new to kiting - just introducing myself

[JimmyJack]

By body dragging, I assume you mean chumming?

[Yoda]

There are a couple of folks that do it up in the Delta......Kitopia and Edge are a couple of good ones, although I think Nat from Edge is still down in Ventana but should migrate north to Sherman soon.

It looks like Kitopia is "Permanently Closed"...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kitopia/107783275920758

You could also just take one lesson at Waddell to get familiarized with the place, and then practice there.

Contact Alex at Santa Cruz Kitesurfing...
http://www.santacruzkitesurfing.com/SAN ... lcome.html

[Sonny]

Tommy, today might be a great day to go to Alameda.

[jjm]

If you want to go chumming at Waddell, Josh Nehf https://www.facebook.com/joshnehf just posted on facebook:

The kiting season has started! Anyone that needs lessons feel free to send them my way! Thanks

[tommy]

i took sonny's advice and went to alameda yesterday
had a blast
went to the shack and was looking around like a nervous dork at a jr high dance until rebecca asked if she could help me. i told her my situation and asked what the etiquette was. she gave a real nice description of what to do and where to go. super nice and helpful.

the first half of my session kind of sucked lol. i felt like the biggest kook. didnt get discouraged bc there seemed to be so much space and i didnt feel like i was getting in anyone elses way.

i bought all my gear used from different people and didnt get any help tuning the kite with the bar. the kite didnt seem to want to stay in the air so i gently crashed it and choked up to the second knot on the leading edge lines. got it relaunched and then felt like i was in business.

sure enough, the second effort paid off. ended up getting a bunch of fun runs. each run progressively longer. such a stoker.

got going so fast... was pretty surprised how fast i was going :)

then towards sunset, i was in pretty shallow water towards the end of the beach, decided i was exhausted enough and made my way to the beach. rolled up my kite to make it easier to carry all my gear back to my truck. such a crazy long walk back to the truck. i drove along shoreline to check the mileage on my odometer and i was a full mile down the beach.

im really happy this forum is here and i appreciate everyone being so helpful.

cheers
tommy

[JimmyJack]

Tommy
Awesome! I was wondering if you had taken Sonny's advice, because I was there as well and it was one of the best days at Alameda in a long while. I prefer being on a 13m than on a 10m getting my arse kicked like a several fridays ago. 18-25mph is the best as far as I am concerned.
The low tide made things a bit more painful than need be you should know.

I took 5 lessons and it took another 5-10 times before I got confident enough to stay up wind. I went to Alameda maybe 2-3 times and the rest 3rd. The thing about 3rd is that you can launch at the upper spot and then if you get dragged down to the lower launch, just go in.

I think someone also recommended going to Sherman island and getting a ride upwind. I did this with Sandy a couple of times within those 5-10 that it took to get confidence.

Best

[cleepa]

I think someone also recommended going to Sherman island and getting a ride upwind. I did this with Sandy a couple of times within those 5-10 that it took to get confidence.

Just be aware that if you do this, you are going to have to handle the hazards of the launch at Sherman when you go in. First you will have to find a hole in the rotation of people throwing tricks in front of the launch. Then you'll have to walk your kite down the path. That's no fun if your kite control is not yet solid. But downwinders are a great way to learn!

[Tunces]

Tommy,

Good on ya, Mate. Those first few rides are mind blowing. I am a total advocate for doing downwinders at Sherman Island to get practice in steady wind. Call Nat Lincoln at Edge Kiteboarding (775) 721-2232 to arrange. He is probably not back in town yet, but it is a great option for the summer. Nat will take you down river, which is upwind from the launch site, and you get to rig in a peaceful spot and hit the water without worrying about all the crazy’s at the launch. Then you have all the time in the world to practice as you work your way downwind to the beach.

Good luck.

I think someone also recommended going to Sherman island and getting a ride upwind. I did this with Sandy a couple of times within those 5-10 that it took to get confidence.

Just be aware that if you do this, you are going to have to handle the hazards of the launch at Sherman when you go in. First you will have to find a hole in the rotation of people throwing tricks in front of the launch. Then you'll have to walk your kite down the path. That's no fun if your kite control is not yet solid. But downwinders are a great way to learn!

[Aloha]

I think someone also recommended going to Sherman island and getting a ride upwind. I did this with Sandy a couple of times within those 5-10 that it took to get confidence.

Just be aware that if you do this, you are going to have to handle the hazards of the launch at Sherman when you go in. First you will have to find a hole in the rotation of people throwing tricks in front of the launch. Then you'll have to walk your kite down the path. That's no fun if your kite control is not yet solid. But downwinders are a great way to learn!

I enjoyed the imagery you started here - Allow me to sweeten the pot - if I may:

"First you will have to find a hole in the rotation of people throwing tricks in front of the launch...

...Next you'll have to make sure you don't step on anything that will tear through your booties and ultimately into your feet as you wade through the pristine waters of sherman lake and leave you with a tetanus booster on your list of to-do's for the upcoming week.

Upon arriving at the beach, assuming that you were able to dodge the fishing lines that are being cast right next to aforementioned kiters throwing tricks on top of the launch, you will have to navigate the beach-goers that are the sunny local Contra Costa residents that think it's a great idea to host a family reunion on the banks of the Sacramento river in 30 mph wind - sure, why not!

If you make it past them, your next obstacle will be the horde of kiters coming out to the beach as hungry to chew through that 1 guy who's launching that North kite from 2009 for whatever reason on the ingress / egress beach as the newly undead on the dawn of the zombie apocalypse are to devour the last living human on Earth.

Think you're out of hot and most likely highly polluted water just because you're on land? Think again, mi amigo. The next pitfall for the new kiter to surmount is the dreaded path walk. A zig-zaggy 30 foot narrow dirt path surrounded by local flora ready to leave your kite looking like shredded paper. Ever played Labyrinth as a kid? Yeah, it's like that ... only Labyrinth is way easier, and when the ball drops on the Sherman board it can cost you $1000. And as mentioned - it is especially no fun if your kite control is as solid as the upper launch at 3rd avenue is uncrowded on a mid-season weekend day.

Which BTW, IF you make it through - just as you thinking you're home-free you'll be greeted with a launch area that is as about as easy to understand, relax in, and land on without getting stung as a bee hive.

Of course, this entire harrowing tale assumes that you kited to the left of the islands as you came in, and not to the right - in which case you're probably still out there drifting for the boat docks making progress in a way a fishing buoy in the same situation would, thinking "I thought there was supposed to be a kite landing beach down here somewhere..."

*Disclaimer: I can't entirely confirm that the story above does not contain some components that may be non-fictional / autobiographical in nature ... "C'est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante" Afterall, it's the nuances of Sherman that make Sherman, well - the Sherman we all love and adore ... See you out there!!!

[JimmyJack]

If you make it past them, your next obstacle will be the horde of kiters coming out to the beach as hungry to chew through that 1 guy who's launching that North kite from 2009 for whatever reason on the ingress / egress beach

I assume you meanthe one launch area there behind the "bench". While I only do this in the early AM when nobody is really around, I was told by one local instructor, to use this all of the time to launch and land exactly because of the picture you paint about the path. And the yardsale that occurs on the grass near the parking lot. It is the safest place to launch and land (with help). If something goes wrong at this location, while it would be painful, nothing is manmade until you get to the end of the path where the steel struccture and cars await those launching from the grass and walking the path.

Lastly, while I have many years of Sherman experience as a windsurfer, so I am confortable with manyof these issues, I think you have embelished them appropriately enough to point out what could be your worst day at Sherman.