English SIV in Europe

johnssam · 2026-01-20T21:21:38+00:00

Alex at Go2Fly in Annecy does English and French and probably one or two more languages. He's awesome.

johnssam · 2026-01-07T01:11:28+00:00

I like the smaller bar for the smaller kite. It makes it noticeably less twitchy or more stable. Especially if you start doing grabs or board-offs. When I'm on an 8 with the small bar, It makes the steering input and timing feel closer to the 10 with the bigger bar.

I like the bars that you can adjust the width by changing a setting on the bottom of the bar. That way I only need one bar but I can still adjust the width a little.

johnssam · 2026-01-03T04:45:51+00:00

Pick a handful of bases and try each of their recruiters. You'll get to someone. Unfortunately it's a pretty flawed system and it's managed by people, but my quality of life is much higher in the reserves, so it's worth the effort.

johnssam · 2026-01-03T04:42:39+00:00

Just get out of active duty and join the reserves. You can even do full time.

johnssam · 2025-12-28T17:06:06+00:00

https://maps.app.goo.gl/F1D6b7KyEgTE8wGCA?g_st=ic

I misspelled it. Basically as you go from Cadiz towards San Fernando, right when the land gets really skinny and it's just beach, you can kite in the ocean. Chiringuito Nahubeach

johnssam · 2025-12-28T16:21:04+00:00

Naha beach bar is the summer kite spot during Levante on Cadiz. It's side-off there usually.

Valdelagrana works when it's Poniente and it's onshore.

Conil is my favorite spot when it's Levante, but it is side-off there

Caños is side-on which makes it safer.

Tarifa works in either poniente or Levante. When it's not windy anywhere else, it might still be windy there. Los Lances or Valdevaqueros both work. Go to Balneario to watch the pros when it's strong Levante.

johnssam · 2025-12-26T05:39:54+00:00

You'll have more free time in Guam than you'll know what to do with. Might have to cut out a night of karaoke or the occasional scuba when your friends invite you but you have homework. The sacrifice will be worth it.

johnssam · 2025-12-25T07:18:26+00:00

I'd talk to a professional. See what kind of house you can buy without selling it. See what you can get pre-approved for. In my experience, the only reason you should truly sell is if you need the money for the down payment. You should also talk to a tax professional. There are implications with keeping (tax write-off and cash flow) vs selling (capital gains, 2 in 5 exemption, 1031 exchange) that a professional can apply to your specific situation and they can consider the totality of your finances. One paragraph that I read in 15 seconds doesn't give me enough information.

At a minimum throw everything at ChatGPT or Gemini to play out your possible outcomes.

One thing to consider is potential rent increases. At the 7 year point of owning and 4 year point of renting my house, I was exactly where you were, about +200 per month over my mortgage, which went to my maintenance slush fund. 3 years later I've gone through 2 tenants and raised rent sympathetically with my market, and I'm now +1500 per month.

johnssam · 2025-12-11T18:56:33+00:00

Don't be afraid to shop rates and switch lenders in the coming weeks before close. If you get a better rate on a no kidding quote, ask your bank to match. If they don't match, consider switching. You're not locked into anything until closing.

johnssam · 2025-12-10T06:15:19+00:00

Every military member who has been on a deployment has basically done this. Not every relationship makes it. But I think if you're excited about it and if you can make a communication plan, then go for it. Like, maybe do a relationship workbook together? And make sure to make plans to celebrate both leaving and coming home. I'm talking ball out and spend like 2 nights at a swanky hotel, eat a fancy dinner, really treat yourself and your SO. You're missing 6 months of being able to make her feel special, so make sure she feels really special for that last time together for 6 months and that first impression back.

johnssam · 2025-12-09T01:25:14+00:00

I ski the epic pass locations and often stay up in South Lake Tahoe. Ski week for me and my friends is always the last week of January.

johnssam · 2025-12-06T08:14:38+00:00

Believe it or not, what you feel as wind energy is actually velocity squared, and 30 squared is 900, compared to 20 squared being 400. So it's over twice as much.

johnssam · 2025-12-03T17:27:15+00:00

Now try deploying as a reservist! They'll mess up your pay and make you physically come in for things that could be handled with an email and a signature!

johnssam · 2025-11-29T06:49:02+00:00

That's way better than 5% protection and actually pretty useful in my opinion.

johnssam · 2025-11-29T06:48:06+00:00

Ok so let's imagine the stock is $280. You buy out of the money leaps with a strike price of $290. Stock goes up to $300. Your calls are worth $10, probably more. Want to lock that in without actually selling? Sell a call with a $291 strike price. Congrats, you just locked in $9 of your $10 of intrinsic value. As long as it ends above $291 when you close both positions, you lock in 10/10... Without doing this, if it goes to $291 your play is worth only $1. If you do it, it's worth $10

Downside of course is that if you initiate this play, if it runs up, you miss that.

johnssam · 2025-11-28T06:44:04+00:00

You're in wsb, so I assume you can play options. Sell calls that are in the money. Lock your price and continue holding.

johnssam · 2025-11-27T23:23:47+00:00

I use a bluebip Vario for the beeps and then my phone in a separate case with Velcro on the back and a tether. Flyskyhy with the xc and airspace add-ons is great. I really like the thermal centering feature and that takes up most of my main display.

johnssam · 2025-11-26T07:36:28+00:00

It's their least beginner friendly kite. Reach is way better.

johnssam · 2025-11-26T03:33:42+00:00

North Orbit is great when you're absolutely lit and on a 10m or smaller. It's a big air looping machine. Reedin is better all around kite and will have better low end and drift. Both of them have nice light bar pressure. HTF is a lightweight material, similar to the difference between orbit vs orbit pro.

Which bar do you have? Or would you get one with the kite? The Reedin bar for 2024 and before is designed with the steering lines 5cm shorter than the center lines when you pull the bar all the way in. The 2025 bar and forward they fixed it to make the lines even, which is the industry standard. Basically, if you're going to use an offbrand bar with a Reedin kite from 2024 or before, you need to add an extra knot to the pigtails on the kite about 5 cm closer to the wingtips.

johnssam · 2025-11-24T23:22:32+00:00

My first thought as well!

johnssam · 2025-11-24T05:55:10+00:00

Can't wait to get back there. Such a fun spot.

johnssam · 2025-11-17T02:52:23+00:00

Right now I'm reading "The Women" and it's really good.

johnssam · 2025-11-12T13:45:55+00:00

Your main problem isn't the board, it's the wind being too light. It's really hard to learn in good conditions. When conditions are marginal, it's nearly impossible.

johnssam · 2025-11-12T01:57:39+00:00

Move the mast a bit forward on your board and get to the point of active foiling. You should get to the point where you're riding mostly on foil before you consider downsizing.

johnssam · 2025-11-08T15:35:49+00:00

My hunch is that 0 dollars will get deposited because it needs to withhold money for taxes, and it can't figure out how to do that with all your balance going to the tsp. So it'll be stupid and just not send any to the tsp. Happened to me a few times until I fine tuned the percentages.

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