Should Sherman Be Upgraded?

[cliftoncutshall]

Just got back from the Oregon Coast near Newport. Plenty of space there to launch your kite
Kiters there cling to each other like men going into battle. Mostly I rode alone and when another kiter did show up it was nothing but love.
There is safety in numbers. Unfortunately, safety promotes arrogance, selfishness, and foolishness.
Coming from that environment to Sherman last Sunday afternoon and seeing the entire launch area filled with kites spread out all over was a shock. I think a strong flood had just brought most people off the water and I assumed a big influx of kites is what must have filled the launch quickly. Still people should roll their lines and stack kites tightly immediately to make room for people behind them. Before getting a beer and chatting with your buddies!
I went down to the beach and launched there. There were no kites there and plenty of room. Most week days the park is completely open. Take a day off work!
Nothing wrong with Sherman just as it is. Besides, it's a public park not a private kite facility.
The solution.....
"If you are local be vocal"
catchy right? thought of it myself

[friggin old guy]

I was out at Sherman by myself this morning on my 6m in waist high slicky smooth ebbywaves and observed no problems with kite stacking or belligerent trolls.

But I guess that's because nobody else was out there. Nobody.

Suckaaarssssssss!!!!!!

Was also up on Oregon coast last week, straight up epic all week. Felt the love from everybody but the wsurfers at Pistol.....my dog licked one of them, and he said he always thought that if a dog licked him, he should get to lick the owner. My wife had the dog. Cue banjos........she thought it was kinda creepy.

If you do go out to the Rock at PIstol, mind your manners. The wsurfers continue to be a bit proprietary about that spot.

[zgur]

You dog, scoring a solo ebb sesh....I'll have to drown my sadness @ waddell this afternoon.

Funny story about the creepy windsurfer....let those crusty/salty fucks have that boring blown out beach break @ pistol....they are just jealous: they are getting older, still can't do the cool tricks that young kids are doing, and they don't have the cool/clean/warm water that Hoopika offers....funny thing about w*surfing, all the ads/cool shots are from one place in the world....no wonder its a dying sport.

BTW, I think it takes mad skills to windsurf well.....and in some conditions, like Hoopika, it is money (but so is kiting;-)

Get some, Z

[friggin old guy]

What was funny about the sesh at Pistol was that I talked to the guys, made sure they knew I was going to be cool about not getting in their way etc......and they said, yeah, you're ok but some of the other kiters are just rude and inconsiderate.

So while I'm out there, I take a wave in, basically in the shorepound, waiting for a wsurfer on a wave to go by before I head back out.....slogging, waiting for him to bear off.....he pinches up on the wave until I'm just dead in the water. Any "considerate" person would have borne off as it was clear I had nowhere to go......and the wave was not really a wave.

Anyway, just kind of funny to hear them complaining about kiters being rude and causing problems. Reminds me of when snowboarding started. You could have a skier run smack dab into you when you're on the side of the run and they'd still automatically assume boarder was at fault.

It's all good. I just don't know why some windsurfers have such a problem sharing the water.

Way off topic on this thread. Sorry.

[windstoked]

Okay, so maybe my vision of a world-class kite facility here in Norcal isn’t practical, but maybe some re-organization at Sherman might make things better.
For example, the ingress/egress direction of rotation could be reversed. The current counter-clockwise pattern connecting the kite launch area to the waterstart cove could be reversed. This would prevent the crossing of paths of outgoing/incoming that occurs when outgoing kiters wade out along the left side (to get well out from shore in the shallowest water along the left side of the cove looking out).
Some kiters don’t need to cross paths currently; they can waterstart in the shallow water on the right close in by doing a low powerstroke to avoid the people and blackberries along the shore, but beginners cross paths because they need to go farther out, and they take a long time to do it. They seem to like to play with their kite for awhile there to get their confidence up, and when you’re coming in you need to make direct eye contact with arm signals (and occasionally shouts) to let them know to keep their kite up high.
Another problem with the counter-clockwise pattern is the line-up is into the wind going out, which really slows things down, especially crossing the logjam on the shore and wading out.
However, clockwise would be more of a side/onshore direction for the line going out and thus move faster.
Another problem is that you have to cross the beginner launch area by the cove going out, and they always take longer to get their kite up and going. I was once waiting behind a couple other kiters on the carpet taxi-way for a launcher there, and the somewhat light wind combined with the wind shadow created by the other kites caused my kite (1st time flown) to roll over and drop into the stickers.
The only challenge I see to reversing direction is in the kite launch area. The turbulence off the willows is lowest as you go up the bank toward the picnic tables, so closest to the tables is the best launching wind in the whole launch area. The best direction for launching/landing to facilitate a clockwise rotation would be the opposite direction. I often do that in the overflow area when it’s real crowded, but the wind isn’t as optimal there.
Any other ideas on getting Sherman to work better?

[etxxz]

what the hell man... people coming in THEN would be exactly on the way of people going out. if you can't water start from that beach then body drag out. I start from the sand almost, ankle deep and that's enough to clear the logs / bush / logs on that point there.


can't tell if you're serious or trolling :confusion-scratchheadblue:


here is a schematic of your brilliant suggestion.
you:_________________________________________currently:

[NCKite_Ryder]

Sherman was upgrade about four years ago... only improvement would be to cut a new exit path further from the launch... tends to get all backed up in the pro pool launching grounds.

[zgur]

There is no need to upgrade.....go kite, add to the kind vibe, rinse and repeat....stop bringing the "more/better" mentality that rules everyday consumer life to this special little gem....realize you are lucky to sample this goodness and enjoy.

Get sum, Z

[joemount2004]

Amen

[etxxz]

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