Beginner kiting @ 3rd ave - tips
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 1:13 pm
Inspite of most advising against seeing beginners at 3rd, if you follow simple rules, you should have a great time and learn stuff. Here's my latest experience.
I had a blast yesterday (Sunday) at 3rd ave. Light(er) winds in the upper teens so I rigged my 15 LF Envy. Low tide at 3:30 to 5pm was essential. I practiced my upwind skills and I was very happy I could tack left and right and come to same spot near the bike trail (though my right foot riding is my weak one).
I learned few important points:
- as beginner ride at 3rd in low tide only. The depth is barely 3-4 ft way far out. High tide adds about 5-6ft just enough to change it all for you. It's easy to see the tides for free with a mobile app such as iKiteSurf or WindFinder. As a beginner touching the bottom when you get yanked off your board is a godsend, so you don't have to exhaust yourself body dragging, finding your board, yadda yadda.
- when you enter the "launch pattern" at Upper Launch, body drag out to the left, past the rocks, don't block the launch area trying to get up and riding.
- get a beginner friendly kite. For real. I learned the hard way how frustrating it is to get "whatever" your $400 can buy as Bows. Yes a slow turning one, stable and with modern depower, something 2011+. You want the kite to drop when you drop the bar. Naish ride, cabhrina switchblade, LF envy are just few of them.
- for the love of God, know how to trim your kite so you won't be over or under powered. As a beginner, you want the bar to barely touch the top stopper at 12 o'clock and the kite to drop and stay on a side at the edge of the window ready to launch when you drop the bar.
- do small (but long enough) tacks first say 300 ft and focus on coming right back to the bike trail point.
- if you are in line with the wind flag at the corner before the lower launch, and can't come back upwind then tack out to lower launch and land your kite, then walk again upwind at Upper Launch if you wish. Get ready for your kite to drop dead as you enter that wind shadow behind the golf course. Have some speed when you come in, eventually. Walking that mud will prove to be your weekly workout, yes your quads will be totally burned after :).
- pay attention to what others do. If you see people landing their kites, head out.
Happy riding!
I had a blast yesterday (Sunday) at 3rd ave. Light(er) winds in the upper teens so I rigged my 15 LF Envy. Low tide at 3:30 to 5pm was essential. I practiced my upwind skills and I was very happy I could tack left and right and come to same spot near the bike trail (though my right foot riding is my weak one).
I learned few important points:
- as beginner ride at 3rd in low tide only. The depth is barely 3-4 ft way far out. High tide adds about 5-6ft just enough to change it all for you. It's easy to see the tides for free with a mobile app such as iKiteSurf or WindFinder. As a beginner touching the bottom when you get yanked off your board is a godsend, so you don't have to exhaust yourself body dragging, finding your board, yadda yadda.
- when you enter the "launch pattern" at Upper Launch, body drag out to the left, past the rocks, don't block the launch area trying to get up and riding.
- get a beginner friendly kite. For real. I learned the hard way how frustrating it is to get "whatever" your $400 can buy as Bows. Yes a slow turning one, stable and with modern depower, something 2011+. You want the kite to drop when you drop the bar. Naish ride, cabhrina switchblade, LF envy are just few of them.
- for the love of God, know how to trim your kite so you won't be over or under powered. As a beginner, you want the bar to barely touch the top stopper at 12 o'clock and the kite to drop and stay on a side at the edge of the window ready to launch when you drop the bar.
- do small (but long enough) tacks first say 300 ft and focus on coming right back to the bike trail point.
- if you are in line with the wind flag at the corner before the lower launch, and can't come back upwind then tack out to lower launch and land your kite, then walk again upwind at Upper Launch if you wish. Get ready for your kite to drop dead as you enter that wind shadow behind the golf course. Have some speed when you come in, eventually. Walking that mud will prove to be your weekly workout, yes your quads will be totally burned after :).
- pay attention to what others do. If you see people landing their kites, head out.
Happy riding!