The Gloves are Off

Warm session! No drysuit, no gloves. Seems strange kiting with naked hands. It's almost too easy to grip the bar. I guess I'll just have to adapt to the hardships of Summer kiting. I have fun circumnavigating Woodbridge Island at low tide. Almost no water in the channel but the slippery mud helps me get through. The slick in the lee of the island is like glass! Wind is gusty, completely dieing at times, but still a very fun session. Plum Island- Newburyport Harbor, Kitesurfed, W, WNW, 5-27, 12MRally/Flx138, with 1 other (on a Flysurfer).

Fishing for Kiting

Plum Island/ Newburyport- This is going to be great! I'm fishing in Al's boat. We catch a bunch of mackerel. Josh reels in 2 keeper striped Bass. Now I'm getting ready to kite. I've wanted to kite off of Al's boat for a long time! Al brings his boat close to a deserted sandbar. My gear is ready to go. I tell Al that I have my cell phone in my harness pouch. If anything goes wrong I'll call him for an early pick up. Otherwise, he'll be back in 2 hours. The wind is cranking! I put my gear bag on my back, grab my board, and jump overboard, swim it in. I wave goodbye. Pretty sweet. I pump my kite and reach for my harness to put it on. My harness! I look up to see Al's boat far off in the channel heading out to the ocean. Too far away to signal him. And my cell phone is with my harness. A seagull squawks nearby. It sounds like he's laughing at me. 2 hours later, my harness is right there in the boat where I left it. Al and Josh can't believe it. I'm no smarter than the bass that are in the cooler on ice. My brain is the size of a mackerel brain. It's amazing I can function at all. But I have to forgive myself. It helps that I had a quick kiting session with Brad and Walter yesterday in Buzzards Bay. It helps that it was a sparkling day on the water today with family. Fresh bass for dinner. And my tiny little mackerel brain forgets things quickly. If I was a fish I'd be caught by now. But I'm not a fish. That helps.

Picture- Brad kites better than a Striped Bass.

Top Picture- Al's leg is a striper.

Promise Not to Tell?

Plum Island/ Newburyport Harbor- I find a hidden slick. Nice surprise. I can kite an arms length away from the marsh bank. Who knew this was here? Must be a secret. Don't tell anyone. Beautiful setting sun session on my 10M kite. Slick works in- WNW wind, mid tide, Might work on other tides, not sure. Any hazards? You bet. Lots of em. And the water is murky on the outgoing tide so you can't see squat. 1 mile distance from launch to slick. Speaking of outgoing tide- Don't let yourself get in a position where you could be sucked out of the harbor in the event of a broken line. Not a beginner friendly spot. Remember- This is a secret spot. So don't kite here. And if you do, don't mess with the dock pilings. They were here first. They'll eat you and your board in a heartbeat. Plum Island, Kitesurfed, WNW, 15-25, 10M Rally/ Flx 138, Solo.

Newburyport Harbor

I found wind today! Gusty, shifty wind, in Newburyport Harbor, but good enough for a fix.  Gusts to low 20's.   I expected nothing, launched my 17M, wished I had pumped my 14M.  That's just one of coy wind's many charms.  She loves to keep us guessing. Newburyport Harbor- 2 hours before low tide to 1 hour after. Lots of mud flats and sand bars to kite around, over and into. I was mostly in waist to ankle deep water. An occasional low rock hiding here and there. No dreamy slicks but a few flat water spots at low tide. Strong current in channels. Parking- Dirt parking lot on north end of Plum Island sound side, $5, nice smelly bathrooms, no walk, sandy beach big enough for self landing and launching at mid to low tide.  Plum Island- Newburyport Harbor, Kitesurfed, WNW, NW, 6-23, 17M Zephyr/Mako King, Solo.