VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

hey, heading to Kamloops for the weekend and was wondering if anybody knows of any lake that has good beginner spots? Info re. the latter would be highly appreciated!!



Mathis

nicola have fun in the warm wind/water

Nicola Lake, huh? Any good for beginners though? Friendly downwind beach etc.? Anything I need to know about beach access etc.?

thanks!

Depends on if you are on an old longboard, a new beginner board like a Start, or a beginner short board. Best wind is Nicola and Stump, occasionally Thompson River. Stump Lake, just N of Nicola, a little less wind and lower chop than Nicola, good if Nicola is too hairy for you, like 2 foot whitecaps and long streaks of thick foam. Used to be great access/fine sandy beach at old mine site on E side of Stump Lake, accessed from S end - don't know if thats still open to the public. Thompson Rivers (Thompson, N. Thompson, S. Thompson) can be good with big standing waves, but its not for beginners. Almost any of the hundreds of lakes in the area --eg Hefley near Sun Peaks -- will get you some big board TOW, often gusty which makes it fun to try and plane before the wind switches direction and dumps you or it dies and dumps you. Little Shuswap and Shuswap lakes about as far to drive as Nicola, usually light wind, can be some fun frontal/t.storm winds. Some nice long sandy beaches at gov't/IR campgrounds.

I ride an OR Outlaw 142 .. guess that doesn't qualify as a longboard
Will probably try Nicola .. lots o'fun to be had ..
thanks
Mathis

Do-oh! Forgot about kiters. I would think Stump could still work for you - the old highway runs all along the west side and if you had someone driving you could launch near the south end and get picked up at the north -- I think. Do really long downwinders with a bit of a safety valve having the highway right there. You'd have to have someone catch the kite though, it would be rocky shoreline with the highway right above, but check it out!

main nicola launch by road just b4 sailing club heading northeast, good kiting near quilchena beach I imagine, past golfcourse,watch road and powerline across road though, not so great for boarding as wind lighter;

stump can get better wind than Nicola too and has 3 areas for launch, you pick.

I have seen both lakes just lit right up or instantly die so careful. Stump has more safe launches and a great end-of-lake beach at the new estate place near the B&B, can't miss it.

sounds great .. I think I'm gonna try Stump then .. safe launches and especially friendly beaches downwind sound amazingly convincing to me!!

thanks!