I have seen some people do some stupid things whist kitesurfing, but launching and teaching your girlfriend to kitesurf on Manly sea front - directly in front of the Corso when the tide is up halfway up , and there is little beach space has to be the most stupid yet. Families, children, big pine trees and busy restaurants right in front you your launch spot. Seriously stupid.
Even if she could get up on the board, surely you could have walked further down the beach where there was more beach space, and less people.
Manly is not a place to learn to kitesurf.
Please show some respect for other beach goers, and the sport. Or take up another sport where it makes sense to wear a beanie.
Did you say something to the bloke? It's unlikely he's a forum reader.
I find it especially easy to intervene in dodgy teaching situations because you can subtly play the student and teacher off against each other. Explain to the student how unsafe it is but that they're not to know, and implicate the teacher in not being sufficiently responsible for the student's safety (as well as the safety of others). That way the student no longer sees the teacher as a kiting god, the teacher feels exposed, and psychologically they can't gang up on you. In my experience teacher/student pairs have conceded the point and packed up or moved somewhere safer every time, except once where it was simply a matter of calling backup and making the point in stronger terms.
(In front of the Corso though, on a busy summer day, I'd have thought the lifeguards/clubbies would be all over it?)
I attempted to get close enough to say something however, I did not feel it was safe considering I was also flying a kite, and there were lots of kids on the beach.
And it was not super windy, so not a good place to be when the kite could drop out of the sky. As I say - a crazy spot to have a learner.
They were only on the beach at 7:30pm - so no lifeguards about. But plenty of people.
I have no problem speaking to people when I think they are being stupid. And in most cases I find people respond positively. Unfortunately when I did land, I had to rush to deal with work issue - so could not seek them out for a chat.
Hey bigmark HOW COME YOU GET DOWN ON PEOPLE LEARNING HOW TO KITE AT MANLY WHEN YOU FLYING A KITE THERE YOURSELF YOUR A TOTAL IDIOT YOUR GUILTY OF THE SAME CRIME
HEY BIGMARK SHUT UP!!!!!
[}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]
errrr... did you read my opening posting.
My problem was not with him kiting in Manly. My problem is with him thinking its okay to launch and teach someone who is learning at Manly - right in front of the corso.
I don't have a problem with people kiting at Manly. I kite there too - as I have stated..... and I have been kiting there for the last 4.5 years.
If you are a confident kiter, and observe the NSWKBA Code of Conduct then I feel you should be able to kite there. But its for experts only!
Its not banned there, and most people who do kite there do so responsibly.
ie launch and get out on the water ASAP. Keep 60 meters from all other beach users. Kite after 6pm.
I would never be so stupid as to try and learn or teach someone to learn there.
upsidedowner - do you wear a blue beanie by any chance?
sounds like i hit a nerve.
who wants to learn at Manly?
If you don't seriously get maimed, How do you intend on paying for the lessons?
How will I pick you up and get you to manly?
And if we get spotted by unhappy officialls, how will we escape?
'Confident' does not equal Expert
At my local yesterday I stopped to have a friendly chat with some visitors kiting through flags and swimmers - and yea, we all make mistakes, sometimes in ignorance other times in stupidity.
Having done both myself, I can't 'yell' or call people names from my high horse (in a forum or in real life) so I have a friendly chat.
What I can do is give up 5-10min of my precious kiting time (I only had about 40min on the water y/d) - for me a good investment to keep people safe, happy and my local spot open. 
obviously some one here has worn their seat harness to tight (form doing all those fully sick boosts) and has accidentally cut off blood supply to their man hood,
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO TRAINING FOR BEGINNERS ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES I KNOW THAT ITS NOT THE BEST AREA TO LEARN IN BUT SOMETHING SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE FOR BEGINNERS IN THIS AREA . WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON GEAR KITES, BOARDS ETC THEN YOU FIND OUT YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY AND PAY AROUND $200 A LESSON THEN TO BE TOLD YOU NEED ABOUT THREE TO FOUR LESSONS . NO WONDER WHY PEOPLE TRY TO LEARN ON THERE OWN!!!
Alps.... snow boarding gear.... bwaaa haa haa..... i like it.....
the term "snowbaording" does give the indication of location tho.... In the term "kiteboarding" there is room for interpretation......
"kitesurfing" on the other hand is less ambiguous.
Maybe this guy should just go kiteboarding in his local park?
spoiled brat my ass !!! We should just be helping each other if you see someone learning and having trouble or doing the wrong thing HELP them dont just complaine about it on the forum . I have been teaching myself and i had a kitesurfer come up to me the other day and he offered me some help now im up and edging thats all it takes ,I KNOW IF I SEE SOMEONE HAVING TROUBLE I WILL HELP THEM . WE ALL WERE AT THE BEGINNERS STAGE ONCE !!
I personally think self teaching is just plain stupid!! Your are just putting yourself and others at risk!!! hey sweet U may figure out how to fly a kite or get up on your board but what happens when you snap a line out in the water and dont know how to self rescue??? Geez if your complaining about a $200 lesson u really joined the wrong sport as its just going to keep costing you more money!! I also dont agree with kiting in such a dangerous spot but I guess being in WA we dont have that problem of having no choice in where we can go out....
HOY!!! If ya don't how to kite READ THIS
FOR F**#K SAKE DO NOT-- DO NOT-- DO NOT-- DO NOT- UNDER ANY SIRCUMSTANE KITE, LEARN TO KITE WITH YOUR BUDDIES OR EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING TO TEACH YOUR BUDDIES TO KITE ON CROWDED OR CROWDED WELL KNOWN BEACHES
All we need is some moron with a camera filming this "HEY LOOK AT ME IM A PROFESIONAL" knob OR learner kiter doing the above when the tihs hits the fan as this "HEY LOOK AT ME IM A PROFESIONAL" total knob OR learner kiter gets face slammed up the sand with your way over sized wrongly set up way over powered kite doing multiple kite loops up the sand totally destroying everything in its path ending up across the road landing up in some poor overseas tourists romantic dinner then the footage is down loaded on some website somewhere or even worse the evening news and the morning paper THEN WE ARE ALL F**#KED
so so so for f**#k sake DO NOT KITE OR TEACH OR LEARN ON CROWDED OR WELL KNOWN CROWED BEACHES
UNDERSTOOD
[}:)][}:)][}:)]
kiting at manly = dumb. especially If you don't wan't the council to regulate all the beaches in that area. Glad I don't live there any more with idiots like that about
Hello,
We are the ones with the blue beanie, I came across your blog by accident.
Your right it was not safe and I found it tricky to put the board on and fly the kite, due to the conditions you described and during the last part of the kite it was dangerous.
I am certainly aware of people around me at all times and we have been kitesurfing sporadically in manly over the years , in addition we also chose the wrong kite for that day and i found the 14m kite a struggle. We are extremly careful of all beach goers and do not wish to jeopodise the opportunity of kiting at Manly.
It's good to talk about these things
Petra
