What's Bristol like for kiting? Anyone got some knowledge of the area? What's the scene like, crowds?
Any info would be appreciated. I'm thinking of moving there for work.
Cheers.
Hey Cooky,
I lived in Bristol 20 years ago. Great City to live in but I don't think its kiting will be its strong point. The nearest sea, around Avonmouth in the Bristol Channel, has a huge tidal RANGE (15m between high & low water) so the tidal currents are massive. I remember there was a small dinghy sailing scene there but the guys really had to time their sessions to avoid the tidal flow. There is no way you would want to be out there with a kite in the water & trying to swim back in. That said an hour or two down the cost towards Devon would be better though. In fact there are some good spots further down.
Cheers, Richard
Yeah, the tides are massive around there! - Saunton Sands is not too far away and is pretty good - I would invest in a campervan so you can do weekend jaunts.
I know that Weston-Super-Mare is a kiting spot and Severn Beach a would be alright.
Planning for tides is a part of the UK kiting scene - low tide is no good in some spots (Especially around Bristol where it gets very mud flat) and 2 hours either side of high tide is banned in others (Hayling Island for example). Most kite beaches get pretty busy in the UK but no worse than city beaches in Perth.
However, Bristol has an international airport with plenty of cheap flights that will take you down to the Costa del Sol in Spain in less than an hour - so there is an option for you as well!
A mate of mine lived in Bristol for a few years and loved it - Banging music scene, great night life, interesting city with a good edge to it. That part of the UK is really nice - close to amazing places like Bath, Glastonbury, Devon and Cornwall and you cross the Severn Bridge to Wales. Lots of good kiting potential in SW Wales.
I like the UK kite scene, people are friendly and just love sharing the stoke. Also being British they have really good kite etiquette and most beaches have a good system in place so they can handle busy times. Also, during the summer you can still be riding in daylight at 930pm! Awesome!
I Lived in Bristol till I was 27 and 15 years in wa. Wa wins haha
Western s mare is good when the tide is right very onshore though so be careful as other had said it can get pretty windy
Bournemouth and Weymouth used to be an 1 1/2 drive ( todays traffic could take 3hrs) and is great for windsurfing so I imagine would be good for kiting
Buy a mountain bike they have some awesome trails in South Wales only 1hrs drive and some great ones around around Bristol as you may find its can be quite a wait between kites.
Great city
Hi, we are based in S.Wales
Give us a shout when your over if you want to meet for a session.
Check out our forum for who/where/when etc
Link top left of home page
www.blastkiteboarding.co.uk