Your invitation to ride the Salt Ponds

[Kenny]

Some of you may have the desire to ride the Salt Ponds buttery goodness, but you lack a big enough kite and board. I have an extra 30M Naish V4 and a 181 Litewave. If you ever want to ride there, let me know and I will throw them in the back of my truck for your use. Here is the additional equipment that helps when riding there:

1. High top booties to protect your feet from the salt
2. Glasses with full eye coverage.
3. 5 gallons of water to rinse everything

You don't need a nose plug if you can keep your head above water and I don't recommend going there if you cannot. I have found that by doing jumps in the shallow part of the lake I can keep my head above water. It is hard to dunk your head when the water is less than a foot deep.

So come out and join me. The view of the Tooele Valley, Oquirrh and Stansbury Islands is amazing. The wind is ocean-smooth and you don't have to worry about sharks or any other living creature for that matter.

Kenny

[lesvierra]

I would love to check it out. I love LLLLOOOOVVVVEEE salt water. I need to find out how much I will hate the salt ponds. Got the booties, glasses, and nose clip, even goggles. Maybe an avalung would be good out there.

I just need to coordinate with you. Les
(801) 391-7481

[Lisa Moss]

Zac and I hope to ride there sometime soon. Do you wear goggles or something more like Sea Specs?

[mike loeser]

Kenny,
I know you've done this before, but how do you get there? I always thought that you were posting about the ponds west of the Tooele exit, south of the freeway. I take it that isn't where you are riding. Is the wind to light for a 16m bow on most days? I'll grab some swim goggles and try it out.
Mike L.

[Kenny]

Les,

You have everything you need since you have a Door and a 20 M Waroo. You can use my 30 if it is really light.

Lisa,

Goggles fog, so I use close-fitting glasses. Sea Specs would be sweet.

Mike,
You drive on I-80 all the way to the Grantsville exit, double back and park on the east side.

A 16M bow could work on the hottest days. It can blow 17 mph, but most of the time it is more like 10 to 15 mph. I weigh 180 so I use a big kite/board combo.

Kenny

[mike loeser]

Kenny,
So the Ponds are what you see south of I-80, around mile marker 91? You just park off the side of the Freeway and setup right of the water? That always looks tempting on my way home from Burm.
I know this has been covered a bunch of times before, but what is the reasoning behind not riding at the GSL marina or Salt Air? I've looked at that a few times driving in that area. I see the sail boats out there, but I don't what kind of wind speeds are normal for them. Based on the flag flying in the marina, which is real scientific I know, you should be able to ride that SA. As I've looked the wind speed should be similar to Burmester on a NE, which can get up to high teens. From the NE that would be side shore to a great sandy beach for launching by SaltAir. When trying to find out the average wind speeds at the GSL yacht clubs website, they had an article showing the decreased salinity of the water south of the train tracks which run north of Antelope across the lake. GSL is fast becoming a freshwater pond! One more aspect that would make me happy is that the lake is shallow for miles.
Apologies for spamming the forum tonight!
Mike

[bajabliss]

I've sailed (sailboard and boat) out of the Great Salt Lake (GSL) Marina near Saltair but the water seems to be just as irritating to the eyes as the Salt Ponds water near I-80. In fact I was crewing on a sailboat on the GSL two weeks ago. Check out the pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/joshseerup/ ... 4902217938

What I found most interesting is that the surface of the dense water doesn't always betray the true wind speed. We were doing 7 knots boat speed in 10 mph winds and the water looked like glass. Check out the video in the above link for an example of that. Those conditions would make for some surreal kitesurfing with big gear.

The water about a mile out from the marina was nice and clear and if it weren't so salty it would be wonderful. Everyone went swimming but those who dunked their heads and took salt water up the nose and in the eyes looked like they wanted to cry. I wouldn't doubt that the south end of the GSL is less salty than the I-80 Salt "Acid" Ponds (which I believe are at saturation), but it still burns.

Having sailed both places, I still prefer the I-80 Salt Ponds. Clear, shallow waters, a mud-free launch, ample parking, and south winds unobstructed by the mountains. You just have to be careful your gear doesn't blow into the path of an approaching semi and of course be careful around the rigging area for the usual detritus one might expect to find on the shoulder of a freeway.

Here's a link to a map to the Salt Ponds: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... &z=17&om=1

-Josh

[Kenny]

Mike,

I have sailed at the GSL Marina a number of times. I will tell you why I prefer the salt ponds over the GSL:
1. The water is smoother on a north wind at because of the wind shadow caused by I-80.
2. The launch is nicer at the Salt Ponds - the salt ponds have a sandy beach with a mud layer about 1" below the surface and the launch is side-shore. The GSL has a rocky beach at the GSL Marina or Salt Aire. Unfortunately, some of the other beaches with a side launch and sand are no longer accessible to the public.
3. As Josh pointed out the GSL water is just about as nasty as the Salt Ponds.

All that being said, I will still ride at the GSL again. I think I will go out the next time I see an armada of sailboats. It would be nice to have some company riding on Utah's salty sea.