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.

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!

The kiting since I returned here on May 12 has been spectacular. July 15 marked the 50th session since I got back 75 days earlier. That works out to 68% of days kiteable, or roughly 5 days/week! And total kiteable days 12 May thru 11 August: 63 days!

The big lake water did not warm up much until mid-June, and there were many days when water temps were in the high 40's!! but for some reason it didn't seem to bother me at all – I guess all the good kiting kept me warm...plus an Ocean Rodeo Pyro Pro drysuit with lots of fleece layers, a hood and booties.

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

I’ve been riding some of the new 2008 Spleene Boards: 34 Rip, 38 Rip, 54 Door, 39 Session. The construction is very different from last year and the feel of the boards is different as well. At first I was not sure if I liked them as much as the 2007 boards (which were a little more flexible throughout the length of the board) but I am now really liking the new feel, which is mostly due to the dampening effect of a thin wood core. They feel so solid! I think the boards are even better with respect to early planing and upwind performance. And the finish is beautiful…very simple and clean looking. Improved pads and straps also allow for really good adjustment for all foot sizes, and super secure grip. If you want to purchase or demo a board please track me down.

I had meant to post this a long time ago…and it is close to the time of my migration North again but I thought I would contribute this now anyway

(Written mid-November 2007)

As the kiting season here on Lake Michigan soon draws to a close for me I look back on this 2007 season with some great memories and lasting impressions. The 2nd of November marked the 100th day of legitimate kiting here for me, since May 18th when I returned to MI from my winter migration, and that day was another session to remember among so many others.

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.

For the past few weeks I have been spending a lot of time riding the new Spleene ZONE directional board. This board is a completely different ride than any other board I have owned. It took a little time to really dial it in, but it goes upwind almost as well as the Session 141, but requires some work and concentration at first – and of course good toe-side technique. While this board can be ridden in light conditions it takes a whole different technique. It’s very important to keep the board moving, not edging too hard when losing power, and also picking your way carefully thru chop to avoid being slowed.

Since returning here on 5/19 I have logged (out of 56 calendar days) 36 legitimately good kitesurfing days, some of them epic – and this does not include at least 4-5 days that I could have ridden here or at Little Point Sable (45 miles North). Other than driving 7-8 miles South of my usual launch spot for a few short down wind rides I have not traveled away from Muskegon to kite – not even once!
In summary, (best case scenario) you could have ridden almost 40 out of 56 days!!! That’s 71% kiteable days! We have only had 4 or 5 really good wave days so far, but they have been fun! Tomorrow I am considering a 12 mile down-winder in the waves, which are forecast to be 5-6 feet, winds SW 18-28 kts!

Upon my return to the shores of Lake Michigan I was treated to a nice long streak of riding (8 days out of the first 9 days I was home). To date we have had 17 good riding days out of the past 25…not bad numbers. The conditions here over the past 3 weeks have varied from big kite sessions to fully lit 7m conditions with decent waves. We’ve done some down winders, some big lake wave-riding, and some butter sessions in the lee of the long Muskegon pier heads. During Several NE to SE days we rode on Muskegon Lake…and it’s noteworthy to mention that it is possible to ride here in practically every wind direction!

The lake water levels are even lower than last year and the sand bars are looking great…the third sand bar lying a few hundred yards offshore. The water temperatures have been up and down…high 40 degrees one day, and then upper 60’s the next. If you plan on riding here don’t forget your assortment of cold water suits. I have ridden with drysuit, 4/3 and 3/2 since my return - most people get by with 4/3 neoprene. Booties and hood are suggested if the water temp is below 50 and air temp is below 60.

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.

If you are looking for any new gear this year I encourage you to take a close look at the RRD Kites and Spleene Boards.

I recently decided to sell (only) this gear because it performs so well. There is a lot of good gear out there now, but I feel these products are exceptional. I’ve been using the Spleene boards for teaching and riding for over a year now and like them more and more. I recently began using the Hypertypes and I am thrilled with their performance.

The Spleene Board line-up ranges from wave boards and conventional shaped boards to "door" shaped boards that are unbeatable in light wind. Check out the website to see what is offered. The boards and hardware are all super quality and built to last. I have, for school and personal riding, the 164 & 159 Door (now a 154 door), 141 Session, and 128 Rip and the Zone wave board. I love them all!!!