KITE TRIP ROADIE - 9 MILE & CARTERS, WESPORT, WESTCOAST, S.I

The majority of the Nelson crew will be heading down to Westport, West Coast this Labour weekend - 24/10/08. About a dozen + .
Hopefully for some major wind and swell!!

Staying at Carters Beach Motor Camp: clean and cheap, next to the beach.
top10westport.co.nz/

Kitesurfing locations:
9 Mile Beach, wind south to west. Over the hill from the www.bayhousecafe.co.nz/
Carters Beach, wind west to north. Right in front of the camping ground.

South West is the prominent direction so 9 Mile is the place to be. High tide for the weekend is in the morning before lunch, so out going tide from a lagoon/estuary means a massive 10 knot current pushing out through a 10 metre channel. Wicked for multiple standing waves and wakestyle loading.

We have kited here multiple times, it's not suited for learners. The waves can be as big as Double Decker buses!!(out the back) and they don't stop for anyone. Even the best have been munched here. As long as your confident and don't go out into the big stuff, no worries.

We all watch out for each other.
We are a close group and safety is important.

So open invite to all guys and girls in CHCH to come over the devide. Or anyone willing to make the drive.

More the merrier, all welcome, kiters and non-kiters, boarders or buggy's.
Good friends, good kiting and good beer, that's what it's about.


Just ask if info required.

Link to photo's from a last year
www.nzkiteboarding.com/plug.php?e=gallery&f=167

Past posts:
www.kiteforum.co.nz/phpBB/viewtopic.php?...p;amp;highlight=mile

www.kiteforum.co.nz/phpBB/viewtopic.php?...p;amp;highlight=mile

Hi team Nelson, we only made it to Kumara, where we had two epic sessions on Saturday in 15 knots SW rising to 25, then a bluebird no wind day of rest on Sunday, and NW tailwind home on Monday. We like the coast so much we want to buy it! Trust you also had a good one.

Hey John,

We were wondering what happened to you lot??

On the water at 8:00am Saturday morning - powered on the 9m-12M kites, 7 hours kiting with a few carb loading breaks. One snapped board, two sets of footstraps busted and a lot of hurting bodies!!
Only one major swim from out the back was from Lance, he was deep in the wave and it closed out right on top of him. Punched out of the kite, swam the half K to the beach for a well deserved rest.

Sunday took it easy with a afternoon session, finishing with a epic downwinder, start to end of 9 Mile beach.
Monday most of us called its quits as we had to many injuries.
Got back to Nelson for a 30+ knot session for the keen.

Yes the West Coast always turns it on.

Good to hear from you John, cheers Shane A

We thought about heading over there too but it's 8hr+ each way from here in Dunedin.

So we (me and "Danger" Phil) went down to Invercargill

Saturday afternoon found us at Oreti with a 15kt SW so Phil headed out on his 14m Helix well powered in the breeze that was now 20+

My 16 Rebel is in hospital in ChCh after an unfortunate crash caused by lack of maintenance so I started to blow up my old 20m Rhino5 while glaring suspiciously at a huge black thing coming over Bluff Hill.

Bugger it I thought and threw it back in the truck and hooked out my 12m PL. By the time I get it launched I think it's pushing high 20's and Phil is on the beach with a down kite. Hitting the water well lit I figure out that the black thing is a huge southerly front that was forecast for 40kt, I can hold 40kt so stay out checking upwind for death spray on the jumps...

The rain or hail is a bit ouchy at 40kts but the wind is steady and perfectly x-shore so I stayed out for an hour or more. The wind slowly eased and Phil came back out. The locals all stayed in their cars because they've been riding warm NW all week.

Somewhere out the back I felt a weird ping from my bar.... Nothing came undone so I stayed out....

Next day back in Dunedin after a night round the pubs in Invers....

Fully powered on the 12 again but in 15 knots less tootling across the harbour, zooooooop the front hand brake comes off the bar... Hmmmm, kite nice and low and bar all the way in... kite goes into a full kiteloop all by itself hauling me 3m in the air for a big highspeed faceplant, kite finds it's own way right around.... Kite eventually finds water and I swim in... That night I check my other 3 year old bar... Yep it had about 1 session left on it too before the pigtail wore through.... Ooooops glad it didn't quite let go on the Saturday!!!


Craig