Downwinder - Rockingham to Woodman Point

not sure exactly but kiting through the industrial area and docks prob not the best idea

You'll be ok.... just be sensible and take at very least a pdf, will make a the swim abit easier if you have any equipment fail.

This was done on a westerly though.... haven't done it as a DW.
www.kitetracker.com/gps/tracking?r=andyhansen_3

Let us know how you go.

We did safety bay to Woodmans last week and 2 out of the 6 people dropped off, one with equipment failure. We packed 3 water proof bags with water, food, and phone. We forgot a pump. That won't happen again.
It was a great session, and amazing experience. we went around the outside of garden island.
Check out the possible wind windows in the bay caused by garden island and have a contingency emergency plan for the chance of things going wrong.

All powered vessels must give way to sail. So there should not be a problem all the subs and boats will have to avoid you. That said you would be a little foolish to play chicken with them and lose but if you can catch a ride on a sub by hopping on to it we will all be duly impressed, make sure your buddy has a camera.

We had friends (experienced kiters) with a vehicle on call and were heading to the same destination. They picked the kiters up who had to stop along the way and then they drove to woodman's after we kited past point peron. Once they were there they kept an eye on us and the number of kites in the air as we came downwind from the northern tip of garden island to woodmans point. We had 2 phones in case of a failure and We stayed relatively close to each other and if one was dropping behind another would go check on them and we would wait and move together. The only point where we couldnt be seen was behind garden island where we stayed relatively close to shore. On the outside western side of garden island there is no naval restricted areas in the water and you can come as close as you like. See the map in the attached link and that should clarify. I would love to do it again. Maybe even head go as far as freo if you are keen mate.

aa.com.au/files_pdf/garden-island-information.pdf

Just make sure you have a back up plan . Im a hudge believer of not relying on alternative methods for rescue and being independant . i surf in the sound launch at navel base often Although i have been to garden island my cutoff point is about 500 metres past the shipping lane markers. (can tie my sail to it and paddle board back like a surfboard.. If you break gear and are under-prepared or not mentally equipt to deal with a long downwind drift/swim in shark infested water dont do it.

Its getting to the stage now where one of you kite-surfers will loose your life doing fuxking down-winders. You seem to be relying on valuable sea rescue resources and a phone in a water proof bag for rescue..

I suggest if you do do that run ,get a team up, hire a support boat and be safe,The back of garden island you must hold an ebirb so what the **** you doing out there on a kite?????

Stitch is a classic example of nobrains (if has no support). At some point in time you will experience a catastrophic gear breakage.All gear breaks its just time. Take responsibility and don't make the cockburn/rockingham volunteer rescue your back up plan.

There out there saving real lives and real people in real situations. Not a no brainer kite-surfer playing superman.


Seem to of broken the golden rule of RESPECT the water. 3km off shore max. If you continue to neglect basic rules and think your invincible these councils will shut you down as quickas you can rig up. ..Just dont **** it for everyone else.

If you cant go upwind that far why would you go downwind?

This is a safe downwinder (stitch gps)



This to me without support is a not so safe #downwinder. It points towards a cross off. If you run into gear failure and have to drift downwind your destination looks highly unachievable.


Its Monkey see monkey do,
Often monkey will follow Monkey and end up im monkey sh1tcreek Monkey sh1tcreek is a long swim without a paddle...
Highlighting monkey sh1tcreek and the dangers of not taking a paddle up monkey sh1tcreek to both Monkey and monkey is an advantage.

And if you ever over in VIC, i highly recommend one of these www.kitetracker.com/gps/tracking?r=andyhansen_15

Great stuff. I asked a mate if he'd bring his surf ski but he just sold it. We'll see what else we can rustle up. I'm keen to plan well, and go when we're ready, rather than race off tomorrow. Theres a great thread in the SUP forums on a Port Phillip Bay crossing that went wrong (link below), worth reading. A few on other forums, but everyone seems to recommend the same things on the whole (apart from those that think we should all stay home in bed), so I'm thinking it'll probably look like this:

1. Stay together
2. Have comms, at very least multiple mobile phones
3. Stay together
4. Let someone not participating be aware of when you leave and are expected to return
5. Let local authorities know (Naval Base, Cockburn Volunteer Rescue)
6. Stay together
7. Consider a boat/surf ski to accompany
8. Consider EPIRB/PLB
9. Stay together
10. Consider the conditions, if in doubt, don't go out.

While this distance is not an "epic downwinder", its about the right scale I'd be comfortable with. That includes the need to self rescue/swim to nearest land.

Busterwa, you need to chill mate. If reading this thread makes you upset, read something else. Better still, come along, help make it safe, and make it fun.

Link to SUP adventure gone wrong: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/SUP-history-will-be-made-tomorrow/?page=1

PS xkcd.com/386/

You call that a downwinder!? I've done bigger on a whim

I suppose its wrong of me to jump into another forum and upset everyone. Especially when i dont have a kitesurfing background. I guess if something goes wrong with your equiptment you can fold it up to the side of a tent and paddle your board back in (or get your mate to tow you).While your on the board. You probally wouldnt need to paddle.

Its hard to paddle long distances when your a pole smoker.

.Picture this :

Try derigging/hold on to an extention, a board, two 2.1 metre carbon poles and a boom while trying to rollup a 5.7 metre sail in 25 knotts.. Then once it is rolled up trying to paddle back with all that **** underneath you. Its a friggin windmare.
I have sailed past someone (towards the sun) in trouble nearly 30 metres away and not seen them or heard them.came to the conclusion that you have to rely on yourself to get you back.


I guess another hudge advantage of kitesurfing is you dont need a truck to transport all your sh1t. Kitesurfing gear is compact and easier to swim with.
So Apologizes
Buster.

Another trick when self rescueing is to attach your safety/suicide leash from your harness to a wing tip and hold the other wing tip with one hand. (Baby Bonnet style) This is a a lot better than holding two wing tips with two hands because it gives your kite a bigger surface area to catch wind, then stuff your bar and lines down your harness and sail hopefully back to shore. When I was first learning to kite I could actually self rescue up wind before I could ride up wind.
I think Every Kiter should be able to do this before they kite by themself.