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December 19 Baja Report
Archive: Current Baja Report,
2/4/05,1/21/05,
1/6/05,
12/19/04,
12/1/04,
11/18/04,
10/11/04,
3/10/04,
2/16/04,
2/2/04,
1/20/04,
1/07/04,
12/17/03,
12/1/03,
11/14/03,
11/2/03,
10/16/03,
10/02/03,
3/4/03,
2/25/03,
2/11/03,
2/4/03,
1/28/03,
1/21/03,
1/14/03, 1/6/03,
12/30/02, 12/22/02,
12/10/02
This winter our man Gary Morris will be keep you
informed of the sailing conditions in La Ventana Baja.
| Baja Update -
December 19, 2004 |
Season
is on! 90% sailable so far in December
Here is the latest and greatest from the shores of the sunny
and warm Baja, sorry don't mean to rub it in. We're
looking forward to some Windance visitors soon.
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 There
is good and bad news from the shores of La Ventana this sunny
afternoon. The bad news is that I haven't been able to
get out to my Wahoo fishing spot off the south end of Cerralvo
Island for nearly three weeks. The first two weeks
of December are usually the hot time for the migrating Wahoo
as they head for the warmer waters of southern Mexico and Central
America. The reason for my fishing doldrums is the same
reason the campground is filling up...the wind has been
blowing, blowing, and blowing! The December tally of
windy days for all wind enthusiasts is 17 for 19, with today
marking the 15th straight...it has been epic. The past
week we have seen the best and most consistent winds of the
season. I've been on a 4.7 and the Angulo Chango 75
everyday for the past week as the classic La Ventana pattern
has set up.
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 After
a week of sailing on the Chango 75, I can safely say that it's
an outstanding board. It's a fun and lively board
that still has a smooth and controlled ride through the Baja
chop and waves. But turning is where this board really
shines...from jibes to turning on the faces of wave it turns
with ease. For me it has to be the best turning board I
have ridden; it turns with ease using foot pressure or
just step on the rail, it follows every command. It is
definitely a confidence building ride! If you are coming
to La Ventana this winter, stop by and take one out for a demo
ride and see for yourself.
The campground is getting cozy as the holiday sailors are
arriving from southern California. It's a 2 day drive
for many sailors and kiters so if they can squeeze two weeks
off from work, it's worth the drive. There are a few
spots open along the back fence, but camping spots closer to
the water are long gone. Last Saturday was the first
swap meet of the season, with many treasures to be found.
The new campground just north of the park still isn't open,
even though they keep saying, "just two more
weeks"..that's two more weeks Mexican time. With
full hook ups, restaurant, swimming pool and only $2/day more
than the campground, its sounds attractive to some folks here.
Construction is in full swing at the south end of the park at
the new shrimp factory. Crews have been building huge
outdoor ponds and installing numerous 500 gallon tanks for the
shrimp nursery. The noise from the construction and 24
hours per day sea water pumps, has changed the normally
tranquil environment.
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 Another
noticeable change that has slowly occurred the past few years
are the number of kiters enjoying the winds and waters of
La Ventana. Just a few years ago you could count the
number of kiters in the camp on one hand, but now my guess is
that half the wind enthusiast here are kiters. Times are
changing...and the kiters aren't just the younger set,
yesterday I counted nearly 20 kiters on the beach that
were over 50 and four over 60. On a recent lighter
wind day I counted 7 windsurfers on the water along with 45
kiters from Baja Joe's (south of the park) to Captain Kirks
(north of the park). Unlike other locations
that have separate areas for windsurfing and kiting,
here, it's an integrated mix of all enthusiasts. Besides
the occasional attention starved dangerous rider who insists
on performing 10 feet from shore, at this point both groups
seem to be sharing the water and wind quite well. I
think there's enough wind and water in Baja for everyone, and
if everyone leaves their "attitude" at the border
this may just work.
Good sailing, Gary
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Gary and
Nancy run the Windance Rental & Demo Center in the summer,
spending winters on the beach in La Ventana, BCS
Mexico. |
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