15ft MC TUE the 18th..dangzzzzz

[FSP]

Last NW didnt pan out for size but this poppy looks sincere. If she flies nort then we just might get a legit jackpot at the slots.

[johnm]

Oh ya. Taking off work. Keep us posted Scotty

[burkeysteve]

Hey, I'm from Ohio and will be driving to Wheeling & Deerfield for business meeting Monday & Tuesday. Where can I ride on NW winds? I don't know your launch sites. Been kiting 4 years and have many kites from 6m to 13m. Full wetsuit?
614-530-9511
Thanks in advance
SteveB

[xwindsurf]

Scotty,
Now, if this works out as planned, where would you send these weaklings who prefer, say, 8-footers, to that 15-foot carnage?

[jensmadwind]

15ft jibberish , just on shore jibberish. find me a forecast that supports this

[xwindsurf]

Marine Forecast says at this point 8 to 12 ft. for MChttp://www.wunderground.com/MAR/LM/046.html
Windalert model seems to suggest more, with 30+ winds just offshore throughout the night, and 5 miles-out Marine fc says occasional gales overnight to 35 kts..
I haven't driven thousands of miles around the Mighty Lake in search of the Perfect Spot, and I know there are guys who know 20 times more about the conditions but gibberish seems a bit harsh, considering the above, don't you think?

[Misfit]

FSP Scotty G?

Cory

[jensmadwind]

maybe its a little harsh, but last night and this morning I have looked at the weather resources I trust and have not found the windspeed nor the duration necesarry to create a quality 15 ft wave forecast. What I do see , as of now, is possible good side / side on 8ft conditions with lots of rain in the st joe, south haven area.

I live inland and don't have the knowledge gained by living with lake mi on my doorstep, so take my comment/predictions with a grain of salt.

[West]

Here's the deal Tom, just check the map......NW is dead onshore at MC; yes you can get BIG conditions down there on that direction, and you CAN kite in those conditions, but IT IS ONSHORE, that much is undebatable........now, whether or not one enjoys those conditions or is competent enough to even get beyond the shorebreak is another matter entirely. The problem I see is that IF someone does get beyond the shorebreak and they are not prepared for the massive outside sets, then it could end in utter DISASTER.........frankly put, it is only the very experienced kiter who should even venture past the shorebreak on such a forcast if it materializes; Scotty is one of the few who has the skills to kite in those conditions, those are not the conditions for most kiters!!

On the other hand if one wants to stay on the inside and kite up and down the shoreline, then they should go for it, just keep it safe and DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the danger involved in kiting in waves that are forcast to be double-head high, especially when onshore.....onshore conditions are the most demanding, and in my opinion the most dangerous; it is harder to get over the waves, the waves are more prone to close-out, and it is easier to drop your kite when riding them........that of course, is just my two-cents on the matter....and remember that it is all fun and games til you are swimming for your life.......SAFETY FIRST!!!!!!

NW winds can be kited side-on at Miller and the waves are usually smaller and more organized IF the front comes in from the NW and not the N.........South Haven is also another option, and offers the protection of the jetty as well; St Joe can be a bit more onshore, just depends on how much West is in it when the winds hit the Michigan Shoreline.........Muskegon can often be the best choice on a pure NW, but it is quite a drive.....once again, just study a good map of Lake Michigan and check the current conditions to see how the direction of the wind is affected by Lake Michigan's shoreline; it is a well known peculiarity that at times the wind is onshore from Miller to South Haven, just depends on the front!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck, kite safe, and have fun!!!!!!

btw, Jens has a tremendous amount of knowledge in that cheese head of his.....he just doesn't like kiting in onshore conditions and Scotty does......just a matter of preference from two of the most experienced kiters in the waves........

[xwindsurf]

West, thanks for a very thoughtful and masterfully worded warning that can benefit a few guys who are "not quite there."
And no, I wouldn't try to go out in on-shore 12-footers.

NW winds can be kited side-on at Miller and the waves are usually smaller and more organized IF the front comes in from the NW and not the N.........

And Casino?

[mrgrey]

Windfinder has a NNW 25-30mph forecast at St. Joe tomorrow that I might try to take advantage of. Newbs would enjoy the protection of the pier and the 45+ degree angle to shore forecast that makes getting out easier and brings down the current.

I have kited MC with onshore conditions and it is completely nasty stuff and IMHO not much fun...if I had Scottys skills it might be a different story....the worst is having half a dozen kites in the air with everybody trying to make it past the break and people are falling everywhere and making for an accident waiting to happen.....

....if anyone is interested in going up tomorrow to St. Joe hit me up with a text, as I plan on taking off a little early from work...

...two one nine - 221-three nine five four

[FSP]

Cowboy knows waves with half his like spent in maui..and all is spoken true. We have put our time in understanding and often still surprised what can be found here. We do however differ a bit in our love for what comes about here which is fine. My take on the whole wave thing is to push it for the best performance thrill i can get..why not? I have come to find that based on your skills, there is a very precise day for size, and then just enough angle to defy the conditions to expereince the ultimate wave/surreal experience.

This angle is obviously questionable because as West said, its tricky business in that you have to defy and push the limits of what your kite and board can do without losing contact and rarely do you get it just right...though i have seen it once this year and now captivated by the equation.

Now, in my pursuit to find this angle/size it is tricky planning to not be a victim to a very vertical, dredging closeout of a wave. I think this is where you truly meet your fear in the face and have your ultimate challenge/surreal experience here.

Again, its a lot of trial and error to find the angle to stick, with the size and the beach to best receive it, but one day you will be out and all things will align. As far as what i see..its that the dynamics are very special in that the size is so big it spaces out, and gets very clean way on the outside (way further than you might expect), the size then is so big it just moves you independent of the kite, creating an ability to source an entirely different power you once never knew. When all comes together it will far exceed what the buoy reads the as the bottoms will drop out for a huge moment in time.

As for the rally, if your ready for this level and the angles come together, its quite special. As of now the angle is now predicted to be too NNW for mc but that can change and this would make miller potentially work big, though not as BIG!! MC in the less NW position is just mindblowingly big! The nice part for intermdeiates is that you can buzz the shore and slowly creep into the action over time.

[Misfit]

kite safe, and have fun!!!!!!

This is the best advice

Cory

[sailfish]

Where's the flatest water/least waves going to be tomorrow within an hour of Chicago? Are there any places on this side of the lake that will break or reduce the waves with these conditions?

[xwindsurf]

Wolf Lake but I'm not sure if that''s the answer you're looking for

[FSP]

Theres a few posts about misunderstanding 'nasty" and "junky". Yes, anything big and past 45 on shore is going to get junky inside as everything has broken outside and rebroken again coupled with currents. The idea is to (when ur ready) to get outside! There is known term in surfing called the "clean up set" which is what you go outside and troll for. You must remember that its big and the outside sandbars down yonder are established for eons.

They are the first to receive the swell and break it, and when its a set, the third or 4th is really spaced out and litterally cleans everything out. If ur out there then you must patiently fish for it.. once spotted you mark it and now you have a game plan. They do space out this far out and give you time to set up. This is where you defy the angles because they are big and move you faster than ur kite so prepare to "surf" micro left and right before locking in to manage all ur new power.

Each spot is different too. Baldy can get some bounce from a nne on that side of the pier from the mile long boulder stretch. As for mc, just down the beach on the right setup, its different for uninterrupted outside breaks.

Again, it may just be too onshore 2mr and casino is it, as you wont know until then...but...if its around 50-55 degrees its gonna b big, with clean up sets freaking blowing ur mind.

ITs a different wave then st joe and something i like to get right..but calling the outside worthless and junky on a big one with enuf angle just means you havnt been or cant appreciate, but should not be considered a marvel to engage. For mgrey, yes b safe and go where u need to.. but St joe is not for everyone either as you know from last time.. its very gusty on a nnw/nw and the waves on the outside angle the direction of the wind..ya? This makes it an "onshore" scenario and not any better than playing the inside for the newbs.

[Bryce FLK]

Scotty.... I took the day off of work. I expect to see 15ft monsters tomorrow. What time is a good time to call to check your location..... Casino / MC / St Joe? Ill be in route at 7am.

[Misfit]

I think I'm beginning to feel sick..... Cough.... Cough.... Cough.... Lol. Looking at a possible session. Make that call in the am.

Cory

[zulutimer]

Scotty is dead on!

Been doing this 12 years now back to when it was only 2-3 of us hitting MC (the good ole days w/Gus!) and his last post is really the way it happens from shore out to about 300 - 400 yards or so. I don't get to tour the lake in search of the right angles and such - MC is about as far as I go from Chicago. So that 's what you get used to and it is doable with continued experience. You just have to get used to "backslappers" a little at a time until you're out of the shore break and into the neat stuff and you can hit the waves outbound on a more direct angle.

And yes ....through the years we have had some pretty massive days down there with 12PLUS footers being no exaggeration.

Where to Scotty?

[FSP]

haaa "backslappers" yeah you can be on a side ways run for a long time before choosing to cross the railroad tracks to jump the next train. Will chk in with the u mac daddys by text in the am around 10 for the wind to the angle to the 15fooooooooot!