Tues, DW Advice Needed

[Kitespear813]

Hi I am A beginner, Tues looks like good wind, I plan to do a downwinder any suggestions of where to go on a NW, Thanks In advance.

First, do you have the right size kite?
I don't know if it is going to blow or how hard, but our cold fronts seem to be all or nothing the last few years. I don't think they are usually solid 20 knots. More like 25 to 35.
If it's really blowing (30 or so) you will need a fairly small kite.

How far north are you?
I think that John's Pass is a good starting point. It was pretty choppy north of there last time, and more reasonable south of JP last DW.

[BigR]

If you are a beginner then you should goto north part of Treasure island beach , it is a long wide open beach. free parking lot.

from there you can practice small downwinders to get a feel for how rough it can be. also you should not go out alone and as Scott said, use the proper equipment for the conditions

[Kitespear813]

well i have a 11m waroo, so hopefully it won't blow too hard, I say beginner because I don't get on the water alot, however Ihave been mostly land boarding for the past two years I can go upwind on a lnad board( maybe on the water also, who knows, I just need to practice,) So I am good at controlling the kite. AS far as another person I Know one person that kiteboards, Thats me.

Raul is right about TI and the much broader area for launching. That's a better call. That 11 will definitely be pushing it if it is hitting 30.
I was on a 7m litt and BigAirAl was overpowered on his 9m.
It seems to almost always hits 30 with our cold fronts the last few seasons.

I would see where people are talking about riding as the time nears, and try to join them at the launch spot. Not a good idea to launch solo in 25 knots or more.

[bryanleighty]

not sure if you got out or even went to the beach a couple weeks ago during the NW front we got on that epic Sunday..

Strong wind on flat water has nothing on strong wind on the Gulf. If you read thru the forum posts from that day we had numerous skilled riders getting worked pretty hard. many lost boards.. etc..

I was out at St. Pete Beach and tho I've been riding for about 3 years.. it was pretty damn intense.

I am not trying to scare you away from the amazing thing that is Gulf riding on a strong wind day.. just be SAFE.. get a riding partner or hook up with others that might be doing a downwinder.

If you only have an 11m kite.. you might not want to go out or look into picking up an 8 or 9 m kite before next week... you will need it for our area..
11 is too big once these fronts come in.

I weigh 200 and was on my 9m waroo and got worked a few times. Its brutal, survival-like kiting at times.

Just be Safe.. thats all anyone on this board will ask you to do.

[Big G]

The 11m would be a little much. I was out that same weekend with Al and got blown off the water with my 11m. I'm 230lbs and usually not intimidated by being over powered. That day was just to much for me.

I also think that there were several boards lost that day. If you feel the kite is pulling to hard and you think once you get going, it may get better, you may reconsider heading down the beach.
It doesnt get better, it usually gets worse...and you get tired.

Makes for rescuing a board, difficult as well. Good luck and be safe.

[Kitespear813]

Thanks For all the advice, Last year we had some pretty windy days, I recall one morning I was at big beach I estimated the winds at 25-30 in the morning and they tapered off to about 18-25 later in the day, I was powered nicely on my 9m c kite. and riding back and forth close to the beach (big bch Ft desoto) I know the seas can get high on windy days. There was a new guy on the beach w/ 13m waroo. I ask him if he was ganna launch it in these winds which I thought were to stong. He said yes, and then surprisingly he started asking me (who had been kiting a whole couple months) where to hook his leashand other gear ect. I told him I was not familiar with the bow kites and he should know. well long story short he got hooked up ask me to help him launch which I reluctantly did. ( safer than letting him try by himself) he got going then went down. He did not know how to relaunch his new kite and was drug (what looked like underwater from mid big beach to almost the pier.) when he got close I swam out and unhooked his leash which he had attached to the bypass ring on his chicken loop. His eventually recovered his kite down the beach and he lived, he was lucky.
I know it can be dangerous and having people to help if needed is good. Maybe I will head to where some people will be, I jsut don't like to burden or make people nervous w/ my novice skills. However I have practiced alot of body dragging and self rescue techniques in light wind. Lets hope I never have to use them.

[bryanleighty]

i guess from your intial post it seemed you called yourself out to be more of a beginner than you might actually be.

good that you are playing it safe.. obviously that does not happen all the time (as your story serves as a great example)..

i'd really look into getting a used 9m bow kite.. a 2006 or 2007 waroo can be had cheap cheap cheap!.. check the NWKITE.com forums.. good deals a-plenty.

kite size argument aside, if you are experienced enough w/ some gulf riding in some 20+ conditions you should have not problems on a down-winder.. but you really should not do it alone. even if it never turns to 35+ winds.. the chances of issues go down greatly if you kite with another.. that goes for any location, any wind condition..

i am sure there will be some groups doing a down-winder.. hook up with them..

i will probably be at backside cuz i love the flatter water.

Kitespear,

Great to see you on here.
If you show up and introduce yourself where we are riding, you are not a burden.
I won't hold your hand the entire day (Toby might try!!... j/k), but if you were getting screwed, I or someone, is going to help you out, just like you helped out at the DeSoto pier.
Once we help you out, (if a downwinder) we will leave you on the beach alone to catch the trolley by yourself!
But hey, it's better than getting worked or worse, out there, all alone.

Great to see you playing it safe and posting. I wish more new riders did the same. I think I can speak for the group in saying we would much rather have some one "burden" us (most of us don't think being helpful is a burden) than going out on your own, getting worked or hurt, and making the news.

If you weigh less than 180, I would think about a 7m, not a 9m, if you already have an 11m. The new kites have unreal low end (imo).
I can easily ride my 7m in 20 and my 9m in 15+. There might be a ton of overlap b/n an 11 and a 9m.

I personally have a 15m and then drop right down to the 9m, with no kite in between.
I then have the 7m for 25 plus knots. (those are all SLE kites, no C kites)