VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I also like to sail pipers as I live in ladysmith, I did try it on a NW and it sucked, on top of the fact if something goes wrong you are floating towards Departure bay/Newcastle Island. So If you folks want somebody to sail with let me know, my email is
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kitesurferdale wrote: I did try it on a NW and it sucked

what sucked about it dale?

i know the place can be hard to nail sometimes ... being strictly a morning spot on the right weather pattern ... if you're getting there anytime after 11:00 am, you may as well forget it! ... you gotta hit 1st thing in tha mornin' doods! what time did you get there? ... i've had wicked powered up 4.0 with beautifull swell with NO complaints other than the strong rotors as you leave the beach.

Well yup I was there after 3pm so I guess that is the wrong time. It looked good past the signal light on the rock so I tried to head out past it on my 16m kite, but the wind was doing crazy things, like gusting, then switching abit then lufting, etc etc, so decided to head back, heh, lucky for me I was able to make it back to the very bottom of pipers towards the Marine Station, landing on the rocks (hard on the kite) as the wind just dissapeared on that corner. So over all it sucked, might give it a go tommorow morning as I am in Nanaimo early.

kitesurferdale wrote:Well yup I was there after 3pm so I guess that is the wrong time. It looked good past the signal light on the rock so I tried to head out past it on my 16m kite, but the wind was doing crazy things, like gusting, then switching abit then lufting, etc etc, so decided to head back, heh, lucky for me I was able to make it back to the very bottom of pipers towards the Marine Station, landing on the rocks (hard on the kite) as the wind just dissapeared on that corner. So over all it sucked, might give it a go tommorow morning as I am in Nanaimo early.

sounds like a close call ... good thing you made it back in safe!

i'm not sure tommorrow will be any good , it need like the high pressure thing goin on ... watch the georgia st forecasts and check the archives from entrance island ... if things are workin right, you should see it come up around midnight and blow till about noon next day.

good luck wind hunting dood

Thanks P.H., always can use some luck in finding wind, lets hope for something this weekend!!

I will be in Nanaimo for work this weekend, free after 4pm. Seeing a 15-20 NW wind call, Wiki says ... Piper has potential. NW works there, 10mins from work, enough light for a quickie before dark MAYBE.

Searching the forum, advice ranges from DON'T EVEN THINK IT to kinda grudging possibility.

Is it realistically do-able? Or too gusty, too offshore, and too sketchy?

Given recent wind forecasts, I don't hold out much hope anyway ... but at the same time, I'll bring my gear just in case!

Any advice greatly appreciated. Even better if someone wants to join me or give me a launch.

Sebastian Road (a couple street west / to the left of Myron Road on the wiki).

It seems further than Pipers but depending where exactly you are located in Nanaimo it might be quicker to go there anyway due to highway.

Very nice place, very safe also / side shore - inshore on a NW. (not sure about current, just dont go too far I guess).

ditto what Teabag said... Myron looked great on a NW the day I was in town without gear! bugger

I live right close to Pipers and have played around inside the Lagoon on a NW lots (SE is best). To head outside though you will have the wind shadow to deal with. If you're confident in your skills you should have some fun. A couple of options close by are Blueback which is about a 7 min drive from Pipers. With the 6 ft tide you will have a good chunk of the sandbar to lanch off but the wind won't be quite as strong and you'll have a long flight of stairs to contend with. This is fine on the way down but coming back up those steps with wet gear after a session can be a bit of a chore. Still it is IMO a beautiful place to ride. Or head to Sebastion Rd in Lantzville (max 15 min drive from Pipers). Launch is nice and close to parking. Hope the forecast holds for you, I only wish I was in town this weekend to get a session.

awesome...thanks for all the tips! I figure my probability is super low, as a lot of factors are against it ... first time at the spots, very short time window, not any time to suss it out or figure out launch. However, if there's even a reasonable chance, I'll give it a shot.

Ah, if only 1 more hour of light and 5 kts more forecast ... the never-ending story.