Good??? Well, no, but kiteboarding is possible at Lake Lanier. Winds are very unpreditcable, but some good sailing can be had if you have an extremely flexable work schedule and a drysuit/wetsuit. Coming from Florida, you will definitely be sailng less...

Good winds are mostly from "front" based weather systems, and are often gusty. You will need a lot more than a 2/1 wetsuit. It can get really cold at Lanier. Plan on buying a 4/5 steamer or a full drysuit (with a hood and gloves) to get the most out of the season!

Mine is a 3/5 and is good

Check out this pic lightmast. Here is what windsurfers wear in winter!

http://windsurfatlanta.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album45&id=2_18_07&op=modload&name=Foto&file=index&include=view_photo.php

If you are coming from south Florida, it is going to be a big change. Most of our good wind winds come with cold weather (40-60 degrees).

That's all true. But there are lots of good/great days just ahead with strong not-that-cold wind and warm water. We have a lot of killer fall days when the cold fronts are Pacific in origin = temps in the 60s+.

Water temp today is 88 dgrees

Feb windsurfing is the coldest, not the average - wouldn't you say?

Of course the water is warm in summer, but be honest. How many 'good' days do we get in the summer. By good, I mean consistent planing on a 7.0 or smaller (I don't know what a good day for a kitesurfer, but I would bet that the wind standards would be the same). I would say that 75%+ of the good days require a full-wetsuit or drysuit. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I planed at Lanier/Clarks Hill Lake without having a wetsuit on period (usually need at least a shorty). It has definitely been a over a year, maybe two. It might have been Katrina...

So, if lightmast is coming from somewhere where all he only needs a 2/1 wetsuit in the winter, 60 degree temps (kind of warm for us) is going to feel pretty stinkin' cold.

DUH your own self sucker. Point is, 88 now means comfy 70s when the fronts do start coming. We rarely get any good days in the summer. (The Gorge is 3 hrs away). Re: photos who gets their camera out on those "boring" but still plenty fun 7.0/6.0 days. Cameras come out on the 4.5 days, which mostly are later & colder-- duh. Check the Windsense log. I bet there are lots of 'shorty' days well into November.

I just checked the log Chris and I saw zero days of shorty weather. Gene describes a "warm and WINDY" Saturday to be 60s degrees. I am not saying good shortie days never happen, or won't happen, but that most of our good winds require a full suit or drysuit. Someone from coming from Florida will have some acclimating to do.

Delta non-stop ATL-PWM 2:36 - (Three hour time change). = Leave now, get there 15 minutes ago.

Duh. GA's not Maui or even Fred Howard but if you live in Suwanee (15 min from VP in rush hr) and watch the wind, (and you want to), you can sail a lot.

to our new friend from Florida - I seriously recommend getting (back ?) into windsurfing while you're in Atlanta. Pick up a huge floaty board and a 7-to-8 M sail and just get on the water. On the unique days with steady winds, you'll be able to kite, but a floaty board and big sail are the ticket to water time. Water temp drops to the mid 40's by late January and thru Feb so you will need a 5.3, boots, mits and maybe a hood. We have some winter war stories, but everybody watches out for each other so we've had no nasty events and only a couple of episodes of early-stage hypothermia. If most any of us hardcore nuts had to move to Vermont, we'd figure out what to wear and how to get to the water. That's where the Grins are. Good luck.

BTW - PWM is Portland, Maine not Portland, Oregon (PDX) .... and it does not take less than 4.5 hrs to get there ....

Only the advent of really big stuff (ie Formula) has made summer sailing anything more than a total fluke. There are very occasional days you can plane from early June to mid-Sept. I have sailed even as small as a 6.5 in June. But these are bonus days, not to be expected.

If you want to sail here regularly, neoprene is the only ticket. The water is tolerable through even Dec, though and by Jan you've acclimated to the cold. In Oct, you swear that this is the winter you won't be sailing and by Jan, there you are. 5/3 will get you by into the high 40s, below that, you need a hood and mittens. OTOH, some of the absolutely sweetest days I've ever sailed have been in the low to mid 40s and a few memorable sessions with TC in the high 30s. The air is denser and, many times, more even, at the colder temperatures and you can get by with smaller stuff.

I hate cold water more than most people but once you are on the water, you pretty much forget about the neoprene. Mind you, I love sailing in warm water but at least here, it's fresh: no salt, no derigging on sand. And, we've never lost anyone to a man-eating stripped bass.

Now William - Salt water is good for you / lotsa mineral content. GatorAde expenses are zero. Sand ??? - yeah - but there's something to be said for 1-piece masts. and the shark only bumped - didn't even nibble.

But the real plus - haven't worn boots, gloves or hood in 3 winters.

On the downside - I never punched thru a sail on Lanier. 3 times here. Keeping extra rolls of sail repair tape and converting to x-ply as fast as i can. Seem to be using more marine tex too.

But on the upside TC you havent got hit by a power boat on the coast have you!

But the real plus - haven't worn boots, gloves or hood in 3 winters.

I think I was trying to justify it more to myself than anyone else. Kinda like powder skiing, once you've had a Hatteras 3.7 sesh when it's 85 degrees, it makes anything else so much less appealing.

I am moving back to Atlanta from Minneapolis and I share some of your concerns. Kiting is more popular in MN due to a variety of lakes and shallow shore lines. The same gust but a lot more windy days. The only time I have seen kiters come out of the water was when it was blowing from 0 to 40 and that was because there kite would go down on the water then get yank back up by the quick 40 mph gust. I have windsurfed for a number of years and I started kiting (Snowkiting then to the water). The difference I see with the newer kites, is the wind range. The other week, I was on the water with a 16 (equal to an 8.0 windsurf sail), the wind was about 12mph and then it pick up to about 20 with gust. I can say as a beginner kiter, it is a lot easier to keep a 16 in control to that of a 8.0 sail. I pull the power down and kept going (wished I could do that with a 8.0). On the other hand, on those 0 to 20 days, kiters are SOL.
As to the cold, here in MN, they use the flexible top dry suits and they kite until the lakes freezed over. Cold is not a factor in MN but it is not safe to kite through the ice to the open water. Windsurfers are faced with the same problem in MN as they are in Atlanta. The 50-50 rule applies to all areas of the country for windsurfers. In kiting, they wear heavier gloves as you don't have to grip the bar tightly and once going, use one hand.
I hope this adds a little perspective and length to your kiting season in Atlanta. Maybe we can connect there this next month.