Kalmus last weekend

jpeter · Joined: 18 Oct 2009 Posts: 353

Went to Kalmus late Sat afternoon, was going to let my son paddle the Sealion around. We had an hour to kill so not time to rig up the kids rig. We we down in the windsurf area, 4PM. Well guess what ... NO Paddleboarding allowed. Lifeguard came sprinting down the beach to stop us.

We did get to watch a couple doing light wind freestyle for an hour. They were really good. Inspiration to what can be done when it's blowing 8mph.

Jay

jkrug · Joined: 30 Apr 2000 Posts: 50

you mean paddleboarding is not allowed but windsurfing is? is the paddle now somehow detrimental to the environment? because the paddle is the only difference between someone windsurfing on a SUP or on a regular windsurf board. so what sense does it all make? (i suppose that's more a rhetorical question...those making the decisions in Mass these days are typically void of any 'sense').

jaybaldwin · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 9

Kayaks are also not allowed to be launched from Kalmus, Veterans or Craigville Beach as well. I am not sure why but the lifeguards have chased us away as well.

whitevan01 · Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 607

paddles can give fish concussions

jpeter · Joined: 18 Oct 2009 Posts: 353

I might mount my ezzy sail keychain on my sup to make it legal.

I can't fault the guard for enforcing the rules .... but he did choose to ignore: 1 dog, people smoking, people swimming outside the swim area while folks were windsurfing.

too many rules

WaterKook · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:04 pm Post subject:

ahhh I love Mexico!!! Wink

mat-ty · Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 7850

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

It's wavedawg's fault....he make a mess chasing ferries

wavedawg · Joined: 30 Apr 2001 Posts: 130

Yes, it's true! Ever since my legendary SUP-surf ride on a ferry wake in Lewis Bay a few weeks ago, eager SUP-ers have been beating a steady path to Kalmus for a chance to ride these massive waves!

OK, I embellished a bit, but the truth is that a few very bored windsurfers have taken to the water on SUPs there recently, and somewhere along the line the lifeguards and parking lot attendants were told by someone that SUPing is not allowed at Kalmus. The SUPers were then denied access.

On Monday, 8/11, a friend spoke with members of the Barnstable Recreation Dept to let them know that there is no usage conflict there, since(we all know) SUPing doesn't happen when wind is greater than 10knots, and windsurfing doesn't happen when wind is less than 15knots. The two representatives of the Rec. Dept. told him that this was a result of bad internal communication, and they would let the Kalmus staff know that it is ok for people to SUP in the windsurfing area.

Another representative of the Rec. Dept. told me this week that SUPing is not currently allowed there, but that the Kalmus Board Sailors' Association, which advocated for windsurfing there back in the day, could petition the town council to allow SUPing at Kalmus. In this manner, the association could give the green light to SUPing, and town council will not have to worry about windsurfers complaining that there are SUPs in the windsurfing zone. Since SUPing is a relatively new activity, and this is therefore a new issue to the town, a few relatively simple steps need to be taken for the town to give its blessing for this activity.

In the meantime, if the Kalmus staff still won't allow you to SUP there, you can try what Sucky Larry did the other day - carry your board and walk through the driveway west of Kalmus, where you can go down the stairs by the sea wall(with apologies to residents) and launch there. When you are done, land in the windsurfing area of the beach and state that you were a disabled vessel in need of rescue that washed ashore.

I also like Jay's idea of carrying an Ezzy keychain sail on board to validate you as a windsurfer. The whole issue is really stupid, IMHO !!

AS IS THE CASE WITH WINDSURFERS, CONTINUED ACCESS WILL ONLY HAPPEN IF SUPers STAY OUT OF THE SWIM AREA!!!!!! This has been an ongoing problem for windsurfers, especially this summer with the unusually common southerly wind directions, which make it more difficult to sail upwind of the swim area on your first tack. Swimmers have the right to enjoy the beach, too, without the fear of being run down by someone on a board(the swim zone is a tiny area - you get all the rest!!!). IF YOU SEE A SAILOR OR SUPer IN THE SWIM ZONE, YELL AT THEM TO GET OUT OF IT - their bad behavior could get access shut down for everyone!!

If anyone knows a member of the Kalmus Board Sailing Assoc., I would be grateful if you could pm me with that individual's name and contact info, so we can get the town's support.