Heading home for the last week of December and first week of January ... wondering if I should rent gear or take my own boards and big kites?

TIA

Hey Dude,

Bring something large (either kite or board or both!) as the summer usually here in NZ usually lulls around Xmas. Storms and low systems will bring a few days of frantic action if we are lucky. Other that, you need a 12, 13 or 14 and maybe a surfboard to make the most of the afternoon seabreezes if kite fever sinks in!

Let us know what you decide!

Big boards are a problem - freakin' airlines and check-in nazis - especially when my big board is a 170x50 Flydoor my small board is 139x42 and that may even cause problems ... I'm hoping Tim has some big boards, would save me some grief ...
I haven't tried surfboards yet ... still TTing ...

Big kites - I have a Speed3 21 and a Crossbow 16 ... wondering about launching the foil at the Estuary though?

When you say "lulls", what do you mean?

Woza... a 170! I have a 150 which absolutely love on days when there is heaps of white water and squally sets breaking on the West coast. You can just hang on the face of the wave more and get more of ride since you don't need to travelling so quick....

Lulls... that is when the wind lulls for a few weeks and you have to rely on sea breezes to get any chance of a ride. Can be quite enjoyable if you have a few old C kites hanging around that are only safe with super smooth wind.

I have a 14m North Rhino for exactly that occasion. Pulls like a tractor in 12-15knots on a 150 and I am zipping.

So where are you coming from?

What's the kitesurfing like there?

Hopefully I'll have a 150 Mako by then too ... but again, don't know if I'll be able to bring it. Tim in Chc says he's got big Tahees ...

12-15 knots is the butter-zone for the big Speed ... but I have no LEIs I can ride in the range Is that what you get in Chc in summer?

Japan. Main island, in the middle near the big lake called Biwa. It's pretty good, lots of chop when the wind gets up but we get some good sessions in. Fresh water is nice
It's a niche sport here though so there's not much support and buying gear locally is EXPENSIVE. So I don't

Cool Dude, have a safe trip home.

Would be cool to see some pics of your local spot in Japan. I have no idea what Lake Biwa looks like, but I am guessing that it is pretty cool. Lake kitesuring rocks. I lived on the shores of Lake Rotorua for a year. Loved it! No salt water to kill your gear.

Can imagine that Japan is expensive.

Good Luck with wind in CHCH over summer. The town could use some time at the beach, so I am hoping they will have a nice summer down there. Don't forget to buy some new toys for your Xmas present!

So nobody is going to take a guess at wind strengths around that time?

Local spot ... too busy riding to snap pics. Have the odd really crappy movie but too embarrassed to share. Someone took these snaps earlier this year, at the end of winter ...




Cheers! But everyday is Xmas around here

Only a few days before we leave and I'm packing ...

Going to pay $100 each way for Excess Baggage so I'm taking my 2 Flyboards and ... can't decide on the kites.
I never go anywhere without my big Speed, but what else? I have Crossbow 16, 13, 10 and a Core GT 7 ... never used the 7 :o

Was thinking about taking all the Xbows but ... will I need the 10? Or just the 13? Or the 16 and 13?

Personally, I would bring the 13 meter as a sure must have size, then opt for the larger 16 meter. That will get you rocking on the sea breeze days quite nicely on your flyboards. Plan for a few light sessions as a general rule. January can be a month where you need to utilise every piece of wind knowledge and tidal flow to plan the best location of each session.

Post up your locations and I will do my best to point in the right direction for you sessions.

Have a safe flight and N-Joy your holiday in NZ.

I should mention ... I'm a fattie. Craigzilla has competition from Kamizilla

I think we'll be staying in Chritchurch for the duration - North Beach etc, the Estuary and maybe Lake Ellesmere ...

What's the Estuary like for launching foils? Or the Lake for that matter ...

Kamikuza wrote:


I have launched foils at the Estuary with out problems. Either a grassy area where you will need a weight (or a helper - usually plenty around) or go on up the side where there is a bit of sand.

Haven't been there since the quake tho - is it open now anyone?

Too late! We're here already ...!

Arrived just in time for the fresh set of earthquakes - we were in the carpark at the estuary for the 3-4pm one, waited for the time to come up ... the wife and the couple she was talking to got knocked to their feet!

After that, the liquifaction came up in the lake and on the grass park

I rode from about 6;30pm to maybe 8 - water seemed fine, just as stinky as I imagined the estuary to be

Rode my 13m Xbow and was ok powered - tried to use my smaller board but went back to the 'door ...

Managed to bring my Flydoor and Flyradical and Speed3 21, Crossbow 16 and 13 too - we paid US$100 for excess baggage and I'm glad we did! Flydoor saved the session

have a good time bro!. i need to get myself a light wind board.
There a big arsed high lurking at the moment so its light sea breazes for the next week.

www.swellmap.com/surfing/new-zealand/new-brighton-beach

Cheers P!

Thanks for the link too, perfect! I needed that ... bloody tides.

Back 'home' in Japan now ...

Here's what I packed into a North 160cm bag:

• Flydoor 170x50 (yes 170 but it fit anyway )
• Flyradical 139x42
• 2011 Crossbow 13
• 2010 Crossbow 16
• Dakine Fusion harness
• Bar & lines, pump & hose, wetsuit, gloves, slippers etc

All that weighed just under 32kg and I paid US$100 one way to get it to NZ. In my check-in luggage I packed my Speed3 21

I thought that was a pretty good deal cos ...

... out of 16 days in town, I got 10 sessions in
A couple of days we had other plans, one day broken sewer pipes shut down the beaches, and a couple of days there was simply no wind at all.

swellmap.com came in very handy, thanks again.

So - awesome holiday, some great riding and met some nice people too ... if I could do it over again, I'd leave the 16m at home and take a 10m instead. There were a couple of days I was over-powered on my 13 and would have had more fun on a smaller kite ... but it's all good!

nice....

wind hasn't been to kind this summer.... so good that you got so many days. i guess with the 21m if theres a nats fart of wind its fair game.