January 2018, a low-pressure system hit Cabarete over three days. Winds varied between 15 and 45 knots in gusts and violent squalls side swiped the spot. Strong swell brought tons of seaweed hindering sailing, and turned the usual blue-green waters into an inhospitable brown. The following videos and photos from the beach were captured by Andrea from the Vela Cabarete center using a one-of-a-kind camera + binoculars combo to reach us over the reef.
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The Cabarete Storm Chase Video!
Some media suggestions on the extreme subject :)
Cabarete Storm Chase! top ⇧
Conditions:
- Difficult winds, barely sailable, 17 to 45 knots, gusts and changing direction
- Large wind shadow over the shore, side-off direction on the beach, side-on to side in the waves
- Water state rather correct in the bay, North Sea conditions over the reef, 3m min, 4m+ in the biggest sets
- Tony 180lbs 4.5 overpowered, Manu 150lbs 4.5 (umm... what's after overpowered :D ?)
- Bonus point: 0,0 kites
Manu's End Result:
- Dozens of backloop attempts including one landed flat with one foot in the straps
- Survival wave riding
- White water up the nose
- Small muscle tear in right quad and left hamstring
- Hard to walk the next day and climb downstairs
- Head filled with images, hard to find sleep the first night :)
- Almost forgot... blisters beneath hand calluses :D !
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- Difficult winds, barely sailable, 17 to 45 knots, gusts and changing direction
- Large wind shadow over the shore, side-off direction on the beach, side-on to side in the waves
- Water state rather correct in the bay, North Sea conditions over the reef, 3m min, 4m+ in the biggest sets
- Tony 180lbs 4.5 overpowered, Manu 150lbs 4.5 (umm... what's after overpowered :D ?)
- Bonus point: 0,0 kites
- Dozens of backloop attempts including one landed flat with one foot in the straps
- Survival wave riding
- White water up the nose
- Small muscle tear in right quad and left hamstring
- Hard to walk the next day and climb downstairs
- Head filled with images, hard to find sleep the first night :)
- Almost forgot... blisters beneath hand calluses :D !
Me and Tony DOM-1, the only 2 riders in the morning 45-knot squalls :D !
The dotted lines are the actual base wind. Overall what the wind gauge shows matches what it felt like on the water.
The wind would come with the rain, it was magic and chaotic all at once.
Islands of seaweed that would clamp onto our fin(s) every 20-30 yards, jump timing was critical!
Darn seaweed!!! Even for those on multi-fins, they were a problem because of their branches...
Priority rules? Well not to worry too much here... :D ! Alone in the bay, just me and the seaweed. They would come in cycles every 20-30 minutes.
First run out, where's the exit?
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Edwin aka "Bladdy" (or Vladi, or Vladdi, or...), a youngster from the Vela center, been windsurfing since a kid.
On 4.8 !!! He tried one backloop and was spending time watching us resting on his board from time to time but at least he was out !
Bladdy coming in, watch the shorebreak!
Tony, the master, backloop.
Manu looking to mimic the master :D !!! Don't make fun of the height, well rather... go for it :D !!!
I didn't have my best tries filmed but at least I got some.
With nice vertical ramps, it was at least one attempt with each run.
Slightly inverted on this one. On higher ones, I have a tendancy to open the sail and untuck my legs which causes me
to land flat ! I need to focus on keeping my back hand sheeted in and really try to get the nose of the board to touch
down first to keep control of the sail when the board hits the water.
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The same jump at the same time from a different angle.
Andy G-121, joining us in the afternoon in more manageable winds between 20 and 30 knots.
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Love the colors, so flashy!
One of my favorite shots, with the board straight up and vertical, perfect timing with the wave,
clear photo. It only lacked a bit of speed to reach the heights that Andy is used to flying, absolute beauty, really!
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The same jump, just an instant later, the board tilts back down to control landing, classy Andy!!
Here, after riding the wave, he pumped a couple of times to try and get out of the wave which
is trying to suck him back in :D ! Not so easy as the wind had already come down a bit, I was already back to shore.
Today's Game... Find Andy before he disappears.
A nice late forward loop over Tony, show-off!!!!
Tony, backloop, style and elegance...
Tony, pushloop, a ballerina, beautiful!
Side-off shorebreak, a good meter, boom!
Complicated to enter and exit, haha :D !
I truly went for it on this backloop but over-rotated and at around 3-meter height, it could have ended badly!
Sometimes, it's just not happening!
Jumping to get the weeds off!
An interesting comparison between a classic camera showing nice elevation variations vs the wide-angle camera where the horizon looks completely flat even though so much closer.