BayAreaKiteboarding.com

first time kiting crissy yesterday, definitely felt advanced, dodging windsurfers, boats and tankers. The wind feels much more squirrely than other sites, with a hateful drop/lull at moments. I ramped up for a jump overpowered and as I left the water...nothing, the kite dropped back and I fell over into the water. Weird wind. I spent a lot of time trying to gauge the over power and under power moments. I've been told you get used to it...

Word.

Aloha, I do solemnly swear to debut my race board constructed entirely from discarded board leashes and GoJoes! It's gonna be awesome. When the leash snaps back to hit me in the head, it's be nice and soft due to all the GoJoes. *Slightly* more seriously, I don't use a GoJoe or leash anymore, so that's all good.

Androka, so given that yesterday was your first time out - was it good conditions, given wind/current/wind direction? Seems like it would have been in the early-mid afternoon...

Dan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wXdw5Rzq2o[/video]

Very informative. I've been doing more research on this in the forums (fora?) today, and here are some threads I found particularly useful:

https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/for ... rissy+zone

https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/for ... rissy+zone

https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/for ... sy+respect

And, for extra credit, on the topic of Marine radios...
https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/for ... rine+radio

Anyone want to meet up at Crissy on Friday, and watch out for each other?

Dan

Aloha wrote:Vincent from the current heat maps I've seen it looks like there is a counter current at the beginning of an ebb / flood but eventually it moves to neutral and then to match the channel as the tide shift progresses

I've never kited at Chrissy, but I race (sail) J/105s and J/120s there at least every other weekend. Currents are definitely the decider on which is the winning course to take, especially if it's filled in inside.

I'm not sure if I got this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl0ppBGNizc) from this forum or from a sailing site, but it might give an idea of what happens on the inside at different times during the tidal cycle. Local knowledge tells a little bit of a different story, but this isn't too bad.

The biggest take-away is that, at max ebb/flood, an ebb/flood outside is an ebb/flood inside. When things start getting squirly is an hour or so before flow reversal. Things tend to happen sooner on the inside than in the channel. Those are the counter currents that Aloha is talking about.

I seem not to be the only one wanting to get out at Chrissy this year before the end of the season. I too have been lurking the forum threads and stalking the parking lot. But I'm heading to Chicago for work tomorrow, so I'll have to wait until next week after work some time.

Anyway, knowledge is power.
J

Dan,

Check with John Von @ kitethebay.com

I know he does bay tours like that often.

Brian

-Calikites