Wind on Sunday

Originally Posted by Steve-O

A little advice for what it is worth.....more and more folks seem to be using the backside of East Beach.....and walking kites through the mangroves. There can be some nasty updrafts coming off the mangroves and very gusty conditions. It might seem harmless, but when things go wrong it can get really ugly fast. Very risky IMO. Walk your gear already inflated and lines attached through the cut at the roundabout and launch on the other side. Even at high tide, you can wade out a bit a have a much better launch and avoid the risks of you or your kite in the mangroves. I saw one guy eat it last week in the mangroves, and another kite land in the mangroves on a landing. No one got hurt, but again this sport is all about minimizing the risks. I tried walking through once, and although nothing happened, I felt it was risky.

Wait a sec. Guys are walking through that one small opening in the mangroves to get to the other side of EB on North wind?!
Really bad idea.

I assumed you guys were launching on the "normal" side and then riding upwind, that's what I do on North out there. Although driving all the way to EB to launch that way (when you can launch BS SW and ride over there in one tack) doesn't make sense to me... but to each his own.

What does it take, 3 minutes to ride upwind around the mangroves if you don't walk through?
I would take the 3 minutes and play it safe.
I can guarantee someone will get worked out there doing that walking through, if it continues. It's just a matter of time.
I did that ONCE like 6 years ago... there's a reason I never did it again (C kite or not). Now I know why you guys are saying it's sketchy. Lmao.

[Danimal8199]

Easier said than done. Becasue of the wind shadow from the mangroves its hard to launch on the regular east beach side. When I arrived Abomb and I tried numerous methods to get his kite up and finally succeded. Steve-O has the right idea, rig as close to the walk-thgouth then walk your lines out into the water and launch your kite on the water side of the opening.

[Sam]

N Beach was good nicely powered on an 8 from 1 to 3 and a 12 before than at 180 lbs. nice surprise on the wind today after nothing this morning. remained steady n to nnw for the majority of the day and there wanst much current either my guess was 18 the morning and it was probibly about 23 give or take a few. seemed significaltly windier on the gulf than the bay today.

Did Adam walk out 30 yards from shore?
I've done it at least 6 times, never a hitch. I put my kite out in the water, let it drift far enough out to catch some wind, water launch it, and ride. It's not dead offshore wind. Once you get out about 30 yards on a North, the wind is good enough to water launch and ride upwind around the point. It's only blocked in close to shore. I guess you'd have to walk a ways out and get your kite wet, but after missing a whole season to an injury, and knowing how much that sucks, that's a small precautionary price to avoid getting whacked again, in my view.

Hopefully nothing will happen walking through there.

[Chad085]

i dont think walking through there is a life or death situation, thats what the QR is for . The threat is against your precious kite!!! Those mangroves don't look friendly. It's not an ideal place to ride imo, no easy place to land if you get in trouble, etc. Wasn't real stoked, rode pretty conservatively. Shoulda just hit the beaches up here closer to home , but it was nne this am at sunset and dunedin and without a boat north county ain't happenin for nne, so EB it was, then a few hours later its NNW, perfect for north county beaches. Gotta love it!!! no sweat, any day under tight lines is a good one just gotta be careful

Scott how about those pics?? You have pics of us riding on your camera (thanks Donna).

I know I want mine

I haven't looked, I forgot once I started studying.

Donna did a good job, considering my camera is a p.o.s. and it was gloomy out at first.

I added a few more from a while back.

http://web.mac.com/scottfears/Site/S...oBook_One.html

[inferno]

Originally Posted by Chad085

i dont think walking through there is a life or death situation, thats what the QR is for . The threat is against your precious kite!!! Those mangroves don't look friendly. It's not an ideal place to ride imo, no easy place to land if you get in trouble, etc. Wasn't real stoked, rode pretty conservatively. Shoulda just hit the beaches up here closer to home , but it was nne this am at sunset and dunedin and without a boat north county ain't happenin for nne, so EB it was, then a few hours later its NNW, perfect for north county beaches. Gotta love it!!! no sweat, any day under tight lines is a good one just gotta be careful

what happens when 20 mph winds hit a 10-15ft mangrove wall... it causes an updraft that combined with the 15-20mph wind thats already blowing can give you quite a suprise, i wouldnt recommend it either... not worth the risk to me, let alone my kite, what would happen if you pulled the QR... bye bye kite in off shore conditions