South Padre Island TX Trip –Great Opp to Learn Kiteboarding!

[WaWaZat]

Lake Michigan and the Chi area is an excellent place to kite... especially if you are an experienced kiter! Don't get me wrong, there is some great kiteboarding for beginners around here but our good, consistent winds are more prevalent in the Fall, followed up with a Spring season right after the big lake thaw. Especially in late Fall and early Spring, water temps can be frigid and waves can be HUGE & powerful. Strong winds and huge, clean, surfable waves are what many experienced riders drop everything & squeeze into a warm wetsuit for. But since beginners spend more time in the water rather than on it and there is so much to learn while you're sitting in that water, low temps can be a hindrance and the waves can be pummeling! But alas there is a solution... a fun one!!...... take a trip to a warmer place with clean, consistent winds and flat shallow waters! You might ask, does such a paradise exist?! Why yes it does I say!!! That place my friends exists on South Padre Island Texas! The autumn winds are known to be consistent there but the temps are much warmer than here and in the laguna, we have 7 miles of shallow water that you can stand up in!! This, my beginner buddies, provides the perfect conditions for focusing your time on learning kite control, safety, board starts & riding! Now for the more experienced, SPI provides wave riding areas on the outside, downwinders or you can hang in the flats and hone that next trick or new technique. But there's more!!! ...we all have the opportunity to kick back & fraternize with peeps on the same wave! The greatest thing is, doing this off tourist season, accommodations will be more reasonable, especially if we share.

Check out an aerial of this sweet locale; http://www.southpadreislandkiteboarding.com/kitespots_photos.html

Those that have done any the trips with Amanda and I know these are always a great way to get to know others in the scene, meet up with your buds whom you already know and possibly improve your kiteboarding while experiencing some of the most premier kiting spots in the world! It always seems those interested in kiting are on a similar wave so sharing experiences from kiting, to cooking together, to hanging out is always a blast!

For those learning to kite, most of the more experienced riders are always happy to offer tips and help. The camaraderie on these trips is ubiquitous!

For experienced kiters, as well as beginners who are up & riding... and if you aren't currently, SPI is THEE place to make that right of passage!!...

I will have demo gear available to try. This gives you the chance to try different brands including Ozone, Royal, Spleene & CrazyFly. I will also have a kite buggy that we can have a little fun on! Some of the larger flats in the launch areas of SPI are perfect for this!!

So here's the deal... Marilys, IKO Level 2 instructor, and I are looking to bring a group down in November. Marilys will be offering some lesson packages at a great rate to further enhance this opportunity for those looking to learn or advance more quickly from the level you are now! All kiters are welcome to join whether you are coming down to learn or just coming down to enjoy a place with a reputation for reliable winds and warmer temperatures. We will be securing accommodations for those interested in sharing, otherwise you are certainly welcome to secure your own but still hang with the Chi group. Some are flying and some are driving so there may also be opportunities to ride share. If you plan to fly, this might be a good time to use some of those miles!

Right now we are planning to be in SPI from Saturday 11/10 through Sunday 11/18. If the interest is great, we may add the week before to the agenda, from 11/3. I will provide more info as people lock in.

Please post here or contact me direct for if you would like to join. If you are interested in lessons, please contact me direct via one of the ways below.

Lookin' forward to having you join us!!

Mike
eus@3mekite.com
Shop: 708.333.0003
cell/text: 708.341.0003

[grigorib]

I'm considering driving and would share my ride or would join someone to share a ride.
PM me if you're thinkig about it too.

[xwindsurf]

I will be joining you guys. My dates for now are 11/11 - 11/18 but I have a flexible plane ticket, and can change it a bit if necessary.
I got a $220 rental deal for a full-size car, and would be very happy to share it with 1 or 2 more people for hauling gear to the beach, downwinders, etc. Even if you drive from Chicago with a bunch of people, you might prefer more flexibility while there. PM or respond.

[nicothoum]

Mary,

What would be the price for the accommodation for the week / what's included-what's not?

Please let me know.

Thank you,

Nico

[xwindsurf]

I cannot give you any specifics (and I'm not running the show anyway) but on our previous trips to SPI, the accommodation was rather cheap if the group was big enough - $250 or so per person, per week, in a huge house with a pool and a hot tub, and sometimes it was less than $200.

[Marilys_kite]

Hey Nico!

Thanks for your interest into our trip.

We are figuring out about the accomodation right now and will be able to let you know more precisely sometime this week.

All lessons packages will be sold separately. I can e-mail you our special price list for this trip if you like.

Cheers!

Mary

[Jimbo]

You may have three more coming with one kite noob in need of lessons. Would like to share huge house as Tom mentioned if possible.

[nicothoum]

Yeah, I'd love to know the lessons price.
I might join you guys there, along with a friend of mine who has never kited before (but who - I bet - will get it pretty fast).
Will he be able to rent some equipment once there?

You can email me directly if you want: nicothoum@hotmail.com

Thanks!

Nico

[grigorib]

Yet another call for sharing a ride from IL to SPI. PM please

[mrgrey]

Looks like the wife is gonna green light us for this trip! Prob gonna give u a ring Mike and ask a few ?'s...

[xwindsurf]

Mike, Marylis,
Could you, guys, give some update on the house search? A few people spend a lot of money on the plane tickets, and they get a bit anxious, ready to start searching on their own, getting an impression, most likely incorrect, that things do not move forward... I know it is not easy to communicate with all these rental owners, and work with a lot of loose ends in terms how many people go - but on the other hand, choices might be narrowing down, with not even 4 weeks left... So I think it would really, really clean the air if you could tell us where we are.
Thanks for all your work on this, and I hope I'm not being too obnoxious about it
Peace

[WaWaZat]

Mike, Marylis,
Could you, guys, give some update on the house search? A few people spend a lot of money on the plane tickets, and they get a bit anxious, ready to start searching on their own, getting an impression, most likely incorrect, that things do not move forward... I know it is not easy to communicate with all these rental owners, and work with a lot of loose ends in terms how many people go - but on the other hand, choices might be narrowing down, with not even 4 weeks left... So I think it would really, really clean the air if you could tell us where we are.
Thanks for all your work on this, and I hope I'm not being too obnoxious about it
Peace

Hang in there Tom... all those involved, including you, have been updated via email. We are still waiting for a few others to respond. Another email update soon. A lot to coordinate with such a big group!

[kitekid21]

Interested... how about some deets?

[skysurfr]

The Island and the surrounding "valley" are absolutely DEAED this time of year. You can get a hotel for next to nothing. There's a place at the end nearest the convention center and the flats.... Casa? Hotel. It's on the laguna side and has rooms around a courtyard pool and hot tub. I've stayed there for as little as $25-35 night. carrentals.com has killer deals on cars.... $7/day!

SPI is a great place to learn to kite or improve your skills.

Note...it does get cold in November. Your Chicago outerwear should be fine....just don't leave your jacket in the car at the airport....bring it.

Mike

[skysurfr]

http://www.casabellaspi.com/

I've also found that the hotels will post VERY low prices on their signs outside, that aren't shown on their websites. The super 8 etc had rooms as low as $18-25 per night.

I wouldn't hesitate to just turn up without a reservation and drive down the strip. The island is literally empty and there's no business going on.


Last time I stayed at Casa Bella, I called and asked what rte was being advertised on their sign. I told them that if I booked a room and the sign price was less, thats all I was going to pay. The owner then lowered my "internet" rate to match the "street price".

You may even want to call the hotels and ask..."What price are you advertising on your sign"?" (they have signs like gas stations showing the price)

Mike

[xwindsurf]

Mike,
Did you check current deals, or rely on your memory, a.k.a. shooting from the hip?
I see no $7 cars, not even $20 cars for BRO (Nov 9-18 were my dates), and the link to the hotel shows an average price close to $50/night before taxes, and you have to rely on restaurants for all food if you stay at a hotel. I don't see how this can be cheaper than a shared house, or condo, depending on the group size.

On previous trips we watched the posted hotel prices while driving to/from the flats. They go really low for week days but crawl up quite a lot for weekends

[WaWaZat]

We still have a couple beds avail in the house for the trip. I have a few asking but nothing is locked in until $ is sent.

[skysurfr]

I just checked casa Bella's website and they were advertising $39/nt right now. This is one of the few places where the internet was higher than the street prices... at this time of year.

The websites tend to offer Higher rates that the street price at this time of year.

Getting a house is fine. Food is so cheap down there... why cook in? On the other hand the quality of the food on the island is pretty poor... so cooking might be fun. If you're are road tripping to BRo to get someone, stop at Rudy's Bbq. It's part gas station, country store, and bbq. It's a chain, and not as good as the original Rudy's, but still dern tasty.


Check alternate airports of.... MFE McAllen and Harlingen... change your dates a bit too... +/- a day and see what rates are offered on cars. If you're totally firm on dates...then bid on priceline... they are non-refundable.

If you know anyone down there, just have them check the sign prices on the hotels. Don't be afraid to make an offer on the phone either.

The travelodge has kitchenettes and a tiled area in their large studio rooms.

Mike

[xwindsurf]

Another flight suggestion: with $500+ tickets (not cheaper for other small airports in the area), it is an excellent use of 25,000 of your FF miles, if you have them. I did it, and so did Ted, with whom I will share the car rental.

As for cooking: on our previous SPI trips, we found cooking together a great fun, and a precious integrating element, plus when you have a grill, and a huge yard with a pool and hot tub, it seems such a waste not to hang there in the evening.
Because on this trip hardly anybody knows anybody else, it might not work - but we'll see. In case you guys want to try it, I've cooked almost everyday for 30 years so I know a thing or two about it, and I did cook for my buddies when we went. But I will need a willing and readily available help with chopping, slicing, peeling, etc.

[Jimbo]

Hey Mike and Tom

It looks like we will have a fairly large group going to SPI I have extra room in my place as well so if your place fills up send them my way, I will be in SPI the 14th to the 19th.
Tom I would like to take you up on the grilling and cooking either at the place you are staying or ours. Between the two houses we may have about 15 to 20 to eat and drink with
so once we are out there we can check out amenities of each house.