VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Everytime theres a wicked forecasted westerly its great to watch the pros at Cook St. but as a begineer there aint many spots to sail. The JDF strait is notoriously vicious as the system funnels down the strait.. fun for those at Cook St. Ross Bay, Gordon's, Jordan's.. etc
It looks like Elk Lake or Pat Bay (maybe the Sooke Basin) are the only places to practice in some lighter less pumpy westerlys! Are there any other hidden gems locally in Victoria for a westerly with safety in mind?
I'd almost consider sailing the T bird out to the Chatham Islands and start off the western island's south beach, but currents would be an issue with Plumper Passage funneling currents.
Maybe some SE's will come up like they did June10th at I.V. ! I wish I went there... 240 mentioned it was great learning grounds that day! Bugger

Esquimalt Lagoon.

Inside the lagoon it doesn't get any safer (or smellier) and works on SE to W. Outside the lagoon on a W it is side off, so even though I was humming on a 5.3 there a month ago, the water was near flat. Very little current and also very safe. On a SE it gets lumpy on the outside.

Pat bay might be good. ive never sailed there.

[trying not to sound like a dick]
The only places I would use the word "safe" and kiteboarding together for a beginner would be while taking lessons at Nitinaht with Strong Kiteboarding or Elevation Kiteboarding. Once they have given you a couple of lessons you can ask them about "downwinders".

Port Renfrew would be a place that I would consider to be beginner friendly once you are kite competent and on your board but working on staying up wind. Teabag’s image of where to kite in a previous thread will guide you where to launch from the South end of Patchedaht.

I have not tried to kite at Esquimalt Lagoon but know of people how have been ask \ told to leave because it is a bird sanctuary.

good call. are we talking Wsing or kiting?

sorry... kite

Cheers

Esquimalt Lagoon would be bad on a westerly, thats where I tried to learn in 2002-2003 with a 2 line Naish kite... It was super gusty...

I tried with the board, get discouraged and went back to just the kite, using it to jump downwind, well teabagging downwind. I was doing that over and over, Jordon (BigFoot on BWD) would tell me: You bodydrag enough, you need to learn to get on the board, but I would say no, I need more practice and go back to teabagging downwind with a huge smile on my face during every "jump" (all that without the board), walk back upwind to do it again... lol...

Anyway, you can learn teabagging there it was quite fun actually...

But gusty... gusty... so it would be difficult learning with the board.

Sunday (June 10th) was great at Island View. Not too much wind, swells were small. I also went out to Elk on the Saturday, it was reading 14knots gusting 21 around 4ish. Lots of good places for beginners. Willows is another place to spend some time.

Elk lake is great for beginnig wsurfing, I spent a bit a time there in the past. I only seen one kiter there so not sure about launching there. It is an onshore wind and a little gusty with lots of trees and people on the shore. I found with a strong westerly, if kelp reef and vicairport are blowing west, Elk lake is good. If kelp reef is blowing SE on a westerly elk lake is gusty and best try Island view.

I haven't paid too much attention to the actual beaches at Elk Lake (though I did spend 6 days a week for 4 years there rowing), but couldnt you do downwinders from Eagle Beach to Hamsterly Beach or vice-versa (if N or S winds?
But really I dont think that would be a good spot in a Westerly, if things go wrong your kite is either up in the trees or the middle of the highway.

I checked Elk Lake off my to do kite list...and I will not go back. Super sketchy launch at Hamsterly with gnarly zero-to-hero rag doll gusts once out. I would think twice about kiting Elk Lake. Island View has always been the best beginner site on the South Island. Occasionally the westerlies wrap around 10 Mile Point and push north (SE wind). Watch for it. Summer days at Island View are some of the very best mellow kiting sessions I have ever had!

ya elk lake looks almost straight onshore in a westerly but it might have a little more southerly bending around Race / Highlands... but probably makes it puffy and inconsistent. still good for a run DW! launch of the rowing dock ya!
IV seems the best choice for sure with the tide out on a SE...

the westerly turns the corner often too... Parker Park seems decent if its got some SSW

thanks everyone... quick to help as always! lessons at Nitinat a few times and I will be happy chasing the winds from all directions

Might be ok for learning windsurfing depending on wind direction, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it for kiting. I dont think anyone would want to learn if it's direct onshore from hamsterly, and if it's blowing offshore, there's a good chance all the rowers will be going back and forth between Eagle and Hamsterly (the protected side of the lake), making really high boat traffic. Lots of fisherman in the summer as well.

I think the fisherman would lose their mind if someone else wanted to share the water with them, they hate the swimmers and rowers enough as is!

I've rowed into a fisherman's boat while practicing a racing start in a double. Put a hole through his little fiberglass boat. He lost his sh*t and called the police--Rowing Canada ended up buying him a new boat. I wonder what would happen if a kiter landed on one...