still windsurfing or not at all?

[Guest]

I've been out several times in super gusty conditions. The wind has been dropping out to 2-5k (kite dropping from sky and flopping in water for 5-10min bursts) and gusting to 35 knots. On one occasion a gust hit 45k. The median wind speed was 25-30k.

I was using an 8m X2.

Overall, these sessions are enjoyable but hard work. The windsurfers out at the same time were having a less enjoyable time. During the dropouts they were dropping their rigs and getting hammered by waves. During the 45k gust they got flattened.

During the 45k gust, I "sat" in the water with my board on and let the kite drag me until the wind settled. The gust lasted 3mins or so. It wasn't fun, and I lost a fair bit of ground. Conditions in 45k are ballistic. At 45k there is an enormous amount of pressure thru your harness and back. I weigh 90kg and in 45k this is probably an advantage.

[Brenho]

Hi Sylt Rider,

I am exactly in the same situation as you do!

[Guest]

Windsurfing is SUCH a HASSLE compared to kitesurfing.

-Tying the board(s) to roof racks
-Lugging around a heavy 270cm board
-Downhauling/outhauling
-Lugging a board and rig down to the beach

Windsurfing is LESS ENJOYABLE than kitesurfing
- The excitement/adrenalin factor is 5x more in kitesurfing
- Kites have a bigger wind range- you spend more time on the plane

After setup, kitesurfing is cheaper than windsurfing
- Chances of trashing your kite in waves are less than chances of trashing your windsurfing rig
- A friend recently broke a mast (US$400) and 2 sails (US$500) in one session.
- Most hardcore windsurfers break at least one mast and 2 sails every season.

[RickI]

What do you do when your squall delivers a gust not to a well behaved 30 kts. but say to 40 or 50 kts.? Or on a more reasonable level, what do you do say if it is steady 15 to 20 kts. and you are properly rigged for it and you have a 30 to 40 kt. gust? Squalls in many parts of the world are surprise packages of uncertain wind speeds and directions. Some squalls will not allow many repeat riding sessions if you are rigged with a kite.

Just curious, short of letting go of your bar and activating your kite leash, if you have time and many haven't, what can you do?

The original post talked about a wind range of 10-30 knots. If it is gusting to 40-50k, don't go out. Simple.

You can get a good idea about gust strength by:
- Checking the forecast
- Checking the local conditions before you go out; spend a good 30mins getting a feel for things
- Check weather stations on the internet. These are available in most 1st world countries and give an excellent indication of what you're in for. On the ~30 occasions I've been out in super gusty conditions, the internet weather stations along the coast have been 100% accurate in terms of maximum gust strength.

My comments were directed at riding in squalls. Excessively gusty conditions in the absence of squalls are a different matter. They are still potentially dangerous as the many accidents indicate but the gust potential is generally less than a factor of 3 to 5 such as squalls can bring. Kiteboarding in excessively gusty conditions hasn't been all that much fun in the times I have been out in it and it certainly can be more hazardous. To each his own and good luck with his choice whatever it might be.

Regarding squalls, predictions if any exist, are often vague at least in the Florida and the SE USA. I have yet to see a marine forecast that says, "winds SE 10 to 15 kts gusting to 60 kts. in squalls." In reality YOU NEVER KNOW, in advance, and avoiding riding in the face of squalls in many areas is the wisest course. Sometimes mega-gusts hit and other times the wind dies and many variants in between with squalls. There are hazardous weather warnings that may actually mention winds as high as 60 kts. however which rider would do well to checkout before deciding to go riding.

A lot more about this with actual imagry and wind graphs appear at:

http://kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7646

Those 50 kt. + gust spikes aren't all that rare in this part of the world on an annual basis IN SQUALLS. A bunch of riders were picked up and hurled towards shore in England a couple of months ago in a squall. We had five have their kites ripped away from them in Miami some months ago.

Some riders have been killed by riding in squalls, many others have been seriously injured. To advocate riding in squalls carries more than a little responsibility considering the accident experience to date. Strong gusty winds absent violent storm activity is another matter, still hazardous but potentially managable. Riding in squalls and the uncertainty that they bring is ill advised in the extreme. The support of this view isn't based upon one person's experience but that of dozens of riders. Some are no longer with us.

[Brenho]

Windsurfing is SUCH a HASSLE compared to kitesurfing.

Agree 100%

Windsurfing is LESS ENJOYABLE than kitesurfing
- The excitement/adrenalin factor is 5x more in kitesurfing

Disagree 200%. It's different. It's 10x tougher. It's different and -at least- as much adrenaline as kitesurfing.
You can't race in kitesurf as you do in a windsurf slalom. Not comparable. Only in free-style and wave riding. There kitesurf will rule the beaches.

[kiteboarder@pacbell.net]

"Anonymous" wrote:
Windsurfing is SUCH a HASSLE compared to kitesurfing...
Windsurfing is LESS ENJOYABLE than kitesurfing...
After setup, kitesurfing is cheaper than windsurfing...
- A friend recently broke a mast (US$400) and 2 sails (US$500) in one session.

Not to mention UPhauling, pumping the sail, slogging off a plane...

Those 2 sails are over $500 EACH, & they don't last as long as a kite even if you DON'T thrash them in the surf.

[Guest]

Same as everyone else. 20 years windsurfing. 4 years kitesurfing. Sold the windsurf gear after not using it for a year.

Love that I can leave my gear in the back of my car all summer for after work quickies.
Love that my kites are almost always clean and dry at the end of a session. Nothing to wash. Only a wettie to dry.
Love that I can go to bbqs and hear windsurfers grizzle about no wind for 4-5 weeks when I've been riding 5-6 nights a week for 3 months.
Love blasting across sandbars or shallow shore break in 4 inchs of water.
Love that I can go to Fiji or WA or anywhere else and carry my kiting gear in one hand and not pay excess baggage.
Love that after 4 years of happy cruising and jumping I'm in a fresh learning progression stage.
Love that I can build my own board.
Love that I can repair my own kite easily.
Love that I could probably still grab a sailboard and ride better than many who still windsurf and think kitesurfing is a passing fad.
etc etc etc etc

Regards

Greg

[Guest]

OFFICIALLY IN FROM CNN CORRESPONDANTS IN IRAQ:

WINDSURFING HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!

[Guest]

Out yesterday in HUGE surf over an outer reef-break. The wind was blowing 20-30k; sensational. Surf was rolling in at 3-5m - HUGE.

A few windsurfers ventured out, but they all came back in. They couldn't negotiate their way out thru the huge breakers. To survive in these conditions on a windsurfer, you had to have confidence enough to nail 100% of your jibes eg to jibe away from a close-out wave.

The only guys out were on kites. You can change direction more easily, you know you can get out of the way of close-outs, you know that as long as you keep your kite up, you're pretty safe.

In HUGE surf, kites are safer and more fun!

[MonkeyAir]

Sounds like a meeting of the international obsessive compulsive sport chapter, water section. Hi my name is Traig and it was 20 years of absolute wave sailing windsufing fanatasism. Hard to find the time to fit in the lifelong surfing addiction at that point.... Quit eating and watched the same windsurf wave video three thousand four hundred and fifty seven times till my girlfriend dumped me and took her tv and vcr back. Went to the Betty Ford winsurf/surf/kitesurf rehab center and have a follow up in.... We have good wave spots but the local wind is generally light. We would spend more time in the parking lots of windsurf locations and driving looking for wind and waves than on the water. As soon as we found out we could rip in the waves with kites, windsurfing died locally. We do miss it sometimes. Sometimes late at night you can hear the spiders who live on the old windsurf boards talking about the days when the things would come home wet.. Mex wave trips took in a lot more possible spots now that the wind minimum decreased. The wave potential is improving dramatically with rider experience and equipment. We so rarely get over 25 knots locally that it makes more sense to have a small kite as our windsurf skills have probably eroded to sub weekend Barny level. One of the local kite guys still pulls out his pole board as he has never adapted to high wind kitesurfing and developed good wavesailing and jumping skills. Ever notice that the number of a sport related stickers on your car is inversly proportional to your actual riding skill. These are average numbers, your ratio may vary. T shirts sold seperately... He claims it is because it is better on his wind board when over 15 average winds, but we all see through the charade and don't say anything. Big surf is very manageable on a kite. He is shlogging and we are jumping and riding on shore wind waves down the line. Charging close outs that you know you can boost back over is just such a relief from busting a pile of masts and ending up in a monofilm water burrito with your new wave sail in the ensuing brown water back wash dermabrasion. Hard not to miss what was to that point the greatest wave sport in our lives though. Wierd really that it just diappeared. Maybe Elvis is still alive and windsurfs. Really miss the almost mile long wave rides in huge south swells down at the Punta in Mex. You could just pop areal after lip smack on over mast high stuff for what felt like eternity. Sure in a consistent wind area like Maui, wave sail windsurfing would keep lots of people from having to take on kite surfing as the wind isn't so low to necessitate it. Winsurfing takes five times the time and dedication to learn and that alone makes those who partake deserving of all of our respect. I'm going to make a point of trying to get out a few times a year on a sail board just so mix it up for more fun and or realize what I am not missing. Probably couldn't even land a forward on my back, it's been so long. Remember talking to Fadi in Maui after windsurfing together (he taught me how not to hit my head so often on forwards with the mast. Still a little dizzy from years of that) and he said..Wow, forgot how much fun this was. (winsurfing after not having done anything but kite for a while. He was a very good windsurfer and designing wave sails at the Simmer loft) This was four years ago in the waves at Sprecks but since then kite gear and skills have improved dramatically. If the kite hadn't come along, we would still think that windsurf wavesailing was the ultimate. It only gets better it seems. Man are we lucky...
Having FUn!! Traig