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April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

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John2D
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April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby John2D » Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:00 pm

Please help me with some advice....

I learned to kite in 2015. I was able to kite upwind on my last lesson and had another day of semi supervised kiting where I was going upwind. But I haven't kited since. Now, I have 3 weeks in April to work on nothing but kiteboarding. I want to start with lessons and then kite with rental gear with a group.

I've been researching Cayman's, Turks&Caicos, Cabarete, Islamorada and a little in the Bahamas.

I need some advice. I'd like flat (ish) water and definitely warm water/weather for now.

Thank you......

tkachuk
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby tkachuk » Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:45 pm

Hard to beat Long Bay, Turks for flat, shallow warm water. The island is a bit of a glorified sand dune and expensive but a great beginner kite spot that time of year. Provo is a good kite school and one other (?name) I know of on Long Bay, also has a good rep.

RadDrDuke
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby RadDrDuke » Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:37 pm

Go to Florida Keys and kite with the Otherside.

Pros:
-Great no wind activities including a cable park!
-Warm
-Shallow/flat
-Great instructors
-Cheap to get there and much cheaper food/booze than caribbean
-Can daytrip drive to Miami or key west for exploration or crazy nightlife

Cons:
-Turks has better diving and better beaches

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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby Ergo1 » Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:46 pm

I suggest Isla Blanca - Just north of Cancun. There's Ikarus kite school. Cancun is about 30 minutes away. It's a great place to learn and the school has jet skis for your downwind pleasure and the like. And, the water is shallow and flat!
I learned elsewhere and wished I started here first. It would have shaved years off my learning curve.

Good Luck

Eric

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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby Eduardo » Mon Feb 26, 2018 12:46 am

I suggest you also consider South Padre Island. I still remember my breakthrough day there in 2003, my first day staying upwind. I was determined. Waist deep water for miles. Not the slightest chop. Winds so steady. You cannot blame the conditions. Any error is all on you. And warm. And April is about peak season. Great instructors if you decide to take a lesson.

FL is also good but less consistent. Caribbean is great but choose your island carefully - a huge area with widely differing conditions by month and widely different suitability for beginners. For a beginner, you need time on the water and consistent wind and not all the islands you mention are good then. Check out wind stats at ikitesurf.com to learn more.

matth
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby matth » Mon Feb 26, 2018 1:05 am

RadDrDuke wrote:
Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:37 pm
Go to Florida Keys and kite with the Otherside.

Pros:
-Great no wind activities including a cable park!
-Warm
-Shallow/flat
-Great instructors
-Cheap to get there and much cheaper food/booze than caribbean
-Can daytrip drive to Miami or key west for exploration or crazy nightlife

Cons:
-Turks has better diving and better beaches

Don't forget the cable park. :jump: :jump: :jump:

dylan*
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby dylan* » Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:10 pm

I'd avoid the keys unless you don't mind riding the cable park if there is no wind. April is the very end of the kite season in south florida and the wind will most likely be in the 15 knot range if it's windy at all.

The conditions in Islamorada are great for progression though, very flat shallow water. If you are able to plan your trip at the last minute and see some wind in the forecast it would definitely be a good place to ride. I just wouldn't plan a trip around it since the wind in Florida is so light and flaky.

In other news, it seems like people are riding in board shorts already in the outer banks with an unseasonably warm late-winter, so that might be a great option in april, I'd say it beats the keys for sure in terms of conditions.

RadDrDuke
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby RadDrDuke » Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:38 pm

Hatteras is great in April, not guaranteed warm though and definitely not tropical beautiful, you could get hit with a cold spell requiring a3/2 wetsuit

Great spot to learn though and basically guaranteed wind in April and awesome kiting vibe/community

tkachuk
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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby tkachuk » Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:25 am

Despite my previous reply boosting Long Bay Turks, I too agree with other posters about South Padre. Been there twice and Turks a zillion times and both are good learner warm shallow flat water spots. Padre, has the US vibe, is less costly with tasty fish tacos, reasonable off season motel rates, a single decent brew pub and expansive warm flat water kiting. Joel, a veteran kite instructor (previously with Air Padre), taught me back in the day and I hear he has gone independent. I highly recommend Joel as a teacher and local guide.

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Re: April Kiteboarding Lessons FL Keys or Carib?

Postby dylan* » Thu Mar 01, 2018 8:46 pm

tkachuk wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:25 am
Padre, has the US vibe
what exactly does this mean? fat people yelling at each other while shooting guns in the air?


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