Saturday Wind?

[grantmac]

Rigged 106/5.7/32 and was nicely powered from 1-2, then slogging 2-3. Then I was joined by another windsurfer and it filled in solid. We both quit at 6 due to fatigue.
Gusts over 30 and sustained in the low 20s. Got into a bit of a drag race and had the longest, fastest reach I've yet sailed. Wish I'd had my gps.

[Alton]

Considering how flaky the models were 3rd Ave really delivered SE 16-20. Started on 12m+surfboard at 3pm and found some knee to waist high waves between the boat ramp and mile marker. Had the waves all to myself (everyone else downwind at 3rd Ave and Centennial). Got some nice hits, gybes and even some awesome boosting.

Big turnout (over 25 kiters) including 8mdude, Adam, Francis, Gabriel, Shane, Jared (and his Dad), Joe, Jack (TT with snowboard bindings) ... lasted until 6pm when the sun came out.

I packed up too early after 1.5 hrs TOW when a lull brought me downwind back to 3rd Ave. The wind returned but no waves after the lull so I don't feel so bad.

Tsawwassen_Sat_Apr_22.jpeg (80.58 KiB) Viewed 9080 times

[C36]

Colder, wetter, flatter, weaker. Some rides, some turns, some smiles. Four windsurf (Lubo, Simon, M and I) and fifteen kites up.

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Slideshow

[Will]

Managed to get a fun little session in after work. Rolled up to 3rd around 1630, hit the water by 1645 or so.

First 20-30mins were very Marginal 12m conditions, just managing to stay upwind and do one jump at beach transition.

After that, it filled in very nice for probably 45-1.5hr powered up 12m. Nice mix of flat and chop with the tide going out!

Few beginners out to watch for as usual at BB. One of which thought it would be a great idea to transition 30ft in front of me, as approaching me from a downwind tack while I had upwind priority and starboard tack right of way...

Sure would be nice if people would learn the proper safety and right of way rules kiting ...oh well, fun day none the less. Great to see everyone out!

[BCKiter123]

Few beginners out to watch for as usual at BB. One of which thought it would be a great idea to transition 30ft in front of me, as approaching me from a downwind tack while I had upwind priority and starboard tack right of way...

Sure would be nice if people would learn the proper safety and right of way rules kiting ...oh well, fun day none the less. Great to see everyone out!

A great refresher for all of us:
http://kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteb ... -way-rules

Also a couple of things that I consider 'courteous':
1) if you're behind another kiter and the kiter in front of you looks back (as if wanting to make a transition (especially when getting into shallow water/near an obstacle/near shore etc.), do the right thing and do a transition yourself immediately (of course look behind you first, to ensure you can safely transition also) Give the person in front of you tons of room and if you're setting up for a jump, make another tack instead (this is especially important at the Spit honey hole). It's frustrating when you look back a few times, the person behind you doesn't transition, then you have no recourse but to put your ass in the water and stop with kite at 12 (kiter behind you will have to do a transition now anyways!, so just transition immediately to avoid this)
2) Anyone ever had to 'thread the needle' (single kiter needing to pass in between two kiters?) In this case it's not always possible to put your kite High or Low with normal Right of Way rules. It's also not always possible (or safe) for the single kiter to do a transition (if they're trying to get away from shore. Look around and if you see that a fellow kiter might have to 'thread the needle', be nice and just transition to make lots of room for everyone.
3) If you see a newbie, just give them lots of room, regardless of right of way rules. It's frustrating and challenging enough when you're trying to learn your first board starts or anxiety about staying upwind, and they don't need extra anxiety about other kiters getting close to them, so just give them room.

Feel free to add to the list. None of us are perfect and we've all had lapses in judgment but we can all do our part to keep things fun and safe.

[SE2]

BC Kiter wrote:
Also a couple of things that I consider 'courteous':
1) if you're behind another kiter and the kiter in front of you looks back (as if wanting to make a transition (especially when getting into shallow water/near an obstacle/near shore etc.), do the right thing and do a transition yourself immediately (of course look behind you first, to ensure you can safely transition also) Give the person in front of you tons of room

BC Kiter is correct in his thinking. In fact, if the first kiter signals for "water" the second kiter is obligated to get out of the way. This applies even if the second kiter is on starboard tack while the first kiter ends up transitioning onto port tack. This is a rule we all should be aware of. Realize too that there is no real objective standard of applying this rule. If the first kiter simply believes danger is imminent, that is sufficient to call for "water".