I've spent part of each year in Nicaragua since 1998. While in Hood River in the summer of 2001 my brother introduced me to kiteboarding. In 2003 my brother and I took our kite gear to Nicaragua and kited together in Lake Nicaragua for the first time. Since then I've had the chance to explore kite spots all along the west coast of Lake Nicaragua and the surrounding fresh water spots.

In 2004 there was a crew of 4 or 5 of us that kited together quite a bit. The other guys lived in Managua working for NGO's or running their own import businesses and would ride Xiloa whenever they got out of the office early. I kited Xiloa with them but didn't go there much since it was a bit of a haul from my place south of the capital. If you're stuck working in Managua Xiloa isn't a bad option. Close by, quiet on weekdays, and quite a few wind days during the season.

The quick weekend run from the capital is Granada. I have the hardest time forecasting wind for Granada as it usually has wind in the early morning and evening but rarely during mid-day. I have family 10 miles from Granada in Masaya and the wind can howl in Masaya when there isn't a breath of wind in Granada. If you live in Granada you can go when the wind comes up. If you're heading to Granada just for wind you may get skunked while trying to figure the patterns out. Lot's of time the wind pics up an hour before sunset which doesn't always leave you time to get your wiggles out before the sun goes down. Right next to the ferry dock is pretty good but is usually lighter than the beaches north of Granada. If the wind comes from the South at all the Isletas will block the wind right out front.

My favorite spot at the time was “Charco de Tisma”. A flat water lagoon that was about 10 miles north of my house. I liked the lagoon because it's 3 miles wide, a mile long, chest deep throughout, with protected flat water and no one around. Unfortunately, it changes from year to year due to flooding and sometimes it's pretty tricky to get there even if you're driving a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The flooding can also mess up the surrounding pastures where you set up your kite. It's not uncommon to share the lagoon with wandering herds of cattle or the occasional water snake (no idea what they are but I keep my distance).

The wind on Lake Nicaragua is strongest at the southern end and progressively gets lighter as you go north. If I was running out of patience waiting for wind near Granada I could always run down to Punto Menco. Punto Menco is just south of the island Zapatera and is accessed by a 10 mile gravel road off of the Pan American Highway. It's not a bad spot. Mostly bump and jump with a really straight coastline. Definitely beautiful, with lots of sand (narrow beach but long), clean beaches, and no crowds.

Further south is San Jorge. A fun downwinder is from the sugar cane fields north of San Jorge down to San Jorge. You'll need to be a little adventurous trying to navigate the gravel roads north of San Jorge as they're only known by the locals and it's hard to get a visual on anything. The locals are more than willing to give directions but aren't always up on where vehicles can pass.

San Jorge isn't bad and there's some nice wave action around the ferry dike. Not a great place during national holidays as it gets super crowded and could be dangerous.

South of San Jorge is great for kiting and is unpopulated. The easiest spot is Lamar Lake Resort. It's a nice place owned by baseball legend Dennis Martinez. Easy enough to get in and out. Great view of the Volcanoes on Ometepe and decent food and drink. Just south of the hotel is a nice point that gives you good swell to use for kickers or slashing. No real flat water in the area.

Ometepe is a beautiful island that is a mandatory stop for most tourists. Getting in and out of the water can be tricky as there is a lack of beach at times. Best if you have a fellow kiteboarder that can launch you in the water. Lot's of trees right on the beach. The north tip has quite a sandbar that juts out into the lake. I've never had the juevos to kite it as the wind is a bit off shore with heavy current and a big windshadow close by.

There is very little kiteboarding on the Pacifc coast as the wind is straight offshore in most spots. The few areas suitable for kiting are estuaries so you don't even get waves. I've tried and tried to kite Pochomil and finally got tired of taking my kite gear when I went there to surf. But, as all of you know, when you don't take your kite gear the wind is perfect. So that last time I was there surfing it was sideshore from the north with 20 knot wind. Of course, until you get a kite up in the wind do you know just how clean it is so it might not have been that great. Lot's of people where the wind is the best so you'll have to be careful getting in and out.

There are some gorgeous waves off of Puerto Sandino that should be good for kiting but you'll need boat support. Trying to kite without boat support wouldn't be smart.

If you get a chance to kiteboard in Nicaragua you'll enjoy it. Please remember you're a guest in someone elses country. That means respecting their culture and etiquette even if you don't understand it.