June 11

First week of June only gentle evening wind. Since then - 2 weeks of storms bringing fantastic wind and decent waves also. Paddle-boarding is really taking off also. I am paddling each day except Monday and Friday at around 5.30 - 6.00 pm for about 45min to an hour, feel free to join me if you are in town, no matter what your level. New Paddle-boards in stock and selling fast, but most importantly is the great feedback we are getting from people who are really enjoying their boards. The new Starboard Lycra is in stock at last and we also have Flying Object Surf Shoes on the shelf - these are simply the best surf shoe I have ever used. See latest video of SUPer models on SUP in Amsterdam and much more Windsurf and SUp news...BOW on front page of 10pm magazine


Lots of great SUP sessions, this month. Training every day at 5.30pm, if anyone would like to join us. (prefer a morning session, but have to get Ariya to school).

CC in Pranburry was out paddling with Albino dolphins, Siam Surf Dog, rippin in Khao Lak, Peter enjoying 2M faces in Koh Lanta and the new kid on the block in Koh Samui cruising the beach hotel bars on a borrowed whopper SUP from samui-paddleboard. In Naa Jomtien, Pattaya it is a common sight to see pairs of SUP riders cruising the coast from Ocean Marina down to Boo Pen Restaurant on Starboard Paddle-boards now.

In Windsurfing, really poor conditions in May, but June has been smok'n. Lots of nice shiny new gear just waiting for the first puff of air to start screaming across the water again. The New Ultra-sonic and Superlight boards from Starboard and JP combined with big light weight rigs are the way to go in the light air, but July has been a month of strong wind and good waves better suited to Carves and Kodes.

SUP - world news

16yr old Arthur Arutkin wins first in his class at world cup of La Torche in France on Starboard 12'6 x 23.5" Race SUP, then goes on to take 2nd in the Adult class at Bandol for the French Championships. SUP racing begins in Thailand Next Month, start training now on the beach at Blue Lagoon in Pattaya - no need to go home fat if there is no wind. No need to own a board or paddle - we have invested for you.

Who wants to be a SUPer Model? - the great video above is not only a piece of brilliant marketing - it shows the genuine ease, fun, and adaptability of SUP - another reason why SUP is the world's fastest growing Water Sport. Some great looking broads...I mean boards also...

 

Starboard SUPer 12'6 Windsurfing Paddleboard

"These aren't just SUPs that can be used to sail or windsurfers that can be used to paddle - they're adaptable boards specifically designed to be used as both for beginners, kids and masters of the sport" - Maria Jose Perdomo - more SUPer 12'6 details

Windsurfing - World News

Joao Rodrigues, realized his 6 year dream and sailed RSX racing gear 163miles from Madeira to the Selvagen Islands - read more

Bollywood! - The beautiful Arlette from Indian TV lifestyle show "Life's a Beach" featured Amara Watersports at Blue Lagoon for about 3 and half minutes. I had "lost track of time and beer Changs at Drifters the night before and was a very sick and sorry little boy during that early morning interview - Amara did a great job however. Here is the video
New Gear Test
Windsurfing Catamarans - yep they are here and they do make a lot of sense. If you have intermediate skills, please ask us about taking one out for a test ride. If you would like to have intermediate skills, that is a snap, simply book an inexpensive windsurfing lesson and make friends with the wind and water where you live - Windsurfing - no strings attached.
Starboard Hydration Pack - Highly recommended - keep your peak strength much longer without having to come back to the beach. If you are thirsty, chances are you are already de-hydrated.
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Storm session - Windsurfing last month at Blue Lagoon
Truly great photos from www.Pattayadays.com - taken on our beach during the last storm session. My first time on the Atom 99 in strong wind, I was at home immediately getting some good air on the way out. Later in the day, I de-powered the Mojo 6.0M and started to have serious fun playing with the waves on the way in also. Bow our instructor was the star of the day on the trusty Starboard Kode 122. He was pulling good air on the inward runs, which is something I can rarely get right. One of the Pattaya Days photos was used, (not sure why they blacked out Bow's face) for front page of "10pm" magazine.
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Environment
Great to see this Thai Resort in Koh Kut embracing Permaculture in Thailand. Our own efforts have progressed a little, with some cooking herbs planted and 2 new vegetable beds being prepared. Have been gathering all the leaves and branches from our condo and from Blue Lagoon to make quite a substantial compost heap. We are collecting food scraps also, the vision remains strong, as does the smell from my pick up truck :)
I remain highly motivated to get some small scale food production started. I know this is not everyones cup of tea, but I hope to help and inspire others to network and share ideas to enhance their health and live closer to the Earth.
More motivation -
Pesticides, preservatives and processed food products approved by world government regulatory bodies now equate for Cancer related deaths in up to 22.8% of the worlds population - on TV I saw that Thailand is the biggest importer of Pesticides.
Hope for feeding the world -
A simple Aquaponics system that fits in a space 8M x4M can provide 100kg of vegetables and 50kg of fish every 6 months for the cost of running a small pump. It also uses one tenth the water of a traditional soil garden and a hell of a lot less than hydroponics or traditional Aquaculture where the waste water that has to be disposed of and changed regularly ends up in streams.
Leading by example, providing information and inspiration-
What I love the most about these sort of ideas, is it gives the average person, (the ones living above poverty level anyway) the ability to partly extricate him or herself from the insanity that is modern food and drug production. Interestingly, the King of Thailand dedicated much of his life to developing and encouraging organic and sustainable farming practice. Driving through Thailand you can see many of the royal education and experimentation centers. The Thai people have a deep and wonderful understanding of their natural world, yet much is being lost in the rush to be "westernized".
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Investing
Markets still downtrending - low cap commodity plays and Blue Chips alike getting slain. Some great bargains around for the brave, but have to be prepared to go long. Food, Energy and specialty metals remain my favorites. My advice - buy an SUP, plant some fruit trees, cruise the waters and invest in turning your body into a brave new fighting machine :)
Thank you for reading - until next month...
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