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Old 07-13-2006, 06:46 PM
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Default Lake Minneola and Central Florida Lakes

Quote:
Originally Posted by sammicheater
I will be kiting this lake soon. i know a guy named andy who kites in lake minneola and i have a cop friend who goes over to jc beach and has seen, quote, a bunch of kiters on really windy days. Just wondering if there are more people who kite here. and about the lakes, why would you think this happens,? i want to go out, but i never try. whenever i check the wind online on 3 different websites, they'll all say for example, 13mph, gusts to 17mph, over minneola, fl. I go outside and check all around the lake and it seems like there would never be enough wind to kite, it doesnt feel anything like even 5mph wind at the ocean. is it only possible to kite on a lake with 20+ winds or somethin? thanks
Land effects really impact wind, even in relatively flat Florida. You frequently have gusts with frustrating lulls. There may be some exceptions in Florida with some unusual topography aiding wind conditions but I have yet to hear about one. Most guys that I know don't bother with the lakes even if they live close to them. The usually just drive to the east or west coast for cleaner coastal winds at least in Florida. The coasts are not that far away as a rule.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sammicheater
im 15, cant drive, coast is 1 hour 45 minutes away and traffic always sucks. it sucks takin long drives all the time
It would be good to try to make friends to catch rides with over to the coast when you can. Looking at the Lake in aerials,


From: http://www.wakeboardcamp.com/

it looks like you have some rolling land relief in the vicinity, good for creating some wind shadow. IF you want to try kiting there you may need to wait for stronger winds. They will likely come with pronounced lulls making kiting more difficult and dangerous if something goes wrong. I wouldn't worry too much about kiting this summer, it's hard I know. The main wind you are likely to see is from storms and perhaps thermals (which may be accompanied by storms). Wait until the fall when the cold fronts start to come through again, skip the squall lines at the leading edge and consider using the more steady winds (but likely still gusty inland), that fill in behind.

Some more ideas about inland kiting which you should carefully read over appear at:

http://kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2297514

You will find riding on the coast to be a lot more fun and easier. As you say, getting there can be a problem.

reposted from: http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2329745
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