So the extended family is planning a family xmas trip & they know they'll only get me if its near some decent kiting. Sounds silly but their only requirement is a all inclusive with daycare, it could be anywhere as they'll probably never leave the grounds. Personally i'd rather not be anywhere near a all inclusive but if it was near some kiting all i can eat & drink doesn't sound too bad after a long day on the water.

So any recomendations for kiting close to a nearlydead/overfed/newlywed resorts? Playa Del Carmen came up as an option, is it true the winds around there are typically lighter?

Maybe Cabo for them & LaVentana for me! I'll come visit you guys... I promise!

I once spent 4 weeks in Aruba. It was warm and windy, mostly flat water. And there are all inclusives there. More upscale would be Atlantis in Nassau. It is quite windy on the water and amazing for the family. I went to Bonaire 2 years ago but no inclusives there, barren and windy. The family went to Tunisia some great all inclusives that have kiting centres (bring your own in a golf bag, way cheaper). Hmmm looking at what I just wrote, no wonder I'm broke.

Cuba is perfect kiting(12m) and all inclusive eating. Veradera.

We did Playa in January.
There was good winds for the days we were there.

I did 1 lesson in Playa hotel row area just south of town, was tough for a new kiter,big surf would be great for experienced rider.

The other place in the area i booked was Isla Blanca, big lagoon north of Cancun. there is a kite camp there http://www.kiteboardmexico.com/english/ ... prices.htm school link but you can have a look.

The guys there are great they come into Cancun daily and pick up people going out for the day or you can cab it.

not so bad getting there from Playa about an hour trip by bus cost about 4 bucks each way.

I rode Isla blanca in march last year and I loved it!
Really shallow huge area that would be great for learning.
A BC boy named Jacob teaches for
http://www.morphkiteboarding.com/archive/index.html
They do lessons up there and Xpu-Ha which isnt far from Playe del Carmen.
Windy every day when I was there.

Been going to the Caribbean for many years every Jan/Feb. Aruba is probably the best I have found for good stead winds, warm relatively flat water, and an all round good experience. Playa/Cancun and area is also good because there are so many options, north, and south there are some flat water bays and inlets that are incredible but you have to pick your days (boarding beside dolphins is always fun).

I have always found the trade winds reasonably reliable and stead in the Playa/Cancun, maybe 3 or 4 (max) days out of 14 where they died off but the surf can get up in most locations. Aruba and the outside Island chain are my first choice but it is such a pain to get there from western Canada so I usually end up in Playa, Cabo, Panama area, or South America. Cabo is probably a little better winds than Cancun area but honestly not that great for the family and I think not as good a deal in terms of price.

I would check out the online sites and join those forums.

I’m a new arrival to Vic…anyone in this group a pilot. There are some good areas in BC I would like to try, but they are pretty isolated. Chilcotin Plateau, Nicola Lake plateau area, Bella Coola area, Queen Charlottes.

Tragically flip, if you use the search button you will find quite a few discussions of Nicola Lk, Chilco, Chilquoit, and Taseko lakes in the Chilcotin, and Haida Gwaii. I recall some pics of a windsurfing honeymoon on one of them.

Of all the areas, Haida Gwaii has the most untapped potential and almost certainly the most reliable wind almost all year long, plus usually great surf. SE strong to gale force alternate with strong to gale force SW or NW much of the year, including summer on the Hecate Strait side (the AVERAGE 24/7/365 wind is nearly 20 knots in northern Hecate Strait, meaning there is precious little time when its below 10 knots). Your search will find a link to the Calgary kiters magazine that did some epic downwinders along East Beach/Rose Spit to Tlell last year or the year before. Hot dry calm weather will bring thermals a la Nitinat to the west coast embayments like Tasu Sound. Only trouble is transportation, the local car rentals prohibit driving on the beach (legal in the parks here) or even driving on gravel logging roads, which limits getting to the west or south by road. It would be actually affordable to buy a beater pickup, use it for two weeks, and sell it for what you bought it for if you didn't leave it on the beach somewhere (learn the tricks for getting unstuck in a big hurry). Mind you, you could sit at Sandspit and kite almost every wind direction right from there without needing more than a bike (most B&Bs have complimentary ones) and a car opens up the east coast of Graham Island and North Beach (great surf and wind) between Massett and Rose Spit. And if you feel like flat water, Masset Sound and Narrows is huge, car-accessible and often kitable, obviously the wind will be a bit gusty here though.

Trouble with a plane is landing it where the kiting is good (I remember a sketchy landing and sketchy takeoff by the amphibious Maule from Washington at Nitinat a few summers ago).

These options (with the exception of Chilco Lake, which has a luxery resort) are all the complete opposite of the all-inclusive holiday though, sorry for the hijack

Sparkly ("Geoffy") is a pilot but he's too busy going to Maui or Oregon Yep, Nicola has the flying club and webcam too but it's a ways (~10k?) from the water. Flying into Tatlayoko in late July/August would be worthwhile, turquoise water, airstrip at Tatla (& beerstore, also probably over 10k) and also at the Bracewell ? Logcabin lodge/ranch (all inclusive, there, the link!!) just up the hill from the community waterfront.

Take the mtn bikes and yer drysuit, the water's nippy at 3000 ft (u think Lake N is cold ). Free beachfront camping and an honour's veggie sales next to the post office if you are slumming it......but hey, it's been a long while, for all I know there's condos there now and a tourist charge to look at the amazing scenery then u can always take a day trip down Heckman pass (from hell) into Bella Coola and sail the thermal in the inlet in the white (with ice) water there. BRRR

I went to a all inclusive in the Caribbean this Winter. It has everything for kids and familys water slides all that stuff plus 9 or 10 bars, but this one has a kite school on the hotel beach. Fantastic kiting and the faimly is completly looked after. . Coconut bay in St Lucia punch it in. I got local rates because they where off seson 60$ per room we had 4 people in one room. Have fun Geoff

Flip...send me a message and lets see if we can figure out some flights over the summer/fall.

Hey Tragicallyflip, you should msg Bigfoot on BWD, he works for the coast guard and goes/will go quite often to Masset for work, bringing his kite gear with him. If ever you go you should msg him so you can hook up for a chat about the local beaches and conditions. Im thinking of going but it is almost $1000 just for plane tickets:(

Hey Teabag, thanks dude.

I hooked up with Gord (GP), he’s a float plane pilot. We went up and I got a tour of the Island. Saw some spots that would be incredible, but we figured would need to be well planned out. There are some amazing bays and inlets with perfect beaches out there I have to try.

Sounds like some Chilcotin plateau and interior lakes are completely doable. I just needed to give Gord some factors that make for a good location. We’re figuring out locations for a trip now.

Keep it real dudes, The Flipster.