Question

[drummermom]

Since a number of kiting sites have on shore or side shore wind why don’t people kite at the Spit on out flows? Wouldn’t it be safer when there’s nobody else there? Apologies if it’s a dumb question. It arises purely out of desperation! And, no, insults won’t be helpful.

[Alton]

Never attempted it but I would expect it to be crazy gusty and too cold this time of year.

[drummermom]

Can’t see it being any worse than the cold gusty shit you went out in yesterday at Jericho ! Just saying’. For me, at least it’s familiar. Having issues with dodgy launch zones. All about my comfort zone, it’s an age thing ! lol ok, fine, it’s a crap kites thing then.

[Alton]

Can’t see it being any worse than the cold gusty shit you went out in yesterday at Jericho ! Just saying’. For me, at least it’s familiar. Having issues with dodgy launch zones. All about my comfort zone, it’s an age thing ! lol ok, fine, it’s a crap kites thing then.

Once you get past the sketchy launch at Spanish Banks, it's normally steady wind out there. If you watched me yesterday, notice how I kept my kite low and quickly body dragged out to cleaner wind before attempting to waterstart.

I suspect an outflow at the Spit is gusty everywhere ... but you need to confirm this with a Squamish local.

[JonathanP]

I've seen some kiters out on outflows, but never been out myself. Usually pretty frigid with the airmass coming straight from the icecaps, and the gustiness seems way higher, 10-40mph yesterday, coming from the land. If you have any problems, the closest spot you could self-rescue a kite to would probably be darrell bay if you missed the spit, plus the river current pushes you in the wind direction.

[Alton]

... the gustiness seems way higher, 10-40mph yesterday, coming from the land...

Yikes! Not my idea of a good time

Squamish_Sun_Nov_8.gif (35.73 KiB) Viewed 8146 times

[adam2]

I wouldn't be surprised if that graph was reading low. I was woken up by the outflow winds in Squamish multiple times on Saturday night. It felt like it was gusting 0-70mph, I thought the trees next to my building were going to come down. I don't recall ever hearing wind like that. Had I chosen to park on the street I would have found my car under a tree in the morning. It was actually pretty stressful, there was definitely no kiting FOMO.

[Ryan]

Based on years of seeing Porteau Cove being very windy during outlows on the way to skiing I think that may be a better option. It's very very cold though.

[Jens]

A group of kiters did a downwinder last year at an outflow starting at the spit

[drummermom]

Thanks for the info guys. Definitely wasn’t thinking yesterday! lol There have been days though when it’s a bit warmer and reasonable wind so was curious why people weren’t riding. Cheers.