Better Than Nothing

The wind hasn't been typical for this time of year, but it has blown enough to get out on the water for a couple of hours most days. Trouble is that sometimes the wind comes early and sometimes it comes late in the day so it is easy to miss it. Often times there is little wind in town but it will be blowing out at the kite beach. Water is still very warm for this time of year, still in the 70's.

Ive been reading postings on a Canadian kiteboard forum, http://www.skypilotkiteboarding.com/forum/, about kiteboarding in other places in Mexico and the Playa del Carmen area is sounding awfully tempting.

Here are a couple of photos of recent action.

Two Good Days and Then...

This weekend we had two good days of wind but now it has shut down again and not looking very promising. Lots of new people out learning the sport. Most are still in the early stages and struggling but I think everyone that is trying it is enjoying the sport. Some winter visitors from previous years are starting to show up. Dave, from Canada is back for his second year and was using a 12 meter Waroo that he likes and does great on. I didn't care for the 14M Waroo that I had used but others seem to like them. I finally got hold of a photo that someone took of me up in the air, so here it is below.

Still Hasn't Kicked In

Tuesday was a good 15 to 22 knot day and most days have some wind but the seasonal northwesterlies still aren't blowing as much as normal. Most winters we get several days in a row of strong wind followed by a couple of off days all winter starting in October and continuing up to May. Even the off days are usually kiteable but sometimes with a big kite and only for a couple of hours. If you aren't at the beach at the right time, you'll miss it.

Jeff has been going nuts doing his back roll with a kiteloop. He nails them most of the time. We also have had a number of new people to the sport out at the beach. It is great seeing people getting excited about learning to kiteboard. Most everyone has taken or is taking lessons. Make sure your instructor is PASA or IKO certified so you know he uses the latest and safest methods. Jeff is PASA certified and he follows their curriculum. There is another rogue instructor on the beach that should be avoided. Jeff can be contacted through his site at http://www.sancarloskites.com/.

Getting High

The wind came back strong last Sunday and a few of us got out for a powered up session. I wish I had photos because the people on the beach said I was getting up 30 to 40 feet. I know it was high enough to scare me and after 1/2 an hour or so I went in so I wouldn't hurt myself. The landings were hard as my timing was way off.

Saturday was an off day but the beach was busy as you can see below. Haven't had much wind since Monday. Hoping to get some flying in tomorrow but the forecast says we may have to wait until Sunday when a good four day blow should start.

Great Wind, Finally

Finally we are getting the conditions that we expect for this time of the year, wind in the 15 to 25 knot range. We just had three days of strong wind, today's prediction is for a day off, and then the forecast is for two more good days. From the middle of October until May we expect to have five good wind days a week. The weather lately has given us exceptional beach days. The days have been getting close to 90 degrees and the water, after cooling off to close to 70, has warmed back up to 77. This brings lots of people out to the beach for a real festive time. All too soon the water will be frigid, the wind will be cold, and the sand will be blowing too much to stretch out on the beach.
For those of you not familiar with our kite site, this is a picture of the bay. We have great wind, flat water, and sandy beaches on a horseshoe shaped bay. In short, a perfect place to kiteboard.