Indoor surfing in Montreal

We planned a great surprise for Len for the holidays. An indoor surfing adventure at Surf Oasis in Montreal.

We loaded up the Traverse and headed east. One Timmies stop and a good long nap for Timo later and we were in Montreal checking into our ALT hotel. At 4:30 pm we got back in the car to "go swimming" and drove through the DIX30 outdoor urban mall to the Surf Oasis. Len was definitely surprised as just 2 days prior we'd been surfing in 0°c waves on Georgian Bay.

I'd done some research and Surf Oasis is the only indoor wave pool in Canada. They can take up to 12 surfers per 1/2 hour and we booked some hour long sessions so we could take turns on the wave, cheering and watching Timo.

The wave is intimidating as it is inevitable that you will fall. The instructors explain how falling on your back into the shallow water is the best way to go down. We each got on the boards and were standing for 20-30 seconds. But as this was our first session no one was really feeling in control. On my last attempt I fell and slightly extended the tendons on the top of my foot.

We dried off and got a nice table for dinner. I had scrumptious steak tartare. There was surfer who clearly had spent many hours on the wave and was jumping onto his board from the side, carving and spraying buckets of water. Two younger women were self launching off the sides and getting very long rides. It was great to see what is possible on the wave.

The next day we explored old Montreal, drove on the F1 track, and visited the Karsh exhibit at the Musee de Beaux Arts. Our meals were fantastic everywhere we went.

On the way out of town, we picked up wood fired bagels and returned to the Surf Oasis. Vanessa, Len and Jen were looking more comfortable on the wave. I really had an epiphany when I started self launching at the side. I wound up trying some 180s and 360s which were fun.

We headed back on the 401 smiling and with a few bruises. My thighs were sore for several days. It was awesome to take our first mini vacation out of Ontario for the first time in 2 years. I'm looking forward to trying it again next time we are in Quebec.

Boxing Day surfing with Len & skiing with Jen

It’s been over 20 years since I surfed and skied on the same day. Back when we visited the Gorge regularly I had a memorable day where I went skiing on Mount Hood in the morning, then windsurfed on the Columbia River in the afternoon (and even golfed 9 holes at twilight).

Len had already been telling me about his two surfing adventures over the Christmas holidays. The forecast for Boxing Day was looking ok with temperatures near zero and some north wind building small waves on Georgian Bay. He convinced me that it would be fun and he was right! We got into our wetsuits at his place and drove the 8 minutes to the beach.

The shore at Sunset beach is a smooth rock bottom so the waves form pretty consistently. At under a metre high (under a foot using Hawaii back of the wave measurements), it took a while to find a wave. It took even longer for me to catch one, but eventually I got one wave on my knee and one wave standing for a second. Then Len had a go for a few and then I got an even longer one.

I went back to the car and got my camera and some shots of Len riding a decent one. We walked back to the shore and waved at some curious onlookers. In my 6/5/4 hooded wetsuit I was still dry above my waistline after 40 minutes in the water. My fingers and toes were a bit cold, but nothing was stinging. We drove back with the heat on full in the car smiling about our adventure.

Len getting the board ready

The rocky shore

Decent waves

Len styling on the wave

Session smiles

Len in his element

Asda

Short but fun waves

Ice possible drive with care!

(Note from my car during the warm up self test

Later that night Jen and I went out for a few runs of nights skiing. Surfing and Skiing on the same day; we are liking living in Collingwood!

Night skiing…
The Sunset Beach surf spot is way
in the distance beyond the snow making

Windsurfing in Ontario in December!

I brought my gear down from the Launch Pad hoping to maybe score a mid-November wave-sailing session. As it turned out, my busy retirement schedule and the weather didn't align for any of the many windy days we've seen in the last 4 weeks. 

Blue Mountain ski resort had just opened for skiing Friday but the forecast for Saturday was 15c and SW gales. I loaded the Freewave 116 and 3 sails into the car for our drive to Barrie. I rigged at Minet's point which I've never sailed at but is very convenient.

I launched in 12c air and I'm guessing 6c water. I floundered on my first 3 attempts to beach start.

I did get going, heading out almost 1/2 across Kempenfeldt bay. The conditions were pretty gnarly, with the occasional whirlwind of spray circling downwind. I was nervous about losing my gear or getting hurt and facing a side offshore wind. I wasn't cold - my 6-5-4 hooded wetsuit kept me dry. Only my fingers felt a bit cold from the evaporation outside my 1.5 mil gloves.

Good windsurfing near downtown Barrie

I'm guessing that is the iWindsurf weather station?

December mission accomplished

I think I should have done longer runs to the other shore. Looking at the map now, it would have been easier to be rescued over there if I had an issue. Plus I would have had longer runs!

4 runs out and back

Heading out almost 1/2 way across Kempenfeldt bay

It's just 1.6 km across
I should have gone the full distance a few times

As it turned out my anxiety, looming sunset, sore arms and lack of fitness had me stop the session after just 4 runs out and back. I did 4 km in 15 minutes, max speed 39 km/h with 2/4 dry jibes.

Speed and (inaccurate) heart rate

By the time I was packing up the temperature had dropped to 7c as the cold front continued to show gusts to 100km/h and over 400,000 Ontarians wound up having a power outage due to downed power lines.

Wind storm Hydro outage map

Pretty happy on the drive home in my wetsuit

Luckily I was headed to a hot tub!

I've never windsurfed in Ontario in December before. I'll be in better shape next time we have a record warm day! 

Addendum: I went snowboarding then skiing the next two days...

Last Launch Pad session of 2021

It was supposed to be windy all day long so I was happy to arrive at the Launch Pad at 3pm and get on the water at 3:30… The wind was 20 knots from the west and the rain and hail squalls were south of us but made for a spectacular view.

Excited to go shortboarding

Booties on for 10c water

Great views of the storms south of us

I unpacked the Skate 108 which I’d already put away for the season! I didn’t think I’d actually get in a shortboard session during our 48 hour closing visit. I was tempted to rig the 4.8 but decided since the wind would likely eventually taper off, to take the already rigged 5.6 Idol.

The wind was 8c and the water 10c. I was happy I decided to wear booties, and the 6/5/4 hooded wetsuit kept me very comfortable. The water was nice and clear again so it was easy to see the shoals. For a few minutes I saw a nice rainbow, so maybe they aren’t so rare?

I started making my way upwind and stopped and restarted my GPS watch which was actually working - just showing weird info. So the total session would up being 30 km in 75 minutes. Max speed was 45 km/h and I was planing for 77% of the time.

I did make a few duck jibes and had a few decent planing jibes, but most jibes were short radius slow jibes to help make my way upwind. I tried one carve 360 and one Vulcan; neither were successful. I was wearing booties and thinking if I’d landed the Vulcan I’d need to be like Andy Brandt and wear booties forever?

View from the west - navigating the islands

Post session weather report

I caught the windy part

Some nice long runs in the 2nd half.

While derigging I noticed that the Idol needs a new batten. After 4 years of being constantly rigged all summer (and one 2 week session in Bonaire), it definitely takes its toll on battens.

We got the place closed up for the winter - I left my 4.2 rigged to try on the snow - and my 2 inflatable wings are up there - hope to try those with skates again.

Shutting down the island (and the wind)

We were out at the Launch Pad in the morning shutting things down for the season. The NE wind was gusty and less than the last few days. 

I figured it would die as soon as we got there but after an hour of being teased by 10-15 knot gusts I decided to head out on the 6.5 NP V6 and the Techno with the 76 cm foil.

Of course then it really dropped off.

The wind died right when I headed out

Still a nice tour around the island enjoying the clear water

Air was 10c and the now clear again water was 12c. We finished tasks enjoying the sunshine for the rest of the day and were treated to a nice sunset. There may be one chance of a session next week but that will be it for the Launch Pad this year…

The sun is setting pretty far south now

Smells like low tide

Strong NE winds were on tap. After some more stair construction and a charity conference call I headed out to the Launch Pad. 

The wind meter was showing 14-20 knots so I took the 5.6m Idol sail and the 140 l Stingray with the 99 cm foil. (I wanted to wing foil but knew the gusty offshore wind would make it hard to get back upwind.)

I headed out from the dock and immediately got planing on the foil. The northeast wind was relatively warm at 10°C. However it was blowing all the water down to the southern part of the Bay! The water level up here had dropped so much that the normally submerged algae on the rocks was exposed for the first time in several years? It certainly smelled like the ocean when the tide goes out.

My neighbour’s dock today…

It was super gusty and I was glad I was on a windfoil and not a shortboard windsurfer or a wing foil. I stayed dry for 32 minutes and was getting ever more comfortable in my jibes. I did then eventually started falling and getting colder, especially after a good duck jibe attempt. 

Lots of time on the foil during the first 1/2 of my session.

10°C air and 12°C water meant I was good in my 5/4 wetsuit, hat and booties but didn’t need gloves. 

The wind rose that iWindsurf creates out of the data it gets from my Tempest weather station shows how rare NE winds are. The data is from Sept so I’m interested to see once we have a full month of October data.

I did 13 km and then headed back for a warm shower and a few island projects including repairs to the makeshift sailboat dolly assembled out of old windsurf parts.

Hope it works this time…

Another nice sunset would end the day