Went for a paddle yesterday as my rig was out of action for the day, was not
Impressed with the down wonder crew, not gonna harp on here but I have seen you kiters around heaps and I'll see you again, nearly running me over to get onto a small close out is not on. Not impressed
downwinder's in perth just seem so so so lame, matched with ****ty conditions im so surprised peopole get off on it
specially when it comes to kiting in spots that they shouldn't.
not to mention burning through the fishos at the drain whilst 2m from shore... if you haven't seen a kite/kite surfer/fishing line hook up before, and the ensuing rage from a fisherman if you are not very good at apologies, maybe just take the advice on these forums and give them a casts distance leeway as you go past. accidents happen, but it ain't that hard to avoid em. Each fisho you give respect to is a win as they actually enjoy the spectacle going past - any tangle is another voice at council against the ol'DWer. i know the bank there is one of the funner parts of the stretch, but seriously, ever been fishing? what would you think if a boat came through 10m in front of your cast repeatedly? think about it maybe, just for a second?
or just wait for 25kn when the fisho's leave the beach and then smash it...
It was a eye opener seeing us from the general water users point of view,even kiters that were doing the right thing and keeping a decent distance from me looked intimidating, even tho I knew I was in no danger, general water users would not. Totally different point of view at water level. Most of the kiters were great, as always just a few cowboys doing the wrong thing
There is no "crew" anymore. There was 4-5 years ago when there was about 10-20 of us who just were trying to get more waves.
Now every man and his dog are doing, for reasons that do not seem apparent. (so many twin tips, so many people not really getting waves)
I suspect there are something like 100-200 people who do it regularly now.
Don't need many tools in that bunch to cause mayhem, distress, anger, as well as danger to all.
I am constantly amazed that kiters you dont know want to pass so close to you. I suppose kiting attitudes are aligned with driving attitudes in Perth (which are the worst in the world I have encountered in the 20 or so countries I have driven in)
I suppose I should be glad I had it when it was good (ie no one within in 500m from you except a mate).
Things have changed forever and for the worse. C'est la vie.
Dont be a dickhead like me!
I made the mistake once "when I was a noob" of getting to close "showing off" at the Floriet drain...I ended up getting caught in a fishing line, I had the fishing line pull my lines and "steer" my kite! - pretty worrying not knowing what the hell is going on.
To make matters worse, the sinker flicked up, hit me in the shoulder and wrapped around my lines/depower!! - the old fisho was well pissed. I dont blame him.
Lets keep this in the back of our minds when kiting, keep the fishos happy and stay a good distance away. :)
These sort of posts are popping up everywhere so I'll just paste the same comment here...
The explosion of numbers this year is just insane. Even as recently as last season there were plenty of days when there were just two or three of us out at Trigg - now you can hardly ever self launch for the sheer number of kites on the beach
There's nothing we can do to stop it people, the writings on the wall so enjoy it while it lasts...
And to add to everybody else's WTF's on twintips mowing lawns and not actually SURFING waves...WTF???. Flame away twin tippers, yes it's everyones ocean to play in, but would you drive a combi on a race track or ride a road bike on a bmx track?? I don't know, I just actually don't get it. 
UnderOath..It's pretty simple really, you can get "ramps" anywhere including out the back at Pinnaroo, not to mention that you do not need to do a downwinder to get them.
One of the key things you dont want when you are trying to get waves is someone trying to boost in front or behind you. It is one of the prime reasons we started doing them because we wanted to get out of the way of the 'boosters' at Brighton.
This is because tacking angles, landings and down the line are at complete opposites to each other and in fact create danger when mixed together.
The fact that you don't realise this is a perfect example of what I am talking about and what this thread is about. I hope this clarifies.
pffft if i want to TT from leighton to brighton i will . Just because you are on a directional counts for what ? ****all thats what . I don't come into the breaks , i stay out the back having fun so take the TT attitude and shove it up your arse you elitist strapped/unstrapped asshats .
Just to clarify, as yesterday I was waved in by another kiter and given a "headsup" with the, 'wrong' advice.
Twin tip, wake, mutant, skim! It's all the same to me. Just my local spot.
Haha good old sea breeze , can take any topic and convert it to twinny vs directional, straps vs strapless ect ect ..
Pisser
Hilarious
I dont seem to recall any personal attacks in my previous response, just a clear statement of fact , having seen what I have seen on the stretch of beach I have kiting on for as long and as much as anybody else in Perth.
My comments are even more relevant given the dick responses from Dusta and Underoath.
Wasn't tellin you tools what to do, just telling you what was happening.
Kiters are new windsurfers. Sad really.
...Wow... so much emotions over nothing... some still like to use this forum as emotional toilet....
Facts are
If the 2-300 downwinders start lawnmoving in one 200m segment, perhaps in Brighton, that will be the disaster... at least with DW the number of kiters at all time is distributed...
You can boost anywhere, not only on a breaking wave... I do it all the time, it's just as much fun a bit further out... unless you want to impress someone on the beach, of course.
If you just have fun in and out on a twinnie or whatever, you can turn back out before the break leaving it to those wanting to ride it (twinnie or surfboard who cares..?, what matters is what you use it for...)
I noticed quite a few downwinder crews had problem riding upwind... they are more of a nuisance than fishos....
200 to 300 people doing the downwinder run! Is that really a fact? If it is, I'm glad I gave up kiting on weekends a couple of years ago. Mid afternoon, weekday kiting FTW!
I am not sure, I haven't counted, but I would not be surprised by that number last Sunday.
BTW. 2-300 was only an estimate, the point was that if all of them (if anyone counts them let us know exactly) kite in the same spot... etc.... you've seen photos of Tarifa....
kiting is fun
boosting is fun
directionals are fun
smashing waves boosting on mutant twinnie directionals is fun fun fun
everybody's having fun fun fun
but the sharks down windy harbour are big and hungry and i'm the only kiter on my downwinder. So how about some of you guys whinging about Perth crowds come join me?
Riding upwind is the most fun i've ever had. I only ride downwind so I get to ride upwind.
By "please explain", I mean what was the wrong advice?
Yo Ben, sorry you were buzzed by a few tools. Know exactly how you feel and if you are in that posi with your kids it puts a very sharp focus on how insular and deluded some kiters are..
And..
Whilst we are on the SB vs TT thing..
I see plenty of very unskilled spuds attempting to ride strapless in the metro mush with no where near the skillz to pull it off.. 
Why? I guess they believe too jmuch forum know-it-all hype. [}:)]
Having the same dude flailing around trying to collect his board again..and again..and again staying constantly in the breaking/mushing section is pretty painful.
We all gotta learn sometimes but stay strapped until you have some rudimentary skillz and aren't a complete pain in the freckle for ALL other kiters maybe?
Just my 2c tho.
Bring on the downwinders, if crew can get the whole transport dilemma organised more power to them.
Can see them coming for a mile, it's easy to turn back out to sea before the wave zone, let them pass and continue on with your own trip.if you like, join the tail for a mini downwinder before the haul back upwind to your bag. No problem.
Anybody remember the 6PM Surfrider, a bus that used to cruise the coast between Sorrento and Port beach complete with board racks, now wouldn't that be something...
As has been pointed out, crew doing downwinders aren't clogging up your patch. Sorry if they scared a few board riders grovelling in blown out mush, no one was hurt were they?
