Houston....Whats the deal?

[mz16]

Thinking about a move to Houston. Seems warm and delicious. Looks like there are a lot of kite spots. Is everyone riding in Galveston or can you live in the city and kite after work? What are the best months, and what are the predominant wind directions? Ive been to SPI once and the consensus seems to be "houston isn't as nice" but does that mean its not as windy or just the water is muddy (because as long as its blowing who cares...)

[OceanAdventures]

Get in touch with Xlkites in Houston. They will give you all the info.

[TheJoe]

Houston is great for kiting. Our wind starts dying off in June but picks back up in September when the fronts start to roll thru. We get about as much as wind as SPI but ours just is a little slower. Most people kite in the bay at Texas City Levee. It is shallow there with a nice launch and a giant bay to kite in. Galveston has a bad dome effect while the bay is cold so we don't get a lot of days in the our small mushy surf. The water is brown not muddy! We have a big river that dumps into the bay and its a major international port. The sand is all ways turned up. I have seen it clear but that is only after a strong front blows.

Most people that ride down here live in or around the city. I live 45min away and work an hour away. I can kite after work once daylight savings hit but I get out a little after 5pm. It really just depends on where and when you leave from if you can kite.

One of the biggest pluses to Houston is it is a major US city. Our local economy is doing better than most due to the petro-chemical industry and being a major port. We have lots of things to do when it is not windy. I spend a lot of time at our cable park if the wind is not blowing.

Hope that helps ya.

[Eduardo]

Here are a couple sensor stats - you can try other nearby ones to get the same basic idea. I think ikitesurf.com also has sensors in both spots.

http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/win ... e_pier.htm

http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/win ... isabel.htm

[TheJoe]

Here are a couple sensor stats - you can try other nearby ones to get the same basic idea. I think ikitesurf.com also has sensors in both spots.

http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/win ... e_pier.htm

http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/win ... isabel.htm

Pleasure pier is a horrible sensor to go off of. First it was on top of a hotel on a pier. It's not even there now.

http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/windstatistic_galveton_jetty.htm

This is probably the most accurate you will get for the Houston area.

[mz16]

When you say winds are not as strong as SPI, what do you mean? What strength winds are we talking? What size kites do you guys normally ride? Thanks for the info, very helpful

[acctx]

When you say winds are not as strong as SPI, what do you mean? What strength winds are we talking? What size kites do you guys normally ride? Thanks for the info, very helpful

corpus is about 1-2 mph less than SPI and the levee is probably 1-2 mph less than corpus. In the spring SPI blows around 20+, corpus 18-20, levee around 16-18. The wind is consistent so you might not need as big a kite as an area that is gusty with a lot of holes.

In austin I sail a 10 in 20mph winds because it will range from 10-30. But I would do an 8 if it was someplace consistent.


You can look at the forecasts for thurs march 28, PSI - 21-22, corpus north beach - 20, levee 18. All from the southeast

[L0KI]

If you kite the right spots in Corpus, the winds are the same or stronger than SPI.
There are more choices of location and you can ride in any wind direction at all in Corpus.
SPI is more "vacation"-ish looking than Corpus though, a bit better looking for tourists.
Galveston is always less wind than Corpus and SPI.
Houston is better than Galveston, but typically lighter than Corpus/SPI.
In my opinion...allegedly.

[TheJoe]

What the others said. We can ride all directions and there are a lot of spots that people just don't go to or have found yet around Houston. We do how ever lack the same surf conditions SPI and Corpus have. We do how ever have a wake park and there are plans or all ready in the process of building another one here.

The best way to describe wind would be one kite size bigger than if you where at SPI. Don't get me wrong we still get plenty of 7m days here.

[mz16]

Thanks a lot for the info, very helpful.