Kite surfer Dominique Washer, on her way to an exhilarating splash and dash across and above the harbour off Fergusson Park.
Kite surfer Dominique Washer, on her way to an exhilarating splash and dash across and above the harbour off Fergusson Park.
Tauranga's high-adrenaline wind and wave board riders are expecting a mixed impact when one of the worst El Nino weather patterns for 65 years settles over New Zealand.
Nevan Lancaster of Mount Cats & Yaks said the stronger south and southwesterly winds associated with El Nino conditions would not be so good for his business in Pilot Bay but would be welcomed by surfers off Mount Main Beach.
The winds cooled as they crossed the harbour from the direction of the Kaimai Range, making conditions less pleasant in Pilot Bay.
And if the wind got up above 15 knots, it created a chop that became a bit uncomfortable for people hiring his water craft.
"It is still pretty good for sailing but not so hot for the paddle boards," Mr Lancaster said.
The biggest beneficiaries of the forecast strong El Nino would be the surfers on Tauranga's ocean beaches, because southerlies and southwesterlies held up waves, creating longer and better rides. Northerlies and easterlies were not so great for surfers.
Mr Lancaster did not expect bathers and people enjoying the summer at Mount Main Beach to be affected as much as Pilot Bay bathers by the El Nino. Main Beach was sheltered from prevailing El Nino winds coming across the harbour by buildings and trees.
He was unsure of how this summer's super-strong El Nino would impact on water temperatures after last summer, during which temperatures stayed at a warm 20C to 21C.
Tauranga kite surfer Dave Washer is not concerned about the impact of stronger El Nino winds on his favourite spot off Fergusson Park.
Kite surfers Dave and Dominique Washer of Tauranga were not concerned about the impact of stronger El Nino winds on their favourite spot off Fergusson Park.
"Everyone is talking about it," he said.
The lagoon where kite surfers did their stuff would not be affected by onshore wind from the direction of the Kaimai Range. But where it translated to offshore winds for kite surfers along ocean beaches, that was not good.
"We want onshore."
Mr Washer, a roofer, said the perfect scenario for him was calmer weekdays so it did not affect his job and windier weekends to accommodate for his passion for kite surfing.
The growing popularity of kite surfing was highlighted at Fergusson Park yesterday afternoon, when 13 kite surfers were counted on the water compared with five wind surfers.
The National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (Niwa) said it was 99 per cent certain that El Nino conditions would continue for at least the next three months, and they were expected to further intensify from January to March.
