SoCal kiting (yay or nay)?

Marcus O · Since 30 May 2018 98 Posts

Anyone on here have experience kiting in the LA/Long Beach area? My wife has a chance to work on a project down there for a couple of years but the kiting is a huge consideration for both of us. I did a bit of research and it seems like the main kite spot is at Belmont Beach and the wind is a bit lighter than the gorge - not sure about consistency/reliability, though. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

user124 · Since 02 Aug 2012 391 Posts Portland Obsessed

Belmont shores is a fun spot. There are a lot of rays and you have to shuffle your feet so they don't barb you as you are walking out. It's kind of sheltered from the waves but there are other wave spots that are more advanced and shared with the prone surfers. I think the wind there is better in the summer. There's a pretty solid kite community there as well and I've run into them when they are on organized trips in Baja etc.

The main school/organization there is https://socalkitesurfing.com/. The guy that runs it is Bart. He is a nice guy and good resource.

Pete · Since 29 Oct 2007 843 Posts Opinionated

I live in SoCal and kite here regularly. I am not sure what you are interested in, but Belmont is the "flatwater" spot, there are many places to kite waves up and down the coast. Wind is typically in the 16-18mph range most days in Belmont, and South to Seal, Sunset Beach, and Huntington Beach.

The wind season is typically late March to early October. It doesn't blow everyday, but there is typically enough to get wind at least a few days a week. Spring is usually windiest, but each year the wind is a bit different. Some years are better than others. This spring we got a lot of 20mph plus days.

To the North it tends to be windier. Places like Zuma, Leo Carillo and County Line are some of the main spots. Again, all ocean riding with waves. The wind in these areas is typically stronger than down in the Long Beach area, but traffic getting up there can be a bitch.

Outside of the season, we rely on storms coming through to get wind. Often times to get wind in the winter, you end up kiting in the rain, in really gusty conditions, etc. There can be weeks or even months in the winter with no rideable wind.

Hope this is what you were looking for. Feel free to ask more questions or DM me for more info.

A.K. · Since 01 Jul 2006 190 Posts Stoked

I had a chance to hit Belmont on a drive down to Baja. What I saw was impressive enough. There seems to be a dedicated close knit community that congregates on the location. So I would not give up on kiting just because of a move to SoCal.

And this was before the foil era so who knows how much more opens up with that.

A.K.

Pete · Since 29 Oct 2007 843 Posts Opinionated