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Portugal kite trip in summer

 
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markamcclure

Since 20 May 2011
164 Posts
Portland, OR
Stoked



PostThu Oct 19, 17 4:27 am    Portugal kite trip in summer Reply with quote

I will be on a six week family trip to Portugal next summer.

I hope to checkout the kiting options. Our rough agenda is for about ten days in each of the following areas:

Sw algarve (sag res/Lagos)
South of Lisbon (seisembre)
West of Lisbon (cascaish)
Nazare/figaroda fox/peniche
Porto/esponde area

I am an intermediate kiter and am looking for mellow waves. We will have a car, but I am hoping to stay within walking distance to beaches where possible.

Has anyone been kiting in Portugal? Advice?

Better to bring my surfboard or buy a used one on arrival? According to internet water temps look like a 4/3 or shorty?

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bwd

Since 04 Aug 2007
385 Posts

Obsessed



PostThu Oct 19, 17 6:22 am     Reply with quote

Went to Portugal one year ago. Wish I was there again, lots of fun.
See here:
http://nwkite.com/forums/t-40976.html&highlight=portugal

One warning: overcrowding in summer, some spots may be wall-to-wall ass. So be mobile or happy with crowds. Filpside is more wind in summer, depending on location.
Best luck!

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markamcclure

Since 20 May 2011
164 Posts
Portland, OR
Stoked



PostSat Oct 21, 17 5:38 am     Reply with quote

Thx for info! Thoughts on bringing a kite surfboard vs buying a used one from a kite school, then reselling it at the end of the trip?

Also, I am trying to choose 2-3 kites from a quiver of 6-8-10-12.

Wetsuit choices: 5-4-3, 3.2 mission (short sleeve, long legs) or shorty?

Thanks in advance!

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bwd

Since 04 Aug 2007
385 Posts

Obsessed



PostSat Oct 21, 17 11:10 am     Reply with quote

for 3 weeks kiting you may come out better flying a coffin bag over with everything you want in it instead of renting for a long time, or multiple trips in and out of rental shops in different towns, etc.
Renting a surfboard to surf is a good option though if you don't have to have your own board and there are shops everywhere. But keep in mind rentals on the west coast get a lot of mileage in OH + waves so don't rent a surfboard to kite unless you plan on taking it home in 2 pieces. Or ride very gently.
If you want to buy a board there consider pricing, availability, eur:usd issues and VAT if applicable. Not sure this could be the most economical.
I've never tried the buy used and sell while there approach.
Usually just take what I need wherever I go. Except longboards.
If you want to get creative maybe you could work out a barter of used US goods for something there you want to buy or use though.
BRM kites for example have no euro distribution so might be desired by some, or custom surfboards from good US shapers maybe.

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markamcclure

Since 20 May 2011
164 Posts
Portland, OR
Stoked



PostSun Oct 22, 17 6:00 am     Reply with quote

Thanks BWD.

It's hard to get info on used kite surfboards in the area, so I will probably just take a board. If it's more than $150 to fly board, I might try and sell it at end of trip (6 weeks). Maybe If I go w/ bubble wrap and soft bag then I won't end up buying and leaving a coffin bag in Portugal...

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Slappysan

Since 13 Jun 2012
308 Posts

Obsessed



PostMon Oct 23, 17 12:01 pm     Reply with quote

I don't know what the availability is like over there but I would recommend taking a Catch Surf Stump 5-0 quad or a Wave Bandit Performer 4-10.

Worst case you could fly it over and then sell at the end or fly it home, they are great to fly with as you don't have to worry about damage.

Now I've never ridden the Stump but I do own a Log 8-0 and recently switched my kite surfboard to the Wave Bandit Performer 4-10. Based on how amazing the Performer 4-10 is as a kite surfboard I'm probably going to pick up a Stump 5-0 to have as a single board quiver that I can kite or paddle.

Stump quad: $284
Performer 4-10: $150

I'm 165 lbs and the Performer 4-10 has replaced both my $800 epoxy boards (Cab Secret Weapon 5-2 & OR Jester)

Also if you fly BA you can bring a short surfboard for free as long as you are under the weight limit.

The thing I love so much about the Performer 4-10 is that is weighs only 5.6 lbs. My Secret Weapon is 9.4 lbs and the Jester is 7.6 lbs.

I use the RE Tactical Trolley and it kicks much ass. Fits the Secret Weapon but it's rammed in there. Fits the Jester well (155 cm) and fits the Performer 4-10 with room to spare. The best thing about this bag is it's not too big, just big enough. I've used the Ion 165 cm bag before and it's just too damn big.

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pauls

Since 20 Jun 2005
562 Posts
white salmon
Addicted



PostFri Apr 27, 18 12:55 pm     Reply with quote

Just came back from a fortnight in Portugal. No kiting but lots of surfing. Tons and tons of surf shops everywhere and easy to rent boards for 15 to 20 euros a day with price dropping even lower for 3 or more days. Mostly Torq, NSP or similar not foamies. Custom boards were a little more. Loads of surfers everywhere, beginners and decent surfers all mixed up together. If the beginners could get outside they were there and you could expect to get dropped in on by multiple people going straight ahead. This was off season so it must be nuts when the weather warms up. People were friendly and happy not a lot of yelling or hassling but easy to catch a board in the face. I only found one kite school and they hadn't opened for the season yet. They kite all year frontal winds in the winter, more thermal in the summer. West coast gets BIG.
Driving was super easy, roads were quiet. Very laid back attitude to parking, overnight camping. Loads of places for good inexpensive food, drinks, coffee. Practically everyone spoke some English and had a friendly helpful attitude. Public transport was easy to figure out and cheap. You can buy SIM cards good for 3gb of data and couple of hundred minutes of voice for less than 10 euros in a vodafone shop, almost every business has free wifi you can connect to as well. We rented a camper van for most of the trip, it was much cheaper than renting an RV in the US. The van was new and we were fully self contained. We only paid for camping one night and that was only 6 euros! I found the van i rented on Airbnb, gave me a bit of reassurance that i'd have them to contact if anything about the rental had gone wrong.

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