1320: Wind – 5 knots Waves – 2-3 foot clean

This is the first time either of us had ever sailed the boards in waves and we were pleasantly surprised! They were actually a lot of fun! They certainly weren’t as nimble as a wave board, but they were easy to catch waves on and once on the wave, you had a feeling of carving bottom turns like Francisco Goya as you headed off down the line. Unfortunately the camera never lies and the footage isn’t as radical as it felt but it was a whole lot of fun! Chris managed to ‘hang ten’ and the surfers were much amused by the performances of the two aircraft carriers.

1342: Wind – 7 knots Waves – 2-3 foot clean

The wind had picked up a little allowing us to plane occasionally and as time was getting on, we decided to leave the surfers to their uncrowned surf and head off down the coast. The next destination was Stradbally which was about half a mile down wind and down the beach. We decided to stay close into the beach and waveride our way down the coast.

1345: Wind – 6 knots Waves – 3 foot and dumpy

After more than 20 minutes of solid wave riding, we were starting to get cocky. Although the waves were only about shoulder height in the sets, boards like these are clumsy and when you hit a section, you really feel the weight of the board under your feet. We were starting to push them harder and the steeper shelving beach was making the wave more powerful and dumpy. A disaster was only minutes away!

1347: Wind – 6 knots Waves – 3 foot and dumpy

Whilst trying to get that last turn into the section of the wave, I failed to notice the fast approaching beach. I turned into the last breaking section of the wave, spun my head round to see where it was going to project me, only to see DRY SAND! When you are on a 6Kg wave board, you still have an element of control on a wave, but when you are on 16Kg board with the turning circle of a super tanker you are in trouble! I closed my eyes, bailed from my kit and landed painfully shoulder first on the sand. My kit on the other hand made it 5 meters further up the beach and apart from the boom clamp coming undone was fully intact!

1355: Wind – 4 knots Waves – 3 foot and dumpy

Just before arriving at Stradbally we were greeted by another bunch of bewildered surfers. We got about ten waves to their one, said hello and headed Eastwards to Stradbally where we had arranged to meet our ‘beach support’ for refreshments!

Chris: "It’s light out there Adrian, are you sure we’ll make it?"

Adrian: "Come on, don’t be so soft, I’d get planing easy out there (knowing there wasn’t a word of truth in that comment)."

Chris: "Yes, but your are an IMCO boy at heart."

Adrian: "Shuss…don’t tell everyone."

I had no doubt in my mind, we were going on! Many years spent drifting around on a Mistral One-Design made this look like child's play so we were off to Gary Williams!

1415: Wind – 4 knots Waves – rolling swell

There is something cool about heading off towards the horizon on a windsurfing board, knowing that you won’t be coming back to that beach. It’s hard to explain but I guess it’s very much like the first time you drive a car on your own, after passing your driving test.

1435: Wind – 3 knots Waves – 6 foot rolling swell

Standing upright on a board in light winds and rolling swell takes its toll on your legs and Chris was the first to buckle. He decided to sit down on his board with a foot either side of the mast foot and hold onto the bottom of the sail. Amazingly, he didn’t fall off, he didn’t damage his family jewels and he went just as quick sitting down as standing up. It was time to do the same.

1445: Wind – 3 knots Waves – 6 foot rolling swell

There is something comical about being a mile or so offshore in the middle of no-where, swaying along in a rolling swell, meters away from each other whilst both SITTING DOWN on our boards holding the bottom of the sails. Chris decided it was time to up the stakes again and chose to lie down on his board, still holding the sail up and using the back footstrap as a pillow! Now this really was comical!

1450: Wind – 3 knots Waves – 6 foot rolling swell

We decide the risk of dropping the rig on a vital organ was too great this far out to sea so we clamber back onto our feet and were immediately greeted with sight of a solid breaking wave in the distance, at Gary Williams. Chris had surfed this break before with Jamie Hawkins and started to describe how big it can get and how it breaks straight onto the rocks! Not exactly what I wanted to hear following my enforced beach landing earlier.