heading there on the weekend... would you recommend any beach suitable for the wheels of doom?

I have land boarded Whangamata and Cooks Beach.

Cooks is a bit skinny but you can get a go. Downside of both is they can be busy (with people) and wind is not alway right.


But hey always have a kite ready!

thanks, yeah the gear will travel with me anyway

let us know how you go dan. i'm heading to pauanui with the family over christmas. would be keen to know w=how you went. considering the busyness ikite would kitesurfing be the better activity rather than on the land?

Yep kitesurfing gives you more options - and a chance to kite away from the crowd and access to more beaches - if the wind is right. Last time I was at Ha Hei someone was kitesurfing. Winds tend to be on the light side over summer. Can't remember what Pauanui is like as last went there before I took up kiting. I seem to remember a flat beach in front of Whitianga - anyone kited there (land or water)?

Now I look with a different view at every beach and water spot..........

I am heading that way again this year - kites and all.

A big NW wind on Sat and maybe Sun is looking probable

heading to pauanui for a week with family. will be taking kites surf and land.... hoping for a fang.

plummet wrote:


Good luck for the wind - I spent a week or so around that area and the wind was most too light or wrong direction!
Did manage a couple of buggy sessions at Whangamata tho

Good winds!

Well i came i saw i concured.

here's the run down.

dsy one, 20-30 knots torrential rain EnE on cross on surf session, dodging the mangroves and drift wood floating by and dodging the 5-6 foot dumping surf.

day 2, I thought was going to be a blow out. 10-30 knot sw off shore at the beach and no place to launch and land. then a channel emmerged in the estury by the waterways at low tide direct cross wind. It also had some sand to launnch on. so i fired up the 8m light again and busted my first ever flat water session (excluding in between white wash). the wind gusty indeed coming off the hills. but i enjoyed some butter smooth riding.
Day 3
Direct 5 knot onshore at the pauanui beach. i fire the 15m manta up and fang down the beach on the landboard at a good 30+kph. the beach is hard and smooth with a 20meter drybit and the rest wet.

Day 4 cross shore 5-6 knots and another 15m session but not as glorious as the onshore the day before.

Warning:! there is an airfeild towards the south end of the beach and the light aircraft taking off are sometimes less than 25m high when going over the beach. Make damn sure your kites are low as hell if you pass this point unless you want to be attached to a cesna.