BayAreaKiteboarding.com

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Please be careful when kitesurfing long distances. Be prepared to rescue yourself and your gear to shore. Take necessary precautions to ensure a safe return to shore.

I wonder if a raceboard makes it easier compared to a surfboard.

Daaaang!

Erin Loscocco and I were discussing this and I think a race board certainly enabled me to make through raccoon strait and towards the Richmond Bridge all that volume and square outline kept me up when things got light. I'm not sure exactly what constitutes a slalom board, maybe narrower outline w/ more rocker. The flat nose on mine was pearling a bit when riding down steep, choppy waves and wearing me down.

I think using an average surfboard would sink you more and you'd be relying on more kite pull, rather than glide of the board. Passing under the Bay Bridge and beyond Candlestick, I was wishing I had less board--I was overpowered for about 5-8 miles there and considered landing at Alameda. Less board volume would have been nice at this time. Probably less fin too.

Wow another amazing trip! You're probably going to be overpowered and underpowered at some stage on a trip like that, sounds like a raceboard is the best compromise if you go with a "rig for the lulls" strategy.

Next challenge all 7 bridges?

Captain John wrote:Passing under the Bay Bridge and beyond Candlestick, I was wishing I had less board--I was overpowered for about 5-8 miles there and

That explains the straight line on the graph going down the bay where it must have pulled like a truck lol.

Here's a write up on the expedition. enjoy-

http://kitethebay.com/blog/

as usual you're expeditions are interesting ,fascinating and quite exciting.
Having the courage and strength to jump off into the bay and navigate the waters the way you do.
Good job

Yesterday as I was mowing the lawn at Alameda
This guy who's name escapes me ,came kiting downwind from way up by the bridge
Riding a 8m with a 12 year old slingshot Drake board and a kite backpack on and a big fat smile
Said he came from crissy
Went on the city side of the bridge
Which was holieI, then downwind into alameda
which I think is very cool, no support group no chase boat
took the bus to the city , took a bus home.

CDOG, could it have been a green 9m naish cult/helix kite, DUDE with surfer blond hair.

Said he was going to Berkeley.....

The problem is for locals it is messing up looking for everybody on the water.

Usually when a Twin tip is onthe water in the flood loosing ground towards angel island/ alcatraz he is in trouble even though he is still kiteing.

It would be nice for locals to know someone is going downwind on purpose.

I only new this guy was because he asked for a launch and I saw his kitebag on his back and asked him what is up.

I wonder if he told his buddies of an estimated time of arrival before someone started to look for him.

Some of this stuff is reckless without boat support IMHO and contrary to the recent Coast Guard letter from last month.