3/22/09
Today we had wind slowing building all day. It bodes well for the next few days. The prediction is calling for 30 knot gusts. It has been a while since we've had a good blow. We've seen a lot more marginal days than normal for this time of the year.
Sweet
3/25/09
The wind turned sweet today. I got out late, after 4pm and found 16 to 19 knots of wind blowing. It blew until the sun went down. It would be nice to have those conditions all the time. It was a good day to practice all of the few tricks that I know. Should have been trying out new stuff. But my favorite thing to do is still to boost big. I had my biggest boost ever on the outside. Nothing tops that feeling. I love it.
The wind turned sweet today. I got out late, after 4pm and found 16 to 19 knots of wind blowing. It blew until the sun went down. It would be nice to have those conditions all the time. It was a good day to practice all of the few tricks that I know. Should have been trying out new stuff. But my favorite thing to do is still to boost big. I had my biggest boost ever on the outside. Nothing tops that feeling. I love it.
Pictures
4/5/09
This blog received a complaint that I hadn't been posting many pictures. Well, I was without a camera for awhile and I was also usually on the water if I was at the beach. Lots of other people were always taking photos and I would give them my email address and ask them to send me a few good ones. They would always say yes. And then they would always fail to do so.
We haven't had much wind for the last couple of weeks, but today it blew all day. I went out about 10:30 and others arrived throughout the day. In all we must have had ten kiters today. We also had a lot of early Semana Santa visitors at the beach. Some years it has gotten too crowed to be able to kite without endangering the beach goers.
Anyway, here are some photos from todays sessions. If you would like to see the photos of the past year or so you can go here.
Roberto
Jorge Luque attempting a board off.
This blog received a complaint that I hadn't been posting many pictures. Well, I was without a camera for awhile and I was also usually on the water if I was at the beach. Lots of other people were always taking photos and I would give them my email address and ask them to send me a few good ones. They would always say yes. And then they would always fail to do so.
We haven't had much wind for the last couple of weeks, but today it blew all day. I went out about 10:30 and others arrived throughout the day. In all we must have had ten kiters today. We also had a lot of early Semana Santa visitors at the beach. Some years it has gotten too crowed to be able to kite without endangering the beach goers.
Anyway, here are some photos from todays sessions. If you would like to see the photos of the past year or so you can go here.
Fireman John, carving a nice transition.
Roberto
Jorge Luque attempting a board off.Semana Santa
4/11/09
It is Semana Santa and traffic is terrible but not as bad as years past. The crowd seems younger and the girls are prettier, but maybe I'm just getting older and uglier. There may be fewer people but they make up for it by playing the music louder and partying later, some until daybreak.
The wind is blowing at my house so I went to the beach but it was only blowing 10 to 15 knots with nothing more offshore. Lots of people but no other kiters so I didn't bother to stay. Tomorrow and Monday are supposed to be good.
It is Semana Santa and traffic is terrible but not as bad as years past. The crowd seems younger and the girls are prettier, but maybe I'm just getting older and uglier. There may be fewer people but they make up for it by playing the music louder and partying later, some until daybreak.
The wind is blowing at my house so I went to the beach but it was only blowing 10 to 15 knots with nothing more offshore. Lots of people but no other kiters so I didn't bother to stay. Tomorrow and Monday are supposed to be good.
Funny Thing?
4/14/09
A funny thing happened the other day. I was fixing a pair of leaking valves on my 14m kite when Scott came by. I stopped what I was doing to visit with him and showed him a visitor that I found in my house - a scorpion, which I had placed in a tumbler. Scott made the comment that this little scorpion is one of the more potent types. After a while I went back to fixing my kite and Scott asked if he could get himself a glass of water. Naturally I said yes and continued with my chore. Scott comes out back where I am working and takes a big drink from his glass. Unfortunately he had used the glass that contained the scorpion which was now wiggling in his mouth. Luckily he was able to spit it out before it stung him. Not sure if he thought that it was as funny as I did.
A funny thing happened the other day. I was fixing a pair of leaking valves on my 14m kite when Scott came by. I stopped what I was doing to visit with him and showed him a visitor that I found in my house - a scorpion, which I had placed in a tumbler. Scott made the comment that this little scorpion is one of the more potent types. After a while I went back to fixing my kite and Scott asked if he could get himself a glass of water. Naturally I said yes and continued with my chore. Scott comes out back where I am working and takes a big drink from his glass. Unfortunately he had used the glass that contained the scorpion which was now wiggling in his mouth. Luckily he was able to spit it out before it stung him. Not sure if he thought that it was as funny as I did.
Texas
4/29/09
A bunch of us from Arizona went to South Padre and Corpus Christi for a week and had a blast.
The wind blew every day. It got a bit crowded at times in Padre, but Corpus has so many spots to kite that we could always find our own area if we wanted to.
By the way, someone wrote me a comment that there is an article in Kiteboarder Magazine on San Carlos: http://www.theringmedia.com/PDFS/TheKiteboarder/thekiteboarder.april2009.pdf
A bunch of us from Arizona went to South Padre and Corpus Christi for a week and had a blast.
The wind blew every day. It got a bit crowded at times in Padre, but Corpus has so many spots to kite that we could always find our own area if we wanted to.
By the way, someone wrote me a comment that there is an article in Kiteboarder Magazine on San Carlos: http://www.theringmedia.com/PDFS/TheKiteboarder/thekiteboarder.april2009.pdf
Not Much Wind
5/7/09
Not much to report. We have had very little wind since I got back from Texas and I've been too busy working to bother to seek out other fun stuff to do. It is getting hot here, although the water is a nice cool 72 degrees. As usual, by the time the water warms up it is so hot out that you don't care.
Here are a few more shots from South Padre.
Not much to report. We have had very little wind since I got back from Texas and I've been too busy working to bother to seek out other fun stuff to do. It is getting hot here, although the water is a nice cool 72 degrees. As usual, by the time the water warms up it is so hot out that you don't care.
Here are a few more shots from South Padre.
Waiting for Wind
5/15/09
There hasn't been much wind. Once in a while there seems to be a southerly strong enough to kite with but it never lasts. Beau and Adam went out to Cochorit Beach the other day. I think they missed the best of it and didn't have very good conditions. You always need more wind in the summer to be powered up. Warm, moist air is less dense and the wind doesn't pack the punch of the cold dry air we have in the winter. Plus, the sea is always choppy where we go to kite the southerlies so we need more wind to power through the waves.
The forecast, however, is calling for northwest wind over 20 knots on Sunday and Monday and maybe continuing on Tuesday and Wednesday. This could be the last of the north wind for the season.
There hasn't been much wind. Once in a while there seems to be a southerly strong enough to kite with but it never lasts. Beau and Adam went out to Cochorit Beach the other day. I think they missed the best of it and didn't have very good conditions. You always need more wind in the summer to be powered up. Warm, moist air is less dense and the wind doesn't pack the punch of the cold dry air we have in the winter. Plus, the sea is always choppy where we go to kite the southerlies so we need more wind to power through the waves.
The forecast, however, is calling for northwest wind over 20 knots on Sunday and Monday and maybe continuing on Tuesday and Wednesday. This could be the last of the north wind for the season.
Updates
5/16/09
Lately, every time they update the forecast it changes a lot. Still hoping for wind Sunday but I'll be taking my big boards.
Lately, every time they update the forecast it changes a lot. Still hoping for wind Sunday but I'll be taking my big boards.
Summer Already
5/23/09
It sure feels like summer around here. Lots of heat, no wind and we have already had some thunderstorms. Last Sunday we had some wind and a bunch of kiters showed up for what very well could have been our last session of the season.
This is Memorial Day weekend and there is a sailboat regatta going on as well as the Mexican Youth Olympic Sailing Competition, and some sort of bicycle racing event. Even with all that going on the town still seems empty. Last night, Friday night, the bars were dead.
A few shots from last weekend:
It sure feels like summer around here. Lots of heat, no wind and we have already had some thunderstorms. Last Sunday we had some wind and a bunch of kiters showed up for what very well could have been our last session of the season.
This is Memorial Day weekend and there is a sailboat regatta going on as well as the Mexican Youth Olympic Sailing Competition, and some sort of bicycle racing event. Even with all that going on the town still seems empty. Last night, Friday night, the bars were dead.
A few shots from last weekend:
No News
6/9/09
I've been out of town, up in the good ol' U S of A trying to earn a little money since things have been pretty slow in San Carlos. Wind Guru has been showing some northwest wind back at the Soggy Peso but not real strong. It should have been enough to get out and do something. It will still be another week before I am back in Mexico. Looks like I'll need to find another sport to occupy my time for the summer.
On a more somber note, we had a fatality of a beginner kiter over in Progresso in the state of Yucatan. Apparently he was using an older kite that was too big for the conditions, in a spot without much launching space and he was by himself. He was lifted and crashed against a house. There is also a question of whether he got adequate medical attention as he died several hours later in a local hospital and was never sent to a more modern hospital just 20 minutes away in Merida.
Be Safe!!!!
I've been out of town, up in the good ol' U S of A trying to earn a little money since things have been pretty slow in San Carlos. Wind Guru has been showing some northwest wind back at the Soggy Peso but not real strong. It should have been enough to get out and do something. It will still be another week before I am back in Mexico. Looks like I'll need to find another sport to occupy my time for the summer.
On a more somber note, we had a fatality of a beginner kiter over in Progresso in the state of Yucatan. Apparently he was using an older kite that was too big for the conditions, in a spot without much launching space and he was by himself. He was lifted and crashed against a house. There is also a question of whether he got adequate medical attention as he died several hours later in a local hospital and was never sent to a more modern hospital just 20 minutes away in Merida.
Be Safe!!!!
Italy
6/25/09
We continue to have very little wind.
Sometimes we try to take advantage of stormy weather approaching to get in a kite session. Here is a reminder to be careful: http://www.theromanforum.com/?p=3300.
And here is a statement from the International Kiteboarding Organization:
IKO would like to send its condolences to the family of the Italian kiter that lost his life in a terrible accident on Saturday June 20, 2009 in"Campo di Mare" near Rome. We hope that the other kiters involved will make full recoveries and return to the water once again. We all must use this as a reminder to never fly our kites high when on the beach. These men were all experienced but still were caught in an ascencional wind gust of unbelievable force.Even while speaking on the beach do not fly your kite in zenith. Please land your kite when you get to shore. Let this be a warning from mother nature that we are all vulnerable to her wrath, so always practice safe kiting!
We all take more chances than we should. So be careful.
I wear an impact vest and plan on buying a helmet, not that either one would have saved this unfortunate kiter.
We continue to have very little wind.
Sometimes we try to take advantage of stormy weather approaching to get in a kite session. Here is a reminder to be careful: http://www.theromanforum.com/?p=3300.
And here is a statement from the International Kiteboarding Organization:
IKO would like to send its condolences to the family of the Italian kiter that lost his life in a terrible accident on Saturday June 20, 2009 in"Campo di Mare" near Rome. We hope that the other kiters involved will make full recoveries and return to the water once again. We all must use this as a reminder to never fly our kites high when on the beach. These men were all experienced but still were caught in an ascencional wind gust of unbelievable force.Even while speaking on the beach do not fly your kite in zenith. Please land your kite when you get to shore. Let this be a warning from mother nature that we are all vulnerable to her wrath, so always practice safe kiting!
We all take more chances than we should. So be careful.
I wear an impact vest and plan on buying a helmet, not that either one would have saved this unfortunate kiter.
Estuary
7/4/09
This part of the estuary is wide enough, is very shallow, no wind obstructions and with flat water that seems saltier so has better flotation. The north end has a good launch area but much of the rest of the shoreline has some nasty brush nearby.
Friday was the annual cross dressing party at the Soggy Peso. It was hilarious. Here is a link to my post of the party in 2006: http://kiteboard-mexico.blogspot.com/2006/07/july-update.html
Still not much wind, so I've had to search for solutions to this problem. The most promising seems to be the open area of the estuary Soldado across from where the oyster farm used to be. I went there today with Kevin, a beginning kiter from San Diego. Wind was very light, less than 14 knots and sometimes less than 10 knots. I was able to get out on my 14m kite and have some fun, although my jumps were pretty limited. Kevin struggled a bit but still had a good session.
This part of the estuary is wide enough, is very shallow, no wind obstructions and with flat water that seems saltier so has better flotation. The north end has a good launch area but much of the rest of the shoreline has some nasty brush nearby.
Friday was the annual cross dressing party at the Soggy Peso. It was hilarious. Here is a link to my post of the party in 2006: http://kiteboard-mexico.blogspot.com/2006/07/july-update.htmlSouth Wind
7/12/09
We got some wind today, Sunday.
It didn't last long.
A little more than three hours.
It was over by 11:00 in the morning.
It was the most we've had so far this summer.
We got some wind today, Sunday.
It didn't last long.
A little more than three hours.
It was over by 11:00 in the morning.
It was the most we've had so far this summer.
We Keep Trying
7/28/09
Summer winds just don't do it. At least once a week it appears to be blowing and a few of us will head out to the beach, rig up, and hit the water. It usually doesn't take long for us to have had enough. There just is never good enough wind to get a productive session in. Beginners would have a hard time staying up wind. Even if the wind measures up to 20 knots, it just isn't enough. Hot summer wind obviously is less dense than our cold winter air and thus has less push on the kites. Humid air is also less dense. That is because water vapor doesn't add to the air like salt does to water, it displaces air, and water vapor weighs a lot less than the air it displaces. After all, water vapor is two parts hydrogen, the lightest element of all, and one part oxygen. The other thing working against us is the choppiness of the water. Southerlies always produce a lot of chop and that requires more wind to be able to power through it. The other frustrating thing about kiting in the summer is that even when it does blow a little, it usually only lasts about three hours and it could be any time of the day, but usually early. By the time you realize that it is blowing and you get to the beach and get rigged up, the session is already ending.
If any of you are kiting where you are at, please send photos and comments to share with us. My email is kite420(at)gmail.com.
Summer winds just don't do it. At least once a week it appears to be blowing and a few of us will head out to the beach, rig up, and hit the water. It usually doesn't take long for us to have had enough. There just is never good enough wind to get a productive session in. Beginners would have a hard time staying up wind. Even if the wind measures up to 20 knots, it just isn't enough. Hot summer wind obviously is less dense than our cold winter air and thus has less push on the kites. Humid air is also less dense. That is because water vapor doesn't add to the air like salt does to water, it displaces air, and water vapor weighs a lot less than the air it displaces. After all, water vapor is two parts hydrogen, the lightest element of all, and one part oxygen. The other thing working against us is the choppiness of the water. Southerlies always produce a lot of chop and that requires more wind to be able to power through it. The other frustrating thing about kiting in the summer is that even when it does blow a little, it usually only lasts about three hours and it could be any time of the day, but usually early. By the time you realize that it is blowing and you get to the beach and get rigged up, the session is already ending.
If any of you are kiting where you are at, please send photos and comments to share with us. My email is kite420(at)gmail.com.
Cape Cod
8/21/09
It's been a long time since I've had a good powered up day. Friday was that kind of day. Not overpowered by any means but a good 15 to 20 knots. I had a blast. The beach was crowded with kites, but only because it was a very high tide and there was almost no beach. I don't think there was ever more than ten kiters out on the water at one time. Lots of space.
I am kiting at West Dennis Beach, on Cape Cod Massachusetts. My first three days here had light winds. I'm hoping to have more wind Saturday but Hurricane Bill may interfere. Hopefully it just sends reasonable wind and big waves.
It's been a long time since I've had a good powered up day. Friday was that kind of day. Not overpowered by any means but a good 15 to 20 knots. I had a blast. The beach was crowded with kites, but only because it was a very high tide and there was almost no beach. I don't think there was ever more than ten kiters out on the water at one time. Lots of space.
I am kiting at West Dennis Beach, on Cape Cod Massachusetts. My first three days here had light winds. I'm hoping to have more wind Saturday but Hurricane Bill may interfere. Hopefully it just sends reasonable wind and big waves.
Below is a video of some kids using a bungee cord to power a skim board. Some of the kids were really good but I didn't have the patience to film more than this.
West Dennis
8/26/09
Wind has been spotty here on Cape Cod but we had a good day today even though it was quite gusty. It still felt great to get out on the water. It was a good day for boosting but not so good for landing - you never knew if the gust would last or just drop you like a brick. It was blowing 15 to 30 mph all afternoon. Just about all of us that got out early were done by 3pm - worn out. This weekend may be more of the same as another hurricane is going to pass by.
Wind has been spotty here on Cape Cod but we had a good day today even though it was quite gusty. It still felt great to get out on the water. It was a good day for boosting but not so good for landing - you never knew if the gust would last or just drop you like a brick. It was blowing 15 to 30 mph all afternoon. Just about all of us that got out early were done by 3pm - worn out. This weekend may be more of the same as another hurricane is going to pass by.
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