Cayman's, South Padre, or OBX North Carolina need help

[backcountry]

Just returned from a family trip to Mexico Melaque area. Packed my kites and wasn't able to use them the entire trip. The sun was great, the beaches were great, the beer was great... This was more of a "family" trip, but to be able to kite at least one day would have been nice... We still have some time share points to burn up and are looking at going somewhere for next christmas. I told my wife that the next trip needs to be to a kiting destination-regardless. I want to go to S Padre she is looking at the caymans and a compromise would be obx. I don't care about anything but kiting. Can someone give me some insight or even other areas to consider. the caymans would be about as far as I would be willing to fly.

Thanks

BC

[rascalmat]

The wind archives on the ikitesurf.com site tell the story. (not pimping)
It depends on the time of year but it looks like South Padre would be the place if it was all about kiting. It's warmer than Hatteras this time of year. We are still in full suits right now.
No clue about the Caymans.

[sleepymexi]

SPI and Corpus Christi have been going off lately. I was in CC over the weekend and winds were 20+ all afternoon both days.

Here are the IKS forecasts I use:

Corpus Christi Area (the inland side of the bay usually blows stronger than on the island, btw):
North Beach, TX - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs
Ropes/Oleander - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs
Rockport - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs
Wildcat - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs
Port Aransas - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs
Crane Islands - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs

South Padre Island:
South Padre - Wind Forecasts http://www.ikitesurf.com/windandwhere.i ... ast+Graphs

[irwe]

I have been to SPI and OBX several times and I think in late December it would be chilly kiting. Why wear 5 mm of rubber when you could be in boardshorts somewhere warm. My suggestion would be Barbados. Airport is close to kite site, safe, great beaches, cheap transport ($1.00 US/ride), best wind early in the morning and late afternoon so you can spend some time with the family and still kite
Look for spots as close to Silver Rock beach as you can.

[backcountry]

thanks for the replys. I really want to go to cc or spi. Never thought about barbados. I live in the Pacific Northwest and don't want to spend the majority of my time in an airplane... In addition, my wife is still holding on to being a wind surfer-intermediate learning to jibe-and I thought the shallow water at spi would be a draw for her.

[acctx]

thanks for the replys. I really want to go to cc or spi. Never thought about barbados. I live in the Pacific Northwest and don't want to spend the majority of my time in an airplane... In addition, my wife is still holding on to being a wind surfer-intermediate learning to jibe-and I thought the shallow water at spi would be a draw for her.

Depends on how you do the beach, but SPI during christmas wouldnt be a good choice. Lots of northers which are really cold. Could be 50 degrees could be 70 degrees. Could be miserable for everyone

Here is a post which lists destinations by month
viewtopic.php?t=2310900

It does list cape hatteras as being good in dec

costa rica could be good. Lots of beach stuff and if it doesnt blow, you can surf or do other eco touristy stuff. Not a bad flight from the northwest.

[northerner]

If your going in Dec. you have only on option and that is the Caymans, though it will cost more. I have kited S.P. and OBX in early spring and early summer. Though slim you could be snow kiting in OBX at that time and the island will be dead with nothing to do but kite or surf. Your wife unless she is a die hard kiter will hate you.

I just returned from Grand Cayman three days ago and got 3 out of 6 days of nice riding in flat water behind a huge reef break. Dec is a great month for them wind wise. You will need to stay on the more laid back east end at The Reef or Morritts. Bring all your kites and launch at the public beach just south of the resorts and you have a massive area to kite in. Great sea life above and below the water there as well. I loved tacking outside the reef and riding in the middle of hundreds of flying fish.

My 2 cents on Costa Rica after riding there twice is that the kiting is far from the rest of the stuff a family would want to do

110 percent caymans

[davesails7]

If your going in Dec. you have only on option and that is the Caymans, though it will cost more. I have kited S.P. and OBX in early spring and early summer. Though slim you could be snow kiting in OBX at that time and the island will be dead with nothing to do but kite or surf. Your wife unless she is a die hard kiter will hate you.

As far as OBX. I'd put your chance of snowkiting at less than 1%. They barely ever get snow, and if they do, it's 1/4".

If you go to OBX in December you are going to need gloves, boots and a hood to kite as well. Water temps are going to be in the upper 40's or lower 50's.

And as Northerner said, there is nobody around there in the winter. Going to OBX for a kite trip in the end of December would definitely be a complete dissapointment. If you can change to September or October, then you'd be all set. All the summer crowds are gone and you get wind almost every day with maybe no need for wetsuits.

[backcountry]

Thanks for the replys. To be honest my preference would be la ventana in dec, however my wife needs a little more to do. I will check out grand cayman. Anyone ever have issues getting the airlines to get your gear to arrive at the same time? On the last trip everything arrived with me, which was probably because they knew there would be no wind... A couple of years ago on a trip to aruba it took 5 days for everything to catch up to me.

[Eduardo]

i was in the caymans in december and kited every day on a 12 or 9.

there is no comparison with the other two places. caymans is a true tropical destination, perfectly clear water, diving, snorkeling, ... exactly what you expect in the Caribbean.

SPI in december is fine for diehard kiters but there's no way you'll want to lay on the beach. it's cold! and even once it warms up it is no where in the same league for how happy non kiters will be.

for only kiting:
SPI is great for down winders, easy waves, and flat waist deep water for miles in the laguna. it is the safest place to learn that i have ever seen anywhere. peak season is march-june

for the caymans, most kiting is inside the reef for flat water/light chop. i only saw a few inches of water above the reef so i didn't surf it (way too painful to crash for me!) but there was one guy doing it.