Grab the kites and let's go!

[dukestheheat]

(ok, simply hoping to build some interest here and get some folks motivated to TRY this sport, if even for a couple days with an introductory lesson).

Going to the house (Cherry Grove Beach, 32nd Ave. N) all next week to 'board some each day wind-willing, and will be out in the Atlantic Ocean with the DUKE T on everybody! I am so needing this I can't tell you.

Wish me great luck, great air, ability to keep all of my skin and not lose any while being dragged down the beach, many talks with multiple bikinis on the beach and NO SHARK BITES OR EVEN NIBBLES (I put that in in honor of our other water-junkie, although she likes the action below the water, DevilAlumna).

Couple facts:

1. The mean age of kiteboarders is 38yo.
2. 80% of learning to kiteboard is 'the ability to fly a kite'.
3. Many surfers aren't successful at learning kiteboarding primarily because they can't fly kites well, or fly them at all, or they don't enjoy kite flying.
4. One can learn to kiteboard, with professional instruction, in 3-4 days (this is assuming you are already proficient at flying kites).
5. Dang, I've been flying a kite since I was a little kid. Wind fascinates me.
6. You do not have to be an Olympic-level athlete to do this.
7. You need to know how to swim, for sure.
8. The youngest Pro rider is 9yo; he weighs 75 pounds.
9. The oldest known rider is 72 years old.
10. There is a rider in Cherry Grove Beach, SC who weighs 260 pounds (I'm 195 pounds).
11. Many women are involved in kiteboarding; generally, they use smaller kites than the guys. The ladies use 6-9 meter kites; guys 9 to 18 meters.
12. About 200,000 around the world now 'board and are certified.
13. If you are afraid of going fast or getting air off of the water, you have to learn to control those fears, because you are going to elevate higher than Robert Brickey or Dahntay Jones can jump and you're going to outspeed any sprinter.
14. Costs: lessons are about $400.00. Trainer kite is $125.00. Big water kite plus lines/bar plus harness and board, can begin at $1,500 and go up.
15. Boarding is a serious way to get in shape and build a lifestyle of staying healthy and physically fit.

lastly, check out a couple FUN links and enjoy!

www.flexifoil.com, www.vpkiteboarding.com, www.realkiteboarding.com.

GO DUKE!

dth.

[DevilAlumna]

Sounds great, DTH, I hope the winds are in your favor!

I'm looking forward to my time in the water this weekend -- I might even have my new drysuit to test out! (It's due any day now. Black with Duke Blue accents. :D)

My dive last weekend highlighted why I like being able to see the underwater creepy crawlies -- we were able to see the 15 ft. long Lions Mane jellyfish tentacles the current was pushing towards us. Of course, everything but my nose & lips were covered, mainly in 14 mm of neoprene, so probably nothing to fear.

Good luck and enjoy the sun & sand!

[dukestheheat]

DevilAlumna-

Indeed, you are a brave woman. I'm actually in the market for a wetsuit to KB with later this fall, can you recommend a brand that's suitable? (pun intended). Or would a drysuit be better? thanks!

dth.

[Exiled_Devil]

I have been interested in kiteboarding since 98 when I started seeing them off Maui's north coast. Unfortunately for my interest in KB'ing. I too have my own expensive water-based habit.

I have been sea kayaking for 1 1/2 years now, and I love it. Not the thrill ride that KB'ing seems, but it is a great way to check out the intracoastal, the islands around Wilmington and even trek out to some farther reaching islands.

I could get into KB easily - ideal conditions are the opposite of kayaking ( I like no wind, calm sea) and they wouldn't take away from each other. Except for the fact that I have a rule about only one expensive sport at a time. My boat and gear were about $2k, and I need to get more proficient before I branch out again.

Maybe in a year or two you'll get me out there.

Exiled

[DevilAlumna]

DevilAlumna-

Indeed, you are a brave woman. I'm actually in the market for a wetsuit to KB with later this fall, can you recommend a brand that's suitable? (pun intended). Or would a drysuit be better? thanks!

dth.

The newer Bare wetsuits are pretty popular on the Scubaboard forums. A couple places to check for good prices are leisurepro.com and divetank.com (a small shop in Canada, so their online practices are somewhat sketchy -- though we've never had major problems with them. They are a Bare liquidator.)

There's something out there called "semi-dry" wetsuits, which supposedly have some better internal baffling to keep all the warm water from swishing out. My personal favorite quote on that -- "Dry is like dead or pregnant. You either are or you aren't." :D

Exiled, my husband used to be an avid kayaker (not on the sea, but on the lakes around Seattle.) We're considering getting some dive-friendly kayaks, (strong enough to hold tanks and gear) so we can access more dive sites. Come on, it's not two separate expensive sports, it's one *enhancing* the other!

[TillyGalore]

DevilAlumna, have you ever gone diving with sharks? This is something I added to my "before I die list" last year and have been curious to get first hand knowledge of this experience.

[DevilAlumna]

I haven't done any dives with maneaters, or where intrepid (stupid?) guides feed sharks in front of you.

But in Fiji, I swam around some white-tip reef sharks (had two mid-size guys within about 5 feet of my fin tips) and have even touched the tail of a sleeping leopard shark. (The tailtip was about 8 ft. away from its mouth.)

The white-tips were in an area known as "The Supermarket" because dive operations used to feed the sharks as a dive-tourist treat. But, that was outlawed when the reef was designated a National Marine Sanctuary. Still, I guess old memories died hard for the sharks, because they were following us around like puppies.

And honestly, they were about as threatening as puppies too. (Both the white-tips and the leopard have very small mouths, it could barely get around a man's calf.)

Still, the first time we spotted sharks (on my 6th dive EVER), I went through my air in less than 20 min. (Usually lasted 45.) It was an adrenaline rush that I have never otherwise experienced. Then it went away as the peaceful blue and the calm feeling of being close to one of the most beautiful creatures (in its own way) in its natural habitat sank in.

[TillyGalore]

being close to one of the most beautiful creatures (in its own way) in its natural habitat

That is exactly why I would love to dive with them.

I watched Shark Week on Discovery Channel last year and fell in love with sharks. I think they are so misunderstood (big understatement) thus have become an underdog in humankind's desire to rule the world. And since I typically route for the underdog (unless the underdog is playing Duke) I couldn't help but feel for sharks and came to appreciate them.

I do (you're going to roll your eyes) want to feed them. But I'll start with swimming and perhaps touching them.

P.S. I DO NOT want to swim with great whites, or even be in a cage with them swimming around. I'm happy to be on a boat watching them. Okay, maybe that is still too close.

Thank you for sharing.

[dukestheheat]

TillyGalore!

DON'T DO IT! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Whatever you do, stay AWAY from sharks. Hey, they call them 'sharks' for a reason; they don't call them 'bunny rabbits'!

I really am absolutely deathly afraid of 'sharks'. The only way I'm proactively swimming with one IS IF I've fallen in off of a pier or something like that. Then, your buddy DTH was the second guy to walk on water.

dth.

[dukestheheat]

DevilAlumna!

Misunderstood?! Underdog! If that shark is hungry and you're in the water nearby and you can't see it, you are TOAST. And, what if the shark that happens to be in your area is slightly 'off' or he's having a 'bad day', or maybe he's mentally less than the average shark and he can't control his 'it's time to eat' emotions.....then this adds to your being eaten factor.

I just had to get that off of my chest.

dth.

[DevilAlumna]

The only reason this leopard shark might bite you would be if you stepped on him. And only then because, hey, what animal isn't cranky when it gets stepped on?

The second picture shows how small his mouth is....

http://marinebio.org/s/viewer/index.asp?id=55&pic=Triakis_semifasciata.jpg

[TillyGalore]

DevilAlumna!

Misunderstood?! Underdog! If that shark is hungry and you're in the water nearby and you can't see it, you are TOAST. And, what if the shark that happens to be in your area is slightly 'off' or he's having a 'bad day', or maybe he's mentally less than the average shark and he can't control his 'it's time to eat' emotions.....then this adds to your being eaten factor.

I just had to get that off of my chest.

dth.

Actually, it was me not DevilAlumna that said they are misunderstood. And they are.

Humans aren't amphibious, we live on land. Sharks do live in the water, therefore we are in their territory and must respect that. Much the same way if you came to my home you would respect my home and follow the customs.

I like to follow the sharks customs by not invading their home/territory in a manner they find threatening. I don't swim in the water at dawn and dusk, I don't go surfing (because I'm a big baby and don't want to run into a shark), and I certainly don't want to go diving with great whites. But in a controlled setting - much like DevilAlumna was in, I do want to swim with them.

If I recall correctly from a Shark Week episode last year, they move close to shore to as it is easiest to find food (not humans, as humans are not their natural prey). Because humans are there they get attacked.

Also, once they bite into a human they tend to let go - though there is a lot of damage done at that point - as again humans are not their natural prey.

Shark Week will be on Discovery the week of July 29th, I encourage everyone to watch and learn something new about this amazing animal.

[dukestheheat]

Tilly,

I know what everyone 'says' about sharks and the size of their mouths and then when they eat then tend to let go IF they're biting a human and all that stuff, but I have to ask who really knows what a shark thinks?

Certainly we can study them but in truth, that thing is going to do what that thing wants to do. I know they're fascinating but please don't wear a seal wetsuit while in the tank with them or anything like that!

Write us back and let us know how it goes!

dth.

[dukestheheat]

Exiled Devil,

I've seen some of those ocean kayakers and that looks fun! Also, we've rented them a couple times at the house but I always find myself looking to surf the waves in. Also, a co-worker toured part of North Carolina's intracoastal waterway and thoroughly enjoyed it.

dth.

[TillyGalore]

dth, will do.

[dukestheheat]

ok, so some quick follow-up to my kiting adventure last week:

had a lot of fun! and bought a brand new 15 meter Flexifoil ATOM (from the UK...man, can they do kites!) and the bar that goes along with it; she is a beauty, a portrait, and a killer all wrapped in one. I am in love.

Funny chap tale: I took a bad fall right over the board and the kite was dragging me forward at a pretty good rate.....felt a rush of some cold water on my south end, and then a TOTAL LOSS of DTH's poorly-tied and poorly-constructed bathing suit! I was mooning many on-lookers on the beach, including a mom and her daughter (she, 38yo and the daughter, about 7yo).

So I flip over, pull the red emergency release on the kite so it stops the drag, and it falls harmlessly into the ocean. Then, I stand up, and my shorts are AT MY KNEES!

Oh my! That is the first time that's ever happened out there while kiting and I hope I never have to go through that again.

I felt the rush of red in my face and the wind was hot with laughter and hoots and shouts, and then it all occurred to me at once: I was naked and I needed to pull up those shorts quickly.

I did so, and rolled down the beach to find the woman and apologize to her and her daughter.

So next day I get up early before the wind starts blowing and I rotate through a couple surf shops to buy a pair of board-shorts that have an aggressive tie at the waist (board-shorts are much longer than regular bathing suits and they do have that aggressive tie so that should do the trick).

So advice to new kiters: ALWAYS wear your board-shorts, novice or intermediate kiter. The advanced guys never forget this.

dth.