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Michelle Christenson/Caller-Times file |
| CATCHING AIR: Dimitri Maramenides pulls off a big air maneuver during the kiteboarding competition at the 2003 Velocity Games. |
Catch the water sports wave
Kayaking
Whether they go for the shallow flats of the Laguna Madre, the choppy surf at Padre Island or the calm, freshwater banks of the Nueces River, kayakers in the Coastal Bend have no shortage of places to enjoy their sport.
With lots of water and good weather, kayakers here generally log more paddling time, compared with kayakers in many other areas of the country. And more Coastal Bend retailers are carrying kayaks to meet a growing demand.
Anglers have gotten in on the act; many enjoy casting and fly-fishing from their kayaks. It’s a good sport for the health-conscious, too. If you head into the surf, it’s a rigorous upper-body workout. If you river kayak, you can paddle for hours and build up some lean abdominal muscles twisting and turning.
Wakeboarding
With hundreds of miles of shoreline and throngs of water sports lovers, it was just a matter of time before wakeboarding became popular in the Coastal Bend. Check out Lake Corpus Christi, the bayfront or Packery Channel and you’ll get the idea.
Wakeboarding is essentially water skiing on a fiberglass and foam board. You stand up, strap your feet into rubber boots on the board, and you’re pulled behind a boat or jet ski. It’s easier and requires less speed than water skiing.
Wakeboarders prefer flat, smooth water over choppy water so they can more easily cut and carve across the boat’s wake. The bravest ride close to the boat where the wake is largest.
Some wakeboarders have kicked the sport up a notch, grinding across rails in the water and jumping kickers, or ramps. But even the experts will tell you: Wear a helmet and impact vest when trying these extreme stunts.
Windsurfing
Some of the world’s top windsurfers have come here for more than 15 years because the Coastal Bend’s ever-present winds make for good racing. The area is ideal for audiences too — at Oleander Point, the Ocean Drive location where annual windsurfing championships are held. Other hot spots are Packery Channel, J.P. Luby Surf Park, North Beach and Oso Bay.
Windsurfing is done by standing on a surfboard and gliding through the water by power of an attached sail. It requires balance and agility, especially when the windsurfer jumps a wave and grabs air.
Those who have never windsurfed need to take lessons before giving it a try. Several water sports stores in Corpus Christi give lessons, and rent and sell sailboards.
While strong winds can sometimes cause problems with equipment, light winds can make windsurfing difficult.
Corpus Christi’s normally reliable winds have made the city a destination each May for various incarnations of national windsurfing championships.
Surfing
The Coastal Bend is a surfing safari for beginners and pros alike. All one needs is a bathing suit, a board and a sense of adventure.
Padre and Mustang islands draw many surfers during spring break, but beginners can become discouraged if they don’t know what to expect, or if they’re too concerned about how they look in the water.
Waves on Padre and Mustang islands average two to three feet high. Waves of significant size are generated by offshore storms and hurricanes.
The majority of experienced surfers head to Bob Hall Pier at Padre Balli Park. Waves there generally break harder and faster than on the rest of the coast. If you don’t mind cars and crowds, the piers at J.P. Luby Surf Park also make for nice waves.
Beginners will fare better at Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas, where waves are mellower and there is more area to spread out.
Another popular surfing spot is the rock jetties at Fish Pass, but visitors must pay a fee to get into Mustang Island State Park to reach the jetties. Beginners should stay away from the jetties, which can cause dangerous currents.
Used surfboards are for sale and rent at many area surf shops.
— Mike BrattenThis article is originally from the Caller-Times publication South Texas Life.
View the original publication.
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