Saturday 8/22

[BritishBlokeRyan]

Wind is looking decent again today. Sheboygan would probably be the ideal spot but McKinley looks ok again and is much closer. I think I’m gonna plan to be at Mckinley around 1:30pm

[Steve271]

Looks like Sheboygan is working already- will head up soon.

[Stafford]

I'm staying local. Jet Ski shack just north of McKinely has a small grassy area and pebble stone beach.

[jv.]

Great morning at home, too much boat traffic and too many lulls in the afternoon. Bonnie able pretty much to keep board & wing upwind, time to start working on getting her to try foil... Loving summer!!

Stafford, how the winging going?

[Steve271]

Sheboygan delivered- Kiran and I enjoyed the late afternoon on 11m and 12m. High teens to low twenties.

[OnWisco18]

Maybe this isn't the place to ask (forgive a novice) but I rigged up near Kohler Andrae Park thinking the winds and all the open beach would give me lots of space to work given I am still doing the walk of shame!

I know Sheboygan kite beach looked great, but I struggled to keep power in the kite (14m). I had a few runs downwind, but are the winds that different though the two sites are only a few miles apart? TIA!
Amos

[Steve271]

Great question Amos. I wasn’t aware of the spot you mention. Looks cool on the satellite images.
I think the local experts would be best placed to answer, but what I have recently learned is that Sheboygan seems to benefit from a thermal boost that outperforms most places on a hot day when the winds are from the south, including South West. Don’t know why, but it just seems to work.
Check out iKitesurf for Sheboygan this afternoon- it was solidly in the low twenties and I can’t imagine holding down a 14m. We were ripping upwind on 11 and 12m.
It’s has sketchy wind in the launch area but once you get out a few 100yds its solid and the safety of a bay if you need to drift in.

[jv.]

One thing that works in Sheboygan's favor regarding wind vs many other Lake Michigan venues is low flat it is in the area we kite. No hills or bluffs near shore.

[dmonn]

When I first started kiting I went to Kohler Andrae park thinking it would be about the same as Sheboygan only a bit closer with more beach. Not at all the same wind conditions. The flatter terrain is part of it, but there's something very different at Kite Beach in Sheboygan. The wind direction is typically more onshore and stronger. It's almost always worth the extra few minutes of driving to go to Sheboygan.

[OnWisco18]

Thanks to everyone for their response...it was interesting noting this phenomenon on Sunday / Monday as well. Where I was, there were a few bluffs/hills that seemingly impacted the conditions.

My thoughts were that the extra beach (@ Kohler Andrae) is nice as not to be in anyone's way as I usually get a few tacks in and catch an edge or dump myself. Though I am good at the walk of shame, I would rather spend my time on technique!

Anyway, truly Sheboygan is a gem and its conditions are amazing! Appreciate the response/wisdom of this group, especially for a "wanna-be" as myself! Hoping the conditions are favorable today and that y'all catch some!...