San Juan Islands kiting

[Jack1587]

I'm heading to the San Juan Islands tomorrow on our boat. We will be around there for 9 days and I'm hoping to score some sessions. I can drift launch off boat if needed (also any advice on drift launching would be great) or preferably find some launching spots. So far I found unwrapping lines from bar then holding centre two to keep kiting in face down position while it drifts then spin it around and relaunch from water works best. Has anybody tried San Juan Islands before and does anybody have good forecasting for that area? Or will I have to just be happy with some wakeboarding and swimming

[Graham4478]

Good Luck Buddy! hope you get a fluke storm!

[Jack1587]

Good Luck Buddy! hope you get a fluke storm!

We crossed the straight around noon and it was light on the south side of the straight of Georgia but when we arrived in Bedwell harbour at Pender Island it was randomly windy from the north. I pumped my 9m on the poets cove dock where we are staying and drift launched and was off Kited for an hour then the wind started to die so my dad grabbed me with the dinghy and we wrapped the kite up and drove in. Turns out there are float planes and I had to avoid one So stoked I got frosted on my first day of the trip

[Jack1587]

Another great session at Bedwell Bay but this time in the mouth of the bay to avoid the wind shadow because the wind was from the south. It was blowing 15-25 and I was powered on my 7m. Drift launched and drove out with the dinghy and had a great hour long session.

[Graham4478]

Unbelievable! Who knew you could get frosted in the san juans. I bet your getting pretty good at drift launching, you need to teach me how some time!

[Jack1587]

Looks like another SE on Friday. From the forecast it looks like I'm right in the centre of it (Saturna Island) Boundary bay looks it will probably get some as well though

[Patrick]

I watched you kiting in Bedwell, good work. I have a cabin right across from Poets Cove and have thought about ways of kiting the short squalls that come up. Your drift launching worked great ! How did you get back on the dinghy with your kite was in the air when you were holding on to that buoy?

[Jack1587]

I watched you kiting in Bedwell, good work. I have a cabin right across from Poets Cove and have thought about ways of kiting the short squalls that come up. Your drift launching worked great ! How did you get back on the dinghy with your kite was in the air when you were holding on to that buoy?

Thanks. Yeah the wind isn't great (really gusty and shifty) but still fun. I attached my leash to the buoy while I was waiting then took my board off. When my dad got there with the dinghy I just threw my board into the dinghy, detached the leash from the buoy and back to my kite and hopped into the dinghy. Yesterday (Monday) was incredible. It was probably 20+ and decently consistent. So much fun! It's kind of a place you need a rescue boat to get into the windline and back after your session.

[Patrick]

Great to hear that you are getting TOW on the gulf islands. I am working on getting a small zodiac for my return in August and plan on practicing some drift launching before I head over. There seems to be a couple of different techniques out, which one do you use? Have fun out there!

[Jack1587]

Great to hear that you are getting TOW on the gulf islands. I am working on getting a small zodiac for my return in August and plan on practicing some drift launching before I head over. There seems to be a couple of different techniques out, which one do you use? Have fun out there!

Yeah Bedwell Harbour is a great spot with a dinghy Now that I'm actually in the San Juan Islands rather than Gulf islands there isn't any wind Maybe the subject should be changed to Gulf Islands kiting I use either letting lines out as it drifts or letting al of the lines out before letting go of the kite depending on the situation. The main thing is don't let the lines sit all together in the water. When drift launching from a dinghy you can let all the lines out while in reverse to let them trail away from the boat then let go of the kite and hold the front lines to keep it facing the wind. From a dock I found that letting out all the lines just gets them tangled so I let them out as it drifts away so they don't clump up. If anything is going wrong grab a centre line and you can just pull the kite in or whatever you need (like try to untangle some lines).