Man, Thursday, 5/17, is looking like a potentially great day at Southwick. Wind west at 10-15, mostly sunny high fifties. I need a vac.day!

We took a trip up to southwick today, barely any wind. Not even enough to get up my Viper 2.6, but somehow my wifes much smaller prism snapshot got right up there. Then we went to fairhaven where they had 20+ mph winds. It was almost too much to handle! the beaches were big enough for our kites but are much too small for any buggying:wee:

I spent about 8 hours at Southwick yesterday afternoon/evening. Had quite a good day with wind varying from west to southwest, at 10 to 15 mph. In 4 hrs of moving time, I covered 33.5 miles, with a top speed of 21.4 mph. I had a period where I felt somewhat underpowered on the 4.8M, but the 7.6M on the 2-line bar was scary, and the 7M on 17.5M Vector lines was also too much kite/lines for the spot.(hmmmmm, do I need a 6M??? hehehehe) Helmet cam batteries died about halfway into the session, I did manage to get a short clip of flying the 7.6M on the 2-line bar. Also got some separate shots/sunset run shots with a digi cam on a tripod, so will post the vid in the buggy section when I've got the editing done.

Just one of the reasons this is such a great spot.

Nice pic Bob, looks like I missed a good day, might have been to light for my kites tho, I need to build a 5M.
You-da-man, post some video soon .

Going to try Fort Ontario in Oswego Saturday 5-26-12. Several times I've heard that there is enough room there to ride a buggy , will post results.

I went to a kite festival there a few years back, put on by NYKE. At the time I only had the Ozone Imp 3.5M Trainer, and had just got my first NASA wing. There's quite a bit of room there, but there were so many single liners up that day, I wouldn't have tried to buggy, if I had owned one at the time. What time do you think you'll be there, and would you like the company, if I can make it?

Going to be fishing in the morning and figure I'll be in the park around noon. If its breezy I'll stay 'till 4pm ,if not breezy I'll soak up some history and get back to fishing.

Good luck with the fishing! Wind in Oswego does look kind of light for Sat. (W at about 3?) Southwick looking like SW at about 7. Might just plant the garden! I flew static last Sat. afternoon at Thompson Park in Watertown. Top of a hill site, there's almost always enough wind to fly. I was medium powered with the 4.8M on handles, and a couple of younger guys came around the block at the top(I was flying the field inside the block)on long boards. The first pulled right up when he saw me, saying "Whoa, that's the coolest thing I've seen today!" so I held out the handles and said, "you wanna try it?" "Seriously?" he replied, I said sure! Gave some short instructions, and handed him the handles. He got it off the ground, and quickly crashed, looking at me and saying"it's harder than it looks" Tried a few more times, got to feel the power, and was amazed by it, then had to leave, but with a big grin on his face! Anyway, catch something huge!

Big or small its all good if your catching something. Enjoy the weekend.

Fort Ontario was great for the history lessons but seemed lacking for kite spots. I assume I could fly in the area overlooking the lake but they had'nt mowed the lawn and it looked a bit small from my vantage up ontop of the fort. Will try again in a couple of weeks when they are offering a "1800's warfair engineering camp" , the kids can design trenches while I go fly.

Flew Southwick State Park last evening .....SWEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!! With lake levels low and early season storms moved sand into shore its "the most beach I have ever seen" said a local long time kite surfer/snowkiter. Little peninsulas of hard pack , up and down unevenness, some smooth fast stretches , sand castles , driftwood obstacles, some interesting driftwood artwork , a spectacular sunset , rock steady west winds at 15?mph, I was one happy boy!

Didja make it all the way to 'the cut'? Did you see the "tiki bar"? Some folks were hanging out there when I made it down one day, and made me stop and sign the sign! I wish I had known you were going, I would have gone, too. I was there on Thurs. with light(10ish) west wind, and met another Bob from Seneca Lake area. He had HQ Hydra(the green one!), and a 5.5M NASA Star2, but no buggy or wheels. He said he has a crew from as far as Rochester that he kite boards with, and said they would all love it there at Southwick. I'm hoping to see them there sometime.

Bummer sounds like I missed a good day. I am jonesin' to get back to Southwick. Spending the weekend putting a roof on my house. We have been real busy with the hang glide training and I hope to get time to buggy soon. Other than a couple short parking lot forays to CMac I haven't gotten much time with the kites. I know Bob from Seneca Lake, he lives in Clyde and kite boards on Seneca Lake. I instructed him in hang gliding a few years back. i have been watching for a good day to head up there but haven't checked in a few weeks, post when you are headed that way and with luck I can make it up.
I heard about a place on Cape cod, when the tide is out the beach is over a mile wide and 12 miles long, the sand is hard enough to drive out on. Gotta check it out some day.

Bob I knew there was predicted west winds so when I got home from work I checked Wind Mapper and sure enough dead on west at ,I think ,12mph. Nobody had any demands on me so I told them "I'm going flying, see ya!" Got on the beach at 5:30 and it was blowing pretty good. My 3.9 Viper was just right for everything I wanted to do. I actually figured I would see you there. I turned around just short of the cut so I missed out on the tiki bar , in that direction I did see an orange flag thing flying over an odd conglomeration of drift wood. I'll definatly be going back if the winds look that good again!

Southwick looks good for this evening (thursday), I'll be there approx 5pm.

Darn Pat, I keep missing ya! I got invited today to go out on Lake Ontario on a 27 ft. Tri Hull Hobie. Jan B (from the Tug Hill Festival), Jackie P., Sally (the owner's wife) and myself got to sail from Clayton to Cape Vincent. They were going on across to Canada, but as I don't have a Passport/enhanced license, and I couldn't leave my dog over night, I jumped ship in Cape Vincent. We had to make several tacks, and I got to help with the hauling lines, etc. My first real sailing experience! We covered just over 24 miles with a max speed of 14 mph and an average moving speed of 8 mph. I went from there to Sackets Harbor Battlefield, and rode the buggy on the open field on the waterfront there. I hope you had as great a day as I had! Bob.

So what do you guys think are optimum conditions for Southwick? It looks like it is a little south of due west to me, is that correct?

WSW is great, but because you get a varying shoreline, some stretches are better, and each day is a little different, but you figure it out pretty quick, and hammer down on the stretches that work, I had a PB last week of 27.1 mph! (best that I have recorded, any way)

What kite were you using to get your PB? Is the park road open all winter or not plowed when the snow flies?

I was on the 7.6M NPW9 with 17.5M lines, and found a stretch and a gust that matched! I have been there in winter with no snow, the park is not staffed in winter, so I doubt if they plow it. When there is snow, I'm mostly up on Tug Hill somewhere, getting dragged on my face, but I"m determined if nothing else!

Very light ssw wind tonight , no good for the buggy but it was so nice out I stayed until sunset chatting with a fella. Turns out we are partners in crime , he had the dog police threaten him with a citation if he keeps walking his dog on a section of beach the park guy leaves but comes back as the parking police after a couple of minutes and says to me "did'nt I put a warning on your van last week." I'm in a different spot but this time I'm too close to the disabled parking area. He was about half pissed off at both of us. He did give me permission to park at the far end of the 15 minute parking area. We both kind of asked him how he spotted the dog and how did he remembered my van "well there's not a lot happening around here so you guys are the highlight of my week" Funny guy once he lightened up. I just hope its not 3 strikes and you're out!

Looking ahead, the best looking forecast coming up looks to be for Tuesday, 8/28, with west wind all afternoon at about 14mph. I'm going to plan on being there, and will update as it gets closer. Bob

I'm begining to feel a bit labor bound , by next teusday it will probably be a full wind blown case of work-itis. I know I can get thru this, keep us posted Bob.

Tomorrow's forecast has changed a bit, wind is predicted WNW at about 15mph. Looks even better for Thurs., at WSW 20-25!, and Friday, W at 15, but as I am not sure of my status Thurs/Fri, I will be at Southwick tomorrow around noon until...

I can't come tomorrow and the princess will be using the van at times for school , wed ,thurs ,fri look good , I'll be there one of those days but I'm back to catch as catch can.

The more into fall, the better winds/less crowds too! We'll click one of these times!

So I spent yesterday afternoon at the beach with wind from the northwest at 10-15 mph. I walked in with all my gear as far as the first boardwalk, and set up, then realized I left my harness in the truck. Oh well, not walking all the way back for it. Wind direction was not the best, and though the 4.8M NPW was plenty of kite heading south, the upwind slog was a lot of work, so I switched to the 7M NPW9 on 10M lines, which made the upwind run a little faster, but still threatened to rip my arms off at times! I managed to do 15 miles(I've easily doubled that with the harness, so I should have gone back for it!) with a top speed of 23.7 mph, before my arms gave up. Beach was in great shape, wide as it has been this year, and not very many people. Tomorrow looks great with WSW wind at 17-23! I'll know later today if I will be able to make it tomorrow.

EDIT: hopefully this is a link to some pic's I took yesterday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobalooie57/archives/date-poste...

Looks like I'm gonna be at the beach again tomorrow around noon 'til ...

Bob any chance you will be there on Friday? Not sure I can make it tomorrow.