Power Kite Forum

Jekyll Winds turn Easterly. JIBE Calls... New Videos!

acampbell - 7-3-2010 at 07:33 AM

After 8-10 weeks of frontal-driven Westerlies thanks to El Nino, winds are turning Easterly.

Yesterday with the tide less than half-out the winds were blowing dead on-shore. Winds were only 5-8 mph but the Reactor II 8.6 gave me an easy 3+ mile (each way) park-and-ride with speeds topping out in the mid 20's. Nice way to start the season with a gentle ride that lets you day dream as the dunes roll by, with the occasional passer-by waving or cheering.

Yeah we will still get a few more frontal westerlies but the predominant pattern of winds SE to NE is starting to muscle in, and when the island gets warmer, the sea-breeze will only help more.

Registrations are rolling in with new names from as far as Maine and Wisconsin and the usual regional suspects are checking in.

A lot of people still ask me about camping on the island. Due to eco-sensitivity and possible Turtle activity on the beaches in May, the only camping on the Island is at the campground, and reservations in advance are needed. (like NOW).

acampbell - 10-3-2010 at 03:30 PM

Get a taste of JIBE conditions here...

Heading on a run south and and a youngster runs out to cross my path so I pull a quick 180...



Continue the run back north past the convention center and back to buggy camp. Tide is halfway in. Winds are direct on-shore 7-9 mph in the afternoon sea-breeze. Beach is wavy with long-period mogul like undulations- made for an interesting ride like a mild rollercoaster.

BeamerBob - 10-3-2010 at 04:17 PM

MORE, MORE! Ahh the feeling of letting the Big Phat Phanny loose to find all the wind she can.

ripsessionkites - 10-3-2010 at 06:04 PM

so jealous

PHREERIDER - 10-3-2010 at 07:34 PM

nice work Angus

lunchbox - 11-3-2010 at 11:06 AM

Yes...more of that beach...That settles it...I'm moving to Georgia ;-)

...and BTW, is it just me who doesn't have a Phantom :sniff:

acampbell - 11-3-2010 at 03:24 PM

OK, here is a short clip from Drew Parker from last year's JIBE. He is chasing Dean Jordan who is flying on old Phanny proto.



These guys were in a pack coming north from the shipwreck and Phreerider and I were heading south and passed them. Phree was on his Rollerblade Coyotes it with a Venom and I was chasing him. He was doing cross-overs in front of me and I'm like WTF?. I so wished I had my camera then. More camera work this year.

Lunchbox there is plenty of room here and housing is cheap! Summers are hot, though!

PHREERIDER - 11-3-2010 at 07:25 PM

these two guys

DSC_0066.jpg - 24kB

PHREERIDER - 11-3-2010 at 07:26 PM

that guy

DSC_0024.jpg - 30kB

acampbell - 11-3-2010 at 07:52 PM

or this guy...

Phreerider JIBE 09 (too bad the helmet blew off...)

JIBE_Chad1.jpg - 85kB

acampbell - 11-3-2010 at 07:59 PM

and here...

JIBE_Chad2.jpg - 46kB

acampbell - 11-3-2010 at 08:03 PM

Angus takes a Jekyll Island cool-down. Photo thanks to mgatc/ Mel George

JIBE_AJC_BugSplash.JPG - 45kB

lunchbox - 12-3-2010 at 09:11 AM

Quote:

Lunchbox there is plenty of room here and housing is cheap! Summers are hot, though!


My wife and I were looking at property out in the Southeast just for fun one day...it was amazing what you can get compared to Socal...and those beaches....look at all that hardpack...:wow:

...we get some pretty hot weather out in Agoura but if the humidity is anything like New Orleans in August...it's definitely going to have to be a place near the beach!

PHREERIDER - 12-3-2010 at 09:22 AM

oh yeah, steamy we got! you break out into a sweat just walking out to your car. for 3-4months! and with out mosquito abatement this place goes total jungle. like black flies in the north

acampbell - 12-3-2010 at 10:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lunchbox
Quote:

Lunchbox there is plenty of room here and housing is cheap! Summers are hot, though!


My wife and I were looking at property out in the Southeast just for fun one day...it was amazing what you can get compared to Socal...and those beaches....look at all that hardpack...:wow:


Yes Jekyll is unique in that it is all state owned and run so that all beaches are public, wide open and not crowded due to limited island development. Because we are in the gut of the Georgia Bight (crescent shaped coast from Hatteras to Cape Canaveral) the tidal range is great- up to 9'. Beaches are small at high tide but in most places well over a football field wide at low tide and it's almost all hard-pack.

Quote:
...we get some pretty hot weather out in Agoura but if the humidity is anything like New Orleans in August...it's definitely going to have to be a place near the beach!


Yes May weather for JIBE will pleasant - 67 -81 and not too humid yet, but mid-June to September are brutal. Like winters up north, people stay inside or in their cars in the climate control and away from the sand-gnats. We live inland just off the 100 year flood plain (there is a reason the call the islands here BARRIER islands), but still just 15 minutes to the beach. At the beach, the sea-breeze helps a bit, but I will drink a gallon of cold water and it will never get to my kidneys.

But on the flip side in winter, it's pretty neat for a couple of ex- New Yorkers to be putting up outside X-mas decorations wearing shorts and sandals.

tridude - 26-3-2010 at 06:47 AM

sweet vids Angus...................your 18 is awesome.......................

acampbell - 2-4-2010 at 10:48 AM

Nothing exciting here but here are some shots of Kite Beach on Jekyll with tide 1/2 way in...

Rob13 - 2-4-2010 at 09:49 PM

I'm not gonna miss your event this year. We have some nice beaches here in St. Aug. But your beaches sure look inviting.

acampbell - 3-4-2010 at 05:47 AM

Great Rob, we look forward to it. Good company too with lots of like-minded kiters as well. A few blokarts and some water action to round things out. HQ Kites and Ground Industries will be here too.