BayAreaKiteboarding.com

when you get a ride upwind and kite downwind, approximately how long does it take? how much fly time do you get out of it?

i've been going up to waddell most every day there's wind. i'm kinda gettin it... i can inch upwind on the outbound tack and get upwind decently inbound. i'm still crash jibing (sit in the water, switch board direction and go).

i'd like to get a full day in flat water to work on going upwind on my weak side - right foot forward. aka outbound tack at waddell.

it's hard for me to find the sweet spot on the outbound tack... coming in i wouldn't say i have it dialed but i know i'm going upwind and it feels much more natural. i've talked to a few of the long-timers up there and they've said that the outbound tack is definitely harder. it's kind of a bitch dealing with going over waves and all that shit. and i only want to go so far out from the beach...

so i'm thinking if i got 4-6 solid hours i could work out the kinks and find my edge going on my weak side so i'd have a better foundation back at waddell.

thoughts?

i guess 3rd would be an option too... way closer...

You're ready for 3rd, but downwinder in the delta would be even better. You asked how long it takes to go downwind, the answer is it takes a long as you want. You can probably blast downwind and do it in half an hour or so, but you would never do that, you should assume that if everything goes well for you that you should make 2 hours out of it easily. It all depends on how well you stay upwind, but you're miles from the beach, so it takes a pretty long time. If you're holding your ground or even losing ground you'll get a ton out of it. This is the best way to accelerate your learning, 3rd would be more of a normal kiting day while the jetski ride is more special. You can't/ wont take a jetski every time you kite, so do it now and get good.

The delta and 3rd should feel much easier than Waddell, no waves, but still some decent chop. You'll get huge long tacks, sounds like you'll lock it down quickly. Put in a good bunch of hours, say 5-10 and you'll be at Waddell with success.

there are people up at sherman that will give you a boat ride upwind (for a nominal price)to an area that is really flat especially during flood tide. i haven't done it personally but hear from others that it is very helpful.

it's good to time it right. near the end of the flood into slack tide for the flattest water.

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Another variable to consider for downwinder duration is what the tide is doing. Aside from flood=flat / ebb=swell, you're fighting the current on a flood tide (more effort to stay upwind) and getting help from the current on an ebb. This can affect how long your downwinder will last.

Check the iKite Sherman Marker 14 tide/current chart:
http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... tion=Tides

Why the hell would you want to go to sherm if you are ridding waddell every windy day? keep riding there then come to sherm when its foggy and kite up wind past dumb boat rides

+1 for what Sloughslut said.

kitecrazy wrote:+1 for what Sloughslut said.

Ouch...

Viking!!
You are already upwind of all this mumbo jumbo and are not what the notorious slut was talking about. Rinse off the ouch related booboo and have a cervesa.

Ok

+1

and LMAO!!