Discovering my spots anew

[TomW]

I've been kitesurfing my area for 16 years now and I thought I knew my spots. Feeling kinda humbled. On hydrofoil I'm unfortunately finding they have shallow spots, rocks and obstructions where I didn't realize.
So I've bashed my foil against rocks yesterday at a place I've kited a 100 times, and way offshore, it's 70 cm deep and rocks sticking up another 25 cm...
Even further out is a rock reef, but didn't realize it was so shallow in this area.
I also collided with a coral head in Mexico.

Now I'm wondering what's lurking under the surface of my other spots, freaking me out.
I need some kind of forward pointing underwater radar to warn me of impending

Good thing I'm handy, make surfboards and have the materials to fix them.
Interestingly, I bashed the foil yesterday in beginning of session, and kept foiling another hour or so, it was by best session ever.(13th). Looking at it after, I wondered how the thing worked. There was 3mm dings along one half of the front wing edge.
Also makes me realize that having 2 front wings is pretty smart, especially if travelling to rocky spots.

[dksurfer]

Sounds crazy! I have hit a few underwater things at my local spot that I had no idea where there. When you get that radar working let me know...lol

[ronnie]

That's what tides are for.

This is a photo at 2 hours after high tide, but it is best to get the actual tide height (from somewhere close enough to be relevant) and mark the photo by that (because tide height range varies at many places).

If the tide goes out far enough to walk where the rocks are, you can take photos to give you landmarks (in a similar way to surfers use the landscape to line up for a reef). This line of rocks runs from a headland toward a tower on a hill.

[Kamikuza]

Yup. My two most spots here . . . it's amazing how far you can go off-shore and still be able to touch the bottom

Back home, the estuary has a narrow channel where the river runs at low tide so if you stick to that at high tide, you'll be ok with a full length mast at least the bottom is soft.

[TomW]

No or negligible tides in the Baltic.. That said, it varies over the weeks 70cm due to some tide and wind effects.
Actually water was about 20- 50cm below normal water height. I noticed it. But even at low water you can't see the stuff 50cm under the water 500-1000m out, from the shore.
I'm starting to study sea charts, but they are not accurate enough.

[Peter_Frank]

We have also discovered our spots "from scratch" again since foiling started for real 4 years ago

Rocks is one thing, but not the primary - the thing that has changed hugely is the sudden love for deep water and spots where it gets really deep fast, or lots of waves even when more onshore - and chop or cross waves does not matter at all now, so suddenly a totally new pallette of spots has opened up, that was useless before, as TT riders want low water and waveriders hate chop and low water - but for foiling so many new spots are superb now

PF

[Starsky]

Were in the weird position of having record high water. For such a big lake its weird to see it lapping up onto lawns and over breakwalls more than 5 feet higher than normal. The other day there were reports of Carp swimming across one of the flooded roads.

I've been scouting out all the rocks pretty hard the last couple years. Taking the time to scope out potential points of entry and exit during times of low water and using google earth to see some of the shallower spots that might not seem it while your out there. It just is that you don't flirt with the shoreline unless you like fixing your foil. Fortunately there is a lot of deep water here.

Was at the now non existent SBX a couple weeks ago. This normally prized beach is completely underwater right now. Had to launch way up on a dune. The shore is littered with so much wood and debris that its like a small fence. Every bit of driftwood deposited over the past 20 something years is now in the water. Had to be super careful. There was not only a full 15-20m tree roots and all lurching around in 2-3m of water, but some manner of large log or piece of dock every 50-100m to swerve around. Was a whole new aspect to the game! quite stressing at times. Anyway, nature is a tricky one, don't let her catch you napping! Hopefully out in it again tomorrow.

[borist]

Not radar guys, sonar. If you need radar to avoid a collision, that would a different set of problems...
Finding unknown underwater obstacles is one issue. At my spot lately is turtles, or perhaps just one. Never ever seen one there before, although others did. Lately I practice quick bailout when I see a shadow ahead. Oddly, only one small scratch from several "meetings". It feels like hitting a concrete pipe (done that as well)

[cwood]

Google maps with the Satellite images is a great way to check out your spots and get a sense for where the bad spots are. I then compare to my GPS tracks for reference. See my Hatteras post of just now on the sound side.