Hi guys,
The wife has a conference in LA in January and Afterwards we are wanting to go somewhere nearby where I can get some kiting in.
We are only gone for two weeks and are taking our two kids so we need to have minimal travel. Looking for somewhere with sun, sand, wind, flat water and family friendly.
We were looking at Hawaii (as it's pretty much right on the way) until I read all the reviews on seabreeze....wind sound bad.
So dose anyone know anywhere good and close?
We will be departing from Melbourne if that helps.
Cheers
Hi Noodels.
I live in LA. That time of year you are not going to get anything in LA. There is little to no wind and it is generally off shore unless it is a winter storm in which you would not want to be out kiting unless you want to pick up some life threatening bug due to the water pollution which is stirred up during those storms.
The closest place to kite will be Baja in Mexico which is actually one of the best places to kite in North America. You can either drive from LA and it will take you about 4 hours. You will need to cross the border into Mexico and back again though. It would be an adventure and would require some caution during your travels there and back again but Baja itself is pretty safe. The alternative will be to catch a flight to Cabo St Lucas and drive back up the coast about an hour. The flight to Cabo is about 1hr 20 from LAX.
Failing that bring your ski gear and go snow kiting in Utah or Mammoth in the Sierra Nevada or transit via Maui.
Select to expand quotenoodelsrominov said..
Hi guys,
The wife has a conference in LA in January and Afterwards we are wanting to go somewhere nearby where I can get some kiting in.
We are only gone for two weeks and are taking our two kids so we need to have minimal travel. Looking for somewhere with sun, sand, wind, flat water and family friendly.
We were looking at Hawaii (as it's pretty much right on the way) until I read all the reviews on seabreeze....wind sound bad.
So dose anyone know anywhere good and close?
We will be departing from Melbourne if that helps.
Cheers
Baja, Mexico would be the go if you can get there. La Ventana or Los Barilles are the spots. Very busy at that time of year as many Canadians and Americans head south for the season. Ventana is quite "rustic" - not a lot there, but great atmosphere. Barilles has more in the way of hotels/restaurants...but still quite a small place and also a great atmosphere. Barilles gets slightly less wind than Ventana some days.
From LA you can fly to either La Paz or Cabo San Lucas. Then you have to drive. If you only have a short time, it might not be worth it. But they are great spots both for kiting and for a taste of Baja desert life.
I'd agree with the other posters. La Ventana is the way to go if you really want to kite and are after a bit of novelty. Wind switches on like clockwork around 11am 5 out of 7 days - typical kite size around 8m. No waves and the chop can get irritating. It makes sense to pack a shorty. However, the plane tickets can be expensive (~>350USD ea) and they're getting kinda tight with baggage so they might hit you for more there. Driving from La Paz (better) or Cabo San Lucas can be a PITA and Mexican insurance isn't fun. You'll burn a day each way on travel. Actually, the best answer might be to do a stopover in Brisbane for a few days on the way back and kite on the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast. Qantas is good on baggage on international flights if you keep it under 50lbs. The conditions in QLD are much better - I've spent alot of time at both (I live in the states).
Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated.
I have done some research on all the places and I think Barriels is probably the most likely as it's got a bit more to do for non kiters.......like my wife and kids.
