Saturday was incredible, and made me wonder why I don't make the trip up there more often. Went up with KO, and we found that "the high temperatures and humidity with a large static front" led to FAN STEADY winds ALL DAY LONG. 12 and 14 were the dominant kites out from 11 to 4 or 5 and then it picked up to solid 10. I was toast, or rather my back was, and I think everyone else had their fill by that time, too.
But, for future reference, when it looks like it will fill in and blow late, yesterday proved that was the case again. The neighboring readings from Garrison and Aiken didn't really tell the lake story. ON the water temps were in the low 80s, and the "gusts" were only maybe 5mph at any one time, and the winds cycled up and down steadily.
If it feels like you get huge boosts there, yesterday also showed that. If kite lines are 25m, I'd say the winds are higher at about 26m. Even with winds around the low 20s, you give a little pop, and just sort of take off from there. I did a small transition jump about 60-70' from shore which typically just puts me 5' up, and ended up having googly eyes with with Scott who was sitting on the shore on the way down about 10-20' from the waters edge...too close, I'd say.
Tried Mike K's crispy 2014 14m Rally after riding on my 14RPM. Word was that it jumped well, and everyone who tried it seemed to put the big ones up there. Sails much bigger than the size indicates, and pulls like a truck. On one jump, I took off, didn't really even really ping out of the water, and probably went only about 15-20' up but about 100' horizontally. Really. (yeah, I know, it was probably only 20', but when I looked at where Jim was shooting pics in the water vs. where those people minding their own business on the shore were, it was FAR.) One word to describe it: Air Time. If you want to ride unhooked, I think a smaller relative size would be in order. The one unhooked move I did was scary cool, and I did not try another. Jim was out on the 10m Rally not long after and he made it look good. I took my 10m RPM out same time and had no horsepower at all, so there is a definite size differential there.
The weird thing in sailing Milly on a day like that is that I typically never think I need a kite between my 10 and 14 (OK, I do have a 13m Octane), but with the steady conditions, I can see the advantage of sailing a 12 for certain stuff. Would be nice to live near the ocean, or at least a Great Lake, but Saturday, Milly was our great lake.
Anyone have a Sunday report?
Reddy Report
Moderator: MK