North Shore Pool - Kiting?
 

I have not seen many kite surfer at North Shore Pool beach area....any particular reason?

Where is the North Shore Pool, in Florida?

Are you talking the North Shore Pool area in St. Petersburg? If so I can tell you about it.

Wondered if that might have been it. Still, no end of "North Shore" areas in Florida. If it is the one near the marina, that is where the first kitesurfing event in Florida was held, seven years ago!

north shore pool - st petersburg
 

sorry...yep...north shore pool area in downtown St. Petersburg, florida.... very large shallow area, small but seems like a "launcheable" beach site.....seems like an ideal NE - SE area to kite, yet not many kiters around. ...just wondering if there is something in this area that is keeping kiters away.

I've only ridden there twice, in zippo wind and a coons age ago. I've moved your post over to where you'll get some expert local input. It is a scenic area. Few problems seven years ago, today I don't know.

It's a Good place, I was thinking about hitting it up sat if theres wind.

Rob Please tell what you know, what is the water depth. wanna go tommarrow?

Rick - I was at that event 7 yrs ago and that is what made me think about getting into kiting. 2 kids and a long divorce later and I finally started last year.

I also have wondered why not many people kite there and finally started riding there this Fall. I think it's a great spot. There is a sandbar a ways out that really smoothes the water at low tide. At high tide it gets a little choppy but still not quite as bad as the open Bay. There is a lot of room to ride so it doesn't get congested like other spots i.e. Lassing. The water is mostly shallow, especially towards the North, but it does have some deep(overhead) spots toward the South. You can blaze on the flatwater then ride over the sandbar and play in the Bay swells so it is pretty versatile. The South end where the breakwall starts can get like a washing machine near shore due to the waves hitting the wall and then moving back into the Bay so try to avoid this.

I've only ridden on NE and E so i'm not sure how it works on SE(pier?). On a NE if there is too much North it can get blocked a bit from the land and this makes it gusty until you ride out further. This spot is usually not quite as windy as some of the spots further down the Bay i.e. the Skyway or East Beach but when the wind is on it gets pretty good. Since I live in N. Tampa this spot saves me a bunch of driving time so I think I will start riding there more often especially after work.

Sean - give me a call about Saturday. 813 368-4417

The downtown blockseems to cause the NE and E wind to drop 8-10 knots in that area, thats why not many ride there. It's only good when its nuking 25+. Try Lassing Park 25 blocks to the south. Much better... and safer.
Jay

my home turf- i miss it!
 

agreed, i started my kiting at northshore, seeing as it was only 5 blocks from my house. i used to always see how much it was rippin at the skyway on ikite, and i'd plan on it all day and afterschool i'd go over there with an easy 8 knot difference, then a few weeks later i tried out lassing, if im lazy and its rippin i kite north shore, if its nice and rideable, either lassing, skyway or eastbeach is your best bet. thats my 2 cents cuz, that was my home launch spot. its best on northeast, east, and east south east but brightwaters blvd gives it a slight wind shadow with wind from the north, and south has the turbulence from the park and maybe the vinoy.