East Michigan shore kitesurfing

[grigorib]

Folks,
do you have any suggestions on Indiana/Michigan kitesurfing spots?

Had an experience at Indiana Dunes beach/park recently
1. per beach lifeguards it's cool and ok to kitesurf outside of the Indiana dunes beach/swimming zone
2. 20 minutes later outside of the beach area - above is apparently not so (per Indiana Dunes park officer) mentioning "no hard objects in water within 300 feet from shore to protect swimmers". Sure. I understand. There're rules. Fooling around on land and bodydragging are supposedly a grey area / not specifically prohibited and the officer is OK with it.

..so after a very short kitesurfing session there's been some bodydragging and a lot of jumps on the sand. Then having doubts I called state park office and they said "nothing goes into water except coastguard approved vests". They mentioned "in the whole park" but gave no real answer on applying the rule to boats and jetskis by the rental homes on the beach.

BTW lifeguards seemed to enjoy watching jumping on sand - and I at least got a chance to get out of the wetsuit.
Though about leaving then switched to Arc 630 for pendulum jumps - apparently the secter to that Arc was - no power-ups and it'll pull.

I'd guess bodydragging beyond the buyous will get me a ticket to ride but...is there more openminded place anywhere on the east Michigan shore?

[FSP]

jumping on the beach in the dunes??? how bold are you??? go to casino and jump on the beach. you should be finding a beach or lesson area that offically allows kiteboarding. thats the last place you should be jumping on the beach or let alone jumping on the beach at all! your options to learn kiteboarding are much more forgiving in the fall, but right now you should be with an instructor at south haven, waukeegan, miller or casino... and no hamming it up on the beach.

[grigorib]

I guess I believe that there's a great power in letting people do whatever is not prohibited. And there's shortsightness in prohibiting things folks are afraid of, without assessing the risks.
I personally take the safe side and think of a next step and of a step back. A huge empty beach area, lifeguards are OK with kites, I have plenty of room downwind - tell me how an instructor will help me here? How a downtown beach would be safer for me or anybody else?
I could do pretty cool things with kites in the past 9 years, I have no issue to self-launch and self land - and do it without rolling a kite down the beach. So what's missing here - a license fee to be paid?
Believe me I'm not jamming in the middle of bathers

So I guess the casino, Michigan city or Warren dunes a the choice...anything special to be aware of?

[FSP]

if as you say "life guards seem to enjoy watching jumping on sand" then there were people around who actually could be witness or in your path if something got away, broke or surprise winds came about to cause a potentially bad accident. This does not sound like a jump or two but something you did for a while and see as ok? We kitesurf, jump and do tricks on water because 1, its safer and 2, its on you and much less likely to harm others if your riding apart from swimmers.

The dunes are national parks and the last place you would want an accident if it could possibly happen as you say, but one that could draw a lot of unwanted attention. Kitesurfing is about throwing a kite up and getting on the water asap to minimize potential problems that just happen no matter how methodic you are. If you want to pursue kitejumping as an alt sport, then dont use the dunes to pioneer it, and maybe consider a field where if something goes wrong others will not lose out who need the beach.

As you said, there was no water kiting allowed, however if ever to be banned for something going wrong from say kitejumping, this might really hurt when fall hits, when we do get an unofficial pass to be in the dunes.

Any of the beaches mentioned above are not downtown beaches as you say but, places with room and or few swimmers, conducive to kiteboarding, so hit the water and jump yo ass off!!!

[grigorib]

Next time one's stroller takes off and runs into someone elses face will they ban strollers on the beach? An umbrella or a beach chair fly will lead to "no chairs on the beach policy". Choking on a cherry pit will lead to "no food allowed on the beach". A drowning to "no swimming in the water" rule?
I don't blame Chicago kitesurfing pioneers for getting "risky" tag for the sport in their area. My gear and life are well worth in first place, as for safety of others I'm not in mood to be sued by a person or state either.
Hiding into a shell or patronizing is not the answer. Lead kids a mistake free youth and they'll grow up to big failures so let's not move our society that way.
I can rather say that safe play on the ground only makes the sport more poular. Skateboarding for example is not a crime anymore, is it?

[grigorib]

So is there "official kiteboarding ban" in the dunes? As it sounded to me - no SUP, no inflatable boats....nothing allowed into water. It's crazy if that's true.
What about Porter beach, how do folks get their catamarans beyond buyous?

[skysurfr]

Welcome to my world. Whoever was coordinating in the dunes moved. As I remember kitesurfing was offlimits.

I think it was Gus who checked into it.

Mike

[grigorib]

I didn't think of it right away, but when the officer mentioned swimming zone up to buyous it should have worked to bodydrag beyond those and enjoy the wind, right?
I imagine how much it sucks for folks who live right there and can't enjoy the lake, though they have it closer to challenge restrictions with the park office and ask for clear rules set so they would work not only for bathers.

[FSP]

im confused? so you want to prove your freedom of activity(?) to do "kitejumping" in a place where you cant kitesurf but dont want to just drive up the road 20 minutes where you can actually kitesurf which is what you came to do in the first place?

hope to just see you come and kitesurf rather than pursue the art of kitejumping as it is far more gratifying.

[grigorib]

ehhmm....no, not really...I'm just looking for a spot
But you know it bugs me a tiny bit...we stayed in Porter few years ago and had a great time. Maybe I was emotionally attached to the place.

[grigorib]

What about a place NE - before Michigan city - Beverly shores / W lake Front Dr. / E Lake front Dr. ?
It's not as clean, but is it ok to kitesurf there?

[FSP]

its national lakeshore and so they jurisdict those waters upto some 500 yards out (federal). just travel up the the road to mc if you know what ur doing or go to miller where its allowed, then wait until fall when they will be much more relaxed about it. beverly to baldy does not have lifeguards but does have patrols that run the beaches a few times a day so do dont be surprised if they are on you. point is.. follow their rules unless you can change them or wait until fall to not ruin it for others..we are talking a 15 minute drive BTW, whew.....