After three days biking in some of the hottest days of the year it was great to see the met office getting the long range forecast wrong. I’ve never seen Clacton so busy with kites and windsurfers, better still there is no longer a feeling of them and us. I’m sure the school holidays played it’s part, but getting parked on the sea front was near impossible.

With my mate biking to Paris I figured I should at least match his miles at home, though it was our Olympic team I felt for. Even though I was out on the bike at six in the morning I couldn’t believe how much harder it was biking in the humid conditions, I can’t imagine how hard they’ll be finding it in China.

Everything suddenly changed as the wind kicked in, right now it feels like my arms have been plucked out, it’s hard to know when to stop. Now we do both kitesurfing and windsurfing there doesn’t seem to be an excuse to come in, before it was simple, once the tide was out, or the waves had gone there was a natural time to pack up, now its just a time to change.

I’ve got to confess to really enjoying the kitesurfing, but once the winds up it’s windsurfing all the way. I’m not sure I can put into words the difference, but it just feels windsurfing give me something more. I think the learning something new, plus being a little out of control makes the kitesurfing interesting, and for sure the jumping feels amazing as you take off, but compared to windsurfing it feels too easy.

I’m not sure it’s the right word, but windsurfing feels more constant, the airtime isn’t as long, but the feeling lasts from take off to landing. But when it comes to sailing with your mates it can’t be beaten, its so much more social as you can really sail together.

But what has amazed me is how kiting has improved my windsurfing. I’ve razed my boom a little, enjoy using a waist harness, but most of all, the fear factor is way less. I’ve been spanked so many times on the kite it now feel easier to go harder on the windsurfer, there you can let go if it goes wrong, something that you can’t do on a kite.