kitesurfers on the prom

trasver

Hi all

I was one of the kitesurfers who did a downwinder along the prom yesterday afternoon, great craic and beautiful weather!

I noticed that at the Blackrock diving board there was loads of people taking pictures. Was anyone out there one of the people? Its so unsual that we get to kite there and the only reason we could was because we had a support boat from the Volvo ocean race.

Would love to get a look at anyones pics.

Thanks!

Zzippy

trasver wrote: »

Hi all

I was one of the kitesurfers who did a downwinder along the prom yesterday afternoon, great craic and beautiful weather!

I noticed that at the Blackrock diving board there was loads of people taking pictures. Was anyone out there one of the people? Its so unsual that we get to kite there and the only reason we could was because we had a support boat from the Volvo ocean race.

Would love to get a look at anyones pics.

Thanks!

Are you one of the kitesurfers that surfs at Silverstrand? If so, could you put the word around to be more considerate when there are people fishing on the beach - its not very nice to have someone surfing through your lines when they could just surf a bit further offshore.

skelliser

hey trasver,

if your out again pm me or post up here and il head down and take a few pics, seen kitesurfers down grattan beach before and would love to get a photo of it in action!

gary82

Planning to get out for a few photos on the next sunny day too!

DonalN

Zzippy wrote: »

Are you one of the kitesurfers that surfs at Silverstrand? If so, could you put the word around to be more considerate when there are people fishing on the beach - its not very nice to have someone surfing through your lines when they could just surf a bit further offshore.

it's probably a pain for them too getting your hooks and lines caught up in their boards!! :rolleyes:

cornbb

Presumably they have to launch from the beach, its not possible to be offshore all of the time.

OP I saw a few windsurf/kitesurf pics here: http://pix.ie/group/galwayvolvooceanrace so it might be worth keeping an eye out.

trasver

Cheers guys. I'll post up here when we're heading out next. Friday looks sunny and windy so if the forecast stays then it may well be Friday evening!

Zzippy I do kite at Silverstrand however I've never been out when there's people fishing and as far as I know none of the other guys I kite with have been either. Given the nature of kitesurfing we're a very safety conscience bunch and if there's other beach users there we generally hike over the hill into the lagoon out the back to be sure there's no one around. I'll spread the word though.

Cheers

Simon

CJX-3X12

Trasver,

I was one of the guys on the safety boat. They're my pictures up on the pix.ie website. If you want a copy of any of them give me a shout.

trasver

Cheers, had a look at the pix.ie website but can't find your photos, do you have a link?

Thanks again for the safety oat, we couldn't have done it without you guys!

Zzippy

DonalN wrote: »

it's probably a pain for them too getting your hooks and lines caught up in their boards!! :rolleyes:

You roll your eyes all you like. If we arrive at a beach and there are surfers/kitesurfers/swimmers we either go somewhere else or go to the far end of the beach out of the way, would never start fishing where other beach users are in the water. Its not like we arrive and start lobbing out baits into the water around them!

cornbb wrote: »

Presumably they have to launch from the beach, its not possible to be offshore all of the time.

Absolutely - I don't mind them launching near us, provided they don't surf in close right in front of us - just give people a bit of space.

trasver wrote: »

Cheers guys. I'll post up here when we're heading out next. Friday looks sunny and windy so if the forecast stays then it may well be Friday evening!

Zzippy I do kite at Silverstrand however I've never been out when there's people fishing and as far as I know none of the other guys I kite with have been either. Given the nature of kitesurfing we're a very safety conscience bunch and if there's other beach users there we generally hike over the hill into the lagoon out the back to be sure there's no one around. I'll spread the word though.

Cheers

Simon

Cheers, I know its a small few who don't have regard for other beach users. It looks spectacular and I like watching it myself, just a pain when someone surfs in close while you're fishing and you have to reel in your bait, especially when we only fish a small part of any beach and they can surf anywhere they like...

DonalN

found some on page 27...

http://pix.ie/group/galwayvolvooceanrace/photos/page/27

Looks like great craic...might drop you a pm sometime about how to get started...

trasver

Nice one thanks, the photos seem to move page every time someone uploads pics so had to search a bit but found them a few pages on. This link seems a bit more static

http://pix.ie/thomas-gsac/1000134/in/group/galwayvolvooceanrace

Absolutely PM me any time about it, also check out iksa.ie and kitesurfing.ie great resources.

Cheers for that guys

cornbb

Zzippy wrote: »

Cheers, I know its a small few who don't have regard for other beach users. It looks spectacular and I like watching it myself, just a pain when someone surfs in close while you're fishing and you have to reel in your bait, especially when we only fish a small part of any beach and they can surf anywhere they like...

They can't exactly surf anywhere, it would depend on a lot of factors including wind direction, tide and the numerous rocks near the beach... its usually only possible to launch from the west end of the beach when the tide is in and the wind is from the SW... but that's beside the point I suppose . I do agree with you, everyone using such a small beach needs to be respectful of other beach users, especially wind/kitesurfers who are capable of injuring themselves/others when going at speed. I windsurf there myself and I always give swimmers/kayakers/surfers a wide berth, I'm very wary of them and I think that the vast majority of wind/kitesurfers would be the same.

Zzippy

cornbb wrote: »

They can't exactly surf anywhere, it would depend on a lot of factors including wind direction, tide and the numerous rocks near the beach... its usually only possible to launch from the west end of the beach when the tide is in and the wind is from the SW... but that's beside the point I suppose . I do agree with you, everyone using such a small beach needs to be respectful of other beach users, especially wind/kitesurfers who are capable of injuring themselves/others when going at speed. I windsurf there myself and I always give swimmers/kayakers/surfers a wide berth, I'm very wary of them and I think that the vast majority of wind/kitesurfers would be the same.

Ah yeah, I appreciate that, and we are all entitled to use the beach. Never have a problem with people launching from wherever they can. When I said they can surf wherever they like I meant in terms of distance out from the shore. Anglers are only fishing the first 40-50 yards out max really, and on Silverstrand its really the first 30 yards. One day we asked a guy who was launching not to surf in that close right in front of us, and he could surf as close as he wanted anywhere else on the beach. But of course he goes and surfs right across in front of us just 20 yards out :rolleyes:
Now if we had been as inconsiderate as he was we could have started lobbing out bait - with heavy weights attached - as he was passing. But we're more responsible than that....

trasver

In case anyone interested one of the lads posted up a few pics on his facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2631573&id=697829992&ref=nf

CJX-3X12

trasver wrote: »

Cheers, had a look at the pix.ie website but can't find your photos, do you have a link?

Thanks again for the safety oat, we couldn't have done it without you guys!

No problem, happy to help out.

Safety boat cover was supplied by the Galway Sub Aqua Club who are also providing safety cover in the docks for the duration of the Volvo stopover.

trasver

Hi all

Just remembered this and thought I resurect this thread! A couple of ye asked me to let you know next time we were heading out kitesurfing so you could take pictures. We've been out quite a bit over the summer but I never got a chance to post!

Tomorrow is looking fairly epic so there'll most likely be a pile of us out at Silverstrand from about 2.30 onwards. If ye do want to take pictures probably the best place would be to hike over the hill at the end of the beach and when the tide is out enough the lagoon at the far side will have sandbanks exposed where you'll get really close to the action!! If the lads see a camera out they'll be round you like a swarm of flies round sh1t, camera whores the lot of them!!

If you do get out I'd ask that you post a link up here to some of the pics or email me so it can be a nice symbiotic relationship!

Cheers

skelliser

im tempted although its pretty far out and iv no transport.
Surf in towards grattan beach and il be there!

Mrs OBumble

skelliser wrote: »

im tempted although its pretty far out and iv no transport.

2w bus gets you within reasonable walking distance of Silverstrand (Yes, I've done it, maybe a 20 minute walk from the bus-stop).

One of the City Direct ones gets slightly closer (I'm still getting my head around 33 vs 34, not sure which one it is as yet ... 33 I think, but not totally sure).

skelliser

can you get to silverstrand from blackrock?
i know you can walk out as far as the driving range? can ya keep goin tho, ive never tried

majiktripp

skelliser wrote: »

can you get to silverstrand from blackrock?
i know you can walk out as far as the driving range? can ya keep goin tho, ive never tried

You can get to Silverstrand from Blackrock indeed, will be a good walk though. If you continue along to the driving range, and follow the path beside it up to the caravan park and back onto the main road, once your there follow it towards the T juntion at the end. Turning right will take you to Joyces, turning left will take you out towards Barna woods and eventually Silver strand which is maybe a 10 minute walk past said Barna woods and is sign posted. If you go past Barna Church you've gone too far.

skelliser

majiktripp wrote: »

You can get to Silverstrand from Blackrock indeed, will be a good walk though. If you continue along to the driving range, and follow the path beside it up to the caravan park and back onto the main road, once your there follow it towards the T juntion at the end. Turning right will take you to Joyces, turning left will take you out towards Barna woods and eventually Silver strand which is maybe a 10 minute walk past said Barna woods and is sign posted. If you go past Barna Church you've gone too far.

ya i know that route but i was wondering can you keep walking along the coast.

JohnCleary

trasver wrote: »

Tomorrow is looking fairly epic

Ugh, was planning on having a RELAXING day on the surf rescue boat tomorrow Feck you and your wind!

majiktripp

skelliser wrote: »

ya i know that route but i was wondering can you keep walking along the coast.

Aaah ok , slightly more difficult. You could head out past the back of the golf club to the driving range, once at the end of that path you can get on to the beach and walk out Gentian Hill which is dependent on tide for access. If it was very low tide you might be able to walk right the way around to Silver Strand. The only thing is the whole area around there and Rusheen Bay ( I think that's what the area's called) is full of quick sand. Nearly lost both shoes walking around the head at Silver Strand years ago.. so caution would be advised if trying it!

trasver

Sorry John! Not predicted to pick up until lunchtime so you might have a relaxing morning!!

Don't think you can walk the whole way along the coast and when you get there there's a channel on the Blackrock side of the lagoon that never empties so you couldn't get across. I've been hearing rumours that the Council have just opened plans to extend a walkway all the way from the golf course end of the prom right through the Rusheen Bay. Don't know much info on it (or if its actually going to happen given the big R!) but if anyone has heard anything it'd be interesting to hear about it!

JohnCleary

As said above, not possible to walk from Salthill to Silver Strang because of the entrance to Rusheen Bay - it never dries out completely.

Nice breeze for you guys today - might pop down in the car later

skelliser

i assumed as much, iv always been wary of the quicksand around there.
Trasver, i wouldnt be encouraging people to venture out onto those sandbanks as well with the tide and the quicksand around there.

trasver

Bit of confusion there I think skelliser, don't think I explained it properly. The sand banks I was talking about aren't in Rusheen bay itself (where there is plenty of quicksand) but are in fact in the lagoon that feeds into Rusheen bay, see google image link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.250933,-9.115047&spn=0.008101,0.022702&t=h&z=17

In the centre of the picture that lagoon (which is full in the picture) empties out leaving 3 sandbanks which dry up in a matter of minutes and are easily accessed from the rocks to the left as you look at the lagoon in the picture. We regularly set up kites here and launch from there. They do get covered quickly when the tide is coming in but the rocks are easily accessed as the link is the last bit to fill up!

The really dark green channel in the lagoon on the right is the one JohnCleary mentioned and it never dries up when the tide goes out.

Hope that clears things up, wouldn't want to jeopardise anyones safety!

skelliser

oh right, its just ive always been told as a young lad to stay away from the lagoon!

well, il be at grattan beach if ye make it down that far, im sure it will only take ye 5 minutes! will ye surf in as far as there?

cornbb

Tis looking epic out there alright. I have nothing to do all day and all my windsurfing gear is far away in Cork so I'm super pissed off. Have a great session guys.

trasver

Pain in the ass cornbb, if it's any consolation a few of the lads can't get off work and are stuck looking out the window probably feeling how you are!

skelliser we definitely won't be down at Grattan beach, usually we just stay around silverstrand or some people go out at Grattan if there's a high tide and they're desperate for a session as its really not ideal there. We'd only do a downwinder along the prom if we've boat support as we're a safety conscious lot!