VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Contemplating a 13m 2013 North Evo mostly cause i'm going to Hawaii for 25 days in December and realise the winds can be light...wondering if anyone has flown this kite and could compare it to say a 10m North Rebel...trying to decide if i'm going to buy it.

When it is 13m weather the wind is usually straight onshore and often times big waves in Dec. Better to go SUPing or snorkeling on days like that. When the trades blow the wind direction is better and you will not need your 13m. Just have to hope... it cranked most of dec last year!

MartyD wrote: it cranked most of dec last year!

yep, sure seems the seasons are shifting ....or don't happen at all....got all but skunked in March/April and light winds in November/early Dec which is unusual.

At home, Clover point, my main venue, had next to nothing all year. Nitinaht had outstanding days for a change, even into September. Columbia is dead, winter, summer, spring, fall.....go figure. Florence was early and never came back after that......All data and planning seems out the window

hmm....sorry to drift yer thread, salty dood. I would agree a big kite in big swell with light winds may spell trouble. el tiburon tigre loves trollers

Good to know Marty! I am bringing my entire kite quiver for my Maui trip, going to fill my whole families' bags with gear.

I am staying on south shore, would be pretty cool if light kona winds blow at some point, can maybe kite right off front yard of my condo. So I want my big kite, just in case.

But if you don't have a big kite and likely won't need one, a "just in case" option could be rental maybe? This place seems to rent a kite + board combo for $85/day, so I'd think cheaper if just the kite. Maybe that gives you a back up plan, short of buying a big kite before you go.

http://secondwindmaui.com/index.php/our ... ckage.html

Consider renting or demoing a big kite from the Naish store. They have always been very reasonable compared to the other kite stores in Kanaha ($35.00 vs $85.00-$100.00 elsewhere). They tend not to advertise their kite rentals (boards only), but they will usually let you “test” kites. Also good to be preemptive. All the light wind gear gets gobbled up fast when the wind gets light, especially during these wind droughts.

For sure!!! Thanks a lot guys for the great advice. I would way rather hang on to the cash and not lug a kite around that probably weighs about as much as my three smallest kites....much appreciated....hoping for big december winds!!! if not sun, water and chilling...not bad!!! Cheers.

I had an amazing session on the south shore a couple years ago in December. Lighter on-shore winds, skim board and a 12m. Kited through dusk and into the night, lit by the city lights.

jhans wrote:I had an amazing session on the south shore a couple years ago in December. Lighter on-shore winds, skim board and a 12m. Kited through dusk and into the night, lit by the city lights.

as romantic as that sounds.....really bad idea on a number of levels

bromantic as it was just me out there. manageable risks.

Hungry tigers out there now

Well SaltSpringKiterPeaceGuy.....
So how did the trip go? Did you rent or buy? Advice?
Don't keep us in suspense.

Not saltspring guy, but I was there Dec 21-Jan4. My advice that time of year is to definitely bring your big kite or rent one there on the days you need it (a friend rented a 15m, cost $80 for kite and board).

There was kiteable wind somewhere 14 days of 15. First week had consistent NE trades with big surf, so Kanaha was the place to be. But the Kihei area also had sideshore wind every day and waves some days ... one of my best wave kiting sessions was right in front of our Kihei condo.

Then the wind went fickle for the next week. Maybe 3 or 4 days were just barely kiteable at Kanaha...14m some of the day, and then only 17m and foil boards for the rest. On these days, Kihei was windier than north shore...looked it up after, called "Island venturi effect", with wind whistling through the isthmus between the two volcanos.

One day it blew Kona...solid side onshore wind in Kihei, fun session. But that night it also brought rain and next day brown muddy seas....hungry tigers, no go!

I never used my 6m...rigged it once for kihei 30+, but too gusty. I used my 12m (closer to a 14m) more than any other kite.....the session saver once again.

Just got back from Kauai, kited one day out of 31. I'm getting over it.

Chris wrote:Just got back from Kauai, kited one day out of 31. I'm getting over it.

Bummer! I have visited Kauai on surf trips, before kiting. I am curious about the east side, Kapaa area, always seemed windy (onshore). And camping at Anini Beach on North Shore, also quite windy. Wasn't doable? Where did you kite?

Kapaa is usually lots of fun! But we had days of 10 kt trades. The day we did get was unusual, NNW at 18-20 so we had all of Hanalei to ourselves. That same day we camped at Polihale so I got a sunset session in 25-30, made it all worth while!