Michigan Windsurfing

Windsurfing & Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Michigan

We lucked out with a NE breeze (mostly on shore; partly side) and some warm sun in Caseville Saturday that gave use a fun sesh with great rides in on some smooth swells (waist to boom high on the outside).  Fairly light wind but steady.  The breeze held out for longer than we had time to sail, and even built throughout the afternoon.  I was nicely powered on 5.5 m and 85L and Brian was overpowered on his 8.0 and big blue board.   The water in the Saginaw bay is still pleasantly warm.  Getting out wasn't so easy due to the breaking waves, but they were spaced apart farther than usual, so they were forgiving.

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Wow! Lucky day for sure. I like those spaced out smooth swells makes jibing down a groomer hill much easier. We had that a Lex on my last session out, October 3.
October is usually my second highest session month after September.
I hit 9 sessions in September and only 2 so far in October. It could still happen no extreme cold forecasted in the future.
Tom I was surprised you didn't turn up at BL yesterday... you could have had day 3. You would have been powered on 6.0..might have even been fine on 5.5. I was on 5.5. It didn't look like it was going to turn out that well, but from 3-5:30 it was really good!
Sounds like you guys got it good at the Lagoon. I don't miss many quality days locally that's for sure.
Unfortunately I was in Traverse City working, fortunately I got to sail the world famous, world class Empire Beach today on a not so classic Empire beach day.
Sailed the Ezzy 5.5 with the 84 JP in freakish weather conditions, air 64 degrees, bluebird sky with nearly 60 degree water temperatures, SSW wind 15-28 estimated.
I could not fine a good line for jibing the swell, wind and swell direction were weird I could not quite figure it out. But the down the line wave riding was some of fastest rides I every had, scary fast.
Overall a good tiring 2.5 hour session with what I would call a lot of voodoo chop inside and outside.
Number 37 for the year 2 to go to reach my promised goal.
Almost summer conditions! Sounds like it should be easy to reach you target. I am crossing my fingers to get at least a couple more weekends in, but I won't be sailing next weekend at all (you can thank me now for 3 windy days in a row next fri, sat, sun). It'a been a lucky season so far, started early and water still warm now. Have sailed each of the last four weekends (including this one)...and the water is still plenty warm. Are you including days in MI only or is Hatteras in that count? Are there other sailors when you sail at empire beach? Hope you hit 38 today.
Jennie - I count all sessions whenever I rig and have a quality session of an hour or more.
Absolutely - 6 days in Hatteras counted.
Empire Beach is usually a solo session, although surfers and SUPers are there quite a bit.
They are a few locals that prefer Pointe Betsie but occasionally sail Empire.
One session this summer there were 2 windsurfers and 1 kiter.
Attachments:
First gorgeous pics!!!!! I just can't do the solo sesh unless it were someplace super safe like Stony Creek. If I I could I would have a bunch more days from Caseville when Brian wasn't there... oh well... Okay good if you get to count Hatteras then I get to count the Gorge which puts me at 21...I think..next year i am going to write it down for sure... the Carribean doesn't count right? ... which is really good for a working girl who lives 40 minutes from sailable water and at least an hour from decent water. :) ...way better than the past couple years!
According to Tom's criteria the Caribbean would count assuming it were a "quality session of an hour or more." The question I have for Tom, if he reads this, is do you really draw a distinction between a quality session and one that is not? I too tend to keep track of my sessions and I too use a one hour standard, but I count it even if its a shitty hour.
I count a minimum of 1 hour of planning time at a location. If I go out and the wind is light and I don't reach the minimum hour then it counts as a light wind freestyle session and it's not counted as a quality session.
Also under some controversy if I sail at one location and get my quality hour in it's a counter. If I derig and head to another location and sail another quality hour then it is counted as a 2 session day. Some guys don't agree with that but that's the way I do it, although it happens rarely.
I also keep track of venue, session time, who I sailed with, what I was schooled at, wind, weather, water conditions, any nearby buoy reports, MB Weathertalker, (if at Metro Beach), sail and board used all that stuff.
No I don't lead a boring windsurfing life I just like to keep track of accomplishments. Especially on the schooled stuff. I can look back to 2005 when I learned the duck jibe on the port tack, (Bonaire) and then look at 2008 when I learned it on the starboard tack.
I can figure out how many times I rigged a certain size sail, when I first used a new board and how many times I used it. (You would be surprised how many times you use your bread and butter sail through out the years.
No it's not that hard to write it all down I have a template on my handheld device.
Yeah overkill for sure but it keeps the stoke going. I probably should have a blog site like Chris has http://jsealyons.blogspot.com/
Oh yeah you got to count the Caribbean and Gorge if you get your minimums in.
Jennie, I know some avid windsurfers who are retired/laid off and live a lot closer to the water and don't get as many days as you get.
The caribbean was crappy this year and i think I only got 2 decent days ( most years i have been lucky enough to get 8) in so this year it doesn't matter if it counts or not...I guess I get lucky with a few extra days because of my size... when you only need 15 to plane with a 5.5 and 85L you get a lot more chances for a quality sesh! Oh yeah, you may not agree with this but if I have a totally humiliating day in unfamiliar powered conditions where I spent most if it getting beat up in the water and can't say i spent it actually dialed in on a plane, I think it should count... it usually means I learned something....so i think it should count as much as an effortless autopilot day.
Tom, not overkill at all! Very cool to have all those stats. Reminds you that you haven't been sitting on the couch all this time!

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