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Blast Kiteboarding

Your No.1 Wave Riding and Big Air store!

  • Lack of wind shenanagins!

    We've had a pretty damn start to this years season so far. Just when it's warming up enough to kick start the lessons the winds have either been non existent or offshore, typical!

    Sarah ripping at Llangennith

    We've managed the odd session (with a little bit of driving) and scored the odd sweet session but tbh these have been very few and far between.

    However the time out has been well used!

    I bought a new custom longboard surfboard from The Williams Longboard Company here in S.Wales and wow what a difference it has made. Such an easy glide into the waves and super loose on the wave too!

    The Williams Longboard Company

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    We have also dipped our toes into the world of canicross (running with dogs) with our two scruffy rescue mongrels. How cool is it when you try something new..we and obviously more importantly the dogs have been loving this. We have also been taking them out with us on the MTB's which they love just as much again.

     

    Reo & Lacey big fans of MTB

     

     

     

     

     

    Last week we drove three hours to see a rescue German Short Haired Pointer at a rescue centre in Telford. We introduced our two hooligans to the Pointer (Cherry) who has already been doing some canicross with a local club, they got on fantastic but we for some weird reason were not 100% sure...so we went and looked around the rescue centre and came across Bonnie, a black scruffy dog from a kill shelter in Spain, introduced her to our two in the paddock at the centre and they were immediately like family together.

    We drove back with three black scruffy dogs.

    At Hilbrae Rescue Centre - Telford

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Three days later we went to a local Canicross race, (hosted by South Wales Canicross) where a friend lent us a harness for our new girl (now Indie) so few minutes later there I am on the start line with a dog that I had no idea how sh'd do, she'd never had a harness on before, didn't know a single simple command and was obviously in awe of the whole situation. Anyway, the whistle sounded and we were off, she took to it like a duck to water and pulled for the first 3km at least, she def tired the last km or so but this was only to be expected given she'd spent the last year at least caged in a rescue kennel. Sarah ran with Reo & Lacey and they did amazingly well too.

    Marc with new girl Indie

    We've met so many new "friends" at the two events we've so far attended...and can't wait for the next one. The whole scene at these races is all about "fun" ...fun for both the dogs and the humans too. and we certainly had fun!

     

    Anyways, my point in this long ramble is....it's sometimes good to make the most of a break from your chosen sport/hobby and try something new. It's good to have other activities to fall back on when there is no wind

     

    Short video of the past week or so here:

    From left...Lacey, Indie & Reo!
  • Oman - Arabian Sea Kitesurf Adventure

    No need for wetsuits here!

    After many many years  running kitesurfing trips to places like the Canaries, Morocco, Brazil, Hatteras and Portugal we were looking for somewhere "different",  somewhere quiet and preferably somewhere also with waves.

    What we found was, well .......all of the above and a hell of a lot more!

    It's quite hard to find much kitesurfing information about this part of the world, the video's on youtube are all very old and dated. We eventually found out that there are two main spots...Aseelah and Masirah Island further to the south.

    We decided to do just a quick one week recce to try and see for ourselves, fortunately some very good friends had recently moved to Muscat and they were able to offer lots of help and advice, it was also awesome to share a few sessions with them.

    The windy season is approx May till early September, during this period it blows and I mean .....really blows and can also throw up some serious swell. Whilst we were on our annual group trip to Portugal I was speaking with our friend in Oman and he'd been blown off the water on several weekend trips to Aseelah, even on the smallest windsurf rigs, there were also regular 3m swells!

    The crowds were unbearable!

    We left Heathrow late August not really knowing what to expect, we'd been told stories of sharks, 50 degree temps, bandits and more. A night flight meant we arrived first thing in the morning ready bright eyed and bushy tailed, however neither of us had more than a few minutes sleep so instead we were completely shattered.  We'd also been to "Car Fest" the day before and that didn't help!

    5 x Surfboards 1 x Foilboard and way too many kites!

    Once we arrived in Muscat we made our way to the hire car and the first problem! It seems they don't do "hatch backs" here and we could only get a Focus sized car with a boot. This was not a lot of good when we had two huge surfboard bags with 5 surfboards plus a foil board plus way too many kites.

    Somehow we managed to squeeze all our kit into every nook and cranny and headed off onto the immaculate high way, only to get immediately lost. Thirty minutes later we were back on the correct road (we think).

    Four hours later we arrived at our destination. A random hotel set right on the Arabian Sea beach and alongside a very decent point break.

    The next few days were spent riding this point break - on our own!

    We wanted to find somewhere quiet, we hadn't expected to be the only people not only kiting but also in the hotel. Safa the very helpful and extremely friendly manager (we had many an evening meal with Safa) assured us it gets busier on the weekend.

    By the Thursday a few other kitesurfers started to arrive, all from Dubai and having driven through the night for approx 10 hours. It soon became apparent that the only kitesurfers here were all going to regular ex pats from Dubai seeking decent winds.

    Because of the cost of the flights plus the 8 hour flight time it's never going to attract too many of the crew heading to the likes of the Canaries or Tarifa.

    Our room with it's own plunge pool - with a view straight onto the wave spot.

    This spot is definitely only for those into wave riding though and preferably those used to to decent sized waves also, not exactly the place for twin tips.

    Whilst we were there it was a full moon with big tides but this meant the razor sharp reef all along the waters edge was exposed. This made both getting in and out after a session quite a mission (a good pair of reef shoes  like Skinners would help)

    There is no rescue service here !

    No rescue service here - your on your own!
    The Hotel - A true oasis in the baron desert!

    We mainly used 7m & 9m Kites although by all accounts it was lighter than normal and during the peak season you'll need a 5m!

    Temps were a very sweet 30 degrees or so with a constant cooling breeze. The Hotel is comfy, friendly but very basic. The food was fantastic though as long as you like sea food, always fresh that day and direct from the fishing boats nearby.

    Worth mentioning is just how friendly the people of Oman are, truly some of the nicest people you could wish to meet. At first it was a bit overwhelming just how friendly every one was, from the hotel staff to the local fishermen to random people we encountered along the way.

    A video from our trip. HERE 

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nayJqpHJZFg[/embed]

    If your after flat water or more beginner conditions then it's another 4 hours or so further down the coast to Masirah Island which apparently has it all, flat water lagoons, waves etc etc

    That will be on our next trip!

     

    Can't wait!!

     

     

  • Why foil?

     

     Shinn Jackson and Airush Ultra....glassy ultra light wind conditions!

    The last year has seen a huge rise in the number of kitesurfers getting into foiling, obviously great business for us but why are so many taking up this side of our amazing sport.

    Well the last few months have helped to promote them hugely, with all these hot sunny days with super light winds, there are a growing number of us still getting out regularly on the water.....whilst everyone other kitesurfer moans!

    Obviously most of us would still prefer a good storm session boosting or smacking some waves however the bottom line is we are still getting wet and pushing ourselves whilst loving another new element to this amazing sport.

    There are a number of kitesurfers I know who now consider themselves foilers rather than just kitesurfers!!!

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    The Airush Core Foil Board with Airush Ultra V2

     

    The last 5 days I have been out 4 or them and the day I missed I could have been in also (we went mountain biking for a change).

    The discipline of foiling changed a year or so ago when a certain Mr.Shinn introduced the P Foil....to be honest it doesn't look sexy and slick like the previous high end wings, the P wing was fat and round. This all new wing allows you to get up super fast at the slowest of speeds, making learning so much more pleasurable not to say safer and quicker also!

    I mentioned this to Shinn over a cold beer post foil session and he sat and thought for a moment before replying "but the fat ones are always easy" Strangely Shinn Kiteboarding never used that one in there adverts!!

    Until this point the majority of brands were targeting the race side of the sport and not the regular every day recreational kitesurfers at every beach up and down the country.

    The Shinn P Foil that changed the sport for so many people. 

    Fast forward a year and the progress for those buying into this system is staggering. Shinn have now expanded the range to include various length masts some suitable for just starting out on your first runs but also great for shallower water locations. There are now also a multitude of wings available all compatible with the Shinn Jackson setup. P Foil / K Foil / Mega K / F Foil etc etc (check out our website for more information on these)

    https://www.blastkiteboarding.co.uk/kiteboards/kitesurf-hydro-foil-race-boards/

     Mrs Blast, ready to rip!

    We run several trips abroad each year and each year we see more and more people out on foils,  Two weeks ago in Portugal there were approx a dozen out, the  year before there were only three and two of those were us!!

    I simply wouldn't go anywhere without the foil now, it's the difference in riding each day or not. Added to that the amazing feeling of riding on a cloud and it's not hard to see why we have the massive rise in foils at the beaches everywhere now.

    Shinn Jackson Review

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9zZoc-zvsE[/embed]

    Can I use my regular kites?

    Obviously you can use your normal kites and they will be just fine but there are now several new kites on the market specifically targeted towards light wind kiting. In our opinion the best of these is the Airush Ultra V2, an amazing kite which is so so stable in even the most extreme light winds.

    It's simply not just the fact it's a single strut kite (as many believe) but the fact it really is exceptionally light using the very lightest materials available but also more importantly amazingly stable in next to no wind....no fear of it dropping like a stone like most regular kites when it gets super light. The Airush load frame allows them to make these kites with latest light weight fabrics, they even lengthen the life of the kite by as much as 30% (that's what the advertising blurb says anyway).

     Sav and I even managed a game of footie whilst the rest of the country watched the World Cup Final. Photo: SarahSavagePhotography.Com

    Yesterday was the latest in many an eye opener,  it was marginal to say the least...if you didn't have a foil then you were not going to kite!

    I took out the 12m Airush Ultra and Core Foil and cruised from Rest Bay Porthcawl all the way along the coast to Swansea Bay and back approx 34km round trip. My legs feel it today as it was just one long tack there and back.

    Meanwhile those without foils were stood on the beach cursing. Many of these people are reluctant to start foiling and yet some had driven upwards of 2 hours only to get to the beach to find 8-10knots.

    Yes you will be like a beginner all over again, but embrace it , enjoy it, oh and wear a helmet and be prepared to scream & laugh like never before!

    So if you are thinking about it - just do it, you will not regret it.

    email us any questions you may still have

    [email protected]

     

  • Winter Kitesurfing - Why we do it!

     

    Right first off, let me get this straight before anything else...I hate the cold, I hate grey damp days here in the UK where it barely gets light!

    Invest in decent neoprene accessories, Mike Dawson wrapped in neoprene!

    Ok now I have cleared that up,  so here we are mid way through a colder than normal UK winter but we have just had an awesome spell of good winds combined with a good swell too.

    The last few days both at the beach and via social media I have heard a few people talking about their total reluctance to participate in surfing/kitesurfing during the depths of winter and  it got me thinking!

    I have been surfing and kiting for more years than I care to mention (OK so I started surfing approx 1978 and kiting 2000) during which time I have learnt a lot about coping with the cold.

    So I  thought I'd share my thoughts and how I go about coping with it.

     Marc@Blast mid winter session at Rest Bay, Porthcawl.

    Photo @mi_chal

    So first of all why bother continuing to kitesurf in the dark winter months?

    Well for me at least there are a few good reasons. For a start I'd simply rather a good but cold session than no session at all! We have often seen keen kitesurfers putting off getting back in the water later and later come the spring. They also cut short the season once the temps start to dip early autumn. In effect their season gets shorter and shorter each year as they get "softer" to the point where they may only kite for a couple of months in the high season!

    If you continue all winter then when the spring arrives, you will also be kite specific fit, not starting from scratch all over again.

     Marc@Blast - Christmas Day Ritual

    The beaches are generally much quieter with less people on the water and the car parks are also cheaper!

    A hot cuppa tea, post session in the local cafe with your kite buddies is always going to me enjoyable than in the summer!

    As winter approaches......

    My top tip is to try to keep getting in the water as the Autumn is approaching as this way you will gradually become accustomed to the colder water and air temps. Don't put off sessions for months and months and then jump in mid January and expect it to be like last August!

    Choose your days carefully!

    Try to pick your days....... it will obviously  "feel" better on a bright sunny winters day day with milder westerly winds than a grey rainy day with baltic North Easterly winds.

    You are not going to be doing 6 hours on the water like the summer months so pick your times around the weather forecasts and tides.

    Meet up with others to share the stoke but also to watch out for each other!

    We normally average approx 2 hour sessions mid winter but sometimes this will only be an hour or so on the really baltic days.

    Wetsuit

    In the summer you can get away with less expensive less technical wetsuits suits as the water is obviously warmer but also any sunshine will massively help.

    Kiting in winter you will need to spend that little bit extra on the best suit you can afford. Believe me they make a huge difference. Wetsuits like the Mystic Legend 5/3mm is so well sealed it's almost like a drysuit!  It barely gets wet inside but if it does it dry's in minutes once hung up.

    Today's top wetsuits use some amazing soft stretchy neoprenes so much better than years gone by.  New front zip wetsuits are a bit of a pain to get in and out of but ultimately (for me at least) are way warmer than back zips.

    Boots/Gloves/Hood

    Obviously we lose a massive amount of heat through our extremities so it is also extremely important to protect these areas. Don't get me wrong, we all hate wearing gloves and boots etc but if it gets to the stage where your discomfort (and indeed safety) will be massively compromised then it's time to wear some gloves/boots etc

    If your only lasting 30mins with no boots before your feet turn to stumps then give me a good pair of booties any day.  Super thin neoprene gloves like the Mystic Merino Wool gloves at 1.5m are plenty warm enough for most UK sessions. If it gets much colder then something like the Mystic 3mm Pre Curved gloves may also be an option. Both are designed to avoid the dreaded forearm burn!!

    There are some pretty good wind stoppers now available too, these really do cut down the wind chill both on the beach while setting up but also even while kiting.

    There are also many jackets suitable for pre kite sessions like the Mystic rigging jackets, designed to keep you warm right up to the point of getting on the water but some can also be worn kiting too. We wear these whilst teaching all year round - invaluable addition to your winter kit!

    Rigging Jacket that can also be worn whilst kiting.

     

    With the correct kit and the right mental approach the winter months can be the best months of the year for the keen kitesurfer.

    So to summarise, stay warm, stay safe and get out and embrace what the winter months have to offer!

  • Shinn Jackson Hydro Foil Boards

    On the 24th April we had the great pleasure in getting to not only demo the very latest foil from Shinn Kiteboarding but also have the man himself (2 x World Champ) here to both show it off on the water but also to explain the principles of the thing. We also had the UK distributer for both Shinn and Airush here and believe me he was as keen as me to try the Jackson out...it really is a big thing!

    18157800_10155374555888689_2464833728201443000_n

    So after a few exchanges of small talk we got down to the task ahead and got kitted up. I took the all new 9m Airush Ultra's (man it is so small and light when packed up - and was also a revelation in the sky, particularly with the foil board)

    b7b441_9370fbd489ec4a878f801664d5b56c70-mv2

    I grabbed the P Foil as this is the wing we believe will shake up the whole foil world as we know it.

    For too long the high end brands have been pushing the whole sexy sleek carbon wonders, sweet to look at but a bitch to learn with. yes they look sexy, yes they are super light weight but this comes at a cost both in $ but also in general user ability and also durability.

    shinnjacksonhydrofoilboard2017_1-1The Model F & Model P

    The Jackson sits firmly in the "friendly" perimeter of this discipline however don't pigeon hole it as simply a beginner board that you will grow out of in just a few short months...you won't.

    17992157_10155351309771294_5937275371719717201_n

    The Jackson is obviously not as light as a full carbon set up but it is way lighter than most alu mast foils including the current El Stubbo.

    As soon I dived the kite I was up, instant! So instant it took me by surprise and as quick as I was up I was back down...but relatively gently. Once I'd found the balance spot which is super easy on this I was off. I instantly felt comfortable and really inspired to push to advance my beginner/intermediate level.

    I really cannot wait to get one for our demo fleet so I can push my strapless/tacking etc.

    18121624_10155351836106294_5753696924856057088_o

    After the session we sat in Mikes van and chatted over a beer about just how crazy this new foil is, how it will hopefully change foiling for the better.

    18076797_10155351832556294_5301691219745816944_o

    Later in the week Mike has reported that our initial response to the Jackson had been repeated where ever they had demoed it...here's a few responses.

    - "Oh great" said one foil expert, rather sarcastically, "now any rider is going to be able to foil"
    and
    - "I feel like I have just wasted a year trying to learn on a traditional foil"

     

    My initial feedback was that It's floaty, but not so floaty like the Moses (harder to initiate strapless), when it touches down it bounces right back up. It gets up extremely early and in next to no speed at all, very inspiring.

    18155996_10155351309466294_3266015931219872734_o

    With this type of purchase it really is so so important to get the correct board as many if not most out there will be simply waisting there money and it will inevitably end up being sat in the back of most peoples cars after a while.

    With this setup the humiliation of learning to foil is all but removed.

    I can honestly recommend this foil, I was truly gobsmacked when i took it out so much so I don't really want to use our current ones now lol
    I know the Bridge family (multiple world foil champs) and the Kiteworld tester Neal Gent were out on the P foil later in the week also and gave pretty much the same response as me.

    Shinn had a newbie guy in Kenya with them recently who could barely kite up wind, he took the P foil out and within an hour he was riding both ways comfortably upwind....it really is that much easier than what we were learning on.

    However this foil does not top out early like many of the beginner focussed foils out there and Shinn confirms comfortable speeds nearing 30knots

    Think depowerable bridled kites compared to C's, this is looking to be a similar story!

    The only negative is the wing doesn't look that sexy compared to the full on race wings, but the up side is you'll learn so fast without all the pain that is the norm but then you can work on your transitions or strapless etc

    I should also mention that when on the board it feels kinda like your "in it" rather than precariously stood on top, it feels way more balanced/stable even at speed. The rails are chimed both on the top and bottom which gives it this feature, it also helps with the inevitable touch downs.

    So....my recommendation..... the one to go for is 100% the 145cm and the 90cm mast (we all agreed the short mast is still too on off for many but the market is dictating the need to offer them at least)

    Even Shinn preferred the 145cm rather than the the shorter 125cm version

    I am well aware that I am gushing over this foil but I genuinely believe Shinn has stumbled on a real winner here.

    Stock is due in the next couple of weeks so if your deffo interested I'd get an order in pronto, I'm doing the same!

    A quick edit of our demo

    M

    More information and prices etc here : https://www.blastkiteboarding.co.uk/shinn-jackson-foil-board-complete-package/

  • It's good to explore

    The season is almost over for the Blast School but on the plus side it allows us to venture a bit further afield than our regular local beaches we spend so much time at during the teaching season.

    Many years ago before I discovered the joys of kitesurfing I used to surf and one of the things I loved most about surfing was the travelling and discovering new locations. I have fond memories of trekking across field after field up in the very far North of Scotland trying to find that elusive perfect wave.

    So when I took up kitesurfing back around 1999-2000 it was the same feeling I rediscovered, hours spent checking over maps, driving down dead-end lanes, no one back then knew much about which wind directions were do-able. Until then the few of us that did kite just went to the known windsurf spots, which to be honest were actually some of the most undesirable locations to kite, i.e. usually very rocky and also gusty conditions.

    Eventually I discovered that places like Rest Bay in Porthcawl were in fact better than the alternatives like the Knap in Barry. This was part by accident as I was still mostly surfing and on a few occasions I'd get to the big ope beaches only to find windy cross on conditions. Now you have to understand that at the time it was generally accepted (at least here in S.Wales) that cross shore was the "only" way.

    Obviously it's nice to fly off to some hot windy place like Brazil, Canaries or SA etc But we also have an abundance of amazing beaches right under our noses here in the UK.

    We really are truly blessed living in Wales. Having so so many amazing beaches to choose from and covering all wind / swell directions. The past few months we have had a huge wind drought here in S.Wales, it seems to happen every year around the same time....Autumn!!
    Global Warming??
    Weird hey, you'd naturally think that Autumn would be the start of the windy season, right? Well not for the past few years at least!

    For the past few seasons it seems to be nothing all September and October and then by mid November BAM, we get a huge dose of gale force winds, all or nothing!

    Anyway, I digress. The past few weeks have been poor but there have been a few days of either Easterlies or Northerlies, not exactly idea especially as we live on the South West coast. So with the last few lessons cancelled due to undesirable wind directions or next to no wind locally, after a little time checking google maps etc you can normally fine a decent beach somewhere further afield on our wonderful coast line that will hopefully be "all time"

    So with a few good mates it's time to head off, a mini adventure. To be honest it's a very "mini" adventure as we only have to travel approx 90mins and we can cover all of Pembroke and half way up the coast of Wales...this gives us the choice of hundreds of beaches. At this time of the year these beaches are also quite, very quiet!

    7 The Car Park

    This weekend just gone "Bonfire Night" was due to be NNE winds, rubbish locally but checking the maps we could see numerous beaches down West Wales. So we decided to load up the vans with good friends Alun & Wendy and check out some new spots. Actually to tell you the truth Alun had already kited where we were headed many years ago but that's another story.

     

    14962519_10154481971336294_4728563640318595056_n New Quay Harbour

    3

    New Quay was the first choice and so we booked a AirB&B for the night (dog friendly too, so Monty and Toro could come).

    Parking in a beautiful woodland carpark was just the start of the experience!2 This is the stream next to the carpark.

    The walk to the beach was down a beautiful wooded valley path, I love the sound of crunching leaves under your feet.

    4

    Once at the beach we were greeted with a strong cross on winds and 2-4ft surf.....and an amazing view! We spent the next few hours kiting all by ourselves! The winds were very cold being from the North but with new winter wetsuits from Mystic to keep us warm we were fine.

    Small kites were the order of the day, we all rigged up our "go to kite" the 6.5m Renegade by Epic Kites. Actually Sarah would have been better on her 6m Ozone Enduro as the 6.5m was a little too much for her at times.

    During the session I managed to get back on dry land and grab a few shots with the SLR of both Sarah and Alun out kiting.

    1 Sarah

    5 Alun with his 5m Surf (on 18m lines it was just a little too small)

    6 Me enjoying my new Mystic Majestic winter suit, my first session this year in a winter suit. Brrr winter is def coming!

    A few hours later and we were all very happy with the decision to take the risk and drive a little further west and explore.

    Hopefully we will get plenty more days like this over the coming months, fingers crossed!

     

  • Hydro Foil Kiteboarding

    13103492_10153958544086294_7557414684677879409_n

    First off...I'm deff no expert but thought it may be worth sharing some of my experiences with starting out on a hydro foil board for a complete beginners perspective and honestly it's not as easy as it looks.

    We've all seen the video's of the pro's effortlessly gliding a metre above the water making it look oh so easy, well believe me it ain't....not in the beginning at least!

    Obviously it helps if you are a competent kitesurfer but to be honest it really is like starting kitesurfing all over again but that's part of the big attraction. Something new and exciting, a totally new challenge.

    I bought a used Sroka foil off a friend who was looking to upgrade to a new race wing, the Sroka is a pretty good setup to start with...so I'm told.

    My first session was a total disaster, I had my first go back in February on a freezing winters day, I even had gloves on that day (I rearely use gloves but it was extremely cold easterlies) which did not help. Just getting your feet in the front straps at the beginning is hard enough..it's hard to get the board up on an edge so you can get your feet in. Then there is the whole balance thing, the board just wants to shoot up into the sky..it's alive!

    12742745_10153789925126294_1662643119226238121_n Sharp enough to chop your digits off!

    It's advisable to wear all the protective gear you have at the start i.e. Impact Vest/Helmet/Boots/Gum Shield...everything :-) (both the wing and mast are razor sharp) as this thing will try it's best to kill you. I'll tell you what, go stand on your kitchen table and then imagine traveling at speed only to be thrown with force into the water several feet below and you will get some idea of what it is like!

    After each session it really felt like I'd been in a car crash, aching from head to toe from the multiple wipeouts but smiling like a fat kid in a sweet shop.

    I found that 30mins was all I was interested in doing at the start (poss as it was a lot colder then) and many times I just did a quick 15mins and stopped as soon as I felt the progression was slowing. But then I had a few awesome moments up and flying and each session it has generally got better....not always but generally.

    So far I have chosen mostly lighter wind days, using my 11m Renegade which has a huge wind range and plenty of de-power.

    13344781_10154059937836294_1355762056100138842_n

    But lately I have been out in much lighter winds (as I'm starting to improve) and the sheer amount of apparent wind it can generate is quite phenomenal. Today there was barely enough to keep the kite in the sky when I launched the kite, however once up on a plane your off and away upwind. Then the next problem is how to go back down wind as it really is "too easy" to go upwind.

    When way out the back today I fluffed a turn and whilst trying to restart I suddenly became aware again how little wind there actually was...the kite just slowly fell into the water...there was no way I was ever going to relaunch it so I started a long swim back for the shore, but I was stoked anyway..just to be out in so little wind.

    3

    I checked later and the wind was dropping rapidly as soon as I had gone in, it was probably about 6-7mp when I was out...on an 11m LEI kite!

    Next I'm really looking forward to getting the new Shinn/Zeeko Hydro Foil set up asap and mastering the downwind tacks and gybes etc

    I'm absolutely hooked, OK I can't wait till the next big storm with loads of swell to use my trusty surfboard but I'm loving this so much now I'm happy with 12mph for now!

    So to summarise, it really really is amazing, it's extremely hard to put into words what the feeling is like, silky smooth, knife through butter etc etc .....but you will have to try it for yourself and see if you can describe it any better.

     

  • Predicting a Sea Breeze

    We've recently had a pretty annoying lack of decent winds especially when we add in the factor of trying to run our school and kitesurfing lessons.

    Early May we had a good run of suitable winds and managed to get a good amount of students through their 2 day (and even 5 day) courses.....then this fine weather we are presently enjoying, great for the BBQ's  killed the winds!

    Frustrating for our uber keen students but also extremely frustrating for us as a professional full time kitesurf school trying to arrange cover with instructors etc on a slight "chance" of some wind....it also ultimately means no lessons, no money!

    So what is a sea breeze, well the simple answer is that the land heats up quicker than the cold air over the sea, it then rises and the cold air over the sea rushes in to replace the rising warm air.

    See the image below to better explain this.

    seabreezeNOAA

    Fortunately for us as we live so close to the beach that does regularly produce these breezes (Porthcawl & Aberavon S.Wales) we can jump on it as and when the wind may just build enough. This can be even more frustrating for students waiting on there lessons to be run and wondering why we are getting the odd sessions in whilst we are saying it's not suitable for them, what they don't see is the hours stood on the beach just waiting for the wind to pick up..just another 2-3 knots please!!

    It is normally required to be a nice warm sunny start to the day with the classic "The Simpsons" clouds in land (the big white fluffy ones! With no clouds out over the sea. If we are lucky we may get a decent 20 knots or so for a few hours, the problem is predicting when this may happen.

    It's worth noting that in general we are extremely lucky that we do indeed get any sea breezes at all, the further west you head into Pembrokeshire etc they rarely get a sea breeze. It's basically that the beaches and more importantly the hills/forestry etc inland from the beaches help produce these favourable conditions.

    For our kitesurfing lessons we ideally need 4-5 hours of at least 15mph winds pref from a westerly direction (onshore/cross onshore) Factor in tides also and it starts to get very difficult to bring all the requirements together. When it happens we take it for granted and then...it's gone again!

    Check the clouds in the distance over the land/hills in this photo....and clear blue skies over the sea. Typical of a sea breeze.

    11855757_10153399601406294_274538311844245402_n

    Typically in the past, a sea breeze would kick in around 12pm as the land inland heats up and would then last until approx. 6pm when the land begins to cool back down again. So a good 6 hours of useable conditions.

    The last few weeks however the winds have been all over the place with occasionally a breeze just barely enough for a quick 30-60mins or riding and then as quick as it arrived it's gone! Even equipped with my Hydro Foil board it's barely been enough most times.

    If anyone ever comes up with a way to predict a Sea Breeze then they will most certainly become extremely wealthy very quickly....or at the very least an extremely happy kitesurfer!

    In the past we have had days of sea breeze at say Rest Bay but nothing at Aberavon 7miles away, only for it to then stop and switch the other way around, for no apparent reason.

    The bottom line is....we can't really predict a sea breeze, we can make an educated guess but little more than that.

    Anyway as I right this it looks quite likely we may be getting a change in weather here very soon and hopefully we will all get to have a great summer of warm sunny windy conditions.

     

  • Changing Poncho / Robe

    This has been our most popular seller for quite a few seasons now so we thought we'd enlighten those of you that still don't own one.

    Mystic Changing Poncho's

    We at Blast are blessed with a nice big van to get changed in when at the beach or indeed at one of the many MTB centres we also regularly visit, so getting changed, keeping warm and not flashing our privates to unsuspecting passers by has never been an issue.

    However we recently went to the beach on a particularly miserable windy day and needed to change like most surfers/kitesurfers sat on the lip of the boot.

    Having a poncho was so so much easier and also quicker too!
    Obviously they are pretty much a regular towel too so can still be used as such once down on the beach.

     

    Here's a link to the latest changing robes / poncho's :http://www.blastkiteboarding.co.uk/accessories/poncho-s/

  • 2015 British Wavemasters Championships

    Some of you may well remember that Iksurfmag stepped forward at the last minute to save last years "Wavemasters" in Cornwall......and what an awesome event they ran too.

    Since it was such a last minute event last year we have all been looking forward to see what they could do with this years event with a little more time to plan things.

    524122_10152749920626294_8003562218963544607_n

    Both the teams at IKSURFmag and Kiteworld Mag have been more hectic than ever, what with running their hugely successful magazines and with all the new 2016 kit coming out and needing reviews etc but also this year they took over the British Freestyle Champs but then this will also helped to hone their organising skills even more.

    Unfortunately there is one element they cannot control - the Weather, and she really didn't want to play ball this year!

    Marc@Blast collecting the goodies Marc@Blast collecting the goodies

    2014 IKSURFMAG WAVE CLASSIC....

    https://vimeo.com/110427541

    The past two months the wind on the west coast has been fickle to say the least. We had a great summer of teaching here at the Blast school but once September arrived so did the lack of good winds, especially on the weekends which is when we needed them the most.

    It became that bad Sarah and I decided to do a last minute trip to Morocco (there was no wind here to run lessons so why not) to get some much needed wind/surf, 6 out of 8 days it cranked!

    Sarah & Marc in Morocco

    https://vimeo.com/139802027

    Since returning we have only one weekend we could run lessons and these were in Easterly winds on the Gower, not our usual westerlies at either Porthcawl or Aberavon.

    So, as the week of the Wavemasters approached everyone was getting excited, surely October in Cornwall would produce the goods?

    Two weeks prior to the comp I saw the long term farming forecast and...it didn't look good! A huge high pressure was due to take over much of the Atlantic and in so doing so would pretty much rule out any deep lows swinging our way.

    Sure enough this is exactly what happened.

    The decision was made by Rou and Jim that the comp was not going to run...a tough call to make but the correct decision for sure. The winds were due to be very light mostly ENE with a very slight chance of wind for the Wednesday and small swell also.

    It's such a long way for many people to travel with some coming from the far reaches of the UK such as George Noble up in North Scotland.

    Sometimes this sport sucks balls!

    But then again this is also the very reason that makes those special days just that...special!

    A special day in Tiree for the 2014 Wavemasters A special day in Tiree for the 2014 Wavemasters

    560045_10151853594181294_1402580937_n

     

    I'm not sure if there will be a new date added once a good forecast is seen however I really hope it's not any time at the beginning of November as I'll be away in Brazil with Dimitri from Epic Kites doing a photo/video shoot and opening a new dealer/school.

    Whatever the outcome, it is the hands of mother nature to have the last word on whether it goes ahead or not.

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