Tips for staying upwind at Kite Beach/Kanaha when wind goes northerly?

[justin]

I went out today at Kanah at 12:30 pm. 23 NE, guesting to 28. Sweet for a bit on the 8M Naish Park and a strapless wave board (I’m 200#). Then I notice that the wind is switching. Then on one reach, I notice that I can’t clear the boneyard. So I go below the boneyard at 2:15pm, and that was a huge mistake. So I come in at the beach below the pro-pool (name?). Arghhh…Walk of Shame! Any tips on avoiding this? @Wade, @Garrett, @Chris?

BTW, I hit my first few jibes, even on both sides, but when the wind got really flukey, I kept stalling the kite when jibing! Argh!

I guess I should have cut my losses and maybe even tried to come into the beach between the rocks at Naish Beach?

[Wade]

That’d be Action Beach. When the wind drops, you’re either going downwind, or body dragging back upwind. With all the shark activity around the boneyards last year, the walk of shame doesn’t sound so bad. Better than body dragging across the boneyards.

As for avoiding getting stuck like that; riding a board that goes upwind like crazy can help. Better to just ride upwind of your launch so you can always drift back. Here on Maui, it’s not really a big deal, there are lots of spots to come in downwind. On the Big Island, sandy launches were sparse and the wind sucked - there were many times I had to drift downwind into the rocks and pick up the pieces.

And keep in mind the body dragging thing - if you can keep your kite in the air, you can body drag upwind. I’ve used that to get out of a few tight spots. I’ve also heard that foil boards can rock upwind as long as you can keep the kite flying - I have to try one of those!

[justin]

My big mistake was choosing to go downwind of the boneyard with plans to come back above it when the wind is dying fast. Best to cut da losses, than to go below. And BEST not to go over the boneyard at low tide!