the new kite surfing thread

so this subject comes up every now and then but then fades away again... kiteboarding in india. it's hard to find information online. and there's not much in the way of detailed wind maps either (for the west coast at least.)
i've just learned the basics of kitesurfing in thailand and i'm eager to give it a go in india. so if anyone has some information it would be greatly appreciated...
from what i've read so far goa is the only area where i might have a chance to meet other kite surfers. is that just because it's a popular place? or is the wind actually better there? does anyone know how it compares to gokarna for instance?? or kerala?
i'd prefer to live in gokarna (goa is getting a bit pricey in the long term) but if there's no wind that would defy the point really.
and also being the only person on a long empty beach sounds nice sometimes, but how safe is it to go surfing alone?? i read here about fishing nets being a problem?!?!? or strong currents?
and finally, it seems the wind anywhere around india isn't very strong. with that in mind and taking into account i'm 65kg, what size kite would be realistic? 14m? i guess it's hard to find equipment to rent anywhere, so i'm hoping to buy some 2nd hand gear before arriving, but smaller kites are easier to find
many thanks in advance...
d

There are good winds and waves to be had in India, with swells at their best around june and july, but it means hanging out on a beach you have found and waiting for the fickle conditions to come together, bring lots of time and patience. As a fly in instant kite surfing culture, India is not, the closest would be Sri Lanka, which is more surf centered, but a few kite places have sprung up in the last few years.

I Got your private message requesting I join this discussion as i have kitesurfed many times in Goa, in fact if you do a search most of the information you will find is from my posts.

Where do i start?

Goa doesn't automatically spring to mind as a great kitesurfing destination, as the previous poster said due to fickle conditions, and it doesn't attract large numbers due to the narrow wind periods.Occasional good days can be had during October,November and December, but these are few and difficult to predict.In my experience the better winds are to be had in February, March and April, although April can become unbearably hot and humid, May,June and July even more so.

I have visited Goa every winter now for the last 11 years with my kite-surfing gear, and each year see an increase in fellow kite-surfers there, but there is still plenty of space to find your own beach if you so desire, and although it is getting more expensive it is still very cheap compared to home.

The winds generally come in the afternoon,(although they can blow all day)and seem to be strongest around a full moon.

There are usually a few regulars who go back each year to Goa and it's nice to meet up again, the main Beaches being to more northern beaches of Goa, they are less crowded, beaches such as Morjim, Little Morjim, Aswem, Mandrim and Arambol are all beaches where you are likely to find fellow kite-surfers.

With regard to equipment I've used anything from a 9mtr to a 17mtr, and often find myself on a skim board.One year i took a 13 as my smallest kite and regularly found myself overpowered(I'm much heavier than you too)and regreting it.

You ask about fishing nets being a problem, this is not something i've ever come across, and the currents can be quite strong, but it's more from a shore break causing a rip than anything else, and doesn't affect every beach, some are worse than others.

On my last visit in March of this year I travelled round a bit and found some fantastic unspoilt beaches over the border in Maharashtra, and there are probably many more to find.

I arrive again for four weeks on 26th Feb 2011, if you do get there, then maybe we could meet up.

I hope this has helped a little, and if you need more info just get in touch .Wayne.

thanks for that detailed post.. i just watched some videos of kite-skimming. so cool. i wasn't aware of it at all. it looks like a lot of fun!! (i'm still a total beginner. i'll probably need to practice on a normal board first, won't i?)
it's surprising that your 13m wasn't small enough!! so perhaps a 12m kite would make a good all-rounder for me to start with.. is it pretty normal for surfers to have two kites, or more??? this is an expensive hobby.
the unspoilt beaches over in Maharashtra sound great... are the winds similar to what you get in goa?? it doesn't look far on the map (and neither does gokarna) but wind is so changeable...
plenty of fun to be had!!!
d

I usually take three kites to Goa and two boards, one being a skim board, these are a 9 and 13 metre F-One bandit 3 Delta kite and a Best Waroo 17 bow kite, these cover me from 10 mph upwards.

It takes between an hour and two hours to reach the beaches of Maharashtra, depending how long you have to wait for the ferry.
If you look on google earth and follow the coast up along Goa you will pass Tiracol fort and come to a place called Shiroda, this is a beautiful unspoilt beach with a backdrop of Pineforest, a little further up the coast 3-4km is another beached they call Paradise, again you will find it on google earth.

There are plenty of beaches in Goa though and you dont have to travel out of state to kitesurf, i have been so many times i just fancied a bit of exploring last time.

thanx for the info. it all sounds great.
i'm just in the process of getting some 2nd hand gear together to bring out there. i bought a f-one tribal 13m kite, and a naish thorn 131 board. i'm a bit worried the board might be too small!!! do you think it's workable??
see you on the beach,
d

You should be fine, i ride a 128x39 and weigh 100 + kilos, when are you looking at going?

hey wayne and all fellow kitesurfers!!! how's life on the beach?? are the conditions good for kitesurfing this season??
i got a bit held up at home so was out of touch, but hopefully i'll make it out to the beach, with a kite, by the beginning of april.
do you know if the condition are still ridable in may and june??
hope you're having a blast,
d

hi,
so i ended up in gokarna... the conditions seem really good to my untrained eyes... the ocean is quite calm and there's plenty of wind. in fact, the wind is many times too strong for the 13m kite i brought with me. the conditions have been pretty similar for the last month or so!!!
unfortunately i've had more leaks in my kite than chances to try it out :-( and now when i finally thought i got it all fixed properly, i let some random guy on the beach help me launch and he somehow managed to twist it in a way that created a total blow out!!!
anyone know where i can fix a kite???????
ride on,
d

Good to hear you are getting out and into it. What are the conditions for surfers? any board riders cutting it up ? hope you are having fun.--------fix a kite !!---what are the local sail makers up to ? -

Hey redninja… I spent a week in goa fixing my kite… the ocean was quite choppy there. If anything I’d say gokarna has a nicer swell, but the waves break too quickly and too close to the shore to be of any surfing value, at least from what I’ve seen…
But anyway all that was a few days ago. now the rains have started and all that is irrelevant. I’m now thinking about the east coast… can anyone share some information about the conditions there?? Wind? Ocean?? Rain??
Ride on,
D