Today

East Beach for winds from NE through to SSW is sort of "the" spot most newer riders go to practice. It can get crowded.

I have ridden where you were today on SE winds.
It's actually really nice once you get away from shore. Weekends is usually pretty crowded on the "beach" itself, as you noticed. I don't think I would consider going where you were today alone due to the powerline/road hazard.
With an instructor (especially if he got you out onto the grassflats in front of the powerplant) that's a good spot to teach at with particular wind directions, I would think.

Gandy is a bad spot. power lines, highway and submerged rocks and seawalls.

I ride there occasionally but ride way far out near the sign that says "NO TRESPASSING - HAZARDOUS WASTE" or something like that coming from the power plant!

Yeah, I don't mind the extra thumb, it was worth it that one day to ride up in there.

I just realized. I am very familiar with that area from fishing it. If you weren't that area really is a nightmare as Tom said.
There are submerged rocks and all kinds of features barely under the water surface in that area.
Depending on tide height, many of them are lost from sight, but only 3 inches under.
The obvious hazard is the launch, but I have seen worse.
My bad. I wouldn't go out there to ride. If you do, be wary of stuff around the channel markers and about 50 yards offshore, on the other side of the small boat channel.

[Galego]

thanks for the heads up. I'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks that it is a bit sketchy out there. on the way home (Venice) i stopped and saw a few out on the west side of the skyway causeway. there were no beach people and few obstacles to hit. i think next time I'll suggest we go there.

Okay. In terms of that spot. It does have a few hazards, most of them visually obvious.
Once you get out away from shore and on the other side of the channel, it's awesome. The launch is a friggin' nightmare on due South wind. It's blocked, shadowed, gusty and trees are very near.

Once you launch and get out away from shore though, it's paradise out there.
Other side of the narrow ICW channel is grass flats, for friggin' ever.

Best spot around, possibly on a South (the open grass flat area).
Just beware, the launch is sketchy and it can be blowing 20 out on the water and feel like 10 in the windshadow of the launch area.

[Ross Bond(blu Swchblde 2)]

as i beginner i really liked north shore just as long as you stay away from the sea wall near the pool. 35 kites at east beach?? i was completely lit and loving it all by myself at north shore the wind was really sick, but im glad no one knows where it is. i had all the space in the world.

That's a great spot. I was with Donna somewhere similar.
Still quite a few places to ride in seclusion if you want to.
I like kiters and all, but I didn't get into kiting to be in a crowd.
2 was perfect today. I bet you had more wind than EB did as well.
I know we did.

[bayflite]

galego,
just curios...
is your instructor a local?
l8r

[bryanleighty]

Tom.. i too saw you hitting things that defied logic .. i was riding and powered fine on my 16 waroo.. i look over and you are 20 feet off the water on a 12m.. wtf!!? damn impressive.. didnt see the bird incident nor the mode attempts.. bravo for leaps and bounds you've taken in the past year..including putting some AMAZING boards out in the market.

i FINALLY got the nerve to try kiteloops again.. at the end of my session where my legs felt like jelly.. i hit 3 in a row! not high altitude, super-loops by any standard.. but holy crap am i stoked!

if anyone is a bit timid to give them a shot.. i began the day doing small jumps to toeside with a downloop.. did that over and over and over from both directions.. when i gave the full kiteloop a try it was definitely more intense, but the downloops had given me a good feel for the speed of the loop w/o the power..

[Galego]

Originally Posted by bayflite

galego,
just curios...
is your instructor a local?
l8r

define 'local'?
he is local to venice/sarasota