Phoenix, Arizona Kiting

[chicagokitesurfer]

Going there for work. Searched for Arizone on this forum. Hardly anything posted abotu kiting in AZ. Anyone kite in arizona? Is there kiting besides riding mountainboards and getting cacti stuck in your a$$ after a spill? I really want to bring my stuff but don't want to lug it off the plane to only discover untapped fields of tumbleweeds....

V
Chicago Kitesurfing
http://www.chicagokitesurfing.com

[BigR]

Lived in Tucson, AZ. great spot but you won't be kiting there at all whatsoever. That being said, I did some of the best kiting in my life just South of the border , like 3-5 hr road trip to MX. best spots are San Carlos or Rocky Point. SC howls with wind, RP ican be good. best times are Nov-May. sucks during summer, >115 degrees!!!

[bokdoos]

You could alway make the drive to lake mojave on the AZ / NV border. I've heard that it blows pretty much year round. I also heard a rumor that a cable park is about to be built in the Phoenix area which is about as godd a substitute for kiting as you can get.

[Toby]

find some beaches here:

http://www.kitebeaches.com

[screven]

I live in Tucson and kite all the time in Puerto Penasco. Great place...lots of different venues depending on the wind. Very reliable in spring. June can be good. July - Oct is TOOOOO hot. Nov - Feb. great when the fronts come in. Lots of flat water. About 3.5 hours from Phoenix. I kite on Lake Michigan every summer and the open water on the Sea of Cortez is not unlike it except when the wind nukes, in which case, there is surf to ride. When are you coming down? I might be able to set up a trip if I am available. There are around 8 of us here and in Phoenix that I go there with frequently.

If you have some time you will be about 10 hours from San Quintin on the Pacific side of the Baja which is fantastic in the summer (except June…fog kills wind). San Carlos is great too but more like 7 hours from Phoenix.

Let me know if you want more info or want to try and hook up. FYI...I am from Milwaukee and kite surf every summer on Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan.

Chris

[pipedragon]

I visit my brother there and it is about the worst place to be if you are a kiter. No real wind and no water. Dirty little dust bowl of a city if you ask me!! It is California for poor people!!

[screven]

I don't spend much time in Phoenix but I have lived all over the US and it would take a lot to drag me away from Tucson. This area is about the most beautiful place I have ever lived.

Phoenix has a lot of great spots too but is is more crowded. There are many lakes within 1-3 hours. The grand canyon is 4 hours away. There are a number of 9,000 to 10,000 ft mountains in the area.

The Sea of Cortez is 3.5 hours and has some of the best kite boarding beaches I have been to. Few people, great food, lots of wind part of the year. I'm always glad to get back there after a trip to a crowded California beach.

As for poor man's CA...I wish. Most of the newer 4 bedroom houses here on 1/3 acre are over $500K. I think Phoenix is similar.

Of course it is great to get up north for the summer when it's hot here.

Chris

[bfulton]

I've got my B3 and my Fuel 10m.
If anyone wants to plan a trip or just go somewhere for the weekend, please let me know. I've been itchin to ride since I got here.

[adamj2281]

How is Rocky Point/Puerto Penasco this time of year? Everything I've read seems like it should be pretty solid and I'll need a full suit. I have a chance to go for a weekend, basically for free, and since this winter has sucked in Charleston, I might try and go ride out there.

So if anyone has any more info on the launch, etc.

[screven]

RP can be great this time of year but you have to base your trip in the forcasts since there is no sea breeze effect until mid to late March. North to Northwest winds are best. South winds are usualy stormy this time of year. My rule of thumb is if it's over 14mph from WNW to N your good to go. You will want to ride at Cholla bay in this wind. Ask for JJs Cantina to get you to the area. There are some flats just before there that are awesome at high tide. If the tide is low you need to go out around JJs or to a small beach called Tucson Beach. A 3/2 with a semi dry top will do the trick for warmth. A 3/2 alone is fine to but a bit chilly. Use windguru.com to check the weather. You can link to my Cholla Bay forcast set at "screvenc". The NAM model is the most accurate.

It's been a bad first couple of months there so you will probably see me and a few others down there if we get a couple of northern wind days. Send me your EMAIL and I'll let you know if we go.

Chris