This is an online blog journal of all my kitesurfing activities. I blog and log every kitesurfing session and provide information on skills progression, gear, weather and locations. I am based in Melbourne, Australia where we are blessed with good winds and some wonderful kitesurfing. I also take kitecam photos and video. I also record many sessions with a GPS.
Session 575, 576A &B. The wind was stronger at 30+ knots and with some North in it so we headed to Albany to check out suitable locations.
Albany Shoal Bay flatwater kite spot
First stop was Middleton Beach. The wind was over 30 knots and onshore with waves closing out. Nobody was keen.
Middleton Beach SLSC
Middleton Beach
Second stop was Vancouver Beach. It was a hike out over sand flats and the wind direction was not good either.
Vancouver Beach
Third stop was Goode Beach with similar conditions to Middleton Beach. Too much wind!
Goode Beach
Goode Beach
Christian from Kitebud was in the area and tipped us off about the Albany Shoal Bay Kite spot so we headed there. The wind was good and the water was flat so we rigged up on the narrow sand beach and headed out.
Albany Shoal Bay flatwater kite spot
It was great kitesurfing. Good speed, long runs and great boosting. The water was shallow with weed close to the surface. I tacked out looking for deeper water but I didn't find any.
I caught my fins a few times in the weed and fell off. Coming back in I header over to the butter smooth water where a couple of wind surfers were. There was weed there too. I asked one how they could manage the weed with their big fins - they are using special smaller weed fins.
Gaz was doing some great boosts!
Christian he checked out my bar and tuned it - adjusting the front lines and the safety line. I hadn't done that for a while so it was great to get it sorted.
He also lent me a demo kite - the Airush Lift 9m. It has 5 struts and was nice to fly. Its designed for big air, boosting and kiteloops.
We drove back to Denmark and had a good final dinner in the Denmark Tavern.
Kitesurfing session 559. We got a lift in the van again to Kaliantan around noon. We parked near Tampa Boleq again (easy access for the van) and walked the short distance to the kite beach. The vehicle track to the kiting location is rougher.
I took my 10m kite but there was less wind around 15 knots - I could have used my 12. Taking both kites is best!
I tacked out to the reefs, then did a slalom run back to the beach then some speed runs in the lagoon.
The water was clear and warm and the weather was good.
Stu S dropped his kite in the light wind and got dragged through one of the aquaculture constructions. Somehow he threaded his way through it and managed to relaunch his kite.
The two Stuarts and I took an outrigger canoe to the Inside Ekas surf break in the morning. There were around 15 people surfing there. People come across from Kuta by boat and also from access point below Ekas Surf Resort (who have one SUP for hire).
The reef break was clean but not too easy to catch. I wasn't having much success on my the surfboard I rented from Ekas but it was great to be out there watching others carve up the waves.
I eventually caught one and got a good ride in then headed back to the canoe feeling quite tired. Surfing is hard work for me - lots of paddling and my sternum was tender from the harness pressure in yesterday's very strong winds.
Some days there is no surf at this location. Outside Ekas reef break generally has bigger waves.
We headed back to Kaliantan in the afternoon for more kitesurfing.
Session 558. Our first day kitesurfing of the trip at Kaliantan was everything we had hoped for.
We headed toff after lunch in a van to Pantai Cemara, the location now favoured for kitesurfing, which is to the east of Kaliantan. The driver took us close to Tampah Boleq as the vehicle track into the kitesurfing location is quite rough. We walked around the corner to get to the kite beach.
The wind was howling around 25-30 knots.
This spot is around the corner from the main Kaliantan beach and has a nice sandy beach. The wind is cross onshore and there is a good tack out into deeper water in the lagoon.
There is a local kitesurfing school operating there. Herman and the friendly guys from Kitesurf Lombok provided us with good assistance launching and landing kites and advice on local conditions. They are based at the nearby Kaliantan Paradise Bungalow and can provide local food at the beach if you order it. They also have accommodation in bungalows.
I would have used my 8m kite if I had it. I borrowed Stu's 10m Union, rigged the lower knots and headed out close to overpowered.
This is the strongest wind by far I have encountered in Indonesia - its worth packing a smaller kite for this location!
The water is warm and the sun was blazing. The reef had a good cover of water at the high tide,
We tacked out to the reef break next to the channel which had a serious rip going out through it. The waves were big and a bit intimidating. I was overpowered and finding it difficult to stay on them.
