I took my new Mega Jester Trident out today in an attempt to familiarise myself with the new surf boat. After nearly 4 years in sea kayaks, I needed gentle conditions to get the hang of it, and to adjust the foot pads etc. But as I arrived in Port Erin the promenade flag poles were buckling in the force 6 to 7 winds! Simply removing the boat from the roof rack and carrying the ultra light carbon Mega to the sea proved difficult enough. And so it was a harsh christening for me and the new boat!
My first impressions were of how vulnerable I felt in this tiny, feather lite kayak. At the same time the infusion moulded carbon/kevlar structure felt rigid and strong, despite the pounding it received. The low profile means that you are mostly in the water rather than on it, until surfing of course. The lack of buoyancy bulk heads offering storage for safety gear such as flares and VHF means you have fewer options, especially when alone as I was. Emptying the boat, even on the beach, is not straight forward as there is no plugged drainage port. Self rescue might be a problem. However, rolling the Mega wasn't!
The waves weren't massive but the wind was menacing. This thoroughbred boat is so sensitive, twitchy and sharp that I constantly had to brace and paddle to stay upright. Its nothing like a sea kayak, and beach surfing is nothing like tidal race paddling. But after 30 minutes I got the hang of it. Being able to spin in a second to catch that perfect wave was a revelation. Once I abandoned the stern rudder and adopted a front "D" stance with my paddle, just flicking left and right as necessary, I got some amazing runs. However, I was surprised at how easily the bow buried itself on steep waves and I had to lean quite far back to maintain momentum.
I've still allot to learn about the boat and beach surfing. I also need to get a spray deck that fits, and doesn't leak and implode. But I think I've made a sound investment enabling me to paddle in virtually any weather conditions now.
www.KAYAK.im
Don't get me wrong, I love my new Mega surf boat. It's as lite as a feather. It surfs like a dream. I really like the visible Kevlar. The red cockpit rim sets off the awesome marbled body beautifully. All I'm saying is that it's amazing what you can achieve with an old paint brush and a tin of white emulsion! (lower photograph of black and white marble effect)
I guess this is a milestone. It's the 200th posting on Isle of Man Kayakblog!
My brain is full of MySQL, php, asp, xml, APACHE and more. I'm trying to figure out data bases and dynamic web sites! So far it's going well, but it does make your brain hurt! I've achieved every thing I've tried to so far but at the same time I've achieved nothing. It's a bit like building your own car from scratch. You may well construct the engine, wheels and body but if you can't make the steering wheel then it's useless. Building dynamic web sites certainly involves many hurdles, and all have to be achieved for these "clever" web pages to work properly. Still, if my car analogy is anything to go by I would guess that if I can build the engine, then making a steering wheel should be a cinch! Only a few more things to figure out .......
I took my new Mega Jester Trident out today in an attempt to familiarise myself with the new surf boat. After nearly 4 years in sea kayaks, I needed gentle conditions to get the hang of it, and to adjust the foot pads etc. But as I arrived in Port Erin the promenade flag poles were buckling in the force 6 to 7 winds! Simply removing the boat from the roof rack and carrying the ultra light carbon Mega to the sea proved difficult enough. And so it was a harsh christening for me and the new boat!
After a circumnavigation of the Calf on Friday, Jess, Ian and myself paddled at Langness, Isle of Man on Saturday.. This was a departure from our usual tidal race obsession, but paddling the flat water in sunny, Spring conditions made a fairly welcome change. Besides, our paddle wasn't completely innocent. We were there to map out some new tidal races which we hope to exploit. I guess we figured that if we could find them at neap tide, they should be impressive at springs. Langness looks promising for future tidal race action and will provide us with an alternative to our usual play spot down at the Calf Sound.
My new Mega Jester Trident surf kayak arrived today. With it's vacuum infusion carbon/Kevlar construction it's as light and rigid as possible. I've not had a chance to use it yet but just staring at it will do for now.
I beat my recent record this morning. I reactivated my Facebook account for 8 minutes before deactivating it again. I guess I'm motivated by herd instinct; everyone is on Facebook and so I should be. Trouble is when I do reactivate it I rapidly become tired and irritated by the whole process. Firstly I have to make sure I am happy with my profile. Facebook chose a photo of me and even cropped it to highlight my face! I didn't like the picture it chose and so I had to find one I did favour and upload it. The few friends I have on facebook then unfold their lives to me - some even tell me what they are eating. I now feel pressurised to do the same but how far should I take this? Just exactly how much detail of my life is required and is anyone really interested? What if I wash my face - do you want to know? I worry someone will "write on my wall" and I may not read it in good time. This could cause them great offence and so again I feel pressurised to be logged on. Perhaps I should install Facebook onto my cell phone and that way the torment could last 24/7! But most of all, I fear someone will throw pooh at me! Yep, I've deactivated my account again.