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Arizona Lou kiteboarding in San Carlos, Mexico; 1.6 minute video with Christian Canese on the camera

Arizona Lou Kiteboarder

Locations


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Over 200 of Arizona Lou's GPS Waypoints & Coordinates for kiteboarding shops & locations in four file formats:
.txt file (text) - Read/Search/Copy/Paste
.gdb file (Garmin specific) - Open with your software or load into your GPS receiver
.xls file (Excel spreadsheet) - Open to search, sort etc.
.gpx file (GPS Exchange Format) - Copy & paste into a file that is compatable with Google Earth & most brands of GPS receivers & software.

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What to look for: For enjoyable and safe riding you want steady, side-on-shore winds. Although some large inland lakes see these conditions, the best and most consistent (direction and speed) winds occur at the coasts.

As someone who has kited every coast in the US, in Mexico and Brazil, my favorite place is the Outer Banks, off the coast of North Carolina. This includes the famous Hatters Island, just south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where the Wright Brothers conducted their first flight in 1903. In fact their memorial is a good place to spend the day if the wind is not blowing or is blowing too much for your kite size and skill level.

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Find the Best Conditions Our Shops - WX - Links page contains a lot of links. Where's the wind? Here in the US check out the average winds and average temperatures (to find out if you will need a wet suit).

Worldwide
Wind maps from OSU give you a good idea of when and where the wind blows.OSU maps

Get averages by month for: winds, probabilities, directions, temperatures and lots more at WindFinder.com
Windfinder.

Some of my favorite kiteboarding locations are (best at the top of the list):

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OBX (Outer Banks, off the coast of north Carolina) otherwise known as Cape Hatteras (Look for our GPS waypoints beginning with ha...). Yes, we know many of the people in this video and have ridden all the places you'll see.

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Finding things on the Outer Banks can be a challenge. It's like taking your typical town and stretching it out in one long street. Everything is along there somewhere, but where? In the northern area (Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head) they reference mile posts. Here is our own Mile Post Index of the good stuff.
Two ways to create your automatic GPS mile post indicator are: 1) Download my GPS waypoints and look for HAMILE. 2) If you have a GPS receiver create your own HAMILE waypoint with N36.12266 W75.72458 and your GPS receiver can tell you your exact mile post at any time.

Most awesome flat-water downwinder, anywhere. 6.5 miles of pure fun on an OBX southwest wind from Planet of the Apes to Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves (my waypoints haPlan to haKHK) Most places you can stand up in the water!

  1. The whole distance there are many inlets which you can go into as far as you dare. If you misjudge and go in too far, just tack your way back out.
  2. No Ache Island Slick where you can spend hours working on your glassy-smooth water skills with full wind
  3. Dead-End Canal - how far in can you go toward Highway 12?
  4. Dogleg Canal - enter straight downwind and come out on a screaming broad reach
  5. Cross Canal - follow this third-mile canal almost directly cross-wind and you will come out at the eastern end of the:
  6. Salvo Slick
  7. Salvo, is about 3..5 miles from Planet of the Apes and a good take-out place if you have problems
  8. T-Dock - Ride in and carve in the T and ride back out toeside or jump to healside. Do it again!
  9. Skinny grass islands for jumping, if you're up to it
  10. Real Slick - another good one
  11. Real Kiteboarding - land here only in case of an emergency
  12. Hatteras Island Sail Shop - Usuallly some one is there to land your kite for you, although there is limited space
  13. Kitty Hawk Kites where someone will catch your kit for you. You can roll it up on the grass

OBX Riding Locations and Downwinder Maps by Arizona Lou

Pamlico Sound Atlantic Ocean
(Broadband Version) (Broadband Version)
map of Pamlico Sound map of Pamlico Sound Right click a map and Save Image As... to download it to your computer.

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South Padre Island, Texas (Look for our GPS waypoints beginning with Sp...)

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Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Mexico (Look for our GPS waypoints beginning with Mxr...)

Here is an EXCELLENT map that Tommy "Thomas" put together with about 50 locations for kiting, places to stay, eat and drink. He and Rita are good people to know down there. go 2 Rocky Point.com is Tommy & Rita's website

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San Carlos, Mexico (on the mainland). (Look for our GPS waypoints beginning with Mxs...)

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