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  #31  
Old 01-28-2008, 10:45 AM
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bryanleighty bryanleighty is offline
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wow..given the number of quality launches in the area i cant see why anyone would walk through anything to get to that area behind EB.

I'd just go to backside skyway and head across the channel..

Scotts method is the "best" .. but still.. I'd never even consider doing it given the risks to my equipment and myself. maybe in the case of extreme overcrowding.. but even then its a big risk.. something goes wrong and the least you will do is lose/damage your kite..
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  #32  
Old 01-28-2008, 11:12 AM
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kite-4-life kite-4-life is offline
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Walking through is begging for a lofting/injury, so is launching behind the tree line. You cant see updrafts. Walk WAY out and drift launch. If you cant drift launch I will be happy to demonstrate /assist.
The biggest danger to our sport is newbies teaching their friends their bad habits and thinking they are acceptable. Bad habits create unnecessary risks and cause accidents. Please leave the teaching to qualified instructors. If $$$ is an issue for lessons,call me, I give free or discounted lessons to those who want to learn safely.
North winds at BSEB are dead onshore, EVERYONE should be practicing further out.1 loop of the kite and you're in the mangroves.OUCH
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  #33  
Old 01-28-2008, 01:11 PM
Tom Stock
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Ask bayflite about what happens when a line gets tangled in a tree. Fortunately he only got a real cool nick name and a helicopter ride instead of a tombstone. But the punctured lung sort of took the enjoyment out of the ride.
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  #34  
Old 01-28-2008, 01:46 PM
Skyway Scott
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You guys are killing me. I have bets out with 4 guys on the response time of an ambulance to EB since I heard about this. They think the amb. can get there in less than 10 minutes, I bet a lot on the fact that it will take 12 minutes or more.
Please don't screw with my easy money, seriously.

These guys are only giving me 6 months and then all bets are off.
They won't wait forever. (yes, some people will take bets on just about anything).
Just shut the $%% up already before no one gets hurt and I don't get paid.
Geez, what's a guy gotta' do around here to the 7th ambulance out to EB?
Only 1 made it in less than ten minutes, so I am 6 to 1. C'mon, cut me some slack guys.
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  #35  
Old 01-28-2008, 02:47 PM
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Rodan'sWings Rodan'sWings is offline
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Nice Pics Scott, i like the one of me in the air, minus board and hair LOL
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  #36  
Old 01-28-2008, 03:05 PM
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Brian,

You know the quality of the flats area behind East Beach. It is pretty sick. Well on a NNE that launch on the backside of the Skyway wouldn't work. Hence yesterday's winds being NNE, then North, then NNW.....well you can see why some might choose to use the backside on a day like yesterday.

I am definately not trying to tell anyone what to do, but just offering some advice. The gust and unpredictability of the wind over the mangroves is nasty and definately increases risks of problems.

On that note, even when it is blowin NE, or E....I still prefer East Beach over anywhere else as so many others. With that being said, the backside is still so much better than the frontside as far as riding quality....IMO. Friday had a ton of kiters on the frontside and was honestly not much room to ride.

I think guys and girls like myself are just exploring other options of more open locations to ride.

I think all of this has been very healthy discussion about a spot that I see being used more and more. Many use the Skyway area due to convenience, well the same goes true for East Beach....it's just closer for some.
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  #37  
Old 01-28-2008, 03:20 PM
Skyway Scott
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Phil. Glad you liked your pics. You were UP THERE... dude!!

Seriously, you were hitting 30 footers that day... I remember.
It was blowing 30 or more (one of those 12 knots straight to 30 East winds at the SW). The pics don't do your height justice.

The backside of EB rocks, especially the walk through the mangroves.
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  #38  
Old 01-28-2008, 04:10 PM
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East Beach just plain ROCKS!
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  #39  
Old 01-28-2008, 06:17 PM
Chad085 Chad085 is offline
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don't waste your money on my head scott, much like yourself and steve-o i tried this launch once and don't plan on doing it again. The general conclusion from everyone seems to be the same, backside EB is a sketchy launch but a risk some are willing to take. Some advice was offered from a few instructors on how to minimize that risk. No one is encouraging riding there, just describing what can happen, the most likely of which is annihilating your kite in the mangroves. To avoid "tone" issues i'm announcing mine as positive, not trying to start a war here
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  #40  
Old 01-28-2008, 07:00 PM
Skyway Scott
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Neither am I. I was just poking fun on me gambling with your health as a way to show that you were gambling.

Many of us that have been around awhile have noticed that most bad scenarios are the result of several little things all going wrong in succession. No one sees it all coming. In hindsight it seems like "oh yeah... duh.. 1, 2, 3, 4 what am I gettin' whacked for?"
But for most, they didn't see it coming (including me).
My personal view is that if you remove 1 or 2 little things from the picture, you greatly reduce your odds of having 5 things occur in succession that will whack you. It's actually pretty straightforward: 1-5 can't happen without 1 and 2.
The easiest thing to remove from the scenario is objects downwind. That's what usually whacks you, so I guess it's 4 and 5 in the process (?)

Anyway, good discussion. Maybe it just reinforced that sh.it can and will go wrong. Even if it's rare, it's best to not be in front of a tree when it does.
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