bellilngham spots

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1527 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

Headed to Bellingham Tuesday to pick up a dog. wanted to kite but have no idea where to go, what forecast to look at and everything else that goes along with those spots ie tides etc. Can someone give me some guidance so I can have a kite session before I drive back home. thanks very much

airliquid · Since 14 Jan 2014 9 Posts Kook

Here is a old link that I still use to check conditions in Bellingham. Locust Beach is the most popular place in Bellingham. It works best on a SW which is the most typical for that place but will work with a south and at times a SE. If the wind is Westerly try Hunter about 10 miles south of B'ham. You can also look at Jetty Island in Everett which tend to go in the afternoon till dusk. PSKITE.ORG has tons of info on thier beaches page.

You can always contact Kite Paddle Surf for info 360-SPLASH1 (360-775-2741) .... They are a bunch of good guys who will steer you in the right direction. TJ's page on the link is a pretty accurate model and IMO the wind tends to be even a little better then he predicts.

here is the link:
http://bellinghamkiteboarding.com/wind.php

or you can get there through http://www.kitepaddlesurf.com/

stringy · Since 23 Jun 2006 1734 Posts vancouver XTreme Poster

best bet is a hunter session in the afternoon..
not sure if things will materialize for you but you can keep an eye on the marine forecast for the north sound.
bring your biggest kites
you'll probably get more information from our friends at www.pskite.org or maybe even www.nskite.com
but yeah, just calling kitepaddlesurf will probably save you alot of time and give you the most updated intel

Justsmile · Since 20 Jul 2009 1527 Posts Not Portland XTreme Poster

Thanks guys for the 411. Hopefully wind water And my schedule will line up. Thanks again

jwnd · Since 22 Oct 2014 17 Posts Bellingham

Hunter (Samish Bay) - north to northwest wind preferred. This typically is good in the summer as the Skagit Valley heats up it draws wind from surrounding area. The thermal that sets up often increases winds in the area that can be ideal for kiting on Samish Bay. Problem is this summer is not typical, so less summer kiting than last two years I've been kiting. Tides are another thing to look for - ideally >4ft for Hunter or it is a long muddy slog to the waterline. Bring booties as stray oyster shells can be tough on feet. Shallow warm water can mean shorties and board shorts. Great spot for sure when it works!
There is a sensor at Hunter that can give accurate data. Here is one link to that data:
http://www.weatherlink.com/user/nska/index.php?view=summary&headers=1

Locust works in southerly winds. There is a sensor at Driftwood to the west of main Locust launch that some feel is a little stronger than what found at Locust. Apparently changing tidelands have made Driftwood less user friendly than a few years ago and parking nearby is tight. Tides are not a big deal at Locust in summer, it just might mean a long walk if very low tide; winter high tides might mean a very small beach.

TJ Olney is local paraglider pilot and professor at WWU. He is local weather guru for pilots, kiters, sailors, etc. Check out his 10 meter RASP models that update at around 8-9 o'clock, twice daily. Some praise his predictions as if it is THE WORD. Pretty spot-on for some days, not so much other days..
http://home.comcast.net/~wxtofly/ibl.html

Guys at Kite Paddle Surf are awesome and surely will provide you with additional info. Lots of waiting lately, but there are occasional days when these and other sites work like clockwork.

Cheers,

Jim

airliquid · Since 14 Jan 2014 9 Posts Kook

Oyster shells in yucky mud. Not a good combo... Great rig/land area but getting in and out of the water can be a bit challenging as you have to walk down a rip/rap jetty wall. Hope you get some wind. Ruff Ruff Thumb's Up