Waves 'n kites rool

[balloonboy]

Surfsailing (on a windsurfer is dead- in less than 25 kts anyway).

Spent the last couple of days out at the reef and point break by Silver Cay and I think once I get the hang of it, it could be as much or more fun than on a windsurfer.

Got to use a small and nimble kite and a directional or full on surfboard if you really want to carve, otherwise its just playing around- which is fun too I guess.

Just like windsurfing in waves, which is the only thing I ended up doing, waves are going to dominate my kiting this winter. Silver Cay and Love Beach being the likely spots. Will go to Beach Bay and Sandy Port when the conditions are just right too.

Who's down??

[Matteo]

This week I had the worst timing ever, I came out on Monday at Go-slow and had to come back in because my brand new 14m Contra was leaking (I hope was my bad not checking the valve). I missed the best day (tuesday) and ended up kiting on my own at Sandy Port beach way overpowered on my 12m. The only day that I could have come out early (3pm) the wind had already dropped. I managed to get to the reef at Silver Cay but the gusty wind and being under powered on my 12m made me turn back pretty quickly so I messed around Cable Beach for a little while.

I don't have much experience in riding waves but the few sessions I had (Orange Hill once and the time I went to Maui) I suddently fell in love with it. Surfriding is my future.....well, conditions permitting...... :lol: :lol:

I'm off to Switzerland for 2 weeks, I hope to see the other crazy Swiss kiter and wish you all good winds in my adsence.

take care
m

[PrayFaWind27]

some of my best sessions have been on waves, hoping for NE 15-20k
with the 10-20 foot ground swells

[ricki]

How about waves and wind at night?! I had three night sessions last week with wind heading into the mid 20 mph range at times. One night it was head high or better. It is an incredible sensation, just keep throwing jumps, landing before waves, surfing in and ripping out, for hours. A half or fuller moon helps of course and not losing your board, hitting floating timber ...

[balloonboy]

I used to do this back in Bermuda but on a windsurfer.
One of the hotels usded to shine bright lights into the surf at night- to better illuminate the swimmers for the sharks.

We would occasionally go out and rip it up. It is a unique sensation- like skiing when you have only partial vision due to the conditions.

Gotta do it at least once. It would be easy at a flat place like Blue Hill in a full moon. Very romantic too. Just you and the sharks.

[ricki]

I used to do this back in Bermuda but on a windsurfer.
One of the hotels usded to shine bright lights into the surf at night- to better illuminate the swimmers for the sharks.

We would occasionally go out and rip it up. It is a unique sensation- like skiing when you have only partial vision due to the conditions.

Gotta do it at least once. It would be easy at a flat place like Blue Hill in a full moon. Very romantic too. Just you and the sharks.

I assume there are always sharks within sensory range whenever I am in the water in Florida and the Caribbean. Then again, just because you suspect they are there and they KNOW you're there, usually doesn't amount to much for kiters. Why this is, I really don't know but to date it seems to be the case with a few notable exceptions. I have no real feeling for sharks over your way or their behavior. I did hear a duzie of a hammerhead - spearfisherman encounter from Kent the other day. How do you say no to a large hammerhead when it shows untowards interest, like within a couple of feet of your face? Good thing we don't spearfish while we kite. It is a novel experience, I would try to have a solid feeling about nocturnal dining habits though.

[mocean]

blue hill has alot of rays there and you know what shark like rays right.
tiger sharks and bull sharks.
I'll come and take photos but you willnot catch me in the dark riding, I freaked out even around sunset when you you that'w when they love to feed.
aj

[ricki]

blue hill has alot of rays there and you know what shark like rays right.
tiger sharks and bull sharks.
I'll come and take photos but you willnot catch me in the dark riding, I freaked out even around sunset when you you that'w when they love to feed.
aj

Sharks do vary in "attitude," or so it seems. I have heard stories about guys spearfishing off Andros at the southern end of the Tongue of the Ocean. They usually try to get the fish out of the water very fast and keep the boat within 150 ft. most of the time. Sharks just rush up and take your catch and maybe even have a go at you. Although this is possible in Florida and has happened in times past, it isn't a truism for most of the time. With your lower population, the toothy buggers may be a bit less offish than there are over here in hyper-populated SE Florida. Yes, sharks do seem to have peak feeding right around quiting time for some of us. Wonder if there is a relationship?

[PrayFaWind27]

on a full moon at blue hill would be kool :idea: just Connect two glow sticks on the ends of the kite and we be good to go, count me in! As far as sharks, i look at it like this, if it's your fate to get bitten by one then it wouldn’t make a differences where or what time you choose to enter the water.

[ricki]

on a full moon at blue hill would be kool :idea: just Connect two glow sticks on the ends of the kite and we be good to go, count me in! As far as sharks, i look at it like this, if it's your fate to get bitten by one then it wouldn’t make a differences where or what time you choose to enter the water.

One thing I have noticed on my own and with the limited examples of kiter - shark involvement out there. If there is bait kicking up, gulls diving on fish schools, major fish migrations on in the area, kiters are MUCH more likely to have shark encounters. This is in Florida but likely applies elsewhere.

I have had two close encounters on this basis and the only fairly bad kiter attack that I have heard about in Florida happened under these conditions as well.

I have been going in the water in the Bahamas on and mostly off for over 30 years. There have been a lot of shark encounters, mainly while diving though. I really don't have an appreciation for how things might differ over your way re: kiting and sharks. I would think near the harbor side of Hog Island things could get interesting at times, particularly around sunset. Further out, in the out islands, I really don't have much of an idea.