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  #1  
Old 01-08-2005, 07:14 PM
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highroller highroller is offline
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Default Good shallow spots for begginers (Miami & Keys)

Hello,

I have been kiteboarding for a few years and I am now teaching my wife. She has already taken the first classes with an instructor but she still needs to learn to go upwind and stay on the board. I normally tought her in Key Biscayne but right now with all of the riders and the onshore winds she doesn't feel safe (and I dont blame her since it can get pretty crowded).

I want to keep teaching her so she can join me in the sport. I was wondering if anyone can recommend me beaches other than Key Biscayne that might be good for teaching a beginner. I live in Miami and if the perfect spot is 2 hours away I dont mind the drive. Thanks in advance for any advice
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  #2  
Old 01-08-2005, 07:14 PM
highroller's Avatar
highroller highroller is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Miami
Posts: 69
Default Good shallow spots for begginers (Miami & Keys)

Hello,

I have been kiteboarding for a few years and I am now teaching my wife. She has already taken the first classes with an instructor but she still needs to learn to go upwind and stay on the board. I normally tought her in Key Biscayne but right now with all of the riders and the onshore winds she doesn't feel safe (and I dont blame her since it can get pretty crowded).

I want to keep teaching her so she can join me in the sport. I was wondering if anyone can recommend me beaches other than Key Biscayne that might be good for teaching a beginner. I live in Miami and if the perfect spot is 2 hours away I dont mind the drive. Thanks in advance for any advice
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  #3  
Old 01-09-2005, 06:48 AM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Default Re: Good shallow spots for begginers

Quote:
Originally Posted by highroller
Hello,

I have been kiteboarding for a few years and I am now teaching my wife. She has already taken the first classes with an instructor but she still needs to learn to go upwind and stay on the board. I normally tought her in Key Biscayne but right now with all of the riders and the onshore winds she doesn't feel safe (and I dont blame her since it can get pretty crowded).

I want to keep teaching her so she can join me in the sport. I was wondering if anyone can recommend me beaches other than Key Biscayne that might be good for teaching a beginner. I live in Miami and if the perfect spot is 2 hours away I dont mind the drive. Thanks in advance for any advice
You could consider Matheson Hammock and walk a substantial distance (100 yds.?) away from shore. If it is too crowded there you might consider using a boat to go out to a bar in the bay. Miamikiteboarding and kitesurfusa.com are offering sea taxi transport to the flats I believe.

If you want to avoid waves while she is still learning I think you would do better going further south into the Keys rather than going north. North most of the launches are on the open ocean in the Straits of Florida.

Some ideas about Keys launches appears at in a post that I made in kiteforum a while back:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Hi I have a weekend house in keylargo mm105. I am looking for a spot close to me. I go to the tiki bar but that is about 45 min by boat. I could go by boat or car. I have used rodrugez key but it was ok. Any ideas for new spots
Look at all those shallows. The west coast has tons too by the way. If you have a boat a lot of riding spots open up to you.


From: http://fksa.org/

With a boat your options are greatly expanded (hundreds, thousands of spots?). Go out most any inlet in the Keys, find a sand bar well away from land, bridge/cut tidal currents and boat traffic, launch your kite from the boat and walk off along the bar and have at it. Boat launching is fairly easy but you do need to prepare with all your transverse bladders inflated, lines attached and kite rolled lengthwise and tied off for transport. You blow up the leading edge downwind of the rest of your boat or even in the shallows. I would be careful to ride away from the cuts and boat traffic. As you know the tidal currents can be intense down that way and you don't want to go through a bridge with a kite in the water (or air). A local was almost drowned when his line caught on the bottom and he was pulled under by strong tidal currents down around Islamorada years ago.

You could go north to Card Sound by boat and go nuts when the frontal winds are kicking through:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/7-9077.jpg

Still north, there is also Jewfish Creek:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/8-9077.jpg

South Sound Creek:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/5-9072.jpg

and on and on down through the Keys and out to the Tortugas!


From: http://www.usimaging.com

You could always motor down to the Sand Bar off of the Tiki Hut in Islamorada off Holiday Isle shown above but you already know about that spot. Why not ask Brad at http://sevensports.com/ located at the Tiki Hut for ideas on boat launch areas both on the Florida Straits and Bay side?

There are also a LOT of shoal/bar areas on the Florida Bay side. I understand that some even kick off a bit of thermal wind activity in the warmer months.

I would study Sat. images** and NOAA charts and do a bit of exploring. You are in a massive potential launch area with calm waters throughout most of the Keys. Although if you feel like some wave sailing you could always tool out to the Dry Rocks, find a mooring ball in the lee of the shallows and kite outside to tear it up in the waves before they go over the reef tract. I would make a point of leaving an operator in the boat while you ride as you never know when some kite gear might break.

** http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/place.aspx

From: http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewt...highlight=keys
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  #4  
Old 01-09-2005, 06:48 AM
ricki's Avatar
ricki ricki is offline
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Default Re: Good shallow spots for begginers

Quote:
Originally Posted by highroller
Hello,

I have been kiteboarding for a few years and I am now teaching my wife. She has already taken the first classes with an instructor but she still needs to learn to go upwind and stay on the board. I normally tought her in Key Biscayne but right now with all of the riders and the onshore winds she doesn't feel safe (and I dont blame her since it can get pretty crowded).

I want to keep teaching her so she can join me in the sport. I was wondering if anyone can recommend me beaches other than Key Biscayne that might be good for teaching a beginner. I live in Miami and if the perfect spot is 2 hours away I dont mind the drive. Thanks in advance for any advice
You could consider Matheson Hammock and walk a substantial distance (100 yds.?) away from shore. If it is too crowded there you might consider using a boat to go out to a bar in the bay. Miamikiteboarding and kitesurfusa.com are offering sea taxi transport to the flats I believe.

If you want to avoid waves while she is still learning I think you would do better going further south into the Keys rather than going north. North most of the launches are on the open ocean in the Straits of Florida.

Some ideas about Keys launches appears at in a post that I made in kiteforum a while back:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Hi I have a weekend house in keylargo mm105. I am looking for a spot close to me. I go to the tiki bar but that is about 45 min by boat. I could go by boat or car. I have used rodrugez key but it was ok. Any ideas for new spots
Look at all those shallows. The west coast has tons too by the way. If you have a boat a lot of riding spots open up to you.


From: http://fksa.org/

With a boat your options are greatly expanded (hundreds, thousands of spots?). Go out most any inlet in the Keys, find a sand bar well away from land, bridge/cut tidal currents and boat traffic, launch your kite from the boat and walk off along the bar and have at it. Boat launching is fairly easy but you do need to prepare with all your transverse bladders inflated, lines attached and kite rolled lengthwise and tied off for transport. You blow up the leading edge downwind of the rest of your boat or even in the shallows. I would be careful to ride away from the cuts and boat traffic. As you know the tidal currents can be intense down that way and you don't want to go through a bridge with a kite in the water (or air). A local was almost drowned when his line caught on the bottom and he was pulled under by strong tidal currents down around Islamorada years ago.

You could go north to Card Sound by boat and go nuts when the frontal winds are kicking through:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/7-9077.jpg

Still north, there is also Jewfish Creek:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/8-9077.jpg

South Sound Creek:

http://www.skypic.com/flkeys/5-9072.jpg

and on and on down through the Keys and out to the Tortugas!


From: http://www.usimaging.com

You could always motor down to the Sand Bar off of the Tiki Hut in Islamorada off Holiday Isle shown above but you already know about that spot. Why not ask Brad at http://sevensports.com/ located at the Tiki Hut for ideas on boat launch areas both on the Florida Straits and Bay side?

There are also a LOT of shoal/bar areas on the Florida Bay side. I understand that some even kick off a bit of thermal wind activity in the warmer months.

I would study Sat. images** and NOAA charts and do a bit of exploring. You are in a massive potential launch area with calm waters throughout most of the Keys. Although if you feel like some wave sailing you could always tool out to the Dry Rocks, find a mooring ball in the lee of the shallows and kite outside to tear it up in the waves before they go over the reef tract. I would make a point of leaving an operator in the boat while you ride as you never know when some kite gear might break.

** http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/place.aspx

From: http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewt...highlight=keys
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Rick Iossi
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  #5  
Old 01-09-2005, 06:53 AM
ricki's Avatar
ricki ricki is offline
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Some more info that I posted on kiteforum appears below:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jenxx
yo need some help.
packing for a trip to the keys,I'll be there sun 1-11 thru thur.1-15 . plan on taking 16.5m and a 12.5m kites and two boards 165and a 145. can pack a 9m if i need to .

where are the best places to fly?and a cool kite shop ?

anyone that will be down ther i will buy the 1st beer!!!
It is hard to say what can blow through this time of year as winds are often brought along by cold fronts. I would pack you 9 m as well as your other two kites. Winds could be anywhere from less than 5 mph to in excess of 30 mph during your stay depending on what is going on during that time period.

You can checkout winds from past years in the area at:

ikitesurf.com

for Molasses Reef and Key West Airport for a rough indications of potential conditions.

For forecast info you can also checkout:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/eyw/productv...?pil=EYWCWFEYW
for the lower Keys

and

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/
for southern Florida

Conditions are generally calm to a small chop on the Florida Straits or Atlantic side of the Keys due to the wave blocking of the reef tract 4 to 12 miles offshore and are further attenuated by the wide shelving inside of the reef tract towards shore.

For more info on the Keys checkout:

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8587

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2296607

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8478

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8718

Kiteshops in the Keys include:

Brad Lange's operation in Islamorada at Holiday Isle Resort, http://sevensports.com/

Paul Menta's http://kste.net/ in Key West

guidelines and precautions exist for both of these launches and can be further researched at those websites or on the FKA site

or just do a search of this site for "keys" and ricki as an author. You could also checkout archived posts from the FKA list at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FKSA/

more information about SE Florida kiteboarding appears at Chris Terry's site at:

www.seflkb.com

Have a good trip!

from: http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewt...highlight=keys
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Rick Iossi
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  #6  
Old 01-09-2005, 06:53 AM
ricki's Avatar
ricki ricki is offline
Administrator
Site Admin
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 8,700
Default

Some more info that I posted on kiteforum appears below:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jenxx
yo need some help.
packing for a trip to the keys,I'll be there sun 1-11 thru thur.1-15 . plan on taking 16.5m and a 12.5m kites and two boards 165and a 145. can pack a 9m if i need to .

where are the best places to fly?and a cool kite shop ?

anyone that will be down ther i will buy the 1st beer!!!
It is hard to say what can blow through this time of year as winds are often brought along by cold fronts. I would pack you 9 m as well as your other two kites. Winds could be anywhere from less than 5 mph to in excess of 30 mph during your stay depending on what is going on during that time period.

You can checkout winds from past years in the area at:

ikitesurf.com

for Molasses Reef and Key West Airport for a rough indications of potential conditions.

For forecast info you can also checkout:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/eyw/productv...?pil=EYWCWFEYW
for the lower Keys

and

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/
for southern Florida

Conditions are generally calm to a small chop on the Florida Straits or Atlantic side of the Keys due to the wave blocking of the reef tract 4 to 12 miles offshore and are further attenuated by the wide shelving inside of the reef tract towards shore.

For more info on the Keys checkout:

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8587

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2296607

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8478

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8718

Kiteshops in the Keys include:

Brad Lange's operation in Islamorada at Holiday Isle Resort, http://sevensports.com/

Paul Menta's http://kste.net/ in Key West

guidelines and precautions exist for both of these launches and can be further researched at those websites or on the FKA site

or just do a search of this site for "keys" and ricki as an author. You could also checkout archived posts from the FKA list at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FKSA/

more information about SE Florida kiteboarding appears at Chris Terry's site at:

www.seflkb.com

Have a good trip!

from: http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewt...highlight=keys
__________________
FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi
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  #7  
Old 01-15-2005, 03:12 AM
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highroller highroller is offline
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Location: Miami
Posts: 69
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awesome info ... this helps alot although I dont have a boat, thanks
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  #8  
Old 01-15-2005, 03:12 AM
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highroller highroller is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Miami
Posts: 69
Default thanks

awesome info ... this helps alot although I dont have a boat, thanks
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