VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Wanted to pick peoples brain on the sailing along the other coast of the Juan de Fuca... Neah bay and Clallam bay look like they'd get similar winds to Port Renfrew or Gordons.

any info or tips on places to kite and stay are greatly appreciated.

would like to explore more around there in the Olympics and even check out La Push

Cheers

Best option I've seen in many trips down is either hood canal area on the east side or the campground about an hour south of Forks where 101 comes back to the ocean on the west coast. Could be some decent wave riding there. All the town's inside JDF on 112 are similar to Gordon's. Access varies.

Long time ago 12yrs?? in la Push I slept in the truck in the parking lot in 40 knots and horizontal rains, no services I recall and the shoreline was unfriendly but beautiful, worth the trip just for that...but loads of rocks with sand in between.
Crescent? lake toward Forks right on the highway had a decent campground and actually gets caps as wind comes right off the Strait. Flat /Sm chop water. There was a grassy park there to launch from on the west end
In PA on the waterfront hook the launch is sketch for kites esp but done regularly...dumpy waves...fun swell outside...there is a good water source on a building just off the coastguard station on the inside. You can kite in the bay too......if you lose it tho you drift into restricted beach space and winds can shut off so I guess it happens and they are not most friendly...
Going the other Hood Canal way the best launch and windline is always in Lilliwaup at the eagle creek saloon beach! Careful at the saloon as old Betty will just pick up and carry away any young'en before they know what's happening ..and don't eat there!! If you say how bad could it possibly be?? you will set new milestones
Pabst is cold there and sea asparagus is free, good clams, oysters if you have the license or come on Father's Day. Nat-like

I heard Sequim is good but I've never sailed there. You could probably google it. We've got friends that kite all around Hood Canal and love it.

I'm fairly sure that as a general rule the Washington side of that whole coastline gets more wind than the Canadian side. That is certainly the herd mentality for the Swiftsure race. I don't know how that translates once you get very close to the shore. I have a friend who owns the property covering the mouth of the hoko river that I'm pretty sure it would be a good launch for kites, though I haven't tried it yet. There are often surfers at the break there. He's trying to set it up as a campground with a couple of Yurts and cabins for rent as well. I'll ask him about wind. Pretty sure he has a little met station as well as a beach cam there

We kited Hobuck beach 2 years ago. Pretty fun spot to surf too.

No experience at all, but I suspect that on the other side mid JDF might have a thermal (like Gordons and Cook), based on pressure gradient from fog bank outside to the hotter inland. But the beaches at the mouth of JDF may be iffy -- similar to Sombrio, the wind starts further in. I'd bet it's daily afternoon seabreeze, wrecks the surf but not windy enough to kite. ;-) [I think Renfrew is a bit of an anomaly like Nitinat and PA, a localized thermal independent of what's going on outside on the ocean]

I am more interested in the outside waters. I understand Westport and Ocean Shores are both great on their day, for wind and waves, though I've yet to score. Westport downwinder potential! La Push has surf but I've yet to see it windy. A place that I think has potential is Kalaloch ... the one part of Hwy 101 that touches shore mid Washington. I had a semi failed big kite attempt there -- have since confirmed people do kite there. Campsite right above the beach. Often seems foggy, at least in August.

NW forum may be your best bet http://www.nwkite.com/forums/f-1.html

And NW FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/608389315944697/

Ediz Hook in PA has an active airport (CG and emergencies only), so they take a dim view of kites in their airspace, but decent winds for big gear. Windsurfer I met here last year had a breakdown and drifted onto their property, not allowed to walk out on the runway/road, and had to risk walk/swim on the rocks (which can have a brutal shorebreak, way, way worse than IV.) Military is doing a lot more in harbor, so maybe not the best idea right now. It is LESS windy than Gordon's. Much more windy and consistent at Dungeness Spit (launch at Cline Spit County Park.) I use a 4.5 (windsurf sail) there most often, kites likely a 7 or so.

Just outside of PA is Elwha River Mouth. Been there a few times when windy but haven't sailed it yet. Go down Place Road on the west side, tribe has not yet reopened park the East side (rumored soon with much better access and wind direction) so respect the Elwha Klallam please, they're nice folk. Good launch, nice small but formed waves, and a wrap-around new island off the main river channel so you get from onshore at launch down around to sideshore. River water is seriously cold. Great surfing break there late last week for a few hours, so some nice potential.

La Push is an hour 45 to 2 hours now (101 construction all along Lake Crescent, detour via 112) and is really spotty for wind, and great for waves. Only sailed there a couple times. Well worth heading further south to Kalaloch, doesn't have the La Push headlands and islands creating weird winds and more opportunities for sideshore playing.

Have fun - one thing is definite - the wind on this side is NOT stronger than on Island side. I generally don't even bother bringing my smaller boards/sail over. (for reference I live in North Saanich but work M-F in PA.)