Sunday, March 13, 2011

Beaumaris beach dodging reefs and then some rain

Session 131, 13 March 2011

Kite: Switchblade 10
Wind: 25 knots, S
Location: Beaumaris beach
Time: 4:00 to 5:00 (1h)
Board: Naish Haize twin tip

Predictwind was spot on again.  A strong southerly whipped in at 3pm, breaking the spell of humid weather we have just had.  At initially 30+ knots and some thunderstorms on the radar we waited a while before going out.



Once out, it was good.  The reefs at Beaumaris can be tricky, care is needed to avoid an impact.  However, the surf they generate is good fun.  I did some "re-entry wave starts" going out - a fast turn on the face of the wave going out, then ride it back in toeside.

There were only three kiters including myself and Stuart, but there were about six windsurfers out too.  

After 45 minutes the wind dropped a bit, so I made my way back upwind and returned to the beach.  I had a lot of trouble landing my kite - I couldn't get the leading edge to drop on the sand in the gusty conditions on the shore.  It whipped around behind a bush - very close to the cars - when one of the windsurfers grabbed it for me.

The rain storms out west arrived about this time and the wind dropped too.

Having someone to both launch and land your kite in these conditions is recommended.   Beaumaris is definitely not a good place for beginners - the surf club looms large on the beach and the reef is unforgiving. However, it gets clear wind for the south and southwest.

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