sunday
 

Wow, finally.
Let the downwinders begin!

speaking of downwinders on sunday, I have a really neat idea.

How about Bahia bch to Skyway south , about 12 miles thru sand bars and mangrove islands in shallow water to occasionally deeper water with smal waves?

Lori and I will prolly do it , anybody else care to join in?

( this is all across the east side of Tampa bay if anybody needs a google map , this is pretty much the course:


http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&o....2314&t=k&om=1

)

I am definitely up for downwinders and now Donna has a dry suit! so this will be her first (long) Gulf DW (she did a fifteen miler on the East coast this summer). Usually strong NW means cold and she has passed.

Should be KILLA! We might even have a couple of east coast guys staying with me to join us. Start/finish ideas?

Raul,
That sounds awesome, except if something breaks, how would you get back? (Walk a few miles of shallows, I assume)

Oh... don't leave today out of the picture, it might blow around 2 or 3 :D

yeah raul.
come on man...letz get some wave action.
cowabunga dude.

Yeah , if something breaks in the flats then walk a few miles to Piney Point where the road comes into the water.

Or, wait for me to put the boat on my dock in the water to rescue you. ( Lori lost her board last year and I picked her up this way ). but chances are small.

HEY!!! THATS MY LINE DUDE!!!

:D

Waves, trolleys and lest us not forgetteth... hot tub action! and food drinks at the 'Tow :D

C'mon Cowabunga buddy.

Alright, where do we start , cowabanga!

:p

Doesn't matter to me,...... Bayflite?

We could do a smaller one and do it twice after a break. The nice thing about doing DWs around here is that you can literally stop just about wherever and hit the trolley.

N. Beach
 

I am headed to N. Beach with my Bro Paul and a few others. Wooo Hooo!!!!

I think it is trying to fill in.
So, where to tomorrow?

backside skyway..

flatwater fiend I be.

Redington to undertow?

Okay. Where exactly to start?

BTW, just got back from EB. It was horrendous.
Great company, but world's sh.ttiest wind and really, really ugly out.
Good company though.

how bout redington pier az it goes W or NW?

Okay.
Sounds good. Let's firm this up in the a.m.

Better watch this first, this sport is an up and comer.
We might run into a couple tomorrow!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/325776/fly_with_the_wind/

I am thinking North Beach in the AM, then Backside once the tide fills in. Gotta stay in some shallow water to get Amber out for some work on her water start...

sunday
 

at 14 from the south ,,eb looks good at 2am

Albe,

It's gonna have too much west in it by sunrise for EB (I would think).

Accuweather is usually pretty good, and so far they are on target with the wind directions.
http://wwwa.accuweather.com/marine/f...ent=6&metric=0

Should be WNW by late morning.

Doppler looks good and clearing. http://www.baynews9.com/Doppler9000.html
at least now that that the band and associated spikes to 40 are through!

thats a pretty wild squall that just came over us in ruskin. I'm guessing 30-40kts WNW


Sensors everywhere saying 24-30+, Lori isn't sure she wants to do a downwinder in that much wind ( 7m XBow II for her ) so I think we'll just go to NB


:eek:

40 plus, guaranteed. I had a tree limb break and fall on the house.
Most sensors said 40 or so. Attached is the sensor reading by you.

Wolfie is at backside SW. SOLID 25.
Raul, give me a call.

In a lot of ways a dw is easier than holding ground.
We could do a short one, take a break, and do it again.

Today is a good day for someone to get whacked, don't let it be you!

Scott,
Do you need a chain saw and a hand? I ran a tree service crew when I was a young man, and I still have a bunch of gear, I think I'll be going to SW BS in a few.

Bob

Thanks, I have a steak knife and some q-line.
Be careful out there today, NW'rs around here can be GUSTY!! (especially at BS)

Someone JUST launched at the beach. Cams are cool!

I was about to leave about an hour ago, around 9:30, to meet some others out at Upham, but decided I'd wait a while. The sensors seem to be indicating a turn more to the North now. I'm not sure if that will sustain.

I may wait just a bit longer to see what's going on. The wind may not be so gusty as the day goes on.

Update... just got a call... those who were at Upham left because it didn't seem good for the direction and were going to hit Passagrille instead. I'll consider that too.

If anybody else is waiting to get some better, more predictable conditions, feel free to call me. 727-418-8057. I'm thinking about doing North Beach or going up to Reddington area if it stays more N. Not sure yet.

I'm getting off this damn computer now, so I can actually get something done while I'm waiting it out.

Adam

I just got back from clearwater beach. Got there around 7:30 or so and stayed till about 1. Winds were gusty but nice and side-onshore...waves choppy. Good session though. I actually went upwind today...not for an extended period of time, but it happened! lol

backside skyway was litt up. got there at 8:30 and kited til 3. gusty as all hell at times.. but out in the channel it was solid. 9m / 12m waroos .. about even split throughout the day.

epic.

About a dozen of us ended up doing downwinders. For St. Pete, I personally thought today was about as good as it gets for a NW coldfront. Solid 20+ and not so gusty.(compared to the 16 to 35 I am used to).
Also, for St. Pete, we had some exceptional waves. Best time I have had in a long time. After lunch a bunch of us rode in front of the 'tow for about an hour and a half whilst Billy and a bunch of others continued the DW all the way to North Beach. I'd give just about anything to get wind and waves like that in St.Pete on a regular basis.

Thanks for the loner, Raul. :) (trying to secure another 11m tonight).

Thanks for the demo of the Mako, Bayflite.
That thing is unreal in chop/waves. (might have to get one!)

That's coool, next time in 24kts or more doing a DW I'll go with my gut instincts and rig the 9m XBow II while you and Donna are both on 11m Ozone's just to show off my madz efficiency skillz :D

Rode Backside today, it was up and down there all day but much better across the channel. Rode my 12m and jumped so big at one point that I was afraid it would get dark before I landed. Foxy Jr. showed up wearing his new kite girlie-pants. On another note--and I am dead serious--someone went to take a piss in the mangroves and found a stack of gay sex magazines and what appeared to be an unopened Moutain Dew. No one had the ballz to Do the Dew.

Props to Hauss for letting me chow down on all his junk food during a break. Props to Josh for the best wipeout of the day. Props to myself for treating everyone to some death metal at ear-deafening levels.

Note: newbies were getting worked all over Backside today and some others were tempting fate. If you are old school and ever ride there, be careful because the launch itself is mad sketcky with all the kookery going on.

Raul, I was really scratching my head watching you rip it up on the 9m at the 'tow.
Lori rode that earlier! Meanwhile, I was fully litt on the 11m out there and Donna rode that the whole downwinder! Two years ago, the sharing of the same kite between yourself and Lori or myself and Donna (both partners litt, but comfy) would have been simply impossible!! Pretty cool. Kind of ridiculous in a way though, since now Donna and I want to be on the same size kite at the same time (no more trading off of incremental kite sizes).

I think me and Lori coulda both riddin a 9m today and you and Dona an 11m. Maybe a 9m = 11m or vis versa?

This is Lori talk not Raul but too lazy to log off and log on

I would have been better off on the 7. I should have depowered the bar on the 9 but didn't, so I was pretty overpowered. Should have depowered the bar dumb. But generally if I can I like the bar powered as the kite moves faster but did make the wrong choice today cuz can only stick my arms and rear end out so far!

For me I do better when I generate some of the power in the kite rather then "holding it down" but then I am not trying to get huge air either. I quess that is old school though moving your kite for power so perhaps we need to just get with the time!

The wind picked up BIG TIME, about 20 minutes after we decided on our kite sizes, and 5 minutes before launching (typical). Me guinea pigging it out there for 15 minutes (and sinking and walking back upwind) was a total waste of time in determining kite sizes. :rolleyes: All that "research" in garbage wind to have the wind fill in.... I was fairly frustrated myself that all of us (except the Donster on the 11m Instinct) were most likely gonna be super LITT.

But......with bows/hybrids... I guess my point is that even still, no one got t-bagged to infinity or worked like mad.

I still remember my last C kite downwinder (same exact run, mainly the same riders). It was also the first day I saw a Waroo, as well. It started off in the mid teens at the launch and ended at about 30 knots. I got my a## handed to me on my 13m Fuel once it went past 25.
Noel, on his 9m waroo, had a ball the whole time. That's the entire reason I started looking at non-C kites was that day. I was so jealous that Noel had one kite the whole time and seemed comfy the whole time. Meanwhile, I was out of control and not having fun, at all.

If those conditions occured today, I would have started on the 11m, been happy, and ended on the 11m, a tad happier, actually. :p (Well, if Donna wasn't on it!)

Yes that is very true I made it
c-kite overpowered noway. And no way could Raul and I every ride the same kite. Although I still refuse to ride the the 14 contra beast

12 XBOW is my limit on the upper end of cabrhina bow kite size there is no need for me to go bigger then that.

Lori

N. Beach
 

I hit N. Beach this morning at 9 with abut 10 other people and had the best wave session! Just want to say it was awesome to ride with all my bros and sisters today. I was LIT on my 9 switchblade all day! Finally left at like 2 because I was starving! Man it was a AWESOME DAY!

Great Day
 

Backside skyway was great!! Out in the flats all day solid with some powered gusts.
Eric we need louder tunes man! I need to hear that beyond the channel.

Some sketchy action on the beach felt much better out on the water. One guy was heading right towards the back of Bryan's truck-that would have hurt-also one kite ripped in almost in two, another kite in the trees and at least one known board lost.

I did come across a submerged palm tree out on the flats about 300 yards beyond the channel marker towards East. Would not be fun unless you were going for the natural slider. The roots stick out and look like some seedweed-tree goes to the north.

final notes of the day-The skywalker boards are the best and I am very sore!

North County
 

I would think that most kiters grabbed Sunday's fun. I like these NW fronts as it spreads everyone out and gives you so many options to ride. Let's keep em comin. About a dozen or so kiters were exploring the waters of Honeymoon, 3-rooker, and Sunset Beach. All great locations for kiting. If you strictly ride down south and haven't explored the north, it might be something you want to take a look at. It is worth the drive and extra effort to find these jewels. With the crowds getting the way they are, looking for other options does everyone some good. Hope all was safe and enjoy your week.

i had IRB all to myself at about 3 pm, not a kite in site...
waves were awsome, some were pretty painful as well...

fyi, the crazyfly lightwind 145x48, officially smokes the glide, theres no way i could of had that much fun in waist to chest high barrels on a glide, and it rode through the waves with almost no face splashing and the extra size made it feel more like a surf board and alowed me to ride the wave without much pull from the kite....
awsome session... till one of my screws came out along with some threading from the insert:( :(

ya.. there was a guy hauling ass into the beach at BS SW and i thought he was showboating a bit and going to hit a transition at the waters edge..

nope.

he was on a big ass C kite and completely overpowered and heading directly for the back of my Ford Bronco parked back and off to the side of the beach. Some guys grabbed him.. not sure if he would have done the right thing and sent his kite the other way to avoid the collision.. but damn.. its one of those things I really would never want to see.

There was another guy giving a woman lessons out there too.. and the guy giving the lessons didnt seem to have his stuff together at all. his launch of his Flexi kite almost turned horrendous ...

For the love of God, Christ, Buddah, Pamela Anderson, whoever it is you pray to at night.. PLEASE do not kite at Backside Skyway until you have at least an intermediate skill level. It is a nasty, kite eating, board stealing, accident waiting to happen place.

Bad thing is that out in the channel there is enough room to accomodate tons of riders..

Get 5 on the beach and its full.

And Toby, I found your stash of mags. :D

Leave My Mags And Mountain Dew Alone!!!
 

Great session at North Beach. TONS of kites on the water but plenty of space for all. It seems like there are far less kooks out there because they don't have the skillz to be able to brave the 'waves' and chop. Epic session, one of my best to date. Sore as hell this morning though, I can barely move my neck and my back feels like someone hit me in it with a sledge hammer. North Beach it is for me going forward if possible and if I am not helping Amber, that launch is EPIC yet it is too rough for inexperienced heroes to brave!!!

NB is awesome on a N or NW. There is a reason all the windsurfers go there and lug all their crap all the way out there when it blows.

I would be surprised if it ever gets crowded there, for various reasons. It's the one spot you could proclaim to be "the best" and still most won't go. Glad you and Roy had such a great time. Because you guys are fairly new to that spot......

If a ranger ever asks you to leave, just do it with a smile (please).
It happens on rare occassion. This is not likely to occur this time of year, but starting in March they are under pressure from various birding/environmental groups to keep the area free of "disturbance".

Also, please don't ever ride in those little "kiddie pools", if anything could get us in real trouble with the rangers out there, that's it. Glad you liked it out there Toby, it's an awesome spot.

How many windsurfers were out there? How many kiters? I know about 6 showed up on the DW with Billy. How many rigged and rode there? TONS sounds like alot. I have never seen more than 8 rig and ride there on a non-event day.