February 14th: Waiting for the Wind—A Quiet SUP Cruising Session

Saturday, February 14th. Valentine’s Day. The forecast predicted a wind speed of around 4 m/s. Not strong, but just on the borderline of being enough for Wing Foil practice. My instructor suggested, "Wouldn't Sunday (the 15th) be better?"

Looking at the forecast, the next day certainly looked more promising. However, having missed out on hitting the water last week, I was determined to go today. "If it's hitting 4 m/s, I want to try. Let’s meet at 1:00 PM," I insisted, pushing through with the Saturday lesson.

Total Calm 1:00 PM. I arrived at the beach, only to find... almost no wind at all. It felt like barely 1 m/s. Even offshore, there were hardly any windsurfers in sight. This was going to be tough.

In the end, I had to give up on the Wing. My instructor suggested, "Let’s stick to some solo practice on the SUP today." Honestly, I was a bit disappointed, but you can’t argue with nature. I reluctantly switched to my SUP.

SUP for the First Time in Two Weeks

It had been about two weeks since my last SUP session. I stood up on the board and slowly paddled out. I had a specific mission today: "Mastering the quick turn and immediate takeoff when a wave approaches." 

 To catch a wave, just paddling isn't enough. You need to:

• Read the wave's direction.
• Turn the board quickly.
• Start paddling powerfully without a second’s delay.

If this sequence isn't smooth, you won't make the takeoff. I practiced the turns repeatedly, shifting my center of gravity to keep my balance while snapping the nose around. It’s harder than it looks.

Between sets, I paddled far offshore or just sat on the board, drifting. Living in Saitama—a landlocked prefecture—even just floating out there feels special. There's a strange sense of fulfillment in simply being rocked by the quiet sea. It’s a complete digital detox—no laptop, no phone—just a perfect way to clear my mind. Before I knew it, I had been out there for nearly two hours.

A Slight Breeze, But...

Toward the end of the session, the wind finally started to pick up. A few windsurfers began to move. "Wait, is it happening?" I wondered. But looking closely, they were still leaving V-shaped wakes. In windsurfing, a V-wake means the wind is still too light. Since windsurfers have a mast to support the sail, they can handle light air, but Wing Foiling requires your arms to hold everything up, making it much harder in a breeze this weak.

The instructor was right after all.

The Decision

The forecast says tomorrow will be windier. I originally had work scheduled all day tomorrow, but my mind was already made up. "I’m coming back tomorrow."

I can push the work to the evening. There’s no reason to miss a chance to be on the water. Usually, I’d grab a meal and a beer before heading home, but not today. I changed quickly and headed straight back to tackle my work early and prepare for tomorrow.

Today was just SUP. Nothing flashy. But the practice for wave approaches, the core workout, and the time spent with nature—none of it was a waste. Above all, I feel clear about my decision to try again tomorrow.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.