Hey, it’s going to be 50F at Clinton for Wednesday, wuuhuu! It will need a week of 40/50 F probably for the ice to tow, but one can hope at least. Any bold predictions as to when we’ll start sailing again? We can start a bet . I’m betting a round of beer that I’ll sail on Clinton by the end of January

I know the topic is Clinton Lake Season 2018. But I can't resist, my 2018 season began today in Cedar Falls IA with 8 F temperatures, wind about 10-15 that increased to about 15-20 mph, on 3-4 inches of about week old snow over about 8 inches of ice, using a snow-ski sled with an ancient 5.4 Windwing, a 2001 North boom and a 2014 460 Epic Gear mast, wearing a motorcycle helmet, wool scarf, wool mittens inside bigger mittens, ski pants, sweat pants, parka, fleece jacket, shirt, long sleet t-shirt, wool socks, warm boots and a big grin.

And I get to sail again Sunday, Tuesday and probably later in the week.

If Clinton doesn't open up and you need a windsurfing fix come to Cedar Falls IA. I have two snow-ski sleds plus one with blades for ice and an extra motorcycle helmet.

I can't resist either...
I sailed a bit on Jan 2nd and then 3 straight hours on the 4th, riding a JP FSW 102 and an old Northwave 5.2 in shorts and a rash guard to keep my sunburn under control. We were on Long Cay (Glover's Reef), an atoll off the coastof Belize. It was a totally amazing week. Will post pics and vids soon
Drew

Awesome and thanks for the kind invitation Del, but I don’t believe I’m as tough as you /not even close/, being born and having spent most of my life in a warmer country I still can’t get used to temperatures this low. After 13 years in Illinois I still freak out when facing anything below 40 F.
Anyway, I’m not sure if sailing on ice or in Paradise like Drew count as a start of the windsurfing season in Illinois, but I may be wrong

Carlyle is showing signs of thawing!

Ady, my criteria for a day sailed in my "windsurfing season in Iowa" is any day I sailed using a windsurfing rig (universal joint, mast base, mast, boom & sail) on a board (windsurfer, or a board with wheels, skis or blades) that moves me across a surface (fluid water, asphalt, cement, ground, packed snow, or ice) in Iowa. As of January, 2018 my months in a row is 287 (March 1994 to now).

My wintertime sessions are much shorter than the rest of the year. They go like this: at the site keep the van running, put several sets of mittens on dash getting the full heater/defroster treatment, unload board or sled, rig sail, attach rig to board, adjust everything so the wind won't blow it away, get back in the van, put on elbow & knee pads and motorcycle helmet, take one set of mittens off dashboard and put them on, turn off the van, get out and sail until fingers are too cold, return to van, restart & run van using heater/defroster to re-warm the just used mittens, when hands are warm put on the 2nd set of warmed mittens, turn off the van & sail again. This time the sailing will last longer because hands stay warm longer the 2nd time. Keep repeating the hand warming cycle as needed. Maybe the first sail time is only 10 minutes, if so the 2nd one will be about 30 minutes. I usually alternate 2-3 pairs of mittens.

For me personally the water in it’s fluid form is what makes this sport so magnificent, Del. I love the water, there is something deeply spiritual for me to play in it. Sometimes I feel like a little child playing with it’s mother. The Water is where life begins after all.
And besides, rules are different here in Illinois

Ady, we agree windsurfing on water is better than sailing on any other surface, (even in drysuit weather, if you have the time & safety). And we agree one of the "universal joints" of windsurfing is we get to make our own rules.

Where we seem to disagree is in my choice to believe "being in flow in the wind" on other surfaces is a beneficial substitute for water windsurfing when water is not available.

One consideration for me in wetsuit weather is the tiny amount of set up time (before & after) required to land sail compared with windsurfing on water. In wetsuit weather if I have a free 75 minutes to get from kitchen door back to kitchen door the best I could hope for would be 15 minutes of windsurfing. If I choose to land sail instead, I can do everything needed, sail for at least 30 minutes and be back in my kitchen before the time is up. Even when I have quite a bit more time the ease and convenience of land sailing will usually lead me to choose land sailing when the weather is cold. If the wind is only 10 mph would you choose to windsurf in cold weather? 10 mph works just fine for land sailing and I still get to be "in the flow in the wind."

Windsurfing on water is the best. It has all of the magnificence & spirituality Ady describes. I love being in a state of graceful, in flow, in the wind. Some of that, enough to be beneficial, is also found sailing with a windsurfing rig on a wheeled land board, on skis on snow or blades on ice.

Agree with all the above. Still doesn’t count as windsurfing though. It’s like comparing skateboarding with surfing. Nothing wrong with it, but...

wgntv.com/2018/01/09/this-michigan-surfe...up-recent-cold-snap/
addicted to water-can’t get any worse then this

We might have a winner next week, hopefully it holds. The good stretch of warm days until then should be enough for the ice to melt , right?!