Kitesurf Atlas

Our sailing & kitesurfing trip thru the Sea of Abaco (NE Bahamas) was nothing short of a “trip of a lifetime”.

Day 1: We arrived in Marsh Harbor and ferried over to Hopetown to board “Kathleen D.”, the Maine Cat 41 from Abaco Multihull. After a day of provisioning and dinner ashore and roaming the quaint streets of Hopetown , we relaxed on board this incredibly roomy boat for the first night. Early the next day we went for a check-ride with the charter operator and then headed North toward Great Guana Cay.

Hi So, the end of summer has come and it is that time of year again when the winds head to other places and so do we…….this year Brazil again!! Cumbuco, Taíba, Paracurú, Preá!!! Yes, after the awesome 2008 season at El Paraiso Beach Club in Tulum, Extreme Control will be following the wind to the northern coast of Brazil. Here the wind blows daily 18-25+ knots  and at some places along the coast it blows even a bit harder. This coastline is a dream for experienced riders as well as a perfect place to learn as the wind is always there for you to practice.

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Hola

Extreme Control is happy to have had another successful season in Tulum!
We would like to thank everyone for allowing us to have such a great year and to invite past clients back to join us for our new kiteboarding adventures.  We would like to take this opportunity to share with all of you the happenings of this year and tell you about all of our fun and exciting future project! 
So, the end of summer has come and it is that time of year again when the winds head to other places and so do we…….this year Brazil again!!  Yes, after the awesome 2008 season at El Paraiso, Extreme Control has now expanded and will be following the wind to the northern coast of Brazil.  Here the wind blows daily 20-25+ knots of wind and at some places along the coast it blows even a bit harder.  This coastline is a dream for experienced  riders as well as a perfect place to learn as the wind is always there for you to practice.

Are you in search of the ultimate kiteboarding adventure? Well, we at Extreme Control are always looking for new places to ride and new adventures. We found just that, a little piece of kiter’s heaven, here on the Yucatan Peninsula. Like you, we are always searching for endless beaches with fun kicking waves, flat water lagoons, kick ass down-winders and crystal clear Caribbean waters. Here’s how it all started… Are you up for the adventure? Having been living and kiting endlessly in Tulum for the 2008 season, the “banda” as we like to call ourselves were getting the itch to travel and discover for ourselves how the conditions were in our own backyard. Having traveled to Brazil at the end of 2007, the memories of the experiences and the thought of new possibilities always around the corner were enough to get us packing and on the road again. How could we resist the adventure? We gathered the troops, the equipment and the essentials… Chips,Gatorade and some quality tunes and were ready to hit the road. Everyone was psyched to go discover new spots and new worlds.

Muskegon to Harbor Springs and Back, 20-31 July 2008:

Early the morning of 20 July 2008 I began final preparation of “Crusader” (a Cal 39) for a solo cruise north, and at around 0900 I slipped the dock lines and headed west toward the Muskegon entrance channel. My plan was to intercept the Chicago-Mackinaw Race fleet as they sailed north - and then to meet Mike (racing in the Mac) and Meagan at a harbor somewhere along the way. The purpose of this sail was to get to know the boat as a solo sailor and do a bit of a “shake down” of all the rigging and systems.

Part of the “mission” was also to explore the potential of a sailing/kiting experience in the waters I was sailing thru. If I had more time and other crew it would have been awesome to ride at several spots along the way including the Sables, Frankfort, Little Manitou Island, East (Grand Traverse) Bay among others. Next time, next year, I will for sure make this happen!

It began as a strange winter here in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, FL area. The weather had been very difficult to forecast, especially for lesson scheduling.

December was very unusual with difficult wind conditions, many lessons lost over the holidays as a result. It was either too cold, too windy or not windy at all. Rideable days: only 6 or 7! Most used kite: 10m.

January was an improvement, however there were many very cold days when lessons had to be cancelled. Rideable days: 19 out of 31 Most used kite: 10m

Iles de la Madelaine, Chapter 3

Kiting Day 7 – Day 11

Tuesday: Gusty 25-35 kts out of the West. Big clean head high plus waves at Plage de l’Hopital Fatima. Not many kites out there today but a few dozen sailboarders were shredding with 4m-4.7m sails.
Dany and a few others ripping on 9m & 7m kites when I arrived, I flew the 7m Hypertype and did multiple sessions on the ZONE and 28 Rip, plenty powered up. It was nice to ride another new spot and to see another area of the islands. The wind was a lot cleaner further offshore and away from the lee of the point. My best day of riding here yet – possibly one of my best wave riding days ever, except the session was cut short by a slow leak in my leading edge (I unintentionally set the kite down on some dune grass – doh! )

Kiting Day 3 – Day 6

Friday: we had no wind so I explored the 3 North islands in fog, and could not see too much but it was still beautiful. The countryside is very green, and it makes me think that Ireland must be similar. The flora at first glance seems limited but there are many interesting plants and the place has a very nice look to it. There are lots of different dune grasses and plants, wetland and bog plants, and the pine forests have lots of berries and nice ground covering.

I spotted a few places along the Dune du Nord (between 52km and 53km) where the waves might be good for surfing. Apparently ground swells arrive in the autumn during hurricane season and the waves get really nice when pressure comes from the East.

31 Aout 2007 - Cap-aux-Meules

After a long drive from Camden (Maine) and a 5 hour ferry ride from PEI, I arrived on this remote island on 28 August. As I made my way further and further North I pondered whether the trip would be worthwhile. After the first 2 days of being here I am very happy to be here.

The island has a long maritime history and deeply embedded French culture, so it almost feels like being in Europe. Most of the people here speak French as do a majority of the visitors, and it has been fun trying to catch up on my French skills.

The scenery is beautiful here and there is always a view of the sea. It is very peaceful and many of the people from Quebec and Montreal seem to enjoy that. If you are thinking of coming here and wondering if you should bring your girlfriend I would say “yes” – it’s a romantic spot and there are lots of things to do and see.

5/8/07 Leftover waves from Andrea batter the Rodanthe Pier and outer beaches, breaching the road at Rodanthe and Avon, isolating us from the mainland. Several rescues at sea required for some unfortunate yachtsmen, a 54' yacht still reported missing - that's why they call this area the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".

5/9/07 Wednesday: The calm after the storm. Wakeboard training with the “Predator”

5/12/07 Saturday: Almost a week after “Andrea” blew thru here they are still digging sand off the road going north out of Rodanthe. After 2 days of un-kiteable winds over 40 mph and raging seas we had to suffer thru a few days of light air. Another storm blew thru on 5/13 and we did some kiting on the Sound but it was very gusty. I decided to hit the ocean side with a 9m Waroo and my Bowers Design 131, but I seriously underestimated the wind speed… I should have taken the 7m. The waves were very disorganized and I had the kite depowered completely and still had to work hard to hold down the power. It was survival riding but still fun to be out there.

The "wind festival" is almost over here in FL, so it's time to head North to the OBX - my annual Spring Trip for some riding and coaching. As many know the OBX is an awesome place for riders of all levels and for learning.

I'll be there for the next 3 weeks and will update as I go.

5/5/07: OBX, 200 miles to go...35-40 kts and 15-20 waves in the forecast for Sunday and Monday....whooahhh! Hello 5m Waroo!

5/6/07: It's currently blowing NNE 40+ with higher gusts, and the waves are 10-15 ft., the wave tops being blown off in giant sheets of water. The whole house is shaking as I look out over the tops of the dunes and across the churning Atlantic. It's difficult to walk in this wind, the sand stings your face, filling your ears, mouth, eyes, hair...Is it wise to kite today? Perhaps not.