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California Coast Kite Advice

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California Coast Kite Advice

Postby pixelpedro » Thu Apr 21, 2016 1:16 am

Hey guys, WOW haven't been here in a while, when did this site get redesigned? (Sorry Toby Liked the old low tech site better)

Going to a music festival in LV in June but leaving a week earlier landing in San Fran on June 9th and we're renting a car driving down the coast and kitting every wide stretch of beach I see for about 5 days while I work my way to LA then I'll shot across to LV.

Also does anyone know of any regulations for kiting if I see a stretch of beach with no kiters?

So besides Sherman Island, Crissy Fields and Sta. Cruz any other epic spots along the way that y'all think I should not leave out providing the wind cooperates? I'll be shipping my gear back home as soon as I get to LV.

Need to travel light so: 1 board (Tona POP), 3/2 wetsuit, 2 kites: 13/7 or 13/9 Fuel (what do u guys think for traveling quiver? I'm a heavy dude 200lbs)

Tnx in advance.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby Frappes » Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:12 am

3/2 wetsuit won't be warm enough to go in the ocean at least north of San Luis Obisbo. I use a 5/4/3 year-round in SF/Santa Cruz.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby Adventure Logs » Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:57 pm

I was going to say, you need a better wet suit. I use a 4/3 year round in the SLO area. Good places to check out around central coast, Pismo beach, Cayucos, San Simeon. Only really must do is Jalama beach. Great little hidden spot, usually always good wind, great flat water and wave spots. A good gem. In my opinion id go 13/9. Wind will be cranking in the Bay Area and reduce as you travel south.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby NorCalNomad » Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:14 pm

A 5/4/3 year round...you must run really cold.

4/3 is the standard for paddle surfing anything above Santa Barbra, but you'll probably be fine with a 3/2 in June as long as you aren't spending a ton of time in the water vs actually riding.

Also if you aren't going to come with a surfboard then there are no HAVE TO HIT spots on the coast. To give you a run down of SF bay area spots http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/. I would get a beater surfboard from craigslist then definitely hit OB, Waddell, Pismo. That also will let you surf incase there is a hot spell which will shut down a fair bit of wind.

Also, yield to surfers.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby madworld » Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:00 pm

If you see a coastal spot and nobody is there, do not go out. There is a reason, wait till a local arrives.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby pixelpedro » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:50 pm

Frappes wrote:3/2 wetsuit won't be warm enough to go in the ocean at least north of San Luis Obisbo. I use a 5/4/3 year-round in SF/Santa Cruz.
Dayum! 5/3? is is the pcific that cold? didn't look like it would be, I'll prob consider getting a 4/3 but I'm in FL so I'll prob never get to use it.
logsdon wrote:I was going to say, you need a better wet suit. I use a 4/3 year round in the SLO area. Good places to check out around central coast, Pismo beach, Cayucos, San Simeon. Only really must do is Jalama beach. Great little hidden spot, usually always good wind, great flat water and wave spots. A good gem. In my opinion id go 13/9. Wind will be cranking in the Bay Area and reduce as you travel south.
Excellent! tnx that's what I was thinking, I've been on my 9 in some seriously nuclear conditions where I wish I had the 7, but I'll manage, 2 yrs ago I traveled with an 11m and I could kite @ Sherman island, it was absolutely blasting, I launched and decided to call it I was almost getting picked up on land. Tnx for the spots I'm definitely drop a few pins on the map.
NorCalNomad wrote:A 5/4/3 year round...you must run really cold.

4/3 is the standard for paddle surfing anything above Santa Barbra, but you'll probably be fine with a 3/2 in June as long as you aren't spending a ton of time in the water vs actually riding.

Also if you aren't going to come with a surfboard then there are no HAVE TO HIT spots on the coast. To give you a run down of SF bay area spots http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/. I would get a beater surfboard from craigslist then definitely hit OB, Waddell, Pismo. That also will let you surf incase there is a hot spell which will shut down a fair bit of wind.

Also, yield to surfers.
Yeah hope to spend more time out of the water, lol. Tnx for the website will definitely explore it. I thought about that too picking up a cheap SB from and then donating it to a grom or someone in need, but I haven't seen anything real cheap, and I'm not that great on one either, besides isn't that the flat season?
madworld wrote:If you see a coastal spot and nobody is there, do not go out. There is a reason, wait till a local arrives.
Tnx, I was wondering cause I know I shouldn't but 98% of the time I kite alone I like near a beach that there aren't any kiters the occasional tourist or sometime buddies from another beach a few miles north come down, that's why I wondered, although it sucks I'm not afraid of kiting by myself just don't wanna get in trouble or worst get locals in trouble for kiting in spots u aren't supposed to. Last time I was out there I drove down the coast and saw soooooo many beautiful wide perfect launch beaches I was drooling but no one was on them, but there were no signs either.

Tnx all for the feedback.


BTW Someone posted (they must've changed their mind and deleted the post) something about a 6 pack for a boat ride in LV? Duuuude I'm so in hit me up, I'll do one better I'll buy u dinner! lol hit me up I kited lake meade a couple of yrs ago but it was only decent for about and 2hrs, crazy thermal gusts though, met the funniest dude out there, it was nice would love to explore other spots.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby Adventure Logs » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:04 pm

madworld wrote:If you see a coastal spot and nobody is there, do not go out. There is a reason, wait till a local arrives.
That might be a little extreme. Sure there are some dangerous spots but they're usually pretty obvious. If you get a sketchy vibe, just pass. Also you don't want to be boarding around seals.
75% of my kiteboarding in Cali was alone, but I use foils.


If you don't surf, I say Jamala is still pretty decent because you get some flat sections of water due to the veg growth on the surface of the water.

If you get to SLO and still want a surfboard you're free to one of my old ones.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby Slappysan » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:40 pm

Tona Pop + Fuels isn't amazing coastal gear, I guess you can treat the waves as kickers but you'd probably rather flats I'd imagine. It would be a much more epic trip with a SB for sure.

In SF you're probably better off at 3rd Ave than Crissy, but you'll probably want to kite Crissy once just for the scenery.

SLO gets as close to flat as you'll find on the coast in the reform between waves because the beach is super flat.

When in doubt do the stringray shuffle.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby pixelpedro » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:35 am

logsdon wrote:
madworld wrote:If you see a coastal spot and nobody is there, do not go out. There is a reason, wait till a local arrives.
That might be a little extreme. Sure there are some dangerous spots but they're usually pretty obvious. If you get a sketchy vibe, just pass. Also you don't want to be boarding around seals.
75% of my kiteboarding in Cali was alone, but I use foils.

If you don't surf, I say Jamala is still pretty decent because you get some flat sections of water due to the veg growth on the surface of the water.

If you get to SLO and still want a surfboard you're free to one of my old ones.
Yeah staying away from the seals I figured is a safe thing to do not only for them but seals = sharks (right?) and I'd hate to go that far to be an appetizer, lol WOW I'm speechless with your offer to one of ur old SBs, yeah I usually kinda suck at surfing with a kite but I've been away from kiting for 4 months and just getting back into it so if I kinda sucked then I REALLY SUCK now HAHA, as the dates get close I'll hit u up maybe we can swap info and hopefully hook up at some point.
Slappysan wrote:Tona Pop + Fuels isn't amazing coastal gear, I guess you can treat the waves as kickers but you'd probably rather flats I'd imagine. It would be a much more epic trip with a SB for sure.

In SF you're probably better off at 3rd Ave than Crissy, but you'll probably want to kite Crissy once just for the scenery.

SLO gets as close to flat as you'll find on the coast in the reform between waves because the beach is super flat.

When in doubt do the stringray shuffle.
Yeah I know, fuels and tona is all got, well I also have a 15/9 solo for foiling but the 15 may be too much and the 9 too little for most times I'd imagine specially traveling w/o a SB. I'm open to anything flats would be good since I always ride mush choppy ocean here hardly get my hands on any flat water at all so it actually would be cool to get a full week (or at least a few days) of flat water conditions but the coast seemed so dramatically cool, that I can't wait to hit it, I'm sure my wife would LOVE me if we stayed SF instead HAHA.

Crissy is the Golden Gate right? can't wait to kite that looks so freaking cool, I'll check 3rd Ave as well.

BTW What's the stingray shuffle? do you mean figuratively or literally?

Tnx again y'all.

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Re: California Coast Kite Advice

Postby Da Yoda » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:58 am

pixelpedro wrote:Crissy is the Golden Gate right? can't wait to kite that looks so freaking cool, I'll check 3rd Ave as well.
I'd recommend checking out this thread and the links that are attached for both Crissy and Ocean Beach:
http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/foru ... =7&t=14075


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