How many days do you get out a year?

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

So here I am sitting counting up the days I've gone kiting and I come up with 22 so far, shooting for 25. I started kite boarding last August, got 8 times in last year, so the total is 30. I'm pretty happy with that but after talking to several people it seems low Sad

Many people seem to get 30, 40 even a 100 or more sessions a year. At that rate I will have to kite for 3 or more years to total up to one of their years. (I guess I'll be a beginner forever) I'm mostly a weekend warrior with some weekday evenings at Sauvies. People tend to talk in “years of kiteboarding”, what does that mean? I know some people are happy just to make it out 10 or more weekends during the year.

So I'm curious? Is 22 low, average, good? What do you consider “a year's worth of kiteboarding”?

(Don't be shy, I windsurfed for more than 20 years and some years I was happy just to get out more than 5 days)

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

It is all relative I guess I probably got out 50 to 60 times this year but most of my sessions are only 40 min on the water(with wife and kids at home "Ill be back in an hour")

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

I consider myself lucky if I can get out 1-2 times per week while the weather holds (May to Oct). If you don't live within 10 miles of a consistent location like the coast or HR you will probably never get the 50-100 plus sessions a year unless you're willing to travel a lot. Don't worry so much about how many times others go out. Get out there when you can and when you do try to make the most out of each session. You'll appreciate it more and you'll focus on improving your skills each time you go.

Matt E. · Since 22 May 2008 318 Posts West Coast Sales Rep Obsessed

80+ days this summer but i worked in hood river

eli_anderson · Since 04 Jun 2007 507 Posts Addicted

just about every other day....but I ride class 8 parakart, kgb, snow and water in between that I try to fly PGs and surf...sometimes I can go everyday, other times its a little harder to find the time

I work for peanuts and beer so I can stay near the beach and close enough to PDX

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 902 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

I have been making entries for days of recreation (windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing, and snowboarding) into my calender since 1993 and still have them all filed in my office. It helps me to recall sessions after my memory fades due to old age and other contributing factors.

Kiteboarding days on average end up around 30 to 60 days a year much dependent on the weather conditions. I live in the Newport area and exclusively ride at South Beach and Beverly. Once a year I may go to Flos, and I never go to the gorge. This year I only have 30 days so far which means the kiting weather has not been that good this year for NW winds. I teach at the local high school and have the summers off and get off work during the school year at 4 pm so I can still go out during spring and fall, thus I kite almost every day that it is good. I almost never go during southerly winds as my attempts have ended up as gusty, rainy, cold, dark and shitty sessions of dodging driftwood and rain squalls. My kite season can start as early as February to April, and generally ends in mid-October. Since I virtually never travel to kiteboard my total days per year are not that high, but the coast does deliver some exceptional days so I am pretty happy all in all.

Very Happy

GorgeKite.com · Since 17 Mar 2008 226 Posts Hood River Stoked

I have been out 75 times plus. Living in Hood river helps but the trick is work as little as possible. Sucks to be broke all the time though.

Nak · Wed Sep 17, 08 6:12 pm

My hero is Gman hitting 22 days or more in a row. Thumb's Up

I'm going for 12 months straight. I've hit it at least once every month since February. The perfect 12 month ride would be the day of the winter party in January. Very Happy

glenn · Since 12 Sep 2008 5 Posts Berkeley, CA New Member

I'm sorry to say, but if you have only kited 22 days you are not windobsessed. Sad

Nak · Wed Sep 17, 08 6:46 pm

glenn · Since 12 Sep 2008 5 Posts Berkeley, CA New Member

i can only dream about 22 days in a row! the response was to windobsessed.

glenn · Since 12 Sep 2008 5 Posts Berkeley, CA New Member

nak, as you can see I'm a NW Kook, but I'm dying to know where's your kite in that photo?? It's a cool photo. Very Happy

Nak · Wed Sep 17, 08 6:59 pm

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Blue · Since 03 Jul 2007 469 Posts I used to be Obsessed

Next year I will definitely keep a diary. All I can say, this year I missed but a few days with a reasonable expectation of the wind. Two one week vacations, ten days off during weekdays, and almost every weekend since May. Comes up to 40+ days on the water. But I do what you could call kiteboarding only since August, before than it was just learning.

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

>> "I'm sorry to say, but if you have only kited 22 days you are not windobsessed."

I guess that is why I'm windobsessed and not kiteobsessed Wink

So I guess 22 is low. But not sure how to get more, basically the best I could do is 40 if I went every weekend both days, May-Sept. But take away no wind weekends, trips with the family, house maintenance, work (got get my kids through college)...

I though I was going to score this year taking a 7 day trip to Maui end of June. But no got skunked, winds were N-NW which meant Kite Beach was dead. The only kiting was at Kaanapali Shores. To make it worse they were kiteboarding right in front of our hotel. They were locals that were accessing the beach in between hotels. When I asked if it was legal to kite here they said no but no one has banned them yet. Also they made it clear that they did police each other and if anyone looked shaky they would stop them. Basically they waited for a break in the beach crowd and in the water and quickly hot launched, ran to the water, threw their board out in the water and jumped on it and took off. Coming in was just as fast, a break in the crowd and bam they came in and the kite was down. Needless to say I did not feel comfortable with that requirement Sad

There was actually 2 days that where possible at kitebeach at the end of my trip, on one I was gone all day on a snorkling trip and the other I spent waiting for the wind to pick up to 11M (the biggest kit I had with me), most people my size were out on 14/15M and were barely moving. Still had a lot of fun on Maui and hope to make it back, hopefully a little more luck with the kiteboarding though.

holly · Since 09 Jul 2006 440 Posts Hood River Obsessed

the season isnt over peeps!!!