Just waves today...

We tried to get started early today, by getting out to Ho'okipa first thing-ish. There was some delay, Guy had something to do, and we had to wait for Jurgen to get his makeup on before we could leave. Hey ho...

It was absolutely pounding with rain last night again - it woke me up at 5 am it was so loud. So today we were watching the video from yesterday under the canopy, with the spray misting under the roof as the wind gusted around. Incredible rain, huge fat drops, but somehow it doesn't seem so bad when it's going to stop and possibly even be sunny any moment.

Hayl'kipa?? So where are we exactly??

An impressionistic surfer 

Anyhow, we headed for Ho'okipa in the rain... loaded with Steve, Mark and Jurgen, it was pretty cosy. Quite fun really! But Ho'okipa was just crap - no wind initially, lots of rain, and nobody out, although to be fair, Mauians don't do rain. So Sprecks again...

Just four windsurfin' guys...

We got rigged up because it was windy - 4.2 and the 84l board today. I set out for the waves, after a bad start - put the mast together the wrong way, and then put the boom on upside down, not an encouraging start. And then it rained... and then the wind dropped! Fortunately I'd headed back on the basis that when the rain goes, the wind drops usually, which was a bit lucky because lots of other people were left stuck.

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging around, in alternating rain and sun, waiting for the wind to come back. People were hiding in all sorts of places, in case Guy came round and suggested we should take advantage of the momentary wind intervals - Mark did at least once, and struggled to get back. Then the clouds in the east cleared, the sun came out, and the wind came up - time to go! A great session of wind and waves, got some air, even some wave rides, definitely improving.

It was looking a bit less windy, and I was tired, so time for a break. Headed back for a snack bar and a drink, and possibly a warm-up - my right arm is really painful, to move and hold things, and it just needed some rest. There was a period of confusion - Guy was nowhere to be found, he wasn't taking pictures, and his van had gone! Eventually he appeared and said we had ten minutes to get pictures, before the rain came in and the wind dropped again, and Steve had taken the van to the hospital to get his foot checked out. That meant that our van had to take Guy's and Mark's kit as well as our own...

A proper windsurfing van...

Another great session! Shorter, but got a monumental jump in (pci courtesy of GC Industries to come...), and another good ride or two. The wind faded again, so buzzed back to the beach, and packed away. Home for a Paia Fish Market takeaway - the seafood pasta, incredible meal - and a magnum of champagne from Pol Roger, courtesy of Guy's sponsors! Just spending the last evening together looking at pictures - I'll miss Paia, it's a cool place. Hopefully we'll all be able to share the pictures we've jointly taken. A great trip.