1st Buddy of the Season

[gonz]

Hey all,

I'm looking for someone to buddy up with me next Tuesday. I'm getting back into kiteboarding after a 2 year long hiatus so I'm pretty rusty, but I should pick it back up pretty quick.

Basically someone who won't squirt beer out their nose when I get dragged down the beach arms flailing.

Yeah, that about says it.

Cheers,

Gonz

[KirkTalon]

Buddy it is anatomically impossible for a kiteboarder who is partaking in a tasty frosty beverage not to squirt beer out their nose while witnessing the above mentioned event...

Next you are going to want us not to wear trunks over our wetsuits...madness!!!

[Bob]

You can usually ask locals to help check your lines etc.
Be sure to think about safety today, tomorrow, through next Tuesday and then when you rig touch all the safety equipment, how do I dump the kite? how do I self rescue? Where are the safeties? If it has been a real long time do a body drag down wind for the first time. And if you are being dragged - arms flailing - not to much beer will be lost through the nose because at least you will have let go of the bar and depowered the kite!
Let see where was that safety to kill the kite again?
What was the hand signal for that?
Good Luck and be safe first and foremost.

[windhorny]

If you dont have any luck getting someone to ride with you individually, i would just come to the beach at alameda on a windy day(15-20+) and just do your thing. Watch, listen, ask. It is a begginner beach wth lots of nice people in the same boat as you.

[adamrod]

yeah, or pretty much any popular beach. get there EARLY, set up your gear, and while everyone else is waiting for the wind to come up, you'll be able to get more advice than you ever thought possible.

if you get there late when everyone is rushing to get on the water before the wind dies, people might not be as helpful.

[timwim1]

Gonz-

Some great advice here in the last few posts. I have to say that this basically what I do when I go out for the first few times a year to "derust"...

Come early, set up, chat with people, get out early, do a couple of body drags first, incorporate the board and voila...

NEXT question would be when will there be the right wind...and that is a more tricky question. I typically check ikitesurf.com for the forecast, and then check the following windmeter before I drive out. Typically for on-shore Alemeda winds it has been pretty reliable, when the gusts are reading 10 and above I pack up and go.

http://www.kitewindsurf.com/store/windcam.aspx

Hope this helps,

SYOTW, Tim

[Bob]

If you can not figure out all the weather sites out there
Start Here

http://feeds.feedburner.com/SanFrancisc ... erForecast

Daily updates from a kiter for kiters
Jeff at KWS reads all the tea leafs out there and makes his call for all to see.

[gonz]

Thanks all for the info & support! Hope to see you out there.

[Bob]

BTW
Tomorrow
Tuesday
Looks like a good day to work in the yard...