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Cape Town - end of season report

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North_Wind
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Cape Town - end of season report

Postby North_Wind » Sun Mar 20, 2022 2:08 pm

Hi everyone -

Most of the visitors have gone home from Cape Town. The handful that remain are enjoying spectacular on water conditions with good winds on many days and very uncrowded water! I thought I would offer a recap of the season:

Winds were a little less than usual with some "gaps" in January and February but it is interesting how guests fall into two categories when it comes to wind: those who will only kite if the wind is "on" at Blouberg and those willing to drive 1h - 1.5h for wind e.g. to Platboom, Misty Cliffs, Brandvlei, Langebaan. I had a couple such guests (Otto!) and they found wind maybe 9/10 days over their 6 weeks here.

In peak season (Dec 27th to Valentines Day) main beach got quite busy but people do like to kite together don't they haha. If you look carefully there are gaps and if you kite "downwind" (Big Bay to Haakgat) there is still tons of space.

I thought people were more courteous to each other on the water this season, which was nice to see. Fewer people shouting at each other. Let's keep that up.

There was a big shortage of cars to rent this year as the rental companies downsized their fleets during the Corona years and struggled to rebuild them. So some people trying to book last minute were disappointed. Same thing for accommodation - it is no longer the case you can just show up and immediately find somewhere (or at least somewhere good).

There were two big events this year ... King of the Air (November - which is a great month for it) and the new BAKL (Big Air Kite League) which turned out a fantastic event on a modest budget. Bravo to all those involved. Lots of new faces and up and coming riders.

Our house manager produced a little retrospective of the season which captures some of the amazing vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsXq4asxvw

Wishing everyone a great Spring/Summer/Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and see you later in the year maybe.

James / BA
www.capetownkiteclub.com
Last edited by North_Wind on Mon Mar 21, 2022 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
These users thanked the author North_Wind for the post (total 2):
SMJ (Sun Mar 20, 2022 3:19 pm) • Hugh2 (Mon Mar 21, 2022 8:23 am)
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Re: Cape Town - end of season report

Postby Havre » Sun Mar 20, 2022 11:10 pm

Thanks.

9/10 means 9 out of 10 or 9-10 days in 6 weeks? I’m guessing the first?

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Re: Cape Town - end of season report

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Mar 21, 2022 8:23 am

Nice little video. Those who followed my daily accounts in Cape Town Diary over December and January know I chased the wind to the max and only missed kiting 4 days. My local friends indeed report some epic days since then and Kevin Langaree has posted some good videos, not to mention the young hotshots doing crazy megaloops including doubles. But I am off on a new adventure, about to take my sailboat through the Panama Canal. Hopefully I'll get back to Cape Town in December this year for another fun season, number 13 if memory serves.

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Re: Cape Town - end of season report

Postby robclaisse » Mon Mar 21, 2022 10:09 am

Agreed I think its been a great season and as is always the case, those who are a little more flexible get a lot more time on the water.

We're based up in Langebaan and getting close to the end of 4 months here, 99 days so far to be exact and only literally 3 days when we haven't been able to get on the water. Not that I've kited/winged 96 days, injuries and a few rest days have slowed me down a bit but its been there if you want it.

Most of that has been in Langebaan but had some cracking days at Karmas / Big bay for waves and winging, and a trip or two up the Garden route. Kitefoiling does improve the odds of getting on the water (it's what I do the most) and allows us to make the most of the NW and SW winds, and the 15 knot days become exceptional!

My tip for anyone coming to Western Cape is bring all the toys you can if you want to make the most of your time here, you can hope for 2 weeks of 30 knots+ everyday but you will probably be disappointed. Pack the 12m or a foil, be prepared for the odd road trip and you'll never be left wanting!


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