HR sandbar?

jdk · Since 21 Dec 2005 333 Posts Obsessed

Hi,

is the sandbar above water right now in HR? last Saturday it seemed to disappear when the wind picked up mid-afternoon. was that from all the swell?

i'm looking to get in the water, fly my kite and do some body drags. i'm thinking morning winds would be light enough to give it a go. any info would be great thank you

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

I havent seen it yet today, but it has recently been submerged. The water where the sandbar should be I would guess is super shallow and prolly still a good area to do some drags.

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

I just checked the Storm Warning cam and it does appear that the sandbar is underwater! Pretty sure it wasn't the swell that caused it to disappear as you saw before. Maybe if the water level was already high, but it'd have to be a combination of the both. More likely it was just the dams varying their flow/dump rates, which they do throughout the day.

Here's a link to the Storm Warning cam if you haven't seen it...
http://www.stormwarning.biz/stw_cams_main.html

jdk · Since 21 Dec 2005 333 Posts Obsessed

Great tool, thanks!

Hope not to nag but if anyone has info on launching from the beach and possibility of walking kite out on submerged sandbar (away from beach) to body drag any info would be great.

i have done self launch with weight on folded wingtip many times on land but west wind will be sideshore so that doesn't look like an option. is the water self launch a bad idea at this spot? i'm thinking it would go something like: rig, put kite in water LE down and cocked into wind with sand on canopy, run like hell to bar and good to go?

i would not attempt this for my life right now if water is overhead or wind is strong. but if its all shallow i think i could do ok

any info would be great THANKS again

trevorsmith · Since 25 Apr 2005 501 Posts PDX Addicted

when the water has been high, we have launched kite from the parking lot East corner in the grassy area, launch standing next to Hood river and then ride out into the columbia. Wind is variable there so be carefull, and the Sternwheeler can create weird wind there if it is docked.

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

When I'm out in the Lyle puddle during the summer (when the water level is pretty high and we only have little "islands" of sandbar to rig on), I just about always drift launch. Normally I grab my bar, put the kite leading edge down (kite ~perpendicular to wind), then let the lines tension as it floats out. It's super easy there, but then again even more so because the water stays ~6-12" deep. That's nice in that you have a good footing to run on if you end up needing to get the kite on its back (I don't have Oneline/5th line setup).

jdk · Since 21 Dec 2005 333 Posts Obsessed

Awesome, thanks guys. i will survey water carefully to make sure its shallow all over before trying either approach

maybe i'll get lucky and other noobs will be there early trying to get some light wind... Smile

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

As of 2:30 it looks like the wind's pretty decent out there... 16-20W

jdk · Since 21 Dec 2005 333 Posts Obsessed

those are saweet conditions for sure! hope to get some of that tomorrow before the nuke forecast for late afternoon... Razz

importracer9 99 · Since 27 Oct 2005 296 Posts Obsessed

that makes sense

kiteboard117 · Since 02 Mar 2005 450 Posts PDX McLovin

anybody know about the lyle sandbar?

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

Last time we were out a few weeks ago it was still underwater... Don't know for sure now, but you'd figure it would be if the Event Site is. JP and I were thinking of Lyle tomorrow, only because it looks like the wind gets a lil' fluky further east. What's the plan, Tucker?!? We're filming too!!! Very Happy