Kiting Grenadines on CARLA
An awesome vid of kiting and adventure island style, from one of our trips in march.
Thanks Trey for all the hard work putting this together.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Another fine week in the Grenadines .......
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| The Beach @ 2 ELEMENTS |
While i am plugging peoples websites ..... dont forget mine .... CaribbeanKitesurfaris
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| Two Elements Kite Center, Sick flat water spot. |
Over the next few days me, betty, victoria and a great crew from the U.S. proceeded to score some epic conditions at the best spots the grenadines has to offer. We got perfectly from flat Clifton Harbour to, headhigh, down the line cross-shore waves at a new secret spot.
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| Trey putting the new Best Taboo through the paces by HAPPY ISLAND |
Unfortunately one of the girls hurt her neck quite badly the first morning and next day i got her and her boyfriend organised to fly out of union to st lucia for an MRI, luckily xray showed nothing major and they we back the next day, with tales of great generosity from the locals in Vieux Fort, St lucia after struggling to find a hotel to stay in.
2 Highlights for me were, 1, a super-slick day at a certain butter pond jumping rocks and trees FULLY powered on my 12m Envy, then taking my 2 and 1/2 year daughter out for the first time with her holding onto my back and seeing her stoked as, yelling and screaming with excitement while throwing shaka's at the camera man and 2, Betty getting back out on a kite with some lessons with her good friend Linn in clifton harbour and having a blast.
Just one day of 7 we were unable to kite, I got a couple of guys off diving with Grenadines Dive, based in union island, while me and my mate Jeremy who is living in union island at the moment, hit the waves with surfboards and got few waves right in front of clifton harbour, watch this space for interesting developments to be happening in Union Island!!!!!!! should be awesome things over the next year or so for shorebased stuff.
Last day was looking like crap wind so we headed over to the Tobago Cays for some snorkeling with the turtles, victoria on her run of firsts' even donned a mask and snorkel and keep it on for 15 mins chasing turtles around the little bay.
The boys thought they would give kiting a go even with the mediocre wind and almost as soon as they kites were pumped the wind speed steadily picked until it was blowing a good 18 knots, enough for all to have a nice final session before the overnight sail to return to St Lucia......
So here i am now sitting in Martinique after a week of rain, and NO wind thinking of my 30 mile motor to st lucia tomorrow and praying to the wind goods for good wind for the 26th onwards for the next group of kiters.
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THIS OUT ......... Good friend Olly from KiteSurfBeaches.com has just finished a little video edit of a trip up north in march .... check it out, plenty of other quality video on this site as well as info on the best kite spots worldwide TODD'S LAW. NO WIND TOUR VIDEO HERE
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Humpback Whales in Barbuda! ..... 1st April trip is GO!
A short vid of the pod of whales near Barbuda on the last trip. No the greatest quality, my wife had the little pentax camera handy and passed it over.
We are now ready to leave the leave the marina and head down to Vieux Fort, St Lucia to pick up a group for our next trip. Forecast is looking sick for grenadines next week, with good trades on the horizon and maybe even a NW groundswell due to arrive midweek...... wahooooo.
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| Victoria gives next week's forecast a thumbs up! |
My new LIQUIDFORCE INFLUENCE 140 has finally arrived on the island, so off to customs tomorrow morning to sort that out, hopefully followed by a session at cas en bas beach in the afternoon before setting off south.
Friday, March 25, 2011
North Caribbean to St Lucia ....
We have just returned from a 3 week sail/surf/kite trip from st lucia to st martin and back .... A great trip but we got a bit of bad luck on the wind situation. Leaving St Lucia we sailed 40 hours straight to st martin in 20 to over 30knots of howling wind to pick up our new dinghy and motor. Along with great sailing we had good luck on the fishing, catching 4 nice yellowfin tuna and a couple of tasty barracuda.
Almost as soon as we dropped anchor in simpson bay the wind turned off like someone had flicked a switch. ..... After a couple of days of spending money on the boat and a few late nights enjoying the party atmosphere out we headed up to tintamarre island on the hope of some kiting or at least some surfing, the latter we were able to do and we scored a nice peaky reefbreak for several hours to ourselves.
Wind never showed! after a few days at tintamarre we had to return to St Martin to pick up yve and zvika who were coming to join us from israel. With them onboard and a couple of days waiting for wind in St Martin we decided to sail down to beautiful barbuda, with a nice swell on the way and wind actually forecast we were thinking we were going to score big time (when you get barbuda with wind AND waves it's unforgetable) Unfortunately the wind never really showed as forecast (Zvika's OZONE ZEPHYR 17M got alot of use though), i did one session in my 12 .... The swell bumped up as predicted and we got some very nice very hollow rights at a location that will remain nameless.
After several days enjoying Barbuda we headed for Antigua, 8 miles south of barbuda we recieved and amazing sight none of us had ever experienced before ..... a pod of humpback whales breaching right behind the boat!!! Amazing! we even saw another pod off St Johns as we arrived in antigua.
After refuel and re-supply we headed for the east coast of antigua and kited the north sound before moving off to green island .... Zvika and Toddy Kited along with us. Green Island is great fairly flat water spot with a cool little school setup (40 Knots Kiteboarding, Excellent place for sailors to learn because they will pick you up right from your boat in the anchorage)
We all had a nice session the next morning but then the wind went so light even Zvika couldnt kite on his 17m so we made the decision to flag kitesurfing for a couple of days and sail to dominica.
Dominca is one of my favourites to relax and take in the scenary. Our last day there we all visited the home of some friends Tim, Jessica and Skye. Words cannot really explain how awesome their property is so here's some pics.
After a delicous BBQ and some rums and freshly squeezed grapefruits from the garden we had to return to the boat for sail to st lucia so Yve and Zvika could catch flights in the morning, bit slow going due to the light wind but arrived in time for them to grab a taxi and race to the airport.............
Now we are back at home in Rodney Bay getting a few little jobs done before heading down to the grenadines for some more kite action on April 2nd.
Almost as soon as we dropped anchor in simpson bay the wind turned off like someone had flicked a switch. ..... After a couple of days of spending money on the boat and a few late nights enjoying the party atmosphere out we headed up to tintamarre island on the hope of some kiting or at least some surfing, the latter we were able to do and we scored a nice peaky reefbreak for several hours to ourselves.
Wind never showed! after a few days at tintamarre we had to return to St Martin to pick up yve and zvika who were coming to join us from israel. With them onboard and a couple of days waiting for wind in St Martin we decided to sail down to beautiful barbuda, with a nice swell on the way and wind actually forecast we were thinking we were going to score big time (when you get barbuda with wind AND waves it's unforgetable) Unfortunately the wind never really showed as forecast (Zvika's OZONE ZEPHYR 17M got alot of use though), i did one session in my 12 .... The swell bumped up as predicted and we got some very nice very hollow rights at a location that will remain nameless.
After several days enjoying Barbuda we headed for Antigua, 8 miles south of barbuda we recieved and amazing sight none of us had ever experienced before ..... a pod of humpback whales breaching right behind the boat!!! Amazing! we even saw another pod off St Johns as we arrived in antigua.
After refuel and re-supply we headed for the east coast of antigua and kited the north sound before moving off to green island .... Zvika and Toddy Kited along with us. Green Island is great fairly flat water spot with a cool little school setup (40 Knots Kiteboarding, Excellent place for sailors to learn because they will pick you up right from your boat in the anchorage)
We all had a nice session the next morning but then the wind went so light even Zvika couldnt kite on his 17m so we made the decision to flag kitesurfing for a couple of days and sail to dominica.
Dominca is one of my favourites to relax and take in the scenary. Our last day there we all visited the home of some friends Tim, Jessica and Skye. Words cannot really explain how awesome their property is so here's some pics.
After a delicous BBQ and some rums and freshly squeezed grapefruits from the garden we had to return to the boat for sail to st lucia so Yve and Zvika could catch flights in the morning, bit slow going due to the light wind but arrived in time for them to grab a taxi and race to the airport.............
Monday, February 21, 2011
Feb 2011.
Just had a great 2 weeks in the Grenadines again!
Started off in Bequia at the annual BEQUIA MUSIC FEST! followed by some awesome 25 knot mornings in Union and Mayreau lit up on my 9m ENVY over the next week.
Mayreau had some great waves in early Feb and a good wind direction for the butter on the inside of Saltwhistle Bay.
This last trip took us all the way down to Grenada, so along the way we stopped at one of my favourite nooks of the Windward Islands .... White Island, Saline Island and Cassada Rocks lie south of Carriacou home to many dangerous reefs, rocks and notorious for super strong currents but also a great little cruising ground that is still secluded, i imagine because of these hazzards.
Not reccomended unless you are experience reef navigator and have some local knowledge. We spent an awesome couple of days here chillin out and surfing (the wind had left us for a couple of days) before making the 6 hour run down to Grenada.
We were blessed with the company of 4 whales about 16-20ft long as we passed the west coast of Victoria on Grenada.
Now I am back in St Lucia getting CARLA ready to head up north this weekend on a 3 week trip looking for the sickest waves we can find in the Leeward Islands of St Martin / Barbuda / Antigua and Guadeloupe.
With good mates Ben Todd and Olly Clatworthy from www.kitesurfbeaches.com coming along and some repeat guests joining us from israel, I will keep the Log updated at least weekly over the next month as there should be plenty of pics and video. Stay Tuned...................................
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| Busy Bequia, Music Festival weekend |
Started off in Bequia at the annual BEQUIA MUSIC FEST! followed by some awesome 25 knot mornings in Union and Mayreau lit up on my 9m ENVY over the next week.
Mayreau had some great waves in early Feb and a good wind direction for the butter on the inside of Saltwhistle Bay.
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| Breakfast Stop, Union Is. |
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| Seckie and Vanessa's, Chatham Bay Union Island, Worlds BEST BBQ LOBSTER |
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| Solitude |
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| Whales off Grenada coast |
Now I am back in St Lucia getting CARLA ready to head up north this weekend on a 3 week trip looking for the sickest waves we can find in the Leeward Islands of St Martin / Barbuda / Antigua and Guadeloupe.
With good mates Ben Todd and Olly Clatworthy from www.kitesurfbeaches.com coming along and some repeat guests joining us from israel, I will keep the Log updated at least weekly over the next month as there should be plenty of pics and video. Stay Tuned...................................
Monday, January 10, 2011
Week in Union and Mayreau
We arrived in St Lucia, after a 3 day sail from Venezuela on the 30th of december with 2 days to spare before our first grenadines trip of the season with Jeremy and Judy from New York,
Getting away from the dock on the evening of the 1st we had rolly motor down island and were greeted with a couple of very light wind days .... the surf gods did however throw some nice waves our way, with a small N ground swell hitting a bunch of nice reefs around the islands we managed to get out there (some of us with the catcus and urchin in feet) and snag a few good ones.
After a few days the wind has filled in and we got settled in one of my favourite empty bays, with glassy flat water ... the kind that the only ripple is your own wake when you ride through it!!!! 3 days of cranking (especially in the mornings)
East to South East winds made for some great riding, a buddy pete sailed over for a morning session and we were joined in the bay by some other boats with kiters each day ... until last year i very very rarely saw other boats with kiters in this bay.
The second to last night we sailed around the corner for some of Seckie and Vanessa's world famous lobster BBQ in their restaurant right on the beach in Chatham Bay on union, always a great time with the best tasting freshest lobster in the world and some punchy rum punch to mellow the sore muscles from days of kiting.
Our last day the forecast did not dissapoint and we had perfect SE 20-24 knots firing in.
Carl on the boat was pulling some massive air with his 13m Diabolo, attached by his harness to a 400' fixed line anchored to a piling on shore ..... something you really gotta see, not too keen for a whirl myself though having rescued his kite the day before after his chicken loop snapped in half from the massive forces. check out the pic of his air over the land!
Was hard to pack up and leave the bay for a sail overnight to st lucia where J and J were flying out from.
Now i am back on the dock catching up on varnish and maintenance before the next trip south on Jan. 23rd..
Getting away from the dock on the evening of the 1st we had rolly motor down island and were greeted with a couple of very light wind days .... the surf gods did however throw some nice waves our way, with a small N ground swell hitting a bunch of nice reefs around the islands we managed to get out there (some of us with the catcus and urchin in feet) and snag a few good ones.
After a few days the wind has filled in and we got settled in one of my favourite empty bays, with glassy flat water ... the kind that the only ripple is your own wake when you ride through it!!!! 3 days of cranking (especially in the mornings)
East to South East winds made for some great riding, a buddy pete sailed over for a morning session and we were joined in the bay by some other boats with kiters each day ... until last year i very very rarely saw other boats with kiters in this bay.
The second to last night we sailed around the corner for some of Seckie and Vanessa's world famous lobster BBQ in their restaurant right on the beach in Chatham Bay on union, always a great time with the best tasting freshest lobster in the world and some punchy rum punch to mellow the sore muscles from days of kiting.
Our last day the forecast did not dissapoint and we had perfect SE 20-24 knots firing in.
Carl on the boat was pulling some massive air with his 13m Diabolo, attached by his harness to a 400' fixed line anchored to a piling on shore ..... something you really gotta see, not too keen for a whirl myself though having rescued his kite the day before after his chicken loop snapped in half from the massive forces. check out the pic of his air over the land!
Was hard to pack up and leave the bay for a sail overnight to st lucia where J and J were flying out from.
Now i am back on the dock catching up on varnish and maintenance before the next trip south on Jan. 23rd..
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