Kiting in Sarasota
Rick this is very concerning. The very best riding and teaching in Sarasota Bay, New Pass Flats, is 4 miles from Sarasota International Airport. Some of the best gulf wave riding in the area is at the south Venice Jetty about 3 miles from the Venice Municipal Airport on Venice Island.
Westerly winds means gulf riding here and the airport is on the east side of the bay, so no one kites in Sarasota Bay any closer than 4 miles from SRQ. In addition, the launches on the east side near SRQ are all private property and full of oyster beds. A kite 25 meters high 4 miles from an airport holds the same relevance as a gnat on the runway.
BTW, all bay riding in Sarasota is done from boats. We have no beach launches anywhere, so all launching, riding, and teaching is done away from shore crowds and hazards.
The only thing I can think of that would generate an issue here is related to parasailing. We have several parasailing operators that will move from the gulf beaches to Sarasota Bay when the gulf gets too rough. They do seem to parasail on the eastern side of the bay near the airport. Considering the length of the line they reel out they can get considerable altitude.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Rich Peck
KiteboardingSarasota.com
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