I dropped more pics on album. I tried to get some of gear for Ady who sounds like an expert and could do a "Name that Gear" category on Jeopardy. Sunset pics are from Haleakala Crater last night. I have videos but need to convert before I post them. New process for me but Reid is kind enough to help me out. I'll see what I can do later tonight or tomorrow.
I do have a question on footwear. I imagine you use something at Wolf Lake. Walmart here has some for about 25 bucks, just over the ankle with a zipper. The bottom has small nubs and looks pretty durable. I've seen some of the local fisherman with them as they walk the rocky shoreline. I don't imagine you try to spend much on them if they take a beating. Thoughts? I'm going to head to Second Wind today and a Dakine store to look around. Trying to get lessons lined up for next week.

Footwear - first selection is between round toe or split toe. I like the split toe (less slippage/pusing your big toe through the shoe at the front over time). As far as Walmart, I have not bought ones from there so I can't speak to quality. The walmart brands may not be as cushy/comfortable/grippy or as durable (but I don't know cause I dont' own them). I will say, if the walmart shoes just have the webbing thin material as teh top, you are likely to poke your toes through in no time. You see people walking around beach pools/with those type shoes and just walking around is a lot less stress than when you are windsurfing.

Recently, I have liked O'Neil superfireaks (split toe):

www.amazon.com/ONeill-Wetsuits-Superfrea...-Split/dp/B00CBEFR74

Here they are as a round toe: www.amazon.com/ONeill-Wetsuits-Superfrea...029GGQ4T6V2QFWHRHP2N

A lot of people have now gravitated towards Atans (here they are from the shop in WI - various styles/thickness):
www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/shop/index....&manufacturers_id=32

In the past I used to wear Okespors - not sure they are as widespread anymore: www.amazon.com/Okespor-Gorge-Water-Shoe-...8-1&keywords=okespor

Gary thanks for the kind words! I'm not an expert, I just read lots of windsurfing magazines-too much perhaps.
Now about footwear: the neoprene shoes and boots they sell in non windsurfing stores don't work for us. I tried a few unsuccessfully . Unlike Adam I don't like the split toe ones, but it's a personal thing. I use the Atans-the closest thing to barefoot. Also Neil Pryde who are tougher and have an ankle strap. My latest and greatest winter system is a combination of the two: high cut Atans underneath and one size bigger low cut summer NPs on top-much warmer then any thickness single booties and very comfortable . Same applies for the wetsuits-I prefer layering up instead of using s single thicker one. Here is a link for the WI store Adam mentioned:
www.isthmussailboards.com/Windsurfing-We...Booties/products/59/

Thanks for the advice Adam and Ady!
I was at Kanaha today watching some lessons when a guy came out with a SUP and set a large buoy about 2 blocks (+/-) out into the ocean. 30 minutes later about 10 windsurfers came streaming in at the beach where I was sitting from up the beach somewhere. All brand new "Fanatic"? equipment that still had some of the stickers on the bottom of the boards. Three guys had the same gear and attire. 20 minutes later a helicopter appears and all 3 guys take off and started sailing in unison for a photo shoot. I have some pictures to load tomorrow There were 2 groups of 3 and a few other individuals. I couldn't stay for the whole thing but it was pretty cool. They all seemed to have German accents. L8R

Helicopter photo shoot pics have been added to album as well as a few pics for any car fanatics out there!

Cannon Rebel T3i. When I bought it I just bought the body and got an 18-200mm lens. The lense has a stabilizer option on it. I figured at 200 mm this would be a good option. Many years ago I used to have an old Pentax 35 mm with a 270mm lense and I had a 3x adaptor that I would add to it, but you needed a real steady hand to get a clear picture, but it got you in tight. So that's one of the reasons I bought them separately. Glad I did. I should take a few pics with it off to see the difference in quality and how steady my hand is nowadays. LOL

I ran into another group of windsurfers at Kanaha today but no helicopter. Boards were "Australia", they seemed to be practicing. They were doing some high speed sailing, looked like laser beams going across the water, wish I'd been taking a video. In an instant one of the guys looked like his board might have been skipping and did what looked like a quick short nose dive. Maybe you have a term for it but it was brutal looking! His partner brought back part of his mast, then went back out to tow him in. Check out pics.

Crash at high speed and say goodbye to the 1000$ mast The joys of slalom/speed sailing!
Anyway, Garry you are the envy of every windsurfing paparazzi/if there are such/ -you got another "celebrity " -the PWA slalom veteran Micah Buzianis /I don't know the young guns /.
Do you guys like how JP/NP try to color- match board and sails? I find it a bit boring. I like the bright colors-don't get me wrong -but I would have like it more if there was some contrast instead of match, no ?!
I wonder if this is a 2016 kit test and they have an ISonic for benchmarking with ?!
So Kanaha is THE flat water sailing spot and Hookipa THE wave sailing spot, right?
Again big thank you Garry for all the visual indulgence you are spoiling us with!

I'll have to run through the pics I didn't drop into the album to see what else I may have of him. I know I also have a pic of one of the sails with 2016 on it, not sure if I posted it. We're just getting ready for church and a day of snorkeling, I'll check L8R today.

Kevin Pritchard the one doing the crazy high Forward Loop in your first set of pictures is probably the more decorated veteran /now retired from PWA/ of them , both in the slalom and waves disciplines .

What were the odds on the last pic I posted. I was just looking for good pic composition of the equipment. Is this how you guys stare down the lake before you head out?

Yeah but only when this one is heading out