VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

As a wind junkie having windsurfed and kited at Nitinaht for 25 years, I would encourage everyone who can ride upwind and down, to get out of "the corridor" and explore wind and water conditions all over the great expanse of the lake.

Yes sometimes the windswell deep downwind of the beach can be a little better formed than upwind, but usually the wind is steadier and a little stronger well upwind of the beach and usually makes upwind ( of the beach & river ) the better place to be.

Staying well away from the beginners has always been the polite thing to do for proficient sailboarders and kiters. Our crafts are so maneovrable and beginners ( or kite lessons ) are easy to spot from a distance, it's not hard to keep well away.

Twenty years ago before there were any kiters at the lake, the area just out from the beach often had beginner-shortboarders working on water-starting and sailing very abbreviated reaches before falling in on a gybe attempt and water-starting back towards the safety of the beach. Having a clear path in close to the beach to nail a lay-down or duck gybe was a rare treat.

So yes it make sense having separated ends of the beach for launching/landing kites, and rigging and windsurfing close to the best parking and beach access. But riding in the corridor off the beach should only be the intermediates still working on getting upwind.

I have been sailing (windsurfing) at Nitinat for quite some time as well now and over the last few years the number of kiters below the stump has increased. Just with the group i sail with we have now had numerous incidents each year where one of the younger ones learning has almost been hit by a crashing kite, a jumping kiter or just felt intimidated trying to learn to sail with all the big air being boosted close to beach. We have had beginners crash their kites on the beach almost on top of us without even an apology or acknowledgement that they almost hit us.

There needs to be more respect for beginners of each sport and users of each sport in general.

Last time i was up there i even had a kiter intentionally drop his kite as i went by on starboard to try and 'tag' me, i ate shit as my mast caught his lines and was absolutely pissed at the guy, he did it on purpose as he thought i was a friend of his sailing by, this sort of idiocy has no place on the water; this happened below the stump as well, he was a proficient kiter and did apologize but i felt very lucky not to have been seriously injured.

As to the lessons being taught that drag through that area i have generally not noticed a problem, an inconvenience sometimes but not a problem.

Windsurfers and kiters should be friends! It's all about the sun, waves and wind!

Lessons need the full use of the lake or the student's $$ and time to practice will be wasted on micro runs.

If windsurfers or kiters find the launch areas and "corridors" too crowded or littered with beginners, join me and sail up wind to the river mouth or down wind towards the village... the waves are nicer, the wind is cleaner... it's a simple solution!

Lawrence, be sure to introduce yourself to me. Let's have a beer and unite the tribes and then rig up and hit the water for a session. We all work too damn hard to let easily managed frustrations ruin your one or two days a week at the lake!

FWIW here's my on water hierarchy - kiters yield to windsurfers yield to students and beginners of either sport.

johnz wrote:Windsurfers and kiters should be friends! It's all about the sun, waves and wind!

Lessons need the full use of the lake or the student's $$ and time to practice will be wasted on micro runs.

If windsurfers or kiters find the launch areas and "corridors" too crowded or littered with beginners, join me and sail up wind to the river mouth or down wind towards the village... the waves are nicer, the wind is cleaner... it's a simple solution!

Lawrence, be sure to introduce yourself to me. Let's have a beer and unite the tribes and then rig up and hit the water for a session. We all work too damn hard to let easily managed frustrations ruin your one or two days a week at the lake!

FWIW here's my on water hierarchy - kiters yield to windsurfers yield to students and beginners of either sport.

Hey johnz, for sure, are you a windsurfer or kiter? I've seen one windsurfer once way upwind and it looked like they were sailing from the river mouth? Is there access up there?

I will often sail upwind past the river mouth.... There is the bay past the Caycuse River that used to have access, drove down there once many years ago, i suspect the road is done now. Only good if the wind is really filled in though as there can be a bit of a hole there i think.

How about we all just do what we want but keep an eye out and avoid getting to close to others. Unless you know them, then do what you want? You know just be mature adults about this.

Also if you are not using or intend to use your gear in the imediate future, put your toys away.

I don't think we will ever be able to segregate the water and then if we tried there will be a time when the lake is empty and then everyone will feel they can sail whatever, where ever they want and this leads to a huge grey area when there is a moderate amount of traffic. So everyone can just be adults and sail where they want with the understanding that the area in front of the lower beach, below the stump, is mostly for windsurfers but kiters can pass through but not stay and tack back and forth in the area. And obviously the students of either sport be avoided with a wide berth whether kiter or windsurfer.

The beach should be segregated as it is and a polite sign posted on the beach near the division reading 'newcomers please keep beach area below the sign reserved for windsurfers and above the sign for kiters. Remove lines when not in use'

I agree Pasta , I too am against water sport apartheid.

My observations as a person who started hi wind winsurfing in 1982 in baja and gorge. nitnaht since 1987 at least 200 plus days.Serious course and slamon racer Glenn Mcnabb was always guy to try and beat. Sailed with kiters since 1998 in Baja nd Niitnaht no problems.Switched as many of my fellow windsurfers did in 2006. Took lessons from Elevation and Srrong loved the stoke when kiting am constantly headed up by stearn faced winsurfers when I am on starboard.Why do they think they right to best part of lake ?In Baja everybody shares.Love the stoke of kiters and they party a 100 % better. get over it windsurfers its 2016 PS I am 69 and ride strapless.Try it you will start smilling

life would be pretty lame if everyone was into the same thing. what needs to be said is we are all a wind loving tribe and regardless of craft we all share a passion and stoke. we need to get along on the water and even online. lately reading the forum is bumming me out. Think for 3 seconds before you click submit 'is this positive or not'. luckily it does not reflect reality because what i see on the beach and water is love and shakas. peace.

Motoman wrote:My observations as a person who started hi wind winsurfing in 1982 in baja and gorge. nitnaht since 1987 at least 200 plus days.Serious course and slamon racer Glenn Mcnabb was always guy to try and beat. Sailed with kiters since 1998 in Baja nd Niitnaht no problems.Switched as many of my fellow windsurfers did in 2006. Took lessons from Elevation and Srrong loved the stoke when kiting am constantly headed up by stearn faced winsurfers when I am on starboard.Why do they think they right to best part of lake ?In Baja everybody shares.Love the stoke of kiters and they party a 100 % better. get over it windsurfers its 2016 PS I am 69 and ride strapless.Try it you will start smilling

I think this guy just won the internet today. Spot on.

Hi Everyone,

An amazing weekend at Windfest cost me 2 pairs of sunglasses, and although the chances of sucessful recovery are slim, I thought id throw it out to the group anyway:

Blue SeaSpecs with a back strap (the kind Marty sells)
&
Black Smith's no strap

Both pairs were lost in the water close to the beach. If you have by chance found either of them, and are willing to message me, there is a reward in your future )

Cheers, Shaun
250-589-0853

winddude wrote:

johnz wrote:Windsurfers and kiters should be friends! It's all about the sun, waves and wind!

Lessons need the full use of the lake or the student's $$ and time to practice will be wasted on micro runs.

If windsurfers or kiters find the launch areas and "corridors" too crowded or littered with beginners, join me and sail up wind to the river mouth or down wind towards the village... the waves are nicer, the wind is cleaner... it's a simple solution!

Lawrence, be sure to introduce yourself to me. Let's have a beer and unite the tribes and then rig up and hit the water for a session. We all work too damn hard to let easily managed frustrations ruin your one or two days a week at the lake!

FWIW here's my on water hierarchy - kiters yield to windsurfers yield to students and beginners of either sport.

Hey johnz, for sure, are you a windsurfer or kiter? I've seen one windsurfer once way upwind and it looked like they were sailing from the river mouth? Is there access up there?

Sorry Winddude... I am not on here as often as most. Ironic since I work with the industry but it's just too much at times.

I am a kiter. But yeah - let's connect for a pint. I will be up for the labour day weekend. In terms of launching from the river mouth with a windsurfer, it would be a lot of work to shlep your stuff up there, just sail up wind. Even for a kiter, it's really only a place to launch from if you are a beginner looking for maximum length of a run. But yeah, waves are nice up there (and downwind by the village too!) and it's always less congested.

See you on the water, beer is on me.

JZ

Don't know if this was related but someone had there 2 kids learning to windsurf the whole weekend out of the kite launch area and in the smooth section we typically jump. If someone knows these peoples parents maybe politely explain that this is a kite launch and land area.. not the best place to be.

Those kids weren't learning - they ripped! But yeah, they could have gone further up or down the beach!