Power Kite Forum

Kiting Spots in Southeastern Pennsylvania (PA), Northern Delaware (DE)

ice1969 - 31-7-2009 at 08:51 AM

Does anyone know of any good kiting spots for kite buggying and/or kite landboarding in Southeastern Pennsylvania (PA) or Northern Delaware (DE)? I really would like to get into kitesurfing/kiteboarding, but am realizing that I'm pretty landlocked here in the greater Philly area, so spots in Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lancaster and Philadelphia counties that are good for land-based power kiting would be awesome. I've heard of a spot in Warminster -- not quite sure where -- and saw a thread on this site about kiting in Valley Forge park. Would love to get more info on these spots as well as any other possible locations. Would also love to meet others who are doing these activities. Thanks!

ice

sofa king - 31-7-2009 at 06:54 PM

i live in newark,de and usually just goto a random soccor field. or if i have all day free i goto wildwood, nj because its always windy at the beach and wildwood has a mile of sand between the boardwalk and ocean. its a really big open area. check around your state parks usually they have big feilds just search google maps for "pa state park". also i dont have a buggy or landboard i just jump around with it like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H999LqFQNWs so you might need a bigger area then me :P

lad - 31-7-2009 at 07:11 PM

search for the recent thread about these areas - a park off rt. 40 in glasgow looks promising - but wildwood is still Mecca. :roll:

Tibi - 31-7-2009 at 07:15 PM

Ice,
Where are you located in PA? I don't ride my buggy there, but I do fly my kites in Manderach park, Limerick, PA. Wildwood, NJ is the best, once the summer season is gone. At this time there are too many people on the beach.

lad - 31-7-2009 at 07:26 PM

Funny, I was just in WW yesterday and waited until after the lifeguards left and the beach cleared to haul out the big 'uns.

A sign off to the side of the big beach to the right of the convention center says "no vehicles of any kind." I stuck w/ doing a little static Ranger jumping instead.

Buggys certainly do appear out there- off season.

I just wonder if "vehicle" is defined by the whim of the patroling officers. If might make more sense to just bring a landboard out instead, at least during the on-season.

sofa king - 1-8-2009 at 09:24 PM

a park off rt. 40 in glasgow looks promising

not really. its got a big hill thou. in the way is a road, and whats rumored to be a skatepark in the building, along with trees

as far as vehicles im pretty sure those are just talking about motorized, as in cars, and by any kind it means dirt bike, ATV, mini bike, ect.

lad - 1-8-2009 at 11:32 PM

The Glasgow place is inland and has treelines - but there are some open areas in it.

As for the Wildwood sign, I might just take my board next time. No way it could be labeled a "vehicle" by any beach goer who feels threatened by it.

As a Head's Up: I might be up in WW near the weeS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s end or so, depending on the weather.

sofa king - 2-8-2009 at 09:24 AM

glasgow isn't worth driving from pa, its not bigger than a soccer field. if u goto wildwood let me know what day, i wanna try a landboard before i buy one :thumbup:

shehatesmyhobbies - 9-8-2009 at 04:12 PM

sofa king. I was just at the glasgow park the other day to check it out and if you go all the way to the rt 896 end of the park where the tennis courts are there is plenty of room. There is a tree line, but if the winds are good enough it should be ok. Also sofa if you ever want to hit this park here in smyrna let me know. Its called Big Oak Park and if the winds are from the W NW it is a pretty good buggy spot. Yet another DE buggy guy!

lad - 9-8-2009 at 05:02 PM

You guys name the date and time and I'll come!

shehatesmyhobbies - 10-8-2009 at 05:55 PM

lad one of these days I will catch up with you and get to fly with you for sure. Fall winds will soon be here!:bouncing:

snobdr - 11-8-2009 at 05:19 AM

Warminster park is ok. Its an abandon airfield. Plenty of room. Ive also ridden valley forge park but have heard the park rangers will kick you out. Hasent happened to me yet. You can check njbuggyclub.com for info on wildwood.
In winter a bunch of us goto nothern ny to snow kite. they get some pretty epic conditions up there.

shehatesmyhobbies - 11-8-2009 at 02:32 PM

warminster park , abandoned air field? sounds interesting, mapquesting now!

sofa king - 18-8-2009 at 12:22 PM

this friday, whos coming with me. 16mph winds with a 30% chance of rain according to the weather channel. ill be right next to the convention center all day, probably like 11am-6pm if it doesnt rain....ill be the one with a big blue kite on the sand :)

lad - 18-8-2009 at 12:24 PM

Ah jeeze, me and my Phanny plan to be in Wwood or Cape May then - you're right about the rain then, these last 2 stinky hot days would have been ideal for the waterside.

Alktrigger - 19-8-2009 at 08:28 AM

Which Convention Center are you refering to?

ragden - 19-8-2009 at 08:42 AM

I'm guessing he is talking about hte convention center right on the beach in Wildwood. If you are driving through the heart of wildwood, turn off on Rio Grande towards the water. I am pretty sure that will put you right at the parking lot for the convention center...

edit: Just looked it up. 4500 Boardwalk, is where the convention center is if you look it up on maps.google.com.

lad - 19-8-2009 at 11:24 AM

Rio Grande is Rt. 47 coming right into Wildwood proper - and into the convention center. I will be somewhere out there and may put my 12m Phanny or Ranger early evening. If I see a big kite beforehand, I'll be sure to walk over!

sofa king - 19-8-2009 at 12:01 PM

i usually am at the red X on this picture

its right behind the parking lot with the concert beach balls, and the sign that says wildwood in big metal blue letters where alot of ppl stand to get there picture taken...probably wont get there till about 1pm thou. what time will yall be there?

lad - 19-8-2009 at 12:24 PM

I may not have the kites out until later - esp. when the lifeguard leave at 5:30!

sofa king - 19-8-2009 at 04:13 PM

gotcha, mines a land kite(beamer III) so ill be out all day if i go. i dunno if i will because of rain. you should bring your landboard and let me try it thou :thumbup:

prehaps we'll get wind from hurricane bill

sofa king - 22-8-2009 at 09:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lad
I may not have the kites out until later - esp. when the lifeguard leave at 5:30!

why didnt you show:no:

lad - 22-8-2009 at 12:39 PM

I came out just after 5:30 - only saw a little kid kite up! I just don't like to put anything big up or get on my board 'til people start to leave and the lifeguards/beach patrol leave! Will you be back up there again?

sofa king - 22-8-2009 at 07:45 PM

we were out there from 3pm-4:30pm getting dragged across the sand. packed up got something to eat and came back a like 5:45 but had to untangle a line cus i was too lasy to roll it up right so that took 2-3 hours:( and then the kite was a little wet or something and i couldnt get it up. im not sure if it was beacuse it was wet or i messed up the length of line. i need to get that checked out and ill try to be back next time its windy. thought im busy with school and work so i dunno

we saw a kite in the water but couldn't tell if it was a kite or seagull because it was so far away. it looked green and was a bit south of the convention center so i assume that was you

EDIT: i look forward to trying snow kiting this winter. know of any spots?

lad - 23-8-2009 at 04:18 PM

There's little snow that sticks around in this region for the last decade or so - ski shops have been closing right and left in the same time period. Marylanders always head to the PA ski resorts (i.e. Roundtop) for the artificial snow - BUT I have no clue about the status of kites at these places.

You may hafta settle for joining us NJ Buggy Bashers at Wildwood over the cold seasons.

sofa king - 23-8-2009 at 06:12 PM

i went to this place in virgina. 3.5hour drive from newark... it was called the cove campground and it had a lake. people said it freezes over and ppl drive cars on it in winter time. i think that would be fun to snow kite on a lake. plus id be able to camp there :)

snobdr - 24-8-2009 at 06:09 AM

Nothing beats northorn ny for snow kiting. A bunch of us from the nj buggy club head up there alot, leebrian( wilmington), ragden(dc), me(pa).

ragden - 25-8-2009 at 11:06 AM

Its a long drive, but well worth it. :)

lad - 25-8-2009 at 01:11 PM

I plan to whiz by the So. DE area maybe thur. afternoon/eve. - hope to meet up with shehatesmyhobbies..and maybe rcdavis over there. if anyone else is in the area, maybe there is a mutual flying spot or even beach area we can meet.

sofa king - 26-8-2009 at 11:58 AM

im in newark, so name the place i might be able to meet yall, but its only 7mph winds thursday so i dunno. other then that friday/saturday theres gonna be a hurracane or tropical storm hitting wildwood. 17-10mph winds. i may be there

shehatesmyhobbies - 26-8-2009 at 12:47 PM

I am meeting LAD at key box rd just past Dewey and Tower Beach. I think it is like a mile past the entrance for Tower Beach, on the left of course. Lad said he would be there around 2pm, I am going a little earlier and taking the family down. I should be there around noon or so.Wind is going to be 7mph yes, but could still be good at the beach. Supposed to be NE during the day, changing to E.I'm taking the 8m crossfire for sure and a couple smaller ones as well. Come on down sofa, if you want my number just let me know and I will shoot you a u2u

Rich

ragden - 27-8-2009 at 04:55 AM

I thought the sand there was too soft to ride a buggy...
In any case, hope you guys have a good time. :)

shehatesmyhobbies - 27-8-2009 at 05:56 AM

Its soft for a freestyle type buggy yes. I only have plans on static flying today anyway.

ragden - 27-8-2009 at 06:16 AM

Ah. :)

lad - 27-8-2009 at 10:24 AM

I'm just off the Lewes Ferry and just finishing up a Grotto pizza slice and on my way to deliver a new, still boxed 12m Ranger to Rich!

ragden - 27-8-2009 at 11:59 AM

Sounds like fun. Wish I could join you but I'm still stuck at work. Maybe this weekend if the rain holds off... :)

shehatesmyhobbies - 27-8-2009 at 07:12 PM

Ahhhh What a day! Lad showed up right at 2pm.When he got there I was already talking to one of his home town flying buds. Neither knew the other was going to be there.We all put up some kites, I put up the crossfire II 8m(winds were right at 10-12mph steady). Weston put up his new LEI and showed us some kite surfing. Then lad put up the PL phanny 13m. Couldn't ask for a better day without buggying. Thanks guys for the fun flying and it was nice to meet both!

sofa king - 31-8-2009 at 10:05 AM

18mph winds at wildwood tommorrow(tuesday). ill be there if i can figure out whats wrong with my brake line :o

ragden - 31-8-2009 at 10:29 AM

If I could get off work, I'd be there... unfortunately, I have to save my days off so I can get out there for the Buggy Bash in October :)

lad - 31-8-2009 at 11:25 AM

there's a chance I will be at Wildwood on Thur. - if so - then this time, I'll look for the big kite near the big Wildwood sign.

sofa king - 3-9-2009 at 12:26 PM

i may be there as well

lad - 3-9-2009 at 03:18 PM

I was out for a bit - right after the rain, on my 10" Blade (aka "The Tank").

sofa king - 3-9-2009 at 07:25 PM

if i can find a Santa Clause costume by labor day, i have an old wooden sled. im gonna sit on it and have the kite pull me around the beach, maybe draw a raindeer on a poster board or something and tape it to the kite......if i cant get one ill order it online and do it christmas/4th of july/some holiday.... :thumbup:

ice1969 - 6-9-2009 at 10:02 AM

Is anyone going to be out on Labor Day (9/7/09)?

snobdr - 6-9-2009 at 02:34 PM

Im thinking about hitting dewey