Lousy Forecasts

11/17/08

Last week we kept getting forecasts calling for very little wind but we had several days of descent conditions. Then this week it was the opposite - good forecasts but little wind at the beach. Finally yesterday was okay, blowing 12 to 18 in the afternoon. Today should be even better. The forecast for the rest of the week looks lousy again.


Although we didn't get wind over the weekend, we still had reason to get out to the beach as the following photos show.

More Lousy Forecasts

11/25/08

We've been getting out on the water about half of the days, sometimes powered up, sometimes with barely enough wind. The forecasts haven't been much help. Today was supposed to be a good day but it is looking like it isn't going to materialize. Nothing much is forecast for the next couple of days but then Friday should start a three or four day blow. Stuart and family is in town so he's been getting out on the water but besides him, Omar, and myself it has been pretty quiet. Water temperature is still nearly 70, but will probably drop again soon.

The folks from http://xtremebigair.com/ will be coming down Dec. 27 and can bring anything that anyone may want to order. They seem to have great gear at great prices.

Thanksgiving Day

11/28/08

Thanksgiving day had a lot of people on the beach and seven kites on the water. The wind was light and I needed my 14M kite. Most everyone else put up smaller kites and were struggling. Today promises to be better and Saturday and Sunday are predicted to have 20 knot winds.
The Sports Center located at the Hotel Paradiso continues to make life difficult for us kiters. Last year they put several buoys spread out in our "sweet spot" and this year they have a boat anchored right in the middle of it. It makes it particularly dangerous for beginners. The kiters provide a lot of entertainment and that brings a lot of people to the beach but the businesses there have never given us much support.

Saludos a Lupita.

Saturday Massacre

11/30/08

The wind blew great, a bunch of kiters showed up, and 6 kites got blown out or damaged in some way. I had a line break, resulting in too much pressure on the remaining connection points and a corner of my kite ripped right off. OOPS.

I don't know how many kites were at the beach but it was a lot, and it was a festive atmosphere. Glen and Sue showed up Friday and Helmut rolled into town yesterday so we will have kiters on the beach every day .

I was too busy to take any photos, but here is one from the other day when some students from Hermosillo showed up to take photos and do a report on sports in San Carlos.

Lupita y sus compañeras de clase

Jumping a Boat

11/30/08

The Wind is Back !!

12/10/08

We had very little wind for a week. Then on Saturday the wind came back and it has been blowing great ever since. There have been lots of kites on the beach and out on the water.

We should get a couple more days out of this blow before it shuts down.
After a fine day on the water it is always nice to relax and watch the sun set.

The Next Blow Has Started

12/19/08

The weather hasn't been like Decembers of the past. It is still fairly warm, the wind isn't as strong, and the slack days are more numerous. The water is around 65 degrees, almost ten degrees warmer than at this time last year. I bought a dry suit this year in anticipation of frigid conditions and tried it out yesterday. I was toasty warm.
I don't think the wind ever got up to 20 knots yesterday - best for the bigger kites. Hopefully it will pick up more today and still more Saturday and Sunday. We went six days since the last windy session, way too long for this time of the year. Next week doesn't look any better.
I was using my 14M kite yesterday, the same one that I ripped the corner off of a while back. Helmut has a sewing machine and kite repair material with him and he did a great job at putting my kite back together even stronger than before. In the summer he does repairs for Kitty Hawk Kites in Hatteras.
Roberto is back from Brazil. He says the kiting is as good as they say it is - fantastic. He was there 3 months and kited 65 days. Warm steady winds with smooth waves.

Christmas Week

12/28/08

There was no wind from Monday through Thursday but we may now get nearly a week of kiteable afternoons. The last three days there has been wind, but its direction hasn't been great, resulting in some strong gusts and sudden drops in wind. Below is a picture of the result of one of those drops. A multiple walk of shame after a downwinder from La Manga Dos and shooting the gap between the islands.

There have been lots of kites on the water, sometimes a dozen or more. The space we like to kite in is small so it gets pretty crowded out there. Once in a while we'll have a close call and even the occasional collision.

New Year's Gang

1/3/09

The holidays are about over and the crowd is beginning to thin out a bit. It has been fun having so many kiters show up at the beach although at times it is really crowded out on the water. A lot of the kiters have been learning new moves and have benefited from the presence of Kinsley and Jamie from Xtreme Big Air in California. They do tricks that we have never seen at this beach and have been real helpful to all of us. They also have great deals on equipment at their website. I hope they have enjoyed their stay and that they come back again.

A shot of just part of the group.

Jamie throwing a nice raley.

Kinsley in the middle of a some combination maneuver.

Low Tide

1/8/09

We have been having okay wind almost every day. Today the wind was a bit light and I had the bay to myself for quite a while. A nice change from the crowd of a week ago. Tomorrow is questionable but the weekend is supposed to nuke. Get ready for big air. I think this season has been a great one, mostly because so many kiters are making great progress on their kiting skills and that encourages others to push to improve as well. Lots of crashes to watch too. Speaking of crashes, today was not a good day to crash near shore. The tide was really low and the reef rocks were above water as you can see below.

Oh, I keep forgetting that I've been meaning to share a link to another great wind forecast site that Christian turned me on to. Sailflow.com
There is a "play " button in the header that will load the maps for the next 6 days and then you can scroll them to get a good idea of the wind prospects.

Good Start to a New Year

1/14/09

January has been good so far. Most days have been kiteable. With everybody getting in lots of days of good kiting several have made great progress in their kiting skills. Stuart and Dave just ended a two month stay. Dave is getting the hang of the sport, and Stuart successfully executed several new moves. Glen and Luque both continue to throw all kinds of moves - some more successful than others. Ken is another kiter that comes down once in a while and he left after a three day stay with a new skill level. The photo below shows Ken taking advantage of every bit of late afternoon wind.

Not Much Wind

1/18/09

The nice wind that we had to start the year is over. Expectations of a great month have been dashed. Today will be the fourth day in a row with light winds. We may get something Monday and Tuesday and then it looks like light wind for the rest of the week.
On the bright side, the weather has been great for doing anything else. Hermosillo has been setting records for warm temperatures.
The water is still cool, in the low 60's.

Parts of northern Sea of Cortez are having wind. Christian was heading to San Felipe where the wind looks great this weekend but that is a long slow drive to get there. Closer to Arizona is El Golfo, which also is having decent wind.

As Expected

1/27/09

As expected, we didn't have much wind the past week. Just a day here and there of 12 to 15 knots, gusting up to 20, but only for short periods of time. Today, Tuesday, it is supposed to start blowing again and blow for the next several days. The crowd of kiters that were here over the holidays are but a memory. Even on weekends we don't get more than four of five kiters on the water at the same time.

The weather has stayed warmer than usual and the water is much warmer than last year. The sea had started to cool off a couple of weeks ago but it is in the mid to upper 60's now. Last year was the coldest I had ever seen it, and this year it is the warmest. Crazy.

Almost Perfect

1/31/09

Thursday and Friday were wonderful. It was nuking on Thursday but unlike most nuking days, this one had steady wind. Great for launching big air. Friday was a little more mellow but the wind was just as stable. Great for trying out all kinds of moves. We were hoping for a repeat today, but the wind backed off even more. There was very little at the kiddie pool but enough to get out at La Manga. Tomorrow should be the same and Monday and Tuesday are supposed to be better. Today was the last day for Glen and Sue. They'll be heading back to Canada in the morning. Most of the time Sue was the only female on the water. Glen has added a bunch of new moves and is always fun to watch whether he lands the move or not. He is hoping to get a group together to spend a couple of weeks in Hatteras this Spring.

2/6/09

We weren't expecting any wind today but it blew pretty good for a while. Below are Jimmy, Ken and Gerald. Helmut and I were the only other kiters out that day.

The last man on the water was Gerald! He milked every bit of wind that there was at the end of the day.

2/14/09

Wind continues to be lacking compared to most years. We have had a few days here and there but generally on the light side. Yesterday was good, but the bigger kites were out most of the day. As often happens, the steadiest winds came at the end of the day. About the time that most of the kiters are packing up for the day due to being tired and cold, the wind settles into a steady blow with flat water. It is also a great time to avoid kite traffic. Yesterday it got a little crowded, but nothing like it was last month. Joe showed up for his first day of the year, and also on the water besides myself were Gerald, Helmut, Roberto, Jimmy, Nico, Fernando, Jeff, and a newbie Bo. Luckily all ten weren't out on the water at the same time. The forecast is looking good for Saturday and Sunday and then starting again on Wednesday.

2/23/09

I was in Tucson most of last week but the kite gang told me I didn't miss much. It blew, but it was nasty and gusty. It gets that way here once in a while. Since I've been back the wind has been better. The rest of this week looks good. February and March are usually our best months for wind. Carnaval (out local version of Mardi Gras) has been going on in Guaymas. Because of Carnaval and some great weather there has been a lot of people at the beach.
A bunch of school age kids from Hermosillo are taking up the sport and it can get pretty crazy out on the water some days while they go through the learning process.
I heard that the Paridiso Hotel, our launch location, has been sold. We will have to see what that means for our beach access.

Lots of Wind

3/1/09

Starting while I was still in Tucson and continuing until today it has been blowing. Some days the sand has been blowing head high. Great for launching big jumps.

New Riders

3/5/09

Kinsley is back in San Carlos. He brought about half a dozen other kiters with him from California. Several are very good riders and it will be fun to watch them do their moves for the next few days. Bring your camera.

March Wind?

3/14/09

Usually March is a good month for wind here, but it is not starting out that way this year. The past ten days have had little wind and the forecast is calling for more of the same. We still get out a few days a week but mostly in light wind. The last couple of days it has blown early (before noon) and then tapers off in the afternoon. The forecasts have been useless as they have been wrong most every day.
Air temperatures have been normal lately, getting into the low 70's but we had a real hot stretch ten days ago and it is supposed to get back up close to 90 later next week. Water temperature is still cool, but starting to warm up - finally above 65 degrees.

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