Ashbridges Bay
Beach: Ashbridges Bay
AKA: Woodbine Beach, A Bay
Google Map Coordinates:
Official Rules:
(Made by Lifeguards, and the City of Toronto)
Paid parking lot, rules and rates are posted.
Lifeguards on duty during summer months, respect them!
On busy days they may require kiteboarders to ride outside of the white buoys.
Do not set-up you kite directly between the lifeguard towers (it prevents lifeguards from signaling to each other).
Do not sit on, store gear on, or attach kites to lifeguard towers
Local knowledge
Submitted by local OKA Members:
Matt Aiken, Michael Dobell, Andrew Stewart, Michael Churchill
Suitable wind direction:
ENE, E, SE, S
Also works on a SW, not ideal due to wind shadow from the point.
Set up and launch location:
This is a crowded beach. To minimize impact on other beach users riders congregate in the beach area adjacent to the pool. This can lead a crowded launch/landing area so keep kite lines wound up when not in use.
The launch site is very exposed to the wind so keep kites well sanded/weighted down.
Launching:
Kite should be positioned towards the water. Winds along the shoreline can be very shifty, especially on E and ENE winds. Keep kites low (not overhead) and enter the water as soon as the kite is launched. This is a popular spot, self launching should almost never be required.
Beginners should launch upwind from the main launch area (see further notes below).
Landing:
Winds along the shoreline can be very shifty, especially on E and ENE winds. Land kites as soon as you are on shore. If blown downwind avoid temptation to walk upwind through crowds with kite in the air.
Hazards:
Strong currents. Especially on windy (20 knot+) days. Current can be too strong to swim against. Not recommended for riders that are not strong swimmers
Rocky point downwind of the riding area. Avoid riding downwind of the point, there is not a good landing zone beyond the point.
Shifty winds at the launch site. If the wind is East or East-Northeast it can be gusty and shifty at the launch site. Keep kites low and get off the beach as soon as kites are launched. Land kites as soon as you are on the beach.
Guidelines
Avoid flying kites on the beach, especially during summer months and weekends. It’s too crowded.
Always use a kite leash. The beach is too crowded to risk a run away kite
Respect the lifeguards
The beach is busy, so don’t crash kites on the beach. Avoid showboating, jumping, etc, at any distance where your kite over-flies the beach.
Note to beginners
The beach is very popular with sunbathers, dog watchers, and non-kiting beach users in general, particularly from May to end of September, and especially on the weekend. The crowds combined with challenging launch/landing conditions, currents, and waves make Ashbridges Bay a challenging place to ride. Unsupervised beginners should consider the following before choosing to ride at Ashbridges Bay:
If you cannot stay upwind, you should only launch well upwind (to the east) of the main kiteboarding spot (in the vicinity of the tennis courts or the lifeguard boathouse). Do not ride downwind of the main kiteboarding launch site as it can be crowded with non-kiters, the winds become flukey, you will not have someone to land your kite, and you risk coming into contact with the rocks.
It is difficult to find a launch area with more than 100 feet buffer from non-kiters. If you do not have complete confidence in your ability to control your kite during launching and landing then Ashbridges is not a suitable spot for you to ride.
Do not ride further out then you are comfortable swimming. Be aware that there is not a suitable self landing spot downwind of the main kiteboarding launch area (swimmers, rocks), currents can be strong, and even in the summer the water can be cold (Lake Ontario is a deep lake and prone to radical temperature changes).
Lessons:
Fred Telesforo
E-mail: ftelesforo@Hotmail.com
Tel: 416 706 3323
Paul Berube
email: paul@PBKiteboarding.com
Tel: 416-462-3791
Want to be added as an instructor at this beach?
email: matt@kiteboardontario.com