Kite-surfing the Harbour

The spring storms are starting to arrive from the southwest, sweeping across Dorset and delighting the watersports people.  Poole Harbour is always home to a variety of wind-sailors, board-paddlers, and dinghy-pilots, but the kite surfers are the most exciting to watch

They always look like they are  skimming right to the edge of disaster, but folks who love it say it’s a simple and forgiving skill.  Unlike a sport parachute, there are no vents to open or close.  Instead, surfers spill air right/left to turn, up/down for velocity.  The tug is fairly constant in force and direction, and balance isn’t much harder than waterskiing.

A good blow last weekend was a chance to sit along Sandbanks peninsula and enjoy the show.  You can judge how easy it is:

Kite surfing–Poole Harbour, March 29 2015

Or, for the more idyllically inclined, check out the sport, same location on a sunny day, from the kite’s perspective.