I tried van pugh today with the windsurfers because i've been anxious to get out on the water. It was a disaster and I've never had to swim so far(and against the current) in my life. Everyone told me that the kiters go to Old Federal, and I was just wandering if any of the kiters had anyplans for doing something?
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Hi Veabud2. Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Yes, we go to Old Federal for a reason!!!.. Van Pugh is not wind-friendly to kites, as it gets a wind shadow if wind is coming from West or south west, from 3 little islands just southwest of Van Pugh. Also, there are lots of trees and really not a lot of space to rig your kite up close to the water. If you get blown towards the sandy yetty/ pier area (towards the boat ramps) there is the Bermuda Triangle for kitters.. hope you didn't get there!.
All and all, drive the 5 more miles or so to Old Federal, it makes a whole lot of difference. I went today and tried to kite, but there was not enough wind untill 1:00 pm. So I turned back to ATL. Unfortunatelly... since I am getting good readings (online 4:30pm) of wind at the moment in Lanier. The water level is so low, that in Old Federal there is a lot of space (previously underwater) to rig up the kite and lines.
Send me your email address and I will add you to the kite distribution list, so I will send you an email next time there is any wind, and we go to Lanier.
Rgds
Emilio Cobo.
phone: 404 509 4229
http://www.locuswind.com
Current? The wind may have been pushing you but there really isn't any perceptible current on Lanier.
Sorry you had a rough day. VP is tough on us windsurfers, too. It's the long fetch that we like, not the launch.
the waves maybe
Not unless it was so windy that he was literally surfing down them. Likely, the wind.
source: http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos/waves/wavemotion.html
Well smartipants, I have noticed that the current is stronger at low tide.
gee - running against the wind is difficult because your are exposed to the wind, but I agree that swimming against the wind must be more difficult than swimming against waves because you have to exert the energy to be in the air to begin with
I'm just sour because I will be out of town for the Fall Classic - I am really bummed!
The tide has been low on Lanier since the Corps did that whoopsie thing with 22 billion gallons of water.
"...you have to exert the energy to be in the air to begin with"
I understand this
The problem was I was swimming against the wind, while towing the kite. It was unpowered and floating on the water, but every now and then would try and start to fly. All and all, one hell of a workout swim.
I gathered that they were jokingly saying that to swim against the wind, you have to be aloft which is quite energy consuming. Personally, I can't fly so I can't say how hard it is.
yeabud2, I know what you mean having broken a mast over by Aqualand one day - and I was just swimming bacl perpendicular to the wind. Just wanted to clarify what your conditions were. Not to be nitpicky but to illustrate why sailing at the beach when you might have a 2-3 knot current plus whatever the wind and waves throw in, can call for greater caution.
There's a great old thread about self-rescue and choosing the correct direction to swim in extreme conditions based on something that did happen at Lanier. One of the points raised is that sometimes your best option isn't swimming home but to the quickest direction to shore. However annoying the walk is, you are at least on land.
Shame on you Lanier veterans trying to claim there are no currents. Currently, i'm more concerned with the freshwater sharks. although the sharks do make it eadier to get airborne. that's my opinion - currently anyway.
tc / thin'air
Yes, Thin Hair. And I feel more like I do now than I did a little while ago