2 Weeks, 2 "Big Wednesdays"!

OK so I haven't updated for a while. Well, what can I say. Spring has finally arrived here in Rhode Island, and I'm taking pretty much all the time (not that much) left from classes and studying to hit the water as much as I can.

So, last Wednesday, after all that rain we had, I was smelling BIG WAVES in the air. Surfline also helped.

I went SUPing at Tuckermans, a deep water break in between 1st and 2nd beach... The waves were double overhead PERFECTION. Not a breath of wind. Very gloomy atmosphere.

For almost 1 hour I was out by myself with these bombs breaking, at this lonely point sticking out pretty far out from shore. Paddling out in the channel, I realized my knees were actually shaking a bit, while looking on the side these huge monster bodies of water breaking, and spraying soo much off the back.
It took me a while to get some balls to go a bit deeper and deeper to catch one of these boms. The first one I took, my heart was pounding, and I was sweating in 5 degrees air. Once I got picked up, this THING just kept growing and growing underneath me. That wave was so massive by my standards that looking down the line, I felt like I was snowboarding down a trail! No joke!


After a few like that, Cody, who works at the Hooley shop in Newport, came out as well. Much better to be together with someone in those conditions. The timing of what happened next is just INCREDIBLE. This clear-out set that came broke right on top of me. Other than going MASSIVELY over the falls, i suddenly felt the leash snapping. When I resurfaced, other than noticing the even bigger 2nd wave of the set about to DESTROY me, I also realized my board was wayyyy gone. I swam like 15 minutes, in the middle of NOWHERE, in frigid water, getting pounded in double overhead waves, without a board and a f*** useless paddle in my hand! Not a nice swim. To make it worse, I kept on thinking at those "sharks' week" episodes I watched with Chris the weekend before. So finally I got back on the board, and since the tide was getting a bit too high for the spot to really work, we headed to 2nd beach for some more relaxed time.

At 2nd it was pretty packed with surfers and not as huge. Some nice rollers, not very powerful. I made a solid knot to keep the leash together and there stayed till dark.

So that was last week's Big Wednesday.

This weeks's (today actually) was another great day on the water, this time kiting.

Now, to look further at the factors that has brough together my sick session today here's a few technicalities, where I let the (soon-to-be) scientist in me (yes, apparently, there is such thing!) speak. Since last Monday is has really started to get warm around RI. As the specific heat of the land surfaces (in general) is less than the surrounding waters', the land warm up faster than the Ocean. things warm up by this "incredible heat" that we've been having, hot, moist air evaporates from land, and of course hot air rises, creating an area of lower pressure. Since stuff, in general, moves from areas of high to low, following the same logic air moves from high temp to low temp areas, so it moves over the Ocean, and there is sinks since now it's cooler. Now the air above the Ocean has a slightly greater pressure. And back to the same logic, this air now goes from areas of hight pressure (Ocean) to areas of low (land).

What does that mean? SEA-BREEZE! SW thermals! SW thermals have therefore have kicked in big time around here. Seabreeze, as seen, is overall driven by the gradient between the land's hotter temperature and the Ocean water's cooler temp. What does that mean again?! I want the biggest gradient I could possible find around, to get some CRANKING WIND! For,  this time of the year is the best for seabreezes, since the gradient between air temp (hot!) and water temp (still freezing!) is the greatest. It also means that the sea-breeze happens to be wayyy stronger here in the in-land Bristol than by sea-side Middletown, again due to that greadient (Middletown, by being so close to the Ocean, doesn't get as hot as Bristol. Smaller gradient. No-good wind).

So, all this technical explanation to say that Monday (didn't go out) and today we had such great wind. And today was such a great kiting session. Right in my own backyard. Well, I don't have a backyard, but IF I HAD ONE, Bristol Harbor would be it!

I know you can't wait to hear more technicalities of this sort, so tomorrow (or, better, sometime soon), more technicalities about my backyard's kiting specs!

Double SUP sesh @ Tuckermans and 2nd!

Today was just U N R E A L !!

Awesome conditions out there, way overhead waves, not a breath of wind, gloomy light, and a great Tuckermans (outer break) all for myself for over an hour!

Among the highlights of the day: broke my leash pretty far out and swam quite a while!

Will post more about it tomorrow. Time for some GIS homework now...

Tomorrow's outlook: Surf's Up!

Hopefully the nasty SE onshore wind should be stopping by early tomorrow AM, and the waves should clean up a bit as the day goes by and the wind turns NE (offshore), turning that messy double-overhead mess into chest high beauty... (yeaaahh riiiigghhtttt)

Looking to get in the water after 2pm...we'll see.

'Snorkeling sites' in Bristol, RI

In recent days I've explored Bristol's potential as a world-class snorkeling spot!

So, throw on your googles and snorkel and dive in with me in the exploration of historic Bristol town's variopinct marine life, to be found hidden all across the streets...

Am I going nuts? Not at all! Click here to find out for yourself!

Here's what Franky from NOAA's National Weather Service informs us on how the snorkeling conditions should get even better by tomorrow, and some important tips on how to survive these radical snorkeling conditions! ;)

Bristol (Rhode Island)

FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
703 PM EDT TUE MAR 30 2010
...THE FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM EDT FOR URBAN
AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN EASTERN CONNECTICUT...RHODE ISLAND AND
EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AT 655 PM EDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN
SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS RHODE ISLAND. IN ADDITION...HEAVY
SHOWERS OVER THE ISLANDS MAY WORK INTO SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS OVER
THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. SOME LOCATIONS MAY PICKUP AN ADDITIONAL INCH
OF RAINFALL OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
WHILE THE HEAVIEST RAIN SHOULD COME TO AN END BY LATE
EVENING...MAJOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS
RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS THE ENTIRE NIGHT. THIS IS
AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. DO NOT DRIVE
THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS OR DRIVE AROUND POLICE BARRIERS!
MEANWHILE...ANOTHER BAND OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUES TO AFFECT
NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS. THE AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF THIS
RAIN SHOULD DIMINISH SOME BY LATE EVENING...BUT AN ADDITIONAL ONE
HALF TO 1 INCH OF RAINFALL REMAINS POSSIBLE. SIGNIFICANT URBAN AND
SMALL STREAM FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THESE LOCATIONS AS WELL.
A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED.
STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW AND FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED.
HOWEVER...ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS
IMMEDIATELY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES. NEVER DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE
WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY
APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP
VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODING ROADS MAKE THE
SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF CREEKS AND
SMALL STREAMS. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS...INCLUDING ROADS
AND UNDERPASSES IS ALSO EXPECTED. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS...AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OF COUNTRY ROADS.
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY...INCLUDING UNDERPASSES. THE WATER MAY BE TOO DEEP TO ALLOW
VEHICLES TO CROSS SAFELY...OR THE ROADWAY MAY BE UNDERMINED.
FRANK

Some WATER TIME...

...and by WATER TIME, I mean that it's been freaking pouring for the past 2 days! And it's not gonna stop 'till tomorrow night!

You pretty much have to cross rivers to get through RWU streets, and the earthworms are having a ball!

Now, that's what I call getting some solid WATER TIME!

Tomorrow around 11 o'clock it's supposed to rain something like 4 cm/3h.

But...the waves are also supposed to reach over 12 feet. Wind is gonna be from the ESE mostly (dead onshore), so I expect it to be just huge seas nonetheless, with nothing really rideable.

By WEDNESDAY though, it looks like the wind is shifting to a gusty 15kn offshore NNE going NNW later on, with still some consistent surf lasting to at least chest-high by 6pm (droppig fast from well-overhead earlier in the AM).

Time will tell anyway. For sure is I'll be getting work done NOW, not to having to miss out on anything LATER!

Kiting 3rd Beach

Doppietta!

Just got off the water after scoring a great afternoon flatwater kite session at 3rd Beach.

By 3.30pm, after all the important stuff for the day was out of the way, I was in the water with the. Nobody around; no wonder, it had just finished snowing earlier this morning!

Was super gusty at first, like 15 to 30. Towards the end it became a steady solid 20 knots. Good conditions for the 10.5 Vari Vulcan. The water is still freezing, so I was just keeping it cool, simply boosting around, nothing crazy.

Still, great afternoon, and looking forward to some SUPing this weekend on this NE swell!

SUP 2nd Beach

Well, in the end SUP won over kiting, even though at Colt State Park it was solid 7m wind.

2nd beach was bigger than 1st, so jumped in the water at 3pm. Was there till 7.30pm.

Head high waves, gusty offshore wind, high tide, sunshine. Christian 'HooleyGuy' came out for a surf as well. Great afternoon! Over 4 hours in 6C water really did me good! Put me in the right mood for some Physics studying... ;)

The Nah Skwell SUP 7'8'' is ripping! Such a sick sick board! I'd recomend it both to surfers looking to get more water time, and experienced SUP surfers looking for an aggressive, snappy, slashy, loose progressive SUP board. Contact me for more info.

To the next (Friday looks good...), hopefully with some pics/video!

SUP 1st Beach...Soon

The current conditions at 1st Beach, Middletown are such:

The WNW was blowind strong this AM, but is forecasted to die down in the PM. I'm not gonna risk it to go kiting, as NW wind is renown to be the biggest b**ch around here...

But nonetheless, looks like great SUP conditions down there. Classes done at 2pm; uni work all done for today. Soon in the H20!

Davide

Big Nor'Easter on our way...

So, let's see, what's new here in New England... A pretty good sized Nor'Easter will be hitting "our" shores this weekend.

A lot of rain is expected. And a lot of wind. And a lot of waves. Sounds like the perfect setup to me!

We'll see how North this beast will be, but should be pretty gusty, cold, and wet no matter! Could be fun in Newport, maybe? Boston, Cape, and Matunuck spots are off the charts for me, due to lack of willingness to sit my rear-end (i.e: culo) in the MPV for more than 30min. Otherwise the sport I'll end up doing would be much driving and not so much kiting (or windsurfing)...

Oh yeah, and also my Spring Break has officially started today. I Will DEFINETLY get in the water between one job application and another!

We'll see how this one goes!

Mellow

That's the word to describe these days here in RI.
Was down in Middletown this Sunday; there was a tiny S swell.

The longboarders were getting some pretty good smooth rides.

I debated whether to go out with my my only board (a super tight 5'10''), and of course I was stupid enough to get in the H2O.

Was pretty stupid. Couldn't catch much with the super small board and will all that rubber, and especially with my cook-style.

Oh well, better than an afternoon on the physics book...

Water was 36 degrees (2 C), air around 40 (4 C). Soo fun.

I'll catch you guys here next weekend, same place same time...

Oh yeah, on a side note, I've been integrating Laird Hamilton's workout in my daily workout...hopefully it will show next time in the water in real conditions...sometime...soon...maybe...?!

Speaking of which, I'm considering switching my shortboard for a cheap SUP board, the "radical" kind, in order to get more time in the water. Drop me a line if you can help me out!

I'll catch you on the next blog-worthy event!

PS: A shout out to my "Most Powerful Van" van, for always being loyal to me... ;)

Uni life

It's all cool here in Bristol, RI.

Nothing epic happening these days. Just kepping up with classes, studying, keeping fit and blah blah.

Went in the water this past Sunday at Fogland. Kited a very gusty and cold NW front, with the brand new 2010 Vari Vulcan 10.5m (souvenir from Kailua) and surfboard.

Was flat as only a cove can be, but no way to get going a bi-directional. Water temp was 2 C (36 F), and air 4C (40 F). Great tropical weather to get pulled around with a kite! Yeah, uhm...NOT that epic. Maybe not the best decision of my life, but nonetheless I got in the H2O, and that's what counts. Right? Guess Chris felt the same, as he decided to go slogg around (windsurf) on his 4.9m. He got some gusts though, and showed off some esliders, flakas, misty-flips, etc, definetly polished by the Bonaire training.

As for uni, been taking this GIS course and got a lot into it. Definetly something to keep in mind post-graduation (May baby, hell yea!). Looking to do a final GIS project involving a current issue in Hawaii. Any experts out there with some suggestions?

I will also start working (soon hopefully) at filing the Climate Action Plan for Roger William University's commitment at the Presidents Climate Commitment. The work takes off from where we left last year, with the University's Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory.

So yeah, a bunch of pretty interesting stuff to keep my brain occupied with...

To the next - maybe a bit less nerdy - entry!

Back in Rhode Island

And here I am again, back online.

Things have gone by fast. My semester on Oahu has come to an end, and I've returned to Rhode Island to finish off my bachelor degree.

It's been quite a shock, going from the heavenly place that Oahu is, to the less-heavenly East Coast US.

But still, life is good. University is great, and the contrast of the cold snow blizards with the warm blue waters has its beauty.

It's a whole different lifestyle here on the East Coast, but it's just a matter of adjusting.

As Zander, the author of the book I've been reading, writes, "There's no such thing as bad weather. There's just inappropriate cloathing".

This quote pretty much sums it all up.

I don't kiting or surfing happening any time soon, though (not even with "appropriate cloathing"!). It's just not the weather to do it. Today, as a matter of fact, many schools and universities from Washington D.C. and up were closed due to this harsh snowstorm we've been getting.

Will keep you updated, and do come check back for a whole post with the highlights and lowlights (?) from O'ahu...

Davide

GREEN MARKET on Ft. Street Mall and SUSTAINABILITY

As I have recently started interning as the sustainability coordinator intern at Hagadone co., my "boss" Myah Ely and I partecipated at the Green Market, which took place today all day on Ft. Street Mall, in Honolulu (Oahu).

Hagadone has been the biggest printing company in Hawaii for years, and in several years it has greatly focused on sustainability and "green efforts", seeing it as a way to set up from competition and, of course, feel good about themselves as well (which never hurts...).

Improving paper recycling on the island is obviously a strong objective for Hagadone. I am surprised, given the American efficiency in most issues, that Oahu does not seem to have a State-run paper recycling program, but it's left up to community programs or individual companies with an underlying interest in it (such as Hagadone).

Some of the strategies the Sustainability Team (which I am now part of) have created and implemented involve recycling and more.

All those unwanted, erraneous, out-of-date print jobs that would otherwise end up in the landfill, can be pretty conveniently picked up by Hagadone's trucks where regular deliveries are made. This paper is then shredded and sent in huge bundles back to the mill factory (that's a whole other crazy story I'll tell you one day!), re-transforemed into paper, and then re-bought by Hagadone to print on it. The paper mill factory obviously pays for shredded paper received, creating an incentive for Hagadone to send in more and more used and unwanted paper. It's a win-win situation.

You know all those junk mail, unwanted mail, old magazines, brochures, flyers, and phonebooks stacking up in your mailbox?This program returns all these used products back into the manufactoring process, thus closing the manufacturing-consumption loop, by collecting all these items every 2nd Saturday of each month at the HQ, selling it back to the paper mill factory, which then converts into post-recycled content paper.

This pretty admirable carbon offset program stands at the core of Hagadone's sustainable efforts. For each printed page, the company buys carbon offset credits in equal amount, which support renewable energy, reforestation and similar projects. The company's carbon footprint is therefore reduced, being the first step towards being carbon neutral.

Other cool things I have witnessed are: vegetable-based inks, and energy neutral machineries. That is, some of the energy/resources' outputs of the machineries dedicated to specific mass-scale printing jobs (we are talking huge machines, 1,000 copies/minute) are thrown back in as energy/recources' inputs.

Sustainability means everything and nothing. They say "sustainability" is the "buzz word" of this decennium, or something like that. Well, from what I've witnessed and taken part in today, I can tell you that sustainability is in full swing here in Hawaii, and it's BIG...as BIG as the waves of the North Shore.

The Green Market's goals were not only to educate and inform the public, but also to network one with the other. I believe this is the strenght of these hawaiian green businesses. They have realized they are all in this together; the more people involved spreading the word, the more interest created, the better off everybody is.

As a matter of fact, the business present today at the Green Market revolve around the Sustainability Association of Hawaii. With Hagadone's President, Erwin Hudelist, being the president of the Association, and Myah the Secreatry, I was representing the SA as well. I therefore had the occasion to come up and close with some cool so-called green companies.

Tomorrow I'll tell you more about the businesses showcased at the Green Market.

Oldies but goodies...Fall/Winter 2008 Cape Cod Vids

Check out an old little video I put together from some late season 2008 sessions back in Rhode Island and Cape Cod.

Click on the vid to watch it bigger.



Also, check out Chris' video from some of the same footage.



Btw, how are the slideshows on the right looking?!

OAHU - Day (?!)

Due to the lack of action (for me at least! There's sick waves all around Oahu), I digged out a clip from my goPro surf sessions in town.
Nice left at the spot called Big Lefts (go figure!)...or Baby Haleiwa, not sure...(?!)
Don't mind the poor surfing skills...I'm working on that!

OAHU, Day ??? - Mid-term Exams, scooters, and SUPing

Heading to the North Shore

Well well where to start? It's been a pretty long time since the last blog update. The lack of updates hasn't been due to slacking, but because of these mid-term exams that have kept me super busy throughout these weeks.
I haven't really been able to find the time to get in the water at all, except for:

- A double overhead surf session 2 weeks ago at V-Land, when the first winter swell hit the North Shore (biggest early season swell in 30 years?!).

- A fun SUP session today @ Tennis Courts, in Waikiki. SUP is such a cool way to surf; you're active 100% of the time.


SUP Waikiki


As long as it's not on the books, it's all fun!

I know, this blog is lacking some action pics! But for now, it's good enough that I get time off from school to go in the water...the action pictures will come!

Oh yeah, also check out this sick break on the South Shore (China Wall) from some time ago...


And look what seems to be underneath it! Next on the to-do list!


Oh yeah, and also, as people drving along the Kam Highway for sure have noticed, my scooter has given me some quite a few troubles recently. But see what even Richard Branson has to say...ahah

OAHU Day 14,15,16 - SCHOOOLLL

It's been a pretty hectic week here, with uni courses starting and the scooter giving me problems... But mainly just busy with school work. It's gonna be an interesting semester...

Today, Saturday, I managed to go surfing a few hours this afternoon. We went to the South Shore in Waikiki, and we surfed at this break called ROCKPILE, right next to the famous MOANA BOWLS.

The locals there weren't too willing to share their waves. It was head-high with some overhead sets. Check out this set...

I GOT BARRELED! Super sick.

The goPro camera stopped working at mid-session, but hopefully I got some good footage.

While the SSW swell has been hitting the South Shore since Thursday evening, the North Shore has been getting hammered by the first NNW winter swell it seems. The reports for Sunset Beach were giving 15+ ft (on the face)...double overhead with some sets almost triple overhead. CRAZZYY! Rumors say the famous spot PIPELINE is not working cause of sand deposits that block the waves.

OAHU - Day 13. Classes started

Yesterday my university classes started, so I was pretty much all day on campus.
Everything regular so far.
Highlight of the day: a 4 hours lab course with only 5 students in it!

Today, Wedensday, I already had Physics course at 8am. Now I'm free for a few hours before my next class, but the wind is not up. There is a North swell hitting Oahu though tomorrow, so there should be some big surf.

OAHU Day 12 - WAIKIKI ROUGHWATER SWIM!

Start

The Roughwater Swim was super nice! People competing were really hard-core, at least most of them. Many of them did a running marathon the Sunday before, and a bike race Saturday. Really crazy people.

Finish line. It was packed with spectators earlier.

The swim itself was nice, even though there wasn't much underwater; only spotted a turtle. Time-wise I did OK, around 1hr for the 4km.

The course

On my scooter ride back, I stopped to check out Moana Bowls near-by. Was kinda flat and crowded, due to Labor Day.

Also, I stopped by Diamond Head. No windsurfers out though, the wind was light.

Today was a "0 ft day" for Hawaiian surf reports.

A bit past Diamond Head there's a great uncrowded windsurf spot, at a break called TOES. The wind is light on the inside, but out on the reef it was good enough to catch logo-high waves. Down-the-line pure wavesailing, with only 2 people out. Sounds good to me!

Here you can see the rest of the pic...

OAHU - Day 11. Portuguese Man-of-War encounter and surfing Waikiki

This morning at Kailua Beach I had my first encounter with a Portoguese man-of-war jellyfish...the sting doesn't hurt at all. Haha.
In the afternoon we went surfing at Waikiki at 3 different breaks. Waves were smallish though.
Oh, and it rained all day...I guess it rains also in Paradise! ;)

Tomorrow I'm taking part to the WAIKIKI ROUGHTWATER SWIM, a 4 km swim along the shoreline of Waikiki out on the reef. Should be interesting.
So, I'm heading to sleep early...more updates tomorrow!

OAHU Day 10 - Short kiting, long surfing, and Red Bull Rivals

This morning had a short kite session early morning, but the wind wasn't that strong.

Later in the morning we went to Sandy Beach, on the East Shore of Oahu, where the Red Bull Rivals surf contest was going on, between North Shore and South Shore surfers of Oahu.

The wave was a super steep and nasty beach break, as the it is a famous spot for bodyboarding, with a crazy shorebreak.

Later on we headed to MOANA BOWLS in Waikiki for a long surf session. The forecast was calling for 0-1 ft (hawaiian), but it was actually head height.

The GoPro is working out fantastic, all that needs to improve now is the surfer's poor surfing skills! Got some great footage today which I will edit tomorrow!