BF, slang for best friend or boyfriend? Nope, it stands for the Black’est Friday of the year but hopefully it will be followed by a bright and breezy last weekend of November.  Well, some of it might be bright and some should be breezy but whatever the weather,  it’s still The Weekend!

And what a week leading up to BF. The much-awaited end of Storm Bert during Monday brought windy pleasure to those that reside to the West  (Hayling and onward so I believe) but our part of the South Coast got a meagre ‘breeze’.. and then Storm Conall swung by, during Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning and dropped a month’s worth of rain (floods in places I’ve not seen flooded in the last twelve years of ‘commuting’). Whatever next…

Yes, the BF Sale Day of the year has been On today (actually since the start of November) and is likely to continue for a week or so yet, until every Christmas shopper has had enough.. and then waits for the January Sales. As in previous years, we see no point in participating as we can’t get our heads around the UK’s version of an American tradition. We have always price matched, within reason and where we can and have tried to look after our customers but if you are about to buy a bargain you’ve seen elsewhere and would prefer to buy local, please let us know and we will see what we can do. Ok, moving onward and upward..

The Red Bull KOTA, aka King of the Air, kicks off this weekend in Cape Town and not a single male entrant from the UK.. but we do have a Lady flying the UK Flag, who is Francesca Maini from Herne Bay (yes, she is part Italian). Francesca is heavily into Wing Foiling now (North sponsored) but Kite Big Air is her speciality, hence she is competing in this, the first ever Red Bull Ladies Division competition and hopefully will do us all proud (Queen of the Air?) . You can meet Francesca and the other lady high fliers here.. https://www.redbull.com/za-en/red-bull-king-of-the-air-womens-rider-list

 I just checked the GKA Kite rankings and we don’t feature a rider in the top 47.. what has happened to our competitive spirit? More about KOTA here..https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/events/red-bull-king-of-the-air

I see Typhoo Tea has folded.. maybe not everyone’s favourite cup of tea but there goes another ‘British Icon’ (and some seriously dodgy adverts) . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSbAa4WQ5Yk&list=PL15BB983CC7CFEB06&index=5

Founded in 1903, the company survived two World Wars, countless recessions and even Brexit, but it appears that they had a string of mishaps and could no longer continue to trade in this current climate. Apparently a Vape company may well buy what’s left.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSbAa4WQ5Yk&list=PL15BB983CC7CFEB06&index=5

Looking for a very tough wing at a very good price? Ensis Spin Wings have just dropped in price and we have to follow suit to clear our stock. These wings retailed from £719.00 for the 1.8m ‘Do or Die’ size but now you can have that wing for just £359.00, which is less than we paid! Other sizes in stock are 2.2m @ £364.00, 4.6m @ £412.00, 5.1m @ £424.00 and 6.1m @ £449.00. https://www.surfladle.com/ensis-spin

There is also a clearance on the 4.1m Top Spin barred Wing, which we have just one to go at £540.00.. bar is extra at £80.00 but you may already have one! https://www.surfladle.com/enss-top-spin   There are limited numbers of these wings at the suppliers so we hope these offers do not affect the resale value of anyone who already owns a set, as they are a great wing. Time for the weekend’s weather and Tidal movements…

Saturday is currently showing as Sou’Sou’West 10 – 14kts for the whole day by Guru, 6-14kt Southerly by the Met. Both say dry but poss. overcast and with a top temp of 12°C, so this could be the bright day! Tide is High at 10.23hrs on a 5.9m, so a good day for the River but be aware that a lot of flood water is still coming down from inland, so I suggest you avoid drinking it.

Sunday, December 1, is a bit different. Southerly 16-22kts first thing and then 18-23kts Sou’Sou’ West from there on say Guru, Met have it as Southerly 8 -21kt until approx. 1pm and then Sou’Sou’ West until dusk. Rain likely throughout the day but temp could hit 13°C ( it’s going up and down like a yo yo!). Tide is High at 10.56hrs on a 6m, so again a good River day. Monday is looking to be about the same, at the moment.

And that’s it for this week and next week as well, as I am off to Cologne Intermot to check out the 2025 motorbike offerings (motorbike shows are an annual pilgrimage). I hope everyone’s weekend and following week go extremely well and I will be back with more, including the shaky beach vid, tomorrow. Have a great evening and please forgive any typos!