Salt Spring Island Wind?

[mistral's mistress]

I am heading out to Salt Spring Island soon and I was planning on leaving my kiting gear at home but then I thought.... what if there's a slight breeze and I start panicking 'cuz the gear ain't near so....

Does anyone know how far fetched an idea it is to kite there? In October?

Thanks!

[bbthelooper]

There is a possibility that we could get some wind from a SE, or you can always take the crofton ferry and drive to CB and that is only an hours drive and a 20 min ferry. I would bring your gear you never know.

[nanmoo]

Not that this applies to this time of year - But twice this summer we were sailing up to Wallace Island in near calm making about 2 knots sitting on the front deck in board shorts with the autopilot remote, and about 1 km north of Long Harbour, all of a sudden we'd hit an extremely strong westerly roaring at 20+ knots. Suddenly back in the cockpit and having to put clothes back on, under headsail alone we'd be making 5.5 knots. The wind seemed to blow across in a band up to the southern tip of Wallace and then it was calm again (I should mention it was Calm and 25C EVERYWHERE else). Nearest reason I could come up with that might explain it is there are two "mountain" peaks on Saltspring just to the west, and perhaps moving airmasses get accelerated via the venturi effect through them in this area.