Beginner locations

[Greg]

jono,
be very carefull riding lakes, you can run out of room quikly and ground effect (turbulance) is very dangerous.
Greg

[steve]

Kraemer:
That's about the WORST recommendation I think I have ever read: "would say coyote point is a good beginner spot- nice big open beach with small
swell"!!!!!!

There is basically NO beach at Coyote Point. At low tide the bottom is exposed so you could launch up near the power lines but then there is nothing downwind...rocks, windsurf launch, parking lot, more rocks, poles, etc.

Coyote Point is NOT a beginner spot!!! In addition, the wind inside is flukey and will give experienced riders a challenge. And if you get outside, you'll find a rock jetty, and harbor downwind, and basically no where to get out except the upper launch at 3rd.
steve

[narly1]

me too
not Coyote Point.

[average_male]

Yea visit Coyote Point when you have more experience, then you could launch from there and go all the way down to 3rd Ave. Did that twice last weekend, totally fun!

[adamrod]

you know, we need to be more pro-active about organizing downwinders from coyote to 3rd. those are always a ton of fun. except for the one time i rigged my 15m (because the wind inside was flukey as mentioned above), only to find it was blowing 25-30 outside. I think i managed to make it to the 3rd ave launch in about 15 minutes. shortest downwinder ever.

back to the topic at hand: way back in the day, when i used to teach, we taught at 3rd ave. it's actually a great place to learn as long as you follow some simple rules: body drag so you are well away from any rocks, drop the kite well ahead of inktomi beach so you have time to roll up your lines. fail to do those and are you're pretty much guaranteed to tear your kite.

[Kraemer]

Steve, maybe it's been awhile..

http://www.baytrail.org/vtour/map2/acce ... SwmBch.JPG

I think coyote point has one of the best sandy beaches on the bay.

If you get in trouble at least you can get out on the marina jetty and walk back to your car. And at 3rd if you get in trouble--you'll end up on the SM bridge pilings.

--RIP Jay--

PS. for you historians--"Back in the day" we used to dirt-bike at 3rd before they turned it into the local dump - I think it was a dump for more than 20 years!!- And now they have turned into a park and golf course!!
EEwwwh!
:(

[elli]

Dirt bike in 3rd Av? Imagine that: Wind - kite, no wind - dirt bike.

I still have one for sale if anyone is interested.

[Kraemer]

that huge mound that the walking trail goes over North of the Golf course used to be flat. That's a huge heap of garbage (with lawn planted on top)!