Boxing Day Surf...

It was unseasonably warm on Boxing Day, a balmy 4 degrees and windy, so I headed down to the Cove to see if anything was going on. Spotted three surfers and a bodyboarder in the water so I took a couple of pics then joined them. A nice surprise seeing Jeff, Neil, Reda and Jon there and pretty good cleanup surf for about 2 hours. A big thanks to Jeff for the additional photos...

Surf's Up...

After opening presents on Christmas morning, I took a walk through the new Go Station Parking Lot down to the Lake to check out the conditions. Here are a couple of pictures taken before heading out for Turkey Dinner with Janice, Harry and Nicholas...

Christmas...

I must have been really good this year as Santa brought me an Eddie Aikau 25th Anniversary T-Shirt and a green Christmas. He must have seen me watching the Triple Crown, live on the web. Can’t get luckier than that, can we? The weather is above freezing for now, but we will see how long that lasts for...

Testing RapidBlog

This is a test of the RapidBlog Plugin.

A Road Trip...

Last Friday after installing roof racks on the New Car, Gary and I realized that there was a swell building so we headed east. Stopped in at the Oshawa Pier, nothing much happening there so we drove to Cobourg. Checked the Pier and The Point there then headed to Port Hope. Last call was at Bond Head where we found some amazing lefts. Surfed there for 2 hours, the only ones out! Nice being a goofy footer! Well worth the drive east. Hopefully I will get rid of my cold before the next swell. Click on the image for a larger view.

Software Upgrades

I have upgraded the software that runs the Weather Station to the latest version. This upgrade included new dials for the Wind Direction, Wind Speed and Wind Gust gauges in Weather Display Live. The gauges on the Weather Display Software have also changed. They look a little easier to read. Also, the construction of the GO Parking Lot is well under way and is scheduled to be completed around the end of December.


Click on the image for a larger view.

The Anemometer Platform...

It looks like construction of the Wind Research Platform has started. This morning while checking out the potential for surf, I saw a rig off the Scarborough Bluffs. Toronto Hydro is testing for the viability of installing a wind farm with up to 60 turbines that would stretch from Ajax to the Leslie Street Spit. Read the article published in “Inside Toronto” for more information. I don’t think this will impact the surf in our area, and it would be interesting if we could tap into the anemometer readings. Once the installation is complete and the device is up and running, Toronto Hydro will provide updates on a quarterly basis on its website at www.torontohydroenergy.com/offshorewind

The East Coast Trip...

Just back from a week on the East Coast, visiting Family and taking the new car for a 4000 km test drive. Visited Saint John and took in the “Just for Laughs” comedy festival, which was hilarious. Danny Bhoy is a must see! Drove out to Lawrencetown Beach hoping for some surf, but missed the swell by a couple of days. The waves there were actually smaller than they were on our previous trip, which is really saying something. Spent an afternoon wandering around Halifax, taking in the sights and shopping. Picked up 2 bars of wax and a $10 web cam which made my day. Arrived back home on Friday evening, a 13 hour drive from Fredericton. Looking forward to some Great Lakes Surf before it starts snowing. There are a few pics from our trip here.

Frenchman's Bay...

Managed to get out at Frenchman’s Bay with Gary yesterday afternoon. Winter is approaching, the air and water were cold. Wind was out of the SW at around 20 knots with gusts to 28 knots. The 7.5, downhauled a lot seemed to work pretty well, considering the windspeed. There were 3 kiters out as well. Sailed until dark.

Progress...

Construction has started on the proposed GO Station Parking Lot Expansion at the Rouge Hill Station. The field between our Townhouse and the Waterfront Trail has been cleared and all the trees have been removed. The good news is that the trees that were obstructing the view of the Lake are now history. As soon as I can get a decent web cam mounted on the roof in an outdoor housing, we should be able to see the waves breaking on the shore. Click on the image for a larger view.

Thanksgiving...

Headed out to Cobourg to see if the strong SW winds had managed to kick up any swell. Arrived at the Pier around 11:30am and the waves were starting to build. Met up with Kelly then checked out a rocky point about a 1/2 mile further east. Back to the Pier and into the water at noon. Surfed until 3:00pm then headed back to Toronto, certainly didn’t want to be late for the “Turkey Dinner” at Janice’s!

Wednesday Morning...

A fun little wave this morning, although the water temperature has dropped considerably since last weekend. Got to try out the new Xcel suit for the first time, so all was warm and toasty. Must remember to bring a hood, mitts and booties next time! Check out the rest of the pics.

A good way to start the week...

Well, Monday turned out to be a great day for surf and a not so great day for the car. It is fast turning into a money pit. Seems like a re-conditioned alternator, installed is around $380. Last week it was new plug leads, service and tune-up etc. as the engine light was on, which ended up at $400. We will be shopping around for a new “Gently Used” car this weekend. On the bright side, I surfed the whole day, the water was warm and the sun was shining. Lots of happy surfers.
Check out the pictures here.

Ashbridge's Bay

Not a bad little wave yesterday at A-Bay. Lots of Kiters and a couple of other surfers out. Was in the water from around 3:30 pm until 5:00 pm. then had to leave to pick up Lynn from work. Managed another session from 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm, hence the photos. By that time it was really mushy and beginning to get dark. Have almost perfected my one arm paddling technique, and after a lot of experimentation have discovered the correct ratio of Ibuprofen and Rum to get a good night’s rest. Will post some pics later, of the surfing, that is. Things are looking good for Monday and Tuesday, thank goodness fall has arrived and I have a decent wetsuit just waiting to be used.

A SW Wind...

Last weekend was a good one. The SW Wind we had been looking for eventually arrived on Saturday afternoon. Rigged up the new 7.5 and headed down to the Lake at Port Union Road, a short walk from my house. The wind was gusting to around 20 knots and the sun was shining. Perfect conditions. The sail handled as expected, easily controllable in the gusts and stayed powered up in the lulls. Lynn was on hand to take some pics. We spent a couple of hours at the Lake before the wind switched to the North (Offshore) before calling it a day. Click on the picture for a larger view or see the rest of the pictures here..

A New Sail...

Picked up a Severne 7.5 at the Silent Sports Swap last weekend. An incredible deal thanks to my friend Bill who works there. Quite amazing that the 7.5 rigs on a 460 mast and has a shorter boom length than my Neil Pryde 6.5 which was sold a couple of weeks ago. Now, where is that SW wind?

A Midnight Paddle...

Went for a “Midnight Paddle” with Grant and Mike, mainly to test the shoulder. There was a full moon and no wind so conditions were ideal. I was using the “Penguin” and the other two were on SUP’s. We entered the water at 9:30 pm near the Water Treatment Plant at Kingston and Fallingbrook Road. The shoulder felt good so we paddled to Ashbridge’s Marina and back, a distance of 7.71 kms. Got out of the water at 11:30 pm. A good workout and the shoulder feels fine, now we just need some surf... Check out our route.

The Surgeon...

After 5 months of not being able to lift my left arm above my shoulder, my appointment finally arrived. I saw the surgeon, who suggested I try a cortisone injection. Got a 2 for 1 deal, so what the hell, had a shot in the left shoulder and one in the right hand. Took all of 5 minutes. The next day my hand felt like it had been run over by a bus, but I was able to lift my arm above my head. A day later everything is almost back to normal. Why did I have to wait so long?

Weather Station Donations...

Thanks to Clockwork Productions for donating an Intel Pentium P4, 3.0GHz Computer towards the Weather Station upgrades. I am in the process of transferring the Weather Display and WDL Software to the new computer so if you see the dreaded, “Stand by, we may be experiencing technical difficulties”, hopefully this will be short lived. Thanks again Frank.

A temporary fix...

Last weekend while at Tony’s cottage I came across a temporary fix for the lack of time I have been spending in the water, due to my shoulder. I tried paddling in Lake Kushog, and that seemed to be great, no shoulder pain. Since bringing the “Penguin” back home, I have managed to paddle a mile east and a mile west of Port Union Road with no adverse effects. The next step will be to paddle east to Frenchman’s Bay and then west to Bluffers Park. This is a great way to keep in shape. Of course I will have to remember to pack water and a lunch, just in case the wind switches to the opposite direction...

The view from above...

Yesterday, much to the horror of my neighbours, I climbed onto the roof to inspect the Weather Station. All is well and unlike me, it seems to have “weathered” last winter without any significant damage.
Whilst up there, I took a series of photos of Lake Ontario and stitched them into a panorama. Depending on the donations I receive, this will eventually be the view from the user controlled PTZ Web Cam mounted on the roof. Click on the picture above and a larger one will appear in a new window. The larger picture can then also be enlarged and scrolled left and right to get the full effect.
A few trees blocking the view of the Lake will be removed next month when the new GO Station Parking Lot is constructed. Also during the windy winter months when there are no leaves on the trees the view of the water is a lot clearer.

Wetsuits...

I picked up a new Xcel X-Flex 5/4mm suit yesterday from Boardsports. I am now able to put on the suit and pull up the zipper without help. The old Neil Pryde suit lasted well, but really is more suited for someone who weighs around 25lbs less than I do. Also the new suit will be a lot warmer, which means more time in the water during the winter months. Thanks for a great deal guys!

Donations...

Firstly, a big thanks to all who have shown interest in the Web Site. My goals are to upgrade the WebCam and Weather Station. At the moment everything on the site is paid for out of pocket. That includes the home based web server running 24/7 and all the hardware.
If you would like to show your support please click on the PayPal donate button. Any amount, no matter how small, will be appreciated.
Depending on the donations, I would like to mount a Pan, Tilt and Zoom webcam in a winterized housing on top of the roof which would be user controllable through a browser, similar to this example.
If you have any suggestions, please contact me.

A series of unfortunate events...

In March I hurt my left shoulder by falling down a flight of stairs. How and why shall remain a mystery, Of course, as usual, I decided to ignore the pain, figuring that it would go away in a couple of days. That didn't happen so eventually in May I had x-rays and saw a doctor who confirmed that my shoulder was separated, muscles and ligaments were torn and my rotator cuff was damaged. Tried some physiotherapy, but the result is an appointment in August with an orthopedic surgeon to schedule surgery hopefully before Christmas. Well, not being able to lift my arm has certainly cut into any chances of surfing and windsurfing so far this year. A bit of a bummer as there have been some good days. Looks like I have been relegated to take photos...

Star Trek...

Took in the latest Star Trek movie last weekend with Lynn and really enjoyed it.
For an in depth review of the movie, check out Mark's Blog. He is an avid fan of the series and has a wealth of knowledge in all "Trekkie" things. Something I fail to comprehend is that why the Vulcans, a very clever people, allowed the Romulans to drill a hole in their planet without some sort of retaliation. This really mystifies me. Any comments Mark?

Help Chuck out!

Please sign the petition to help Chuck and to ensure that there is a 3rd Season. This show airs on Monday evenings at 8:00 pm. and is really worth watching especially for us Geeks!


Renew NBC's "Chuck" For A 3rd Season! - Start A Petition Today

Bustin' Down the Door...

Just finished watching Bustin' Down the Door, a surfing movie that follows a group of young Australian and South African surfers, including Shaun Tomson, Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Mark Richards, Michael Tomson and Peter Townend, as they relocate to the outskirts of Hawaii where they find themselves challenged to new heights when controversy stirs with the locals, whom find the newcomers' bravado to be insulting to that of Hawaiian culture, eventually culminate in death threats and assault regarding the very subject of the film.
Interesting to say the least, as I surfed with Shaun and Michael in the late 60s in Durban and remember the “Tomson’s go home” attitude at the Gunston 500. Really worth watching!

iPhone WebCam Link...

For those of you lucky enough to have an iPhone / iPod Touch or a phone with a web browser, here are the direct streaming links for my webcam.
The first one is from the camcorder and the second from the iSight.
The Sony Camcorder
The iSight Camera

Meso Map

There is an additional button on the WDL Page. This brings up a Meso Map window. Mouse over the red dots to see detailed information at each of those locations. The temperature, current conditions and wind direction icons for the area will cycle automatically.

Weather Display

A new page has been added for Weather Display. Basically this is a screenshot from the PC of the daily conditions reported from the 1-Wire Weather Station on my roof. It should update every 10 minutes.

NOAA Weather Radio

Added live NOAA Weather Radio Broadcasts to the Weather Page. Now you can select any station in the USA and listen to live forecasts. Buffalo and Rochester are the closest for us Lake Ontario surfers, so use the scroll down list to find them. Pity Environment Canada Has no Web Radio forecast, just the local Weather Radio. Readings for Relative Humidity and Barometric Pressure have also been added to Weather Display Live.

WDL Upgrade

Weather Display Live has been updated to Version 6.0.3, so should load quicker. Also a Barometer has been added. The icons and current conditions from Pearson International Airport now function correctly.

Pipe Dreams

I’ve just finished reading Pipe Dreams - A Surfers Journey, which is a Kelly Slater biography published in 2003. I borrowed the book from Ryan White (NJ) when he was visiting Ontario a few weeks ago. Pipe Dreams takes you to the not so public side of Kelly Slater and is, in my opinion, a good read. In Pipe Dreams, he shares the stories that have influenced his life and have inspired him to overcome both personal and professional hurdles and achieve his dreams. Well worth buying.

Free Stock Photos

Added a page, “Free Stock Photos” courtesy of Big Stock Photo, where you can download Royalty Free Images to use as you wish. It’s not everyday you get something for nothing.