Big Bay - 19.10.2014

The wind came up during the night and was solid from early in the morning. The charts showed a wind reaching 20 knots by late afternoon. The only difference in reality was the telltale cloud did not shroud table mountain and soon enough the pattern of the prediction changed. By 11:30 the wind reached 20 knots and then slowed to about 15 - 16 during the afternoon. The absence of cloud foretold that the wind would not accelarate in the afternoon as is normally the pattern.  However it was a really respectable and fun day that was bestowed on the kiters of Cape Town. I spent some time at Big Bay and here are some pics.

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Kitesurfer vs windsurfer  .........???

Cruising with a North Vegas 2015 kite with the rocks between Big Bay and Kamers in the background.

This guy riding a Core kite was in his late forties, early fifties and was ripping nicely

Boosting

Young grom, about 10 years old, unhooked and doing a forward roll. The standards in the sport are getting higher and it is easy to understand why when you see kids with kites already practicing the moves.

He lands it lightly and smoothly.

Not a good way to end a session. The North van in the background next for a ticket. The parking spaces on the beach at Big Bay are few. I almost parked here and then thought what if ........  

Cape Town West Coast Spots comfortably hit 25 knots - 16.10.2014

The wind was just over 25 knots, which on a good day has become easily achievable, and it was good to have it confirmed. Blowfeed is back up and running thanks to Best Kite Shop now hosting it. A colourful graph and a webcam has also been added to it- nice guys. Blowfeed. The blowfeed live feed, which is based at Blouberg, has been off for approximately 12 months and many kiters have been using Milnerton Aquatics Club's web site for free live wind speeds. However many have thought their speeds were conservative and today when blowfeed was showing 25 knots average, Milnerton Aquatics club was showing about 5 knots less. To be fair though it is about a kilometer or more from the beach. Milnerton.
The free live feed coming from Sharkwind, though it really looks impressive and offers a myriad of different locations, sometimes poses a question or two, about direction or strength, though often gives a respectable reading. Sharkwind.

It is good to know that the south easter is starting to pick up energy - bodes well for the kiting ahead.

 
I passed Haakgat at around 18:00 hours and the sun was heading low and the chop and reflectance on the water made it look like liquid graphite.

  

The waves were not impressive but from time to time a reasonable set would appear and be ripped by a kiter.

Milnerton Lagoon Mouth continued ......... 25.8.14

Another north-west day and high tide at Milnerton lagoon mouth. The pushing tide has widened the lagoon mouth and there are more kiters than I have seen in the mouth. The wind is blowing fairly  consistently for a north west at about 16 knots. The freestyle kiters are at it on the flat water. See some of the action below:

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The mouth. Note buildings on the left with the wind blowing toward them - not a setup for beginners.

Launching in front of the light poles rocks etc. This guy had just dropped his kite into the car park

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Handlebar pass

Occasionally this happens........

4 Days of Wind 8 -11.9.14

Had 4 days of south east wind this week. The wind reached up to 20 knots on 2 of the days and though a bit cool still was consistent. The cloud pouring over table mountain like a giant waterfall is a sure sign of the south east wind. The kites came out and the beach had signs of the activity of kiters setting up.

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One of the last Winter Storms 28.8.14

Took a few pictures of one of the storms that hit Cape Town in late August this year. The pictures tell the story of what happens to the ocean as it gets churned by winds which arise due to the high pressure of cold air in the Antarctic during the southern hemisphere winter and blast towards the southern part of Africa driving great swells with them.

This particular storm had deep sea swells of 6 - 7 metres and winds of 25 - 40 knots. Not the most intense but a bit above average. Coming almost at the end of August and close to the 1st September which is officially the start of spring this was the last storm of winter, though for the next couple of months cold fronts will continue to penetrate through to Cape Town from time to time, however the period between will increase and the intensity will slow as summer rolls around and the wind switches into the predominant summer direction.

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Milnerton Lagoon Mouth - 19.8.14

Milnerton lagoon mouth works on a north westerly wind. The wind blows cross on-shore. The lagoon mouth runs almost parallel with the beach for a few hundred metres. This means the wind is blowing over the sand bar formed by the beach creates an area of smooth water behind it. When not using the sea some riders use this flat section of water to speed and do tricks. The river going out to sea also carries silt which makes a shallow area close to the shore which when the waves are not large has mild chop which makes for a pleasant ride.
Using the lagoon mouth has it's risks as it is quite narrow and just across the water and downwind is a 3 storey hotel, a tarmac parking lot, some rocks, a road and some office buildings.
The north west wind as it usually brings rain can also bring some powerful squalls. Kiters in the lagoon itself need to take care as these squalls and the resultant up and through drafts caused by the buildings can result in the wind being amplified.  This can, and has, proved dangerous.
 
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Lift off on the lagoon section.

The brownish lagoon water flowing into the sea. The cloudy conditions are typical of a north west wind

Kites using the sea. The smooth lagoon water in the foreground.

Building up speed on the flat lagoon water.

Kitebeach, Friday 15.8.14 - First puff of Summer

The south easter retrieved itself from the archives of the early months of 2014 and started what is the beginnings of the 2015 kite season in Cape Town. Even though it was a small beginning only blowing at around 12- 15 knots the wind was dense and consistent throughout most of the day, not like the gustiness of the north west winds that have howled from the wild ocean many times through the winter. There have been those who ventured out and kited, but the winter season did not have many predictable days and so for most the kites lay in storage in anticipation of a day like today.

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