When I started out kite boarding / kite surfing in San Diego a few years ago, I was surprised how easy it is to learn. I always thought of kite boarding as a good second sport in San Diego. I can not surf in Germany. Well, there are a few ways to ride waves in Germany. The North Sea is one. I also heard of lakes that produce surfable wind swell in extreme weather conditions. And, of course, river surfing. River surfing can be done at a number of locations in Germany. The most famous river surfing surf spot, is the Isar in Munich, i guess. Never been riding though. I will try to make it happen when I am in Germany soon. Artificial, man made waves might pop up in the future such as the Wavehouse in Mission Beach. Kiteboarding on the other hand can be done at ample locations in Germany and the countries around it. Remember, compared to the USA, Germany is small. The USA is more than 25 times larger than Germany. This means that countries such as Switzerland, Austria, France, the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the eastern countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary etc.) are within driving reach. $10 no frills flights can be found (Ryan Air, Air Berlin,…), full priced Europe “domestic” tickets run between $100 to $300. Go to a travel agent you trust, a good one can be of great help and does not necessarily cost more.
Kite boarding can be done almost anywhere where there is water and a little bit of wind. Lakes have no waves in comparison with the open sea. This makes it easier to learn. In San Diego, a bay provides water without large waves as an easy learning environment.
I started out kite surfing in the Mission Bay here in San Diego. Fiesta Island is a particularly good place to start out. Kiteboarders usually gather just passed the entrance to Fiesta Island. This place is great for beginners because there is land on the other side of the water. If you are not able to come back where you have started out, you can walk back from the other side (rather than being dragged out into the open ocean, eventually disappearing in the abyss). The distance to the other side is not far, might take 10-15 minutes to walk back with the kite in the air (or not) and your board in your hand. Once you are comfortable with the kite and acquired the skill to approximately come back to the beach where you started out, check out the other spots in the Mission Bay. Again, the bay has no waves which is great for beginners. When you feel ready for waves, head to the ocean. Tourmaline / Pacific Beach can be a great kite boarding spot. The parking on the Tourmaline parking spot is very convenient. Almost no distance to carry your stuff to the beach. Start the kite, get your board and pass the waves. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Pacific Beach and La Jolla to the north. If you are in the Los Angeles area, start your kite at Belmont Shores / Long Beach. Belmont Shore is great for beginning and advanced kite boarders. Limited waves and excellent wind conditions make this a premiere spot outside San Diego. It is a truly outstanding spot for beginners. 17 sq meter and 13 sq meter Slingshot Fuel (04) are my kites of choice with a 144 Slingshot board. Slingshot is a popular kite surfing equipment manufacturer. My equipment has been great. Of course, any other brand is just as good. Equipment can be purchased at few local stores. Personally, I purchased my equipment locally for just slightly more than what the best price on the Internet was. The Internet (ebay, froogle,…) will most likely be your cheapest buying option. Know exactly what you want and you can buy on-line. Preferably, go to a local store. They are often competitively priced and can give you a much better idea of what exact equipment you need which likely will improve your overall experience.
Kiteboarding in San Diego and Germany
May 23rd, 2008 · 1 Comment
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1 » Kiteboarding in San Diego and Germany // May 23, 2008 at 7:09 pm
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