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High Wind Sailing in Florida?

 
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izitwindy?



Joined: 10 Jun 1998
Posts: 61

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:19 pm    Post subject: High Wind Sailing in Florida? Reply with quote

I've been sailing 20+ yrs in the Bay and Sherman island, Maui, Hood River....Interested in finding out if there are any good high wind spots in Florida that have similar conditions....May be traveling to the Keys in May....Recently went to the Kennedy space Center and surrounding area and it appears there is not much sailing going on in Central Florida....

Also, can anyone tell me how I get a pic added to my messages under my username?
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sailing in Central Florida is tough in comparison to those spots you've become accustomed to. Wind is frontal for a large portion of the year, then thermal in Spring into Summer. Keys may get the dry season type of trades that are fairly common in Puerto Rico and Cuba. Look for the best winds in winter months late Nov to about March down there. Get aquainted with weed fins down there. Virginia Key can be good, and a lucky few times they even get some surfs.

Last Sat. we had frontal westerlies doing up to 45-50 in gusts. Prefrontal stuff was pretty nice for those tuned into how to get the best launch S to SE breaks. "Not much sailing" depends on you, you gear, and where you want to sail. I have become quite addicted to sailing Kona-Balona in waves when most short boarders go do something else. Gotta get the mind wrapped around the reality of the climate, or sit and wait for the right 4-5 short boarding dayz (Sherman Island Style) a month... I tend to sail about 14 to 20 days with my Kona or other large equipment. Sometimes in waves well overhead or bigger. :~)

Quite often, when Calema is enjoying flat water thermals, I'll be on the N side of the Cape getting the same SE wind, side shore wavesailing. :~)
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izitwindy?



Joined: 10 Jun 1998
Posts: 61

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Appreciate the input! Sooooo If there are winds in south Florida/Florida keys area in late May, where are the popular spots with good conditions, launch, NO alligators...? Are there local shops that have gear?
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Late May is just about when the rainy season starts up here in Central FL. In other words, expect stifling heat with thick humidity until the rains hit. Then the heat builds back stronger with even worse stickiness when the rain clears. I've come back from the gorge before, stepped out of the airport and felt like a wall of humidity had been lurking. SFL's rainy season starts a couple of weeks early.

Liquid Surf and Sail has a shop in Coconut Grove, adjacent to Miami, 305-860-0888. My favorite spots to launch in SFL starting from N to S Boynton Inlet (just S of Palm Beach), Spanish River Causeway (Boca Raton), and Virginia Key. All have waves to some degree the Northern places offer way more opp's to sail larger stuff. Pompano Beach has 13th ST. I've never seen appreciable swells there, but the locals rave about it. From 13th to the FT Laud airport there is an old reef that must be a great break 4 to 10 times a year whenever big swells are scaring the shiites outta us up here...

Shoot, the swell shadow of Cape Canaveral will sometimes negate stuff up to 6 or 8 foot that's cracking N of it down as far as Melbourne, so getting the right wind and wave action can be tricky if you want the best conditions you gotta keep the eyes and ears alive and be willing to drive...

In the Keys Bahia Honda maybe the best bet for a good time. Good luck finding waves down there...
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speedysailor



Joined: 11 Sep 2007
Posts: 841

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Going to Florida and expecting high wind sailing would be like going to New England for powder skiing.
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pueno



Joined: 03 Mar 2007
Posts: 2807

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

seedysailor wrote:
Going to Florida and expecting high wind sailing would be like going to New England for powder skiing.

Or asking you for automotive repair advice.

Brucie, did you see my comment about Chilton's service manuals? Toilet paper, at best.

Try Bentley Publishing in Cambridge.
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