Thinking of home and Morocco

Aunt Sylvia is 102 on 26th July. Kit and Olivia have a party for their wedding anniversary on 27th July, not to mention Brexit and being thrown out of Europe. With somewhere to park up my bus I can think about getting home and have booked a flight from Malaga on 25th July. I'm now thinking a couple of months home and returning late September to go to Morocco. Not being in the EU, my days for Europe will accrue while in Morocco.

In the meantime I've got three more days of Tarifa wind to enjoy. Today the wind was light and I did get on the water with my 13.5m kite but the wind dropped and my kite drifted into the swimming zone. Not making the best of the circumstances I think I'll take a lesson tomorrow Saturday. 'Windy' is showing 21kts in the afternoon Sun-Tues.

My neighbour from Gibraltar suggested a beach nearer Tarifa and left me a note with directions, that was friendly. I did a load of washing before setting out towards the new beach only to discover I had no line or pegs, I made do with some old tent guy ropes.

I did intend to go to the new beach but this took me past Valdevaqueros beach where I had met instructor Patrick when I was concerned my safety release was missing a part, it had deployed on its own. The forecast was good (for me) so I thought I should look in to see him. The car park Euro 5, it's only 1.50 at the other end of the beach. was a fair walk to the beach. The wind was light but the instructors thought it would improve so I signed up for 2hrs with Patrick, Euro 150. I've not paid that before but it is high season in the main spot in Europe, This is not the safest place I've experienced. The beach is packed with kites launching in tiny clearings in the mass of bodies and kiters screaming into the shore and turning in the breakers amongst swimmers, foils and wind surfers. Well, they hadn't experienced the likes of me - yet.

I body drag out beyond the break (and swimmers) and start right. It was ok but I was unable to maintain board speed and sank back into the water. I gave it a couple more goes and my board came off and I had to body drag up wind to recover it. I find this particularly awkward going left with the break hitting the back of my head. Dragging right you can see the break before it hits you and Patrick suggested pulling on the bar briefly raises the head above the wave. I go out a few more times but the board seems further away each time, this is hard work. I make a poor water start, lose control of the kite which hits the water right on the shore and in a group of swimmers, not great. So now it's the walk of shame, along the shore up wind though all the swimmers. The next time out the wind, which had been reducing, gave up, so we gave up too and returned to the kiting centre. I hang around chatting to the instructors and eventually the wind picks up again and we go out. I'm making some reasonable rides in between body dragging to recover the board, which is exhausting. I've attached a line to my own board which eliminates this problem, the board stays with you.

The wind is dropping again and I fail to control the kite which falls with lines tangled with a marker buoy. Patrick calls to get me to release the safety and the 2nd connection (chicken loop) which I do, but the line round the buoy snaps - lesson over. I book another for tomorrow.

I go out with Patrick the next day with an 8m kite but get very unsettled by the conditions. Walking back up the crowded beach with Patrick flying the kite, someone jumps in front and the lines get tangled pulling our kite into the power zone along with Patrick who cannons into me. There were a lot of expletives but the lines were untangled, everyone apologised and we made it back to base. I'd had enough and called it a day.

The wind had calmed down by late afternoon and I went out with my 10m. Of course the wind dropped further and sometimes completely with the kite flagging out and falling from the sky. Sometimes I rescued it but just when I had got back to the beach to walk upwind, it fell again and hit the sand. Nobody around so nobody hurt, but this caused another little chip into my confidence. I pack up and go for a shower.

What do I think about all this? Well the wind is tricky and I'm finding it difficult to ride, I had expected to do better but the conditions are quite harsh. I need to get extended runs so I can develop a better stance, shoulders back, lean into the harness, carve the board and get up wind. Patrick over the radio, shoulders back, carve the board, dive the kite, but I head upwind, lose speed and fall. It is very frustrating seeing these great conditions but without the skill to make use of them. Last year I experienced similar c9nditions in Moledo on the Portugal/Spain border Then I body dragged to collect my board and made some good runs, I have the video to prove it! Why can I not do it now? Confidence is on the floor.