Kite and travel in Canada during August-looking for advice-

[xoen]

Dear Canadian friends


Me and my wife (both from Spain) are planning a 4 week trip this august. The agreement with her is 3 weeks sightseeing/touristic stuff, and 1 week kiting. So, this year we are thinking of going to Canada, and rent there a multivan (VW California or similar) , to be able move around with a certain degree of freedom. My first idea would be to visit 1, or if possible 2 spots with reliable wind, and organize the trip around that. I have been searching the forum, and found this thread (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2380546&hilit=nitnat.

So it looks like I should visit Nitinat Lake/Squamish for sure...Maybe I would spend 3 days there. Any other recommended spots? What about the Great lakes (superior, Ontario)… An alternative would be a visit to hood River (although not Canada, but pretty close seems)… Since I am going with my wife, if the spot is nice to see, that would be a bonus.
Also any info about how to organize the trip will be welcome. We are at the planning stage right now, so we are pretty open in regards where to fly to, (Toronto, Vancouver) etc., what to visit, etc.

In case I bring my stuff from Spain, what would you suggest? I weigh 67kg /147 pound and have 7,9,12 m kites, flysurfer 15m speed. Also tt, shinnster, hydrofoil, and 5/4 mm, 3/2 mm and shorty wetsuits . Alternatively, if in the spots are schools, I would rather rent, if possible. Are there schools in the main spots there?

Thanks

[caspan]

In my opinion, I think you first need to decide which side of Canada you would like to visit most. Asking about Squamish and Toronto area in terms of kiting is kind of like asking about vacationing in Madrid and Moscow. Over 4000km apart. If you have a week to kite, and you so far seemed to be inclined to the west coast, with a campervan I think you will have plenty to see and do between Nitinat, Squamish, and Hood river. I've yet to kite out that way, but from visiting during the winter, there is a great deal to see and do for your wife. I'll let other Canadians from that side take over though. You could also checkout kiteboardbc.com for some more general forum info.

[irwe]

Canada is a huge country and you cannot hop from country to country in a matter of hours like you can in Europe. You are right I would say the best/reliable kiting spots at that time of year are Nitinat Lake and Sqaumish which are both in British Columbia (far West). To cut down on travel time you could rent a camper van and kitesurf and see British Columbia in the first week or two. Then fly to Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and East Coast (Lobster Season) before heading East again to Spain.

Ocean Rodeo's head office is located on the same island as Nitinat Lake so you may want to contact them. http://www.oceanrodeo.com

http://www.kiteboardbc.com

PM me and I would be happy to give you more information.

Regards,
Ian

[Starsky]

Well its been said. The place is big. But here is a bit more info. If your wanting to kite in August, Nitinat is probably one of the more solid choices. There is a fantastic van vacation waiting for you on the west coast. Mountains, Glaciers, Parks, Banf, Jasper, Vancouver, the Island, Victoria, the west coast trail. The list of things to enjoy is long and the scenery is breathtaking.

If you end up somewhere in the middle.... i.e. the great lakes, you better bring the hydrofoil. There can be fantastic kiting on the lakes with plenty of places to explore: Kincardine, Wasaga, Oliphant, Sauble, Kettle point, Long point, Sandbanks, etc, but August is for sure a light wind month. Global warming has helped out a bit in my region, where warm dry conditions bring consistency, but later in the fall is the best kiteboarding in the great lakes, and even then its not something you can bank on like say Nitinat/Squamish.

If on the other hand you plan to visit the way way way way far other end of the country and decide on the east coast, August can be very predictable for wind and is the best month in places like Shippagan or P.E.I. Have friends who do a yearly trip to the region in August and its consistently windy like further down the coast (OBX) is in spring/fall. They have had many trips with great kiting every day from their front door. Accommodation can be really nice, reasonable and quaint with small maritime cottages right on the water and ultra fresh seafood. The people that end of the country are some of the nicest you will ever meet. Loads to see and do with multiple provinces within reach by van or choose more involved options like getting out to les îles de la madeleine for a true kitesurfing adventure your not soon to forget. Newfoundland is also a nice one to cross off the bucket list.

http://www.destinationkiteboarding.com/ ... swick.html

http://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.co ... /kitesurf/


So you likely have to choose, East or West. The middle is a bit of a gamble, and the place is just too big to really see it all and not feel like you spent three weeks simply driving.

Hope this helps a bit with the planning and you have a great trip.

[Bletti]

My favorite drive in Canada is from squamish through whistler to Pemberton to lillooet through to kamloops on my way to and from Kelowna. Kelowna and penticton have lighter winds but there's a good sized kiteboarding community that you should check out on your way through to Jasper and Banff. I'll be there in August. Nice steady foiling weather (and nice warm water for Canada too).

[El_Norte_Adventures]

Hi Xeon,

It has been mentioned above, but Canada is a huge Country! I operate a kite adventure company on Northern Vancouver Island so a bit biased - but I think you could easily spend a month just exploring the island with your camper without coming close to running out of things to do. Everyone I know who has visited Squamish loves it as well.

Ontario and the East Coast are amazing, but I feel the West Coast has more to offer when time and distance are a factor. If you go to Ontario check out the Ottawa River by raft or kayak and have a beer for me at my friends' White Water Brewery!

I used to kite in Ontario before moving West but the conditions are not consistent enough where I would recccomend planning a kite trip there. Bruce Peninsula has some really cool spots and more consistent wind than Lake Ontario if you are on that side.

Give me a shout if you have any questions or want to rent some gear on the island,

Cheers,

Greg

[El_Norte_Adventures]

Great info on the East Coast Starsky, Isle de la Madeline has been on my list for a while!

[Flyboy]

Yeah - with all due respect to Ontario (which is Yours to Discover), the obvious place to visit in Canada for a camper trip (with or without kiting) would be the west coast.

[Bletti]

Yes 3-4 weeks is plenty of time to explore BC and the Alberta Rockies. Driving across the prairies in a van or RV is 3000km+ of straight roads and wheat fields.