Its been great having the kids at home during half term, particually when they want to help out in the garden. Guess I can’t complain because it takes them half the day to get out there, at least it let me spend the morning down at the F-Hot workshop where I was working on the new camera boxes. Also had a surprise visit, but at he headed for the camera my luck was running out.

Steve and Shaun put up with me and my ideas, normally involves me blocking the workshop as I chop the van around, at least this time the new video boxes don’t take-up so much room. In return I just have to accept the piss taking about my glassing technique.

Got to give it to the boys, once they got out in the garden they got stuck in, though they were more enthusiastic when it came to destruction, getting everything strait it was a different story, but then the wife said I was as bad, particularly when the wind looked to be coming back.

Friday wasn’t windy enough to windsurf; at least it wasn’t when we headed out on kites. It didn’t feel quite as safe sailing kitting of Clacton in an Easterly as the big breakwaters are down wind. I can tell you they don’t look inviting when the kites flipped inside out and I’m being dragged towards them.

Got my first true experience of how it can go horribly wrong with a kite. One minute I was forty meters from the beach, then I was twenty meters up it. It seemed funny when it all came to a halt, I was just happy I hadn’t been dragged more to the left.

Victor Couto came over for the weekend; guess most will know him as the power behind Bjorn Dunkerbeck. They’re off to Cape Verde to get ready for the PWA wave event, but wanted to leave all the speed kit here just encase they had to make a quick dash back to catch the next big blow.

While Victor waited for the tide to drop before heading over to Southend to check out the site, he offered to man the camera while we hit the water again. It was still coming in from the East, and hadn’t really improved on Friday’s conditions so it was kitting again.

I’m not suspicious, but this was my 13th time out so maybe I should have expected something would go wrong. As Victor headed for the camera I went out on my first run, but just as I turned the kite, Fridays drag up the beach came back to haunt me. One of the lines mush have got snagged, as it broke when the power came on.

The one spot I didn’t want to end up was drawing me in line a magnet. I undid the leash so I could dump the kite it I had to, but chucking it away didn’t feel right. Luckily I was able to hook the bar round a rock while the kite bumped up the brake water, but it took a good bit of rock climbing before I got the kite back to the beach… in shreds, and it all happened so quick Victor didn’t get a chance to fire off the camera.

I grabbed another kite and went back out; well I couldn’t let Victor freeze for nothing. What really surprised is how different each kite feels, it’s more noticeable than with windsurfing, my kite changes direction so much quicker and was easier to jump.

Looking at Victor on the beach, it was easy to appreciate living in the UK, we may not wake up to blue skyes everyday, but we also don’t look ready for death when the temperature drops. To be fair it was supper cold, and if we have to run drivenbywind in those conditions those flying in will be at a disadvantage, but then I’ve sorted out my own advantage for the cold.

No, not fat, but my new wetsuit. Spartan has always been known for warm suits, but when Mark from Spartan asked me to join them and test the suits I jumped at the chance. I’ve never been shy of asking for the best, and it seems we had the same thoughts.

The suit I’m using is really a 2009, but it feels so warm they’ve sorted it so there will be a few in the shops from now, much to Dave and Shaun’s pleasure. Maybe I wont be the last one off the water from now on.