Spent Tuesday through Friday of last week in Miami which produced four days of steady 15/20 mph ESE winds.  First day headed for Crandon Park on Key Biscayne packing helmet and PASA certification card as wind direction ideal for Crandon.  Crandon sports a huge parking area and big beach with large launching area.   Grassy sea bottom goes waist deep out to sand bars where locals train new kiters.   Drove up to parking lot where they charge $5.00 to park ready for a big sesh only to see a sign on the booth "NO KITING OR WINDSURFING DURING NASDAQ100 TENNIS TOURNAMENT".  

 

Asked the attendant if I could kite off Virginia Key which sits in Dade County across the channel about 3 miles NE on the Rickenbacker Causway.  She said that I probably could.  Drove back toward Miami and after a few U turns on the causway found the Virginia Key entrance.  You need to look for a sign for a big water treatment facility to make the turn in.   Had to get back the Nasdaq100 parking and intitially it looked closed,  but a cheerful Virginia Key attendant told us it was OK to kitesurf.

 

Virginia Key much smaller than Crandon Park with tight narrow beaches not unlike Kite Beach in Maui.   It has the feel of Bimini with rocks and shells on the beach to snag kite lines.  The City of Miami which operates the beach has left it natural with the feel of a Carribean island. Virginia Key is the first key in the chain that runs 120 miles down to Key West. Windsurfers favor Virginia Key because they don't need big beaches and like the extra windpower you get from the venturi effect between Virginia Key and Key Biscayne.  Virginia Key also closer to the coral reefs that make the Keys and waves they create.

 

With only one other kiter I rigged up and rode out into the channel in 15 knots of wind.  I knew about the venturi and made a long ride out to the channel.  With the extra wind on V19 on the 19" wide board we wakeboared on in Bimini I found myself upwind a mile into the waves on the reef in no time.  Road through the waves and upwind even farther into the ocean beyond the reefs.  Found myself getting air off wave conditions not unlike M on a big NNW day.  Had fun until my legs couldn't take it any more.  Board worked fine digging in in gusts and planing early in the lighter winds close to shore.  With nice flex it smoothed out the chop on the inside and gave nice spring off the waves.   Didn't go for any big airs as I was riding about a mile upwind and offshore with no one near to help if I got into trouble.

 

Skipped one day of kiting to snorkel in Key Largo about 60 miles south of MIami.  Its worth the trip as snorkeling world famous there and some of the best I have ever done easily equalling the best of Bimini and Maui.

 

Overall,  I have to say I loved the small senic "island feel" of Virginia Key.  For those without certifications its the place to go in on anything our of the SE, East, North and NE in Miami.   Per a windsurfer I met there it also offers better winds because of the very noticable venturi effect in the channel between Key Biscayne and Virginia Key......  While I still think Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral offer the best overall kiting in Florida,  as it happened with the fronts last week Cocoa had no wind while they had good wind in Miami and the Keys.   In this regard,  I'd have to say sweet small and senic Virginia Key remains one of my favorite spots anywhere to kite.  I rode there several years ago when just starting with good memories.  Coming back again reminded me of how much I enjoyed it then and how I would certainly go back again.  and.... If you go to Miami and kite at Crandon or Virginia Key its only 60 miles down to Key Largo for great snorkeling.  You can rent gear there and go for a trip out for around $30 providing a great no wind alternative.

 

Regards,

Tim   

  

Butch Alleje <galleje@...> wrote: