

AL, i wouldn't worry to much while it was nice and sunny it was very gusty and very choppy. the wind did drop at around 9:30.

fun though.

Here we go again..... Grrrrrrr... The wind filled in nicely around 5pm today but I had a client coming around at 6.30pm so couldn't get out...Work Schmurk!!!...It is now pretty windy out there and I had to sit in my office watching it get windier and windier whilst trying to be nice!!!

Al.

Al,
i wouldn't get to Grrrr. the wind was gusty and up and down 5-15knots. wished id stayed at home.

Ok then, but maybe just a Grr


Al.

yeah tell me about it..WORK SUX!!!!

Just remind yourslef that the ocean is always there, it ain't going anywhere

leo the cable park looks fun. what happens when you miss the pass and the cable keeps on going?????????

simple, u just grab your board and swim 10m to the side of the lake and then walk back to the jetty! Going 2morra can't wait!

may have to give it a go.

Welcome to the rest of the world Al. Most of us with real jobs feel like that ALL the time....

Count your lucky stars mate...

hey al i love this post, makes me feel so much better about my predicament. its windyhere in Oswestry i thought it was the wind god just winding me up. see ya soon dude

keep missing the wind. last few days set up. few good runs then no wind. today, just got my kit wet and sandy. fingers crossed tomorrow.

In the vein of Al's original post....I had to forego a sunny/windy evening session on Wednesday for our silver anniversary wedding meal. That seemed like good a good load of brownie points to bank though...or was I avoiding a large debit ?

And another..... Grrrrrr


Not able to get out today despite the perfect conditions... Gorgeous sunshine and a steady 20-22 knot NW wind... Not due to work today though but due to a back injury.

Al.

Another one.... Spent most of the afternoon floating around a pond in a rubber dinghy removing mutant reeds and then had to stand on the beach watching everyone else out on the water while I was left holding the baby... Can't go out now either as I have a 'business meeting' at 6pm... Grrrr, grrr and thrice grrrr.


Al.

well just put down the phone to Nick this morning after saying that does not look like i will be working today so lets go sailing and the phone rings......................work!
Nick came and went and looking at the wind stats should hve had a great day. well i earned some money which will take me to the sea neat weekend.

quote:

---

Originally posted by justal
Can't go out now either as I have a 'business meeting' at 6pm... Grrrr, grrr and thrice grrrr.


Al.

---

Never mind Al, some of us sit in an office on most windy days, welcome to the real world ;-)

Typical isn't it... It's been windy all weekend, windy all day today and I've had the 'lurgy', just about feeling a little better now and there's no wind forecast for tomorrow. Grrrr.

Al.

Its been too cold though for any water based activity and its gonna be till at least the early part of next week!!
Jonny

It's never too cold, it just gets increasingly uncomfortable... Looks as though I sopke too soon though and the 'lurgy' has got me again... Beginning to think it is the side-effects of the new tablets the doctor has me on so I might stop taling them and see if that does the trick!

Looks as though we might get some decent NE's for the end of the week so I need to be fit for those.

Al.

I think Im getting old, its just been too cold for me the thought of going in the water is just scary although the water at brog is about 3-4 degrees at the moment

Never realy been a water sports person till Shem got me in last June and have been surprised that I'm still going out this time of year. Got a good suit though.

Thanks Al, this thread has made me feel so mch better!

I used to think it was 'only me' who had work commitments, bad backs, or lurgies. Reading the diaries sometimes used to wind me up (seeing how much fun I'd missed), but this makes me feel more normal!

I did used to wonder if you were super-human Al, but now I KNOW you're a mere co-mortal! Nice one!

PS - get better soon, you have a plane to catch in 6 weeks

Hi Andrew,
Good to have you back and controbuting to things here.

I'm certainly feeling fairly 'mortal' at the moment... I am feeling better though today. I've stopped taking the tablets, but will give them a go again in a few days time to see if it was side-effects from them or just soehting else coincidental.. If it is side-effects I guess that means yet another trip to the doctors so that he can prescribe another set of drugs for me to try... And to think I only went in for a check up!!!

Still, better to get things sorted now than to wait until I have a heart attack and try to sort it out then... Think I shall wait to retry the tablets for a windless few days so as not to miss any windsurf action if the side-effects incapacitate me again!

Al.

Hey, get better soon matey! It doesn't feel right not being envious of you, I'm sure you'll soon put that straight soon!

No doubt over the coming months I'll have as much to contribute to 'grrr' as to the diaries. But right now I don't feel I'm missing too much. Still on a high from Tarifa

I've also moved back into my house after 4 years of living in a caravan (I broadband now and don't pay for data use on GPRS, have you guessed why I didn't say much?) and the plan is to get to Camber Sands a bit more... we'll see!

Andrew

Just great... Plenty of kit, loads of time and the wind is suddenly 20-22 knots, but I've just drunk the best part of a bottle of wine!!!

Al.

Same here can't believe the change!

Just debating whether to go out on dovey side

I'm still contemplating it.... I doubt you can get done for being over the limit on a windsurfer??? Although you can on a boat these days, so you never know.... They'd have to catch me first though!

Al.

Did you go out Dan??

I did in the end but with my 5.7m sail broken I had to take a 5m out and there wasn't really quite enough wind.

Al.

Not in the end, couldn't get hold of any others to go out dovey side,so watched the game instead

Fingers crossed the wind will kick in again tonight!

Well, I've just started on the wine again, so you never know!!

Al.

Grrrrrr, for everyone stuck in doors working when its 30C plus and the wind is starting to blow.....

Bad enough to be missing out on Ivor blowing in the morning, now the wind is picking up from the East and getting towards 15-20 knots, Grrrrrrrrrrrr again....

Arhhhh, feel better now.....

I rode the lagoons this mornig, 25 knots, then a late afternoon sesh in the estuary, just 13-14 knots but still fun!! Oops sorry!!

Time for a rant, or urh confession.

My names AndyW and I haven't been on the water in ages. So long in fact that it's now a windsurfing drought.

And now to make matters worse the best wind in ages suddenly blows on a wednesday when I'm stuck working, my cars knackered, just needs exhaust looking at and even if it wasn't I still have to take Josh to football tonight.

I've even bought a new board, as if I really need that incentive to make me get back out on the water! Easter, rubbish, had 10 days off consecutive, now you'd think in that time that we'd get up to at least 12 knots sailable wind but no. We even just went to the beach to just sit and look at the water, nice enough, great weather but just not the same as being out there. If I don't get out soon I might as well just sell all my kit blah blah blah and do something else.

So Grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrr, grrrrrrr, I want to sail........

Thanks for listening, rant over.

We feel your pain Andy

Hang on in there

Me too.... I had to work today despite the fact that the wind was blowing... There must be a better way to earn money!

Andy.. You could always just drive to the beach and walk up and down it with your kit.... As the holder of the Walk of Shame award that is what you would do if there WAS wind!

There doesn't appear to be too much wind on the horizon either.

Al.

You need more toys! Get yourself a mountain bike then it don't matter if it isn't windy

I am also guilty of wind dodging. When its 10- 12 knots, I used to love grabbing the 20 meter and going sailing. Now I just jump on my motor bike, and terrorise small welsh villages instead! Does this make me a bad person, or just lazy???

Thanks all,

quote:

---

Originally posted by justal
Andy.. You could always just drive to the beach and walk up and down it with your kit.... As the holder of the Walk of Shame award that is what you would do if there WAS wind!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by badexcuseforasailor
You need more toys! Get yourself a mountain bike then it don't matter if it isn't windy

---

Grrr grrr driving back from site in Norfolk yesterday whilst the trees were shaking, should have headed east to the coast not west back to work.

I agree; get more toys:

No wind - Bike
Light wind - Kite/Dinghy sail
Mod/strong wind - Windsurf/Kite

Become really picky over days I windsurf now as unless its solid wind find its more fun doing something else, and thats with two big boards at my disposal.

Treated myself to a Kona Kula for when its not blowing; forget I nearly live in the Fens

Grrr.... Just been out, but there wasn't enough wind. Seemed as though there was enough but there just didn't seem to be any on the water. Then aggravated an old chest injury and had to struggle back home one-handed.... Of course, now that I'm got out of my wetsuit the wind is back above 20 knots and gusting to 27 knots.... Grrrr.....

Hey, a few of us sailed at dyfi all morning, and it was the same here. Looked rea\l windy but didnt get much over 15 knots, most of the time. Bit of fun any way.

Wind kicked in about 45 minutes after I pumped the 16TD up, so swapped back to the 11m Sonic. Even had a go on the new directional, but pulled my hip again.

Crap start to the session, but it turned out great in the end.

Simon

I am supprised that the wind was not so good for you. I was at donnington Park today for some car racing.

It was blowing its nuts off and I thought i was missing out on a good session.

Fingers crossed for tomorow then.

Hello Simon and others

Nice to have met you on Sunday. I was on the Ocean Rodeo. Enough wind for me on my 12m

Loved it there in the lagoons. Hope to be back soon.

Missed out big time yesterday (Monday) Got up in the morning and everything looked flat. Started on other things and noticed that the wind kicked in - too late. Not happy.

See you soon

Colyn

[Edited on 8/5/07 by Noo Noo]

[Edited on 8/5/07 by Noo Noo]

Colyn, looked like you were having fun. I assume you got your bag back ok, I just could not carry anymore stuff down the beach after everyone moved to the lagoons. Pretty knackering putting that 16m away.

Good job you know how to self launch as well. Felt a bit guilty asking for a launch and then leaving you with no one else about.

Took me about 10 minutes to get over the first dune after I packed up and headed back to the car. Absolutely worn out.

Cheers,

Simon

Hello again Simon

Yes, no worries I'll set up further down next time. I also had a long walk as I parked opposite the graveyard. A rethink required I reckon.

I actually manage to scavenge a launch in the end. Self launch not a huge problem apart from the wear on the leading edge.

Absolutley loved it in the lagoons. I'm still very wary of rough sea's compounded by being hopeless in the waves so I'll have to build up slowly. Pretty cautious with those currents as well. Not used to that at all.

I'm probably not going to be able to make it back until the end of the month now - next bank holiday but I've sneaked in a couple of days leave as well. Wind and friendly tides please.

Hope to see everyone again

Colyn

Glad to know you guy's have been looking after Dovey while I have been to the dark side for the last two weeks. I will be back to normal soon though and kite on the proper side once more.

Being able to park so close to the though beats carrying the gear up those dunes Si. Good pick of the van as well.

[Edited on 083131p://fTue, 08 May 2007 20:35:22 +0000e by Fart Boy]

Not funny....

25 knots all morning, Al goes to the beach and it drops off to 10 knots... I wait around for 40 minutes on the beach. max gust the whole time is 17 knots so I come back home.... Get home and it picks back up to 25 knots.

Grrrr....

Think I shall leave it half an hour and if it stays windy give it another go.

Al.

gutted Al, I had a wicked sesh in the estuary, was only in 30-40 mins, cos I had customers to see, but nice to brealk tghe ice any way!

Turned out quite good at the point and I even ventured to the dark side on one run. Should have been called the icecles run today though. Coldest I have been for a while.

Wicked sesh at the point, If not a little cold, we did all right Mark managing 4 hours. Just settling down in the car park now. Hope to sneak a sesh in the morning. PS The Royal Era 10 ROCKS

Turned out good here in the end as well... Wind picked up in the afternoon so I went back out and this time was well powered up and had some really nice wave-riding, both backside and frontside... Loverly!

Al.

Hey Dan

Are you the proud owner of a 10 & 12 ERA now?? Gonna have to nick a go on them nxt time im out. Hoping for at least a day this weekend

I most certainly am. I used the 10m on saturday and it was awesome mate. The 12 really is like a train. very wary putting it up in anything over 22knots. Not sure if i can do this weekend but you are more than welcome to collect them from me if you want to borrow. let me know and we can arrange something. the boy's need to get togetrher for a session, been a while.

Grrrr.... No time to windsurf again today and its blowing a hoolie (25 knots at the mo)... Must the the 3rd or 4th session I've missed this week when the winds been blowing at inappropriate times! It picked up nicely last night reaching 25-30 knots but it was too late by then.

The one time I did have time this week I went across to the beach with my kit and the wind around 20-25 knots only to find the wind drop as I arrived so I didn't even bother rigging up.

You can't win them all I guess.

Al.

I feel your pain Al, I had to work on the cliff in Borth all day watching it, have to finish a job by saturday, so no bunking off, spewing!

Managed a quick hour nicely powered in 20-25 knots in the end. Was supposed to be mountain-biking but went windsurfing in the end.

Looking OK out there again today, so shall I windsurf or shall I head to Llandegla for a play on the bike?

Al.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (hey think I'm getting the hang of it now). Sitting in the kitchen in Capel Seion gazing across the valley at the wind farm and just look at it, not one turbine turning, bugger. Even if it was blowing just look at the low water times, Grrrrrr Grrrrrrr Grrrrrr
Now that leaves me a dilemma; over the weekend I felled 12 twenty five foot 'orrible leylandii trees in the back garden (wrecking the chainsaw in the process) now armed with a 24 inch bow saw guess who got the job of cutting the whole lot up for fire wood, muggins. OR................ out in the garage the landlord informs me there's a mountain bike in need of not a little tinkering to get it usable but it's there for the taking if I fancy it.
What am I gonna do with myself today????
So you see guys my point here is this: what's worse than work schmurk? Moving from middle England to kite heaven, signing onto uncle Gordon's jobseekers club hoping to last the summer without finding gainful employ, keeping ya buggy on the bike rack and ya entire fortune in kites in the back of the kangoo ready to go and the moon phase won't expose any hard packed smooth playground til 7 tonight and God thinks giving the Yam Yams a still, sunshiny day on MY BEACH is what we want Grrrrrrrrrrrr

[Edited on 7-8-2008 by jack russell]

Jack.... There should be plenty of hard packed sand for you by about 3pm.

But really you should chop that wood!!!

Al.

Now you've done it Al - I've got a mental image of you on my left shoulder dressed in white with angels wings whispering in my lughole "Jack you know you should". Now I just need Shem dressed in red on the other one going "go on Jack you know you wanna kite" haha.
It's still Grrr Grrr the damned windmills are still not moving, I've seen more puff on the Graham Norton show.
Any old how I've got this bike upside down and my toolbox out. I've got til winter to chop wood and if all else fails I burn all the stupid letters from the dole office hahahaha

Sounds like you need a subscription to the weather station (shameless plug!) then you'll know how windy it is (in our garden at least!).

If I remember correctly it was ALWAYS windy when we lived in Capel Seion and I'm sure we spent more time at the beach waiting for wind than we did at home (that'll explain why we moved to Ynyslas!)

Al, you've probably got wood to chop as well

Anna, you're right I do need to pay up for the weather station - but living on 60 quid a week from uncle Gordons dole club I'm having to cut my cloth accordingly!!! I'm all done playing with my chopper now, the firewood cupboards are full to the brim so if anyone needs a man with a saw............... or just a sore hahaha.

hey Al only two Grrrrrrrrr's today - first one is Grrrrrrrrrr Al's a lucky lucky jammy get i rode down to your house from capel seion on the mountain bike and through the dunes from your driveway to the best kept buggy secret ever!!!!!!! slightly cross shore perfectly clean breeze today and luckily i'd thrown the 6 metre in my rucksack... what a surface, took me about an hour and a half to ride down leaving out at 3 so caught the tide condition absolutely sweet. One buggy out and one board rider both on flexi blades. Second Grrrrrrrrrrr? well more of a gasp and a cardiac arrest, the back road from rheidol riding school at Capel Bangor back to home is a 20% never ending gradient I challenge all you mad keen mountain bikers to ride up it to my place and I'll provide the beer at the top!!!!!!! I've got to find a rented room in Borth or Capel Dewi for the winter

OK... I know most of you are sat at work reading this knowing that the wind is howling so can probably add your own frutrated post to this thread, but this is driving me mad!!!

Its 35 knots out there and I've got few hours free. In fact I have freed up yesterday and today ready for some proper autumnal windsurf action. So here I am a hundred metres from the beach all ready to go, the wind is howling and yet I'm here in front of my computer because of a striped thread on a stupid little nut that holds my fin in the board.

Arrrrggggghhhh Its not fair! Grrrrr.....

Al.

I know the feeling sunshine I could be riding coz bone idle dole drawing buggers get to do that but I've stripped the thread that holds my left elbow together haha!

Managed to bodge the fin connection thanks to SimonC popping into a hardware store on his way to the beach and getting a smaller nut and bolt that I was able to place through the original nut. Not perfect but at least it got me on the water for for a quick session.

Dunk has now brought me some more nuts and bolts so I should be OK for tomorrow as well.

Thanks guys!
Al.

Grrrrrr Grrrrrrrr YAY! I am now a resident of Borth - be very careful what you wish for Jack!!!!!!! The Grrrrrrrr is because I'm up to my eyeballs in Cif power liquid and all the magnolia emulsion you can wave a roller at - I'm committed the carpets are going down on Friday and yet the sun is out and the wind is blowin' Grrrrrrrrrrrr ......
BEACH I can see the sea from my living room mummy!!!!!! here comes my winter schedule YAY wooop woop!

Where in Borth are you???

I've just been out for a sail and there wasn't enough wind... Of course, now that I'm back at home the wind is picking up nicely! Grrrrrr.....

Al.

London House mate it's next to the tandoori!!!!!!!

GRRRRRRRRR Grrrrrrr Grrrrrr up at crack of sparrowfart this morning, fed and watered and walked to Ynyslas as it got light. Conditions great so I got warmed up with a 3.5metre few runs under the belt to see how my dodgy elbow would hold up and then got 4.5 out.
First run backwards from stationary and a horrible crunching noise as my wheel bearings let go on the left rear and that was my 15 minutes in the sunshine riding over.
Guess who caught the 11 oclock train into aber to visit the bearing man on the glanyrafon. My wallet is weeping
Better luck tomorrow Jack

How come since I started working at the university on a Thursday, every Thursday has been windy!!! Grrrr.

Whats worse today is that there is a bug swell as well. I can see The Trap from here and it looks huge.

Al.

I feel your pain also All, Thursdayt and Friday are the only days I cant play, GGGRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Oooooh I was just looking for Al's grrrrr about a flat tyre on the wheelbarrow after reading his diary entry for the "first ride of the year" you should be ashamed to confess it son! Look on the bright side the tyre was only flat at the bottom mate. I'm up in the morning you want my spare inner tube to fix it Al?

Cheers Jack... I can assure you the tyre was flat at the top as well! The bottom felt as though it wasn't just flat but was glued to the ground as well!

It is pretty bad that yesterday was my first windsurf session of the year though. I can't remember the last time I had over two months without a sail... I have been out quite a bit on the mountain bike though and I did go Stand-up Paddle surfing the other day so I don't feel too bad.

Thanks for the offer an an inner tube, but I need a new tyre as well as the one on the wheelbarrow has rotted away. Nothing lasts long if left outside around here.. I won't be around today either as I'm doing the Mawddach Goldrush at Coed y Brenin... I must be mad, perfect weather for windsurfing and the first wind we've had for a while and I'm going to be slogging around a wet, muddy forest in the pouring rain.... Grrrr... (there you go, my Grrrrr for the weekend!).

Al.

Ah bless could be worse mate - Mark E and myself spent twenty minutes in the dunes at lunchtime cornering my 2.5 bullet after it ran away with my biggest corkscrew petstake bent at 90 degrees!!!!! Grrrrrrr ... I haven't a clue what the wind came through at during a short squall but we took it as a warning from God and headed back to Borth for bacon butties haha. Now tyres I don't do - got a 1.4 beamer at the bottom of the quiver bag you could hook that onto the wheelbarrow if you like..........

Blowing a hoolie and I'm still stuck indoors recovering from flu, chest infection and recent hospital visit.

Its 25-30 knots and sunny out there.

Grrrrrr...

Now gusting to over 40 knots... Perfection!!

Al.