Lake Como in two weeks - advice please

[nicor]

Going to be there in a couple of weeks with the family and trying to decide what kites to bring. I'm staying in Verena and will only head up to Colico for the thermals.

What can I expect in terms of wind this time of the year?


What is the best way to travel to the site? Take a cab or rent a boat for the week?

How cold is the water? Is a 3/2 ok or should I bring my 4/3?

Thanks

[piccio]

Hi Nicor if you go for vacation with family,visit places,good food,monuments,visit venice etc will be ok.
if you go for kiting, beach ,sun ,mamma mia !!!!!!!!!!! sadness!!!!!! move forward.
ciao piccio

[pmaggie]

Hi, I live in Como and I own a flat in Gera Lario (northern part of the lake). I frankly don't know where Verena is. If you're heading to Colico, forget the boat and the cab, simply rent a car. There are basically two main spots for kiting, Colico and Gera Lario. They are situated on the opposite boarders of the lake facing one to the other. Colico is in the upper east coast, Gera on the west. Conditions are pretty the same: thermal wind in sunny days, varying from 10 to 16 knots, side shore. There are no dangers but it can be very crowded during weekends. Be careful when launching and landing, lauch zones are narrow and very close to beachstanders, trees etc.
In Gera Lario there are strict rules, you can lauch only from the water, ask the locals for more information. In both spots the wind is gusty near the shore, far better once you're 300 ft out in the water. Normal kite size is the 12.
The thermal wind is not something you can swear on. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not. The basic rule is: if the night is fresh and the day is sunny, there will be a good thermal. If the night is hot, expect a lighter wind or no wind at all. The thermal, also, works when there are no other winds. Sometimes, basically after storms, a strong northern wind come. Don't kite with this wind! Last sunday it began with 20 knots than, suddenly, it was blowing 50 (fifty!) knots. It's a windsurf only wind, too gusty and unpredictable for kiting.
In Gera Lario there's an english guy who owns an IKO center, Chris. He is a very good instructor but you can also contact him for kite trips (he will carry you with his boat down the lake where there are the best conditions for kiting, places that most of the times you just can't reach kiting by yourself) . Check www.414kiting.com for more informations.
If you let me know something more about Verena, I will give some more infos about the distance from the spots and the way to take with the car.

[xray]

There are more spots actually. I went on the water in Dongo..
No wetsuit needed right now, warm enough. 3/2 is fine. Bring a 12 at least, great scenery!

[pmaggie]

Yes of course, there are more spot, exactly Dervio, Dongo, Gravedona and Cremia. Kite is forbidden in some other spots so be sure to check before going in the water. It's not usual that someone is giving you a fine but it can happen.
Dongo is a nice place but the wind near the shore is far less than in Gera and Colico, so that in light wind days it's not the best choice. It is less crowded that the main spots.
Gravedona: same as Dongo but with a smaller area to launch.
Cremia: a frequented and very good spot, with the only problem being the launch area. It is REALLY narrow and when the beach is full of beachstanders it's really difficult to launch and land. You must stay near a wall and find an attendant who release your kite in the water, than you must walk towards the water and launch only when you're really close to the water or inside it. If something goes wrong, it's really a bad situation. Behind you there are trees, a wall and then an hotel. Once in the water, it's probably the spot with the steadiest wind. It's located in front of Dervio. Dervio is less dangerous than Cremia for launching and landing but not an easy spot. You must launch in a small grass area with trees and other obstacles.
The last spot is Domaso. Theoretically, kiting is forbidden but there are some locals who kite anyway. The wind is terrible near the beach and if you make a mistake you find loads of windsurfer just downwind. Definitively not a good choice, Gera Lario being only 3 kilometers north!
There is one more spot that works in the early morning, from about 6 am to 9 am, Valmadrera. It is located in front of Lecco. The launch area is one of the trickiest I ever tried in my life but once you're used to it's not that terrible. You must launch in a wide green are, than, with you kite in the air and your board in your hand, you must walk down a stone stair (!). Same for landing, up the stair and then land the kite. The first time everyone is really scared as far as I know!

[nicor]

Sorry I meant Varenna, about 2 km north of Bellagio on the east side of Como. we're only there for a week, and will tour towns around lake como in the mornings and likely chill in afternoon (or kite if all goes as planned).

Do you know if there is a local wind meter around Colico? or a windguru type of forecast for the thermal?

We've got nothing larger than 12M, so those would come for sure. Anypoint bringing smaller kites for the southerly themal? (seems pretty light in general)

Thanks for the responses.

[pmaggie]

If you're staying in Varenna (a very nice place indeed), two options: Dervio or Colico. Gera is not so far from Colico, about 10 kilometers, in front of Colico.
Maybe you'll want to stop in Dervio and check yourself the spot. Once you enter the town, look for a traffic light (there's only one...) and turn to your left. Follow the road till you get to the beach (actually a promenade on the lake, not a real beach), it's one way. Go on till you see, near the end of the road, a green area near a river. There you'll find the other kiters. Don't forget to pay for the car parking!!
If you're going to Colico, again enter the town and find a road to the lake (not difficult, there are 3 or 4 not more). Once you see the lake, go right till you get to the windsurf and kite school called "Son of a beach" or (same place) ask for "Ontano" restaurant. It's at the end of the road going all the way right with the lake in front of you. There are also signals, you can't be wrong. Again, don't forget to pay for the car parking.
If you're going to Gera Lario, simply look for to the harbour, there you'll find the parking lot and a green area. The spot is in front of the green area, near to the windsurfing school "Tabo Surf Center".

Have fun and don't forget to visit the whole area, Como lake is really a wonderful place to stay.