BayAreaKiteboarding.com

So I learned something today, which is to not set myself up to get yarded in the channel current.

Board is a red Underground FLX35, my name and number are written next to the right footpad. It's a sweet little thing and I miss it already. I'll be walking the shoreline again tomorrow to see if it turns up.

Your favorite booze comin your way if you find it; thanks.

sorry man, I'm the one who came check on you. I kept looking for it in larger and larger circles upwind of where I saw you first, but about 6:45 the wind dropped so I weasel out back to the beach (seemed like wind picked up again later, I saw you dragging back to the upper...)

I think besides the current, the "outer" sandbar there at the channel creates enough swell (especially on low tide) to hardly see one's board from the water.

sorry for your loss and welcome to the club

I have lost and collected a few boards at Third in my time so know how you feel.

Depending on tide and current its probably at the Farralons by now.

There is a small possibility that your board will end up on the far bank (east bay side) just north of the bridge. You can park your car there as there is a bird reserve there I believe. If you walk in the reeds there at low tide, its possible you can find it, but it will be muddy and a long shot.

Several years on BAK there was a thread discussing this.

Best of luck.

Russ Andersson wrote: Depending on tide and current its probably at the Farralons by now.

There is a small possibility that your board will end up on the far bank (east bay side) just north of the bridge.

Cool! Maybe I'll get it back someday with big toothy marks on it. Dunno how long sharpie ink lasts in salt water, I've been refreshing the ink on my old board about every 3 months. I'll check out the other end of the bridge; I spent a couple hours today looking on the west end. Nothing but cats and shells.

baypirate, I assume that was you on the Cabrinha. I think I'd already started back at that point. I spent about 30 minutes trying to get back to where the board should be, but could see I was losing ground. BTW, its really hard to hear when I'm body-dragging, so between you and the windsurfer who seemed like he wanted to help, I didn't know if people were telling me anything (I should have popped up and asked for help w/ the board location). I felt the wind dropping too, and decided to save my ass while I still could.

I think what happened is after getting yarded with kite leading-edge down straight downwind, I was 100-150 yards away from the board, but I was a bit outside of the last "sandbar" before the channel. I touched bottom a few times there coming back. Maybe if I'd done a really long first dragging tack to get out of the faster current there I'd have had a shot of getting back to the board. Kind of counter-intuitive, since usually I want to keep my tacks within reckoning distance of the board. A Go-Joe might have been useful there.

PS. My heartfelt thanks to everyone and anyone who kept an eye on me. Boards can be replaced.

I think what happened is after getting yarded with kite leading-edge down straight downwind, I was 100-150 yards away from the board, but I was a bit outside of the last "sandbar" before the channel. I touched bottom a few times there coming back. Maybe if I'd done a really long first dragging tack to get out of the faster current there I'd have had a shot of getting back to the board. Kind of counter-intuitive, since usually I want to keep my tacks within reckoning distance of the board.

I know the feeling exactly. Back in March on one of the big wind days, I was fooling around boosting off the huge chop at the channel sandbar, caught a gust at the top of the jump and took one of those "elevator rides". Got scared of a hard landing, and between chance of busting a knee or bruising a thigh, I chose latter (wrongly, I since learned...) and ditched the board in the air. By the time I crashed, recollected kite etc., I was a good 100+yds plus downwind of the board, which in that chop I could only see by popping up with the kite (=another ~20ft downwind per pop). Luckily a kiter riding back from the channel saw my flagging him, I yelled "Can you see a board way upwind" and "Can you hover a little around it so I get my bearings" (beer was offered back on the beach).

I know I'm gonna incur some ridicule for the following, but since then I strongly considered adding another reflex in such situations (big chop/swell): split-sec #1 still goes to kite crash avoidance; split-sec #2: hit the "marker" button on my wrist GPS.

Anyway, looks like simply keeping an eye for each other can save the day (and sometimes even a board). Hope yours "calls in" eventually.

I lost a Nobile 666 board today at 3rd, grey colour on the bottom.
Any luck?
Jacopo 415 999 5345

Plus the release didn't hold and my kite ended on the rocks.
Brand new, used twice. Does anyone has the phone of Sunny?
I have to repair it.

Yeah folks...not a good day!