ULLB on a south wind

[BradHuber]

I've never ridden (kite) ULLB on a south wind. I heard people say it's pretty bad.

Given Craig's recent forecast I'm just wondering if it is relatively safe compared to other places on a south wind. Is ULLB on a south a lot worse than DCBB on a south?

How about other UL launches on a south? I haven't tried Lindon yet...

Thanks- just trying to stay safe and get some rides! I'm strictly an after work kind of guy on weekdays.

[jason morton]

I don't know of anyone riding Lincoln on a south wind. It's probably been done, but I doubt it was a real crowd pleaser. In general, Utah Lake is not the best south wind spot. Lindon and MM19 have their moments, but they are rare. Lindon would be better than Lincoln. I would rather ride DC or Willard or even what's left of Rush. If you live there, that's another story. Several local kiters routinely hit Lindon on south days but it has to be a strong south wind. Good luck!!!

[BradHuber]

Cool, maybe I'll check out lindon this week then. I live like 10 mins away.

So where do you launch? Right in the boat harbor?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.326872,-111.76481&z=15&t=h&hl=en

[Jason Klein]

I think the biggest issue with kiting Lincoln on a south is if you're outside the jetty and your gear gets fouled, it'll be a long time til you hit land. If the wind is due south, wind quality should be ok, but since "south" wind around here tends to be more SW, the wind will be coming over west mountain, which makes it gusty/swirly. I've kited a few times at what i call lincoln's backside on a S-SW. Just keep driving past the entrance to lincoln and follow the road around the point. then head south a few miles to any open field you can set up in. there's a good one about 5 miles from LB, but definitely go at least a few miles so you've got time to get yourself to shore if something goes wrong.

[Shawn Henderson]

If you decide to try Lindon "Beach" its just south of the black looking ponds at the bottom of your map. Look for a dirt parking area just east of the road. The Launch is just across the road. I don’t kite, but like Jason said unless its nuking its not great (DCBB would be the better call), yet when it is nuking the swell is enormous. Might be epic for some riders, but not interest others. Again I am a Poleboard devotee, but North Mona (down the dirt road off Mona road) seems like it might have south wind kite potential. I sailed there last time the south was too strong for me at Lindon. The water was comparably calm and shallower toward the north.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Exit+242&daddr=Unknown+road+to:39.884253,-111.862707&geocode=FcqaYQIdsgNW-Q%3BFXeeYAIdGB1V-Q%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=14&via=1&sll=39.884187,-111.861935&sspn=0.054467,0.13175&ie=UTF8&ll=39.905983,-111.833439&spn=0.05445,0.13175&t=h&z=14

[Kenny]

I have had some good south wind sessions at Lindon, but it can be hit and miss. I have seen the wind go from 10 mph to 30 mph in a matter of minutes. I have seen it come up for 30 minutes and then die or good, strong wind for hours on end, it just depends on the day. If I only lived 10 minutes away, I would probably check it out everytime. For most of us it takes 45 minutes or more to drive there. South sandy beach used to be a popular place to ride on a south day, but with the water at it's current high level, it doesn't offer a good, open launch.

If you are new to the sport, riding on a south day can be really frustrating as the wind is usually very strong and gusty. Best days for improving your game are steady north days and there are a lot more of those at Lindon. The reason more riders go to Lincoln on a north is the wind smooths out as it goes across the lake and there is a nice flat water section. However, I have had plenty of good sessions at Lindon.

[KyrkWright]

I am still a beginner and also live close to Lindon. I have stayed away from Lindon on the South days because of the things Kenny said. the inconsistency is hard for a beginner. I have been there a couple of times on a North and left frustrated both times. The biggest reason being that if you mess up, there really isn't room to recover before you drift into the reeds. I have watched a lot of guys that are not beginners have a blast there, but for me I will keep going to Lincoln until my skills are better. There's just more room to recover if you crash at Lincoln (on the north wind days that is).