Kelp patch closed up

Countylineye · Joined: 06 Jul 1994 Posts: 25

What is the most effeiecnt way to re-open a path through kelp that is now closed. Just asking-
LEO needs a resurrection...
Is this a midnight kayak underwater navy seals operation?

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

Used to be a sidewalk-wide path through the kelp bed off of Its Beach in Santa Cruz. The story I was told was that one of the frequent windsurfers to that beach would go out at the beginning of the session with a sharpened aluminum fin and cut the path by repeatedly windsurfing it.

Made for a great speed run.

NOVAAN · Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1551

If conditions are right it can grow a foot a day

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Constant maintainance by windsurfer's kept It's Beach open. Lack of windsurfer's within a few months totally closed the channel.
Just sharpen the leading edge of your wave fin, sail through well powered, and within 20 runs, you open a 2' wide path.
Add another 20 windsurfer's and it really starts to get clear.
After sanding the leading edge sharp, always add a gloss coat of resin, then sand it again with up to 400 grit to get the sharp edge.
Don't kick your feet stupidly when you waterstart, and don't lick the sharpened leading edge.

rlemmens · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 206

I heard Chris from Black Project is actually prototyping some weed clearing fins. It's probably best to get ahold of him, maybe he can send you some prototypes and get some outside input.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

And don't forget to search online for the video about clearing a kelp bed channel for your windsurfing pleasure.

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

HI Lee D,

I tried to search for a video of the kelp clearing and ended up empty-handed. Do you have a specific URL?

By the way, I heard the guy's name at Its Beach was "Oster". Did you know him?

Regards.

W1

MalibuGuru · Joined: 11 Nov 1993 Posts: 9300

10,000 lbs of ROUNDUP. Don't worry about the cancer. Sailing will be fun again.

nw30 · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:13 pm Post subject:

I'm going to buy another jug of Roundup concentrate before it's pulled off the market, that's the best way to buy it, it can last years if used properly.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

If you declare the kelp patch as a "National Forest Preserve", the kelp will automatically develop a tendency to break off and slow down it's growth, thus solving the problem.