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Kitesurfing & Waverunning
KITE-SURFING The latest water sport craze is kite-surfing. For anyone yet to witness this exciting and colorful sport, it can be best described as a blend of wakeboarding and paragliding. Kiters strap into a short, double-ended board, and clip their oversized kites to a harness. Unlike windsurfing that requires tacking and jibing, kite-boarders can harness the wind’s energy even if they’re racing dead into it. When it’s time to change direction, they simply tune their kite, turn their board, and go where they please. Similar to windsurfing, but with far more dramatic results, kite-surfers can use oncoming waves to catch huge airs and endless hang times, courtesy of the parachute-like kite’s lift power. It’s a lot more complicated than strapping a leash around your ankle and jumping out for a surf, but no more difficult than rigging a windsurfer or hobie cat. Beginners start out at places like Fiesta Island on the protected waters of the Bay, and then take their act into the surf at Coronado Shores and Tourmaline Street in Pacific Beach.
WAVE RUNNERS The motor-minded can launch wave runners and jet skis at boat ramps and beaches throughout the county (check the local regulations), or rent them in places like Mission Bay and Oceanside Harbor. Once in a while you’ll see wave runners out in the open ocean making long distance runs down the coast and lifeguards using them for water patrol along the beaches, but most of the activity takes place within the waters of San Diego’s bays. Wave runners are relatively easy to use and control so it’s hard to resist pinning the throttle wide open on a flat stretch of open water, but a lot of beginners underestimate the power between their legs and the potential for accidents. Take it easy, respect the same Rules of the Road that all boaters are subject to, and have a blast.
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Water Sports
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