Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

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marinkiter
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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by marinkiter » Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:52 pm

scotts wrote: It is hard to kite in light wind, you need perfect kite and board control. In addition, when it is light at Alameda you often need to go way outside, and the kite will not relaunch in these conditions so you can't drop it even durning lulls.
Sounds pretty miserable

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by SardegnaKite » Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:37 pm

It seems there is a beginner spot at 3rd ave, is that true?

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by NCKite_Ryder » Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:45 pm

SardegnaKite wrote:It seems there is a beginner spot at 3rd ave, is that true?
Not really a true beginner spot. Basically you are not a bay area kiter until you go out at third, lose your board, get blown downwind, self rescue, and drift in around the rocks and make the walk of shame. Someone will usually grab your board for you... and you can do all this at Alameda but the good wind at Third will actually give you the opportunity of learning the skills necessary to be safe. When you can make it back to the launch a few times, you then graduate to other spots in the bay.

Lots of people pay their dues at third and it teaches you to become self reliant and its generally safe cause there are lots of experienced kiters out there looking out for each other. If you hit it at the right low tide (not too low or its a mud pit) you can stand for the first few hundred yards, making it that much more friendly.
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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by schwede » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:16 pm

Kites on the water today at Kook's beach. Looks like its revving up to be an awesome day in Alameda!! Woooo go get some!!

http://boardsportsschool.com/weather/webcam/

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by behindThePeak » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:35 pm

SardegnaKite wrote:It seems there is a beginner spot at 3rd ave, is that true?
i was in your shoes last year. took my lesson in August just in time for the fluky end of season wind. Every session was a slogfest in light wind. If i could do it over again i would totally pay for a downwinder or two at sherman until i figured out how to move upwind. It's not hard, you just need enough water time with steady wind to work it out. once you can stay upwind the whole bay opens up. until you master that piece navigating 3rd is a frustrating triathlon: kite(sorta), swim, hike. you can do it, but it's not near as much fun as it could be.

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by SardegnaKite » Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:18 pm

..guys... is that going to be something like a war?!?!?!

"lose my board, get blown downwind, self rescue, drift in around the rocks and make the walk of shame....plus kite(sorta), swim, hike"...

:-)

OK, I'M IN! :-)

Tomorrow afternoon I might go to take a look at 3rd... (no kite-no worries..you'll be fine)..

Hope to meet some of you down there!

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by recoprianto » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:18 am

NCKite_Ryder wrote:
SardegnaKite wrote:It seems there is a beginner spot at 3rd ave, is that true?
Basically you are not a bay area kiter until you go out at third, lose your board, get blown downwind, self rescue, and drift in around the rocks and make the walk of shame. Someone will usually grab your board for you..
I guess I am not a bay area kiter. Never had that experience.

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Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by robert-g » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:30 pm

recoprianto wrote:
NCKite_Ryder wrote:
SardegnaKite wrote:It seems there is a beginner spot at 3rd ave, is that true?
Basically you are not a bay area kiter until you go out at third, lose your board, get blown downwind, self rescue, and drift in around the rocks and make the walk of shame. Someone will usually grab your board for you..
I guess I am not a bay area kiter. Never had that experience.
I guess I'm not either!
But have you been rescued by sfpd harbour patrol? And thet taken to the hyde st pier?

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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by Sonny » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:21 pm

SardegnaKite wrote:..guys... is that going to be something like a war?!?!?!

"lose my board, get blown downwind, self rescue, drift in around the rocks and make the walk of shame....plus kite(sorta), swim, hike"...

:-)

OK, I'M IN! :-)

Tomorrow afternoon I might go to take a look at 3rd... (no kite-no worries..you'll be fine)..

Hope to meet some of you down there!
Come see me and I will give you some pointers. Also, it should be shallow this afternoon which will make it much easier for you.
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Re: Alameda is dying! Other good spots for beginners?

Post by Sonny » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:02 pm

Today would have been perfect day to try, plenty of wind and low tide where you can walk pretty far out.
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