Lots of surfing and some freestyle!

Glassy surfing:

Stormy, rainy weather while running down the beach for drinks at a friends!

Sailing on the flat water lagoon:

Two vulcan shots:


A funny crash:

The view from Markus and Emma's place, (renting from Yann), of the lagoon, beautiful!

Stef's results night for his MSc, which he very greatfully passed well!

Stef with big a cute Romano, Christian's dog:

Any excuse for a caipirinha!


It has been a while since I last posted so thought I would include some lifestyle pictures from the last ten days. We had a week of really good surfing with sets over double-overhead and the glassiest waves I have seen. The Go Pro footage was showing a mirror image of our boards on the surface of the water it was so clear and still! We surfed every day getting up early and having some double sessions, and my surfing has improved a lot. Surfing is harder to take pictures of though as no-one wants to sit and wait for everyone to catch waves, hence the lifestyle pictures this post!

We then had a day of freestyle which I really enjoyed! We were on the lagoon by a grassy area so the water was super flat and only a little over knee deep with a really soft sand bottom so there was no danger of damaging our boards. I landed my first vulcans on a wave board (having done some on a freestyle board), so I was pretty happy as it slides so much less and you have to be really quick.

Yesterday we had a head high port tack day which was great to practise my riding. Kauli is now back and sailing here and its amazing to see him rip in such small waves! We are looking forward to another big day forecast in a week, please let the forecast stay!!

Starboard cross off and surfing

Since my last post we have had a couple of port tack float and ride sessions and one evening session which was literally about 6 knots! It certainly teaches you about using the wave! We also had a really good starboard cross off riding day. Most of the starboard days have been jumping so this was the first cross off day. We sailed down at Praia do Luz by the Island, which meant wobbling out through the channel (with waves and swell bouncing everywhere!), then making it out just past the sets but unfotunately in the wind shadow of the island. So it was tricky to say the least and the waves were head to logo, some bigger. Wobbing almost dead downwind is certainly a skill! Anyway the waves were worth it, really smooth and great to ride. Unfortunately due to the almost a km walk downwind with our kit, mine and Stefs arms gave out pretty quickly and we couldn't sail as long as we had hoped. The photos below are stills from the video so not great quality sorry!

This morning we had a dawn raid surfing, which was well worth it as the waves were head to double overhead and really glassy. We also came across macroplankton, quite large blobs of see through goo which you could feel through your fingers when you paddled, very off-putting! Stef also saw a penguin! The photo below shows the waves after we just finished surfing.

The next weeks forecast doesn't look great for wind, but good for surfing. With only 3 and a half weeks left we are praying for some big port tack days!

More port tack and a starboard day...

Forward clip from the Go Pro:

Jump still from the video camera:

Why not have the beach all to yourself?!



Me after a top turn:



A photo I took of Stef top turning:


After our epic day on the 29th we had a couple of days chilling out followed by some surf days. We had clean head high surfing for 3 sessions before another port tack day. It was about waist high, nice float and ride, and due to the small size, it meant I could practise my riding and catch way more waves than the big day, where you had to take care not to get smashed! So a good practise day in preparation for another big day. The afternoon session got super windy and choppy waves, so we decided to have a go at freestyle in the lagoon. Unfortunately by the time we walked round there the wind dropped a little so we weren’t really powered!

Next day: port tack again 4.7 weather with waist high waves. Got some loops which was cool! The weather here is pretty weird and it went from 4.7 weather port tack to 4.7 weather starboard within about ten minutes! We rigged again for another session of starboard tack which was short lived as a big thunderstorm came over!

The past 3 days have been pretty good too. Port tack 4.7 weather again, waist high. I almost landed quite a few vulcans on my wave board which was great, until I twisted my bad foot again, (its still pretty weak), so I gave up on those for now. We had another day of float and ride port tack, then yesterday which was super windy starboard tack with head to logo waves coming in. Only trouble was although it was almost powered 3.4 weather, there was quite a rip downwind so I went 4.2, not always powered due to the rip but when I was, I got some good jumping in and backside riding.