Flying on Block Island

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[DavidS]

Last week I was on Block Island (off Rhode Island) for the week, and was hoping to get lots of quality fly time.

The good news - my family accidently rented the apartment above the kite store, and while it was closed, the owner was happy to open for me and talked lots about the history of kiting (the store had been there 20+ years), gave me some great deals on beginner dual liners for the kids in our group, and I acquired some great "antique" sport kites (dual line deltas without standoffs -can't imagine these work good...)

The bad news - wind sucked.  Beach was narrow, and had a 20 foot bluff on the backside - wind was dead under 10 feet and gusted to 15+ from 10-80ft.  Ambient winds elsewhere ranged from 1 (really!, had to use cigarette smoke to determine direction) to 22mph.  And everywhere inbetween.  At random.   If these were conditions on home turf (Madeira Beach, FL), I long ago would have broken my kites in frustration.

-DavidS

[DWayne]

You definitely don't want to come fly in the Sacramento valley then.   


Denny

[RobB]

I always think of Block Island as being off of Long Island, but that's just based on perspective...

There are some really great places to fly on Long Island with nice wind if you're ever over here. Too bad about the crummy conditions for your vacation.
~Rob.

[Jared]

I always think of Block Island as being off of Long Island, but that's just based on perspective...

There are some really great places to fly on Long Island with nice wind if you're ever over here. Too bad about the crummy conditions for your vacation.
~Rob.

Growing up on the other side of Long Island Sound in CT, I have the same perception of Block Island

Those are some crazy conditions, though.  That's the sort of stuff I have to contend with, but I'm 120 miles inland.

[Zeke]

Watch Hill is just off Montauk Point; better perspective buy probably take 5 hours to drive it though

[RobB]

I thought Watch Hill was on Fire Island... must be a different Watch Hill. Directly south of Bellport ?

[Zeke]

Watch Hill, Westerly, RI

[JimB]

There is a Watch Hill on Fire Island however..

http://www.watchhillfi.com/

[RobB]

Watch Hill overlooks the nude beach... 

Yup, that's the one I was thinking about, Jim. I think you can only get there by boat or ferry. Nice place to spend the day, though.

[JimB]

It is a very popular camping and overnight boating area, very hard to get a camping spot at.

I used to go out there back in the 70's and 80's.

Camping permits are by mail only and the season fills up way in advance.

You can take a chance that someone doesn't show up on the day you are visiting.

Sometimes that works for camping.

Very much a regulated area.

I have to wonder if you would even be allowed to fly a kite there.

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