Dangerous launching at 3rd

[tgautier]

@dz I don't think upwind skills are required for 3rd. If you can launch and land, body drag and self rescue ok and have a decent head on your shoulders you should be fine at 3rd.

There's nothing wrong with downwinders from the upper to the lower launch.

The thing I dislike about Alameda is the lack of wind. If there's wind - definitely go there. But if there's not...I think you can't learn to go upwind when there isn't enough wind. It's way easier when there's sufficient wind to learn to go upwind which is why I think 3rd is better to learn assuming you know basic skills and respect nature, yourself and others.

But as the length of this post and others like it can attest - do make sure you can launch and land safely and know all the local guidelines before attempting 3rd.

It wouldn't be a bad idea for a newbie to just come to 3rd and watch and listen for a few hours.

As has been mentioned as a solution I would be willing to mentor anyone on the beach and give advice. I have done it already this season as much as I can for several people.

Of course after my session is better than before. :).

[Thor29]

I totally agree. You'll learn much faster if there's wind, which 3rd seems to get a lot more often than Alameda. Having learned the hard way, I have to restate something that was already mentioned: GO AT LOW TIDE!!! Do not go to 3rd at high tide if you can't go upwind. When the tide is low there are more options for getting out of the water without scrambling over rocks. Also, you can wade to shore instead of swim if you have to eject.

[tgautier]

Thor - true low tide is safer (watch your feet though). The only issue is it will be more likely that you'll end up on a flood which makes it harder to go upwind than a slack or ebb tide.

The best timing would be about one hour before slack at low tide.

[AuralCurator]

The walk-in @ 3rd during low tide is a gruelling thing -be aware. That muck can be ~ thigh deep on a pretty tall person. I did one of those last fall and was pretty amazed and relieved I didn't come on any broken glass or other sharp objects in that sludge.

--J

[reyrivera]

Is it possible to ride the mud with a finless board?

[Greg]

Is it possible to ride the mud with a finless board?

Oh YES!!! Please do!!!
It's GREAT ENTERTAINMENT for the peanut gallery watching people BEEF IT!!! =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

And it's so slippery you can use fins or not... Slicker then SNOT! mostly- :lol:

BTW: Thats how most of the locals come in,, which is kinda fun when we're done and having a beer.... :D
L.M.G.

[eldon2836]

I used to think 3rd had a really positive vibe. It seems to have less this season, to wit, one guy yesterday grabbing my kite from the kiter who was launching me. As i'm getting into position and adjusting lines he's giving me helpful comments like "what are you doing?" i made a rushed decision to launch which ended up perfectly fine (though getting out of that cove on the upper launch was its own challenge). I thanked him anyway as he was passing by but get no reply. Freakin kite nazis.

[Greg]

My first real inspiration to kite was from a guy called The Kite Nazi down in So-Cal.
That guy wasn't very talkative but he SURE COULD KITE!!
As I sat on the edge of the steep sand berm 20' from the shoreline he kept riding up the beach trying to spray me with sand then ripping back down and popping a double back-roll off the shore break-- I was HOOTING AND HOLLERING STOKING HIM MORE AND MORE and he kept PUSHING IT HARDER AND HARDER!!!!
I went away thinking that guy was MY NEW HERO- and to this day I credit him as one of the most aggressive riders I've ever seen, HE WAS AWESOME! =D> =D> =D>
L.M.G.

[The111]

My first real inspiration to kite was from a guy called The Kite Nazi down in So-Cal.
That guy wasn't very talkative but he SURE COULD KITE!!
As I sat on the edge of the steep sand berm 20' from the shoreline he kept riding up the beach trying to spray me with sand then ripping back down and popping a double back-roll off the shore break-- I was HOOTING AND HOLLERING STOKING HIM MORE AND MORE and he kept PUSHING IT HARDER AND HARDER!!!!

Cool story. How's the wind in SoCal? I heard it sucks.

Back on topic... I had to spend literally 3-4 minutes in shifty winds last night, standing at the upper launch at water's edge with my 13m kite directly overhead, while 4 different people came in to land (half of who ended up crashing right there in the cove and spending minutes trying to relaunch).

Seriously... if there is someone with a kite overhead on land (surrounded by rocks) waiting to get out, and 3 other people already having a party in the cove... don't be the 4th to join the party... just do one more tack and wait for a better opportunity.

[MehYam]

I used to think 3rd had a really positive vibe. It seems to have less this season, to wit, one guy yesterday grabbing my kite from the kiter who was launching me. As i'm getting into position and adjusting lines he's giving me helpful comments like "what are you doing?"

Was this upper launch? It might just be one guy. At least I hope it's the same guy I'm thinking of. About a month back the launch was in gusty clusterfuck mode, I'm landing someone who's a little overpowered and trying to get the kite down fast. I grab the falling kite, flip it over, but hold it up slightly given that the lines just landed on some dude setting up his gear and wanted to give him a chance to escape if he needed it. Then douchebag walks over in the middle of this, pulls the kite out of my hand, and throws it on the ground in front of me.

So, about a week later, douchebag is unwrapping lines, so I walk over and puncture his LE bladder when he's not watching. Actually no, I'd never do that, it's just fun to say once and pretend :p.

Positive vibes win out in the end, and most ppl are nice at 3rd.