There simply is no pleasing some people
For me? I had a 'terrible' time 
I got my goal, practise switching.. 90% on goofy and 50% on natural. In my book that's not bad since I don't surf due to a shoulder injury which prevents me from paddling (Rotator Cuff) .. and I had never been strapless before. I am going to do my best to resist putting straps on my board from now on.
You can see what a horrible time I am having on these :)
Give it a break mate.
All I have done is disagree with your butter flat statement.
your quote: "butter flat is 90% of the kiting"
Select to expand quoteRob S said..
Give it a break mate.
All I have done is disagree with your butter flat statement.
your quote: "butter flat is 90% of the kiting"
Peace up and good winds Bro 
f@kin awesome
will be there in 3 weeks .. taking my wam as well as the twinie .. hoping to earn the skills ;)
Select to expand quotejumphi said..
@ $300+ per day oucchhh !
Go stay in some resort, food etc and you are already at $300 and for what? Better yet, stay at your local side of the road crappy 2 star hotel and factor in 3 meals a day including morning and afternoon tea and tell me how much change you have from $300?
Keep it in perspective fella, all accommodation, food, transfers, greeted at the airport upon arrival, kites pumped and launched, spare kit, down winders with a safety car/lift back, crew go out of their way to ensure you have the most enjoyable experience, almost guaranteed wind (have yet to hear of a dud trip) in fact pack your small kite cause it blows its ring piece out 90% of the time , tours of the local area, plus you have your own private resort with only like minded kitesurfers to share the stoke with etc etc etc.
The only people who have questioned the value of this trip are those who haven't been on one.......... I have yet to hear a negative comment from anybody who has been, in fact, it has always been an overwhelming endorsement.
Select to expand quotejumphi said..
@ $300+ per day oucchhh !
Haven't been yet but I think it's great value. You can spend $300+ a night for a 4/5 star hotel in the most beautiful locations but most don't offer the same experience as kite surfari. And once you factor in food/entertainment/tours/transport/extras etc the price blows out. With kite surfari once you arrive in Cairns there is no more to spend. There aren't many holidays like that. And by the sounds of it, it is one of Australia's best winter kiting locations.
I've been on 3 holidays since I started kiting and I took my gear every time expecting to kite but still haven't due to lack of wind. So disappointing considering that they were regular kiting locations. I almost gave up on holidays that include kitesurfing until I heard about kite surfari.
Select to expand quotejumphi said..
@ $300+ per day oucchhh !
It's true. Anyone who has ever been on this trip would never question its value. In my experience the ones who complain are the same ones who are out buying 15 year old C kites with pulleys and wonder why their experience is so bad. You could try to do it on the cheap - fly to Cairns, rent a car, buy food, find the site, negotiate with the traditional owners (and hope they are ok with you being up there), camp in the constant 24/7 wind, take all your rubbish with you and drive home by yourself for 6 hours... and you'd probably save some small amount of cash and have an infinitely crappier experience.
As an aside - I tore my 7m on day 2 of the trip. If I wasnt up there with fellow kiters I would have been up **** creek. Being with others I managed to borrow a kite, and Ant had repair kits and multiple spares up that I could have borrowed if it came to that.
Ant isn't making a lot of money on these trips, he's set them up because he lives for kiting and has a genuine interest in creating something awesome. He's put serious work into the site and caters to you non stop while you are up there. And the effort shows.
Anyways - go try and do it on your own if you think you can do it better and cheaper, we'll be out on the water living it up :D
Select to expand quotejumphi said..
@ $300+ per day oucchhh !
You barking up the wrong tree mate, it's VALUE for money.. read the above 3 comments and then go to page 1 and look at the album I posted. Everyone that has seen it has gone "Damn, I want to go'. Photos don't lie
Peace up and 7M every day eheheh
My definition of value for money is hiring a car and camping just down the beach a bit in the lovely sheltered camp ground at Eddies. $300 bucks will go along way here you can kite for
2 weeks then stop off at Cooktown on the way home for a bit of variety
Sounds good, looks like i might have unexpected break from work for a couple of weeks so might go over there for a trip. Subject to leave permits being issued of course! What's the story with the grog, being aboriginal land is it alcohol free or can you byo? Might have to get used to an end of session fruit juice rather than stubby! Could be good for me I guess :)
Select to expand quotejumphi said..
My definition of value for money is hiring a car and camping just down the beach a bit in the lovely sheltered camp ground at Eddies. $300 bucks will go along way here you can kite for
2 weeks then stop off at Cooktown on the way home for a bit of variety
You will still need a 4x4 or be prepared for a very very long walk to kite..... The prevailing winds are SE and eddies camp is sheltered and offshore. ( guess you haven't been there)
You will also be in a tent cooking your own food etc....
Price it all up 4x4 hire, fuel, food, drink (camping equipment... try getting on a plane with both kite gear and camping equipment. etc..... You won't be saving much and will be slumming it compared to ants camp.
I have been on three surfaris and wouldn't have bothered after the first had it not been worthwhile and value for money. After two days you feel like you have been gone a week and kited more than you expected.
This isn't a criticism of Kitesurfari,but to put $300 a day into perspective ,domestically,as printed yesterday in Sydney's Sunday Tele with Flight Centre for about $900 including airfare,transfers you can stay at QT Pt Douglas 5star for 4 nights.....Stay at Perisher Ski Resort on snow DBBreakfast with a lift ticket for $300 a day.We stayed at Scarborough beach WA in summer 3half star on main highway including return airfare ex syd ,car hire for7 nights breakfast for $1300 including spending money,5hrs wind a day.
Nope you don't need a 4wd to access the area a tray ute will do the job just stay on the hard sand no problems . Obviously you can't kite at Eddies as it's offshore
but a short drive will get you to where the wind is. I know i was'nt slumming it at Eddies there's showers and beautiful beach, camping gears cheap as chips.
It's a long drive from Cairns 5hrs+ for 2 1/2 days kiting, with a car I generally do 18 days straight 2 days only just wets the appitite and lossens the muscles for me.
So there are options for the budget minded or anyone considering a longer kite trip 
Just got back from a fabulous 4 day trip and it was everything I could have hoped for: Strong wind, great accommodation, good food and perfect company. We were at least 7-8 hours on the water each day starting at 7am and finishing when the sun went down.
I took a 12m & 9m Rebel and only pulled out the 12 once for the first session on the Monday morning - wind was non-stop for the whole trip.
For a beginner like myself it was a perfect kiting trip to get some skills and confidence. Ant and Paula were fantastic hosts and I will definitely be going back, no question it is value for money.
Special thanks to the Ambo boys from NewCastle for making the trip so enjoyable and showing me that you are never too old to learn some new tricks.
Select to expand quotefingerbone said..
So is this trip good for the ( not so experienced ) too?
Yep, you'll have all the flat shallow water you can handle. I know several people who have started to go upwind there and they loved it.
Select to expand quoteSir V said..fingerbone said..
So is this trip good for the ( not so experienced ) too?
Yep, you'll have all the flat shallow water you can handle. I know several people who have started to go upwind there and they loved it.
Don't know why people would downvote your post there SirV. I upvoted it to negate the stupidity of people. Geeshh.. until you've been please shut up!
I'm flying to Queenstown NZ in a few weeks time for a 4 day snowboarding weekend. Realistically thats only 2.5 days on the slopes.
With accommodation, car hire, board hire, lift passes and by the time we pay for meals etc it will cost us a lot more than $300 a day. Next year I will be going to kitesurfari for sure. Warm weather ftw
Jumphi, this is what happens when toolbags hire a car and drive the beach past Eddie's camp. That is a 4WD and you would have little chance in a ute. Not saying it cant be done but by the time you accessed the kiting area and had a kite you would have to drive back when the tide is further in and you would have no hard sand left. When the tide is up it is touch and go even with a good 4WD and someone who knows what they are doing. No 4WD hire car company will allow beach driving in this area, the guy pictured was very lucky that Ant and Eddie helped out or he could have been up for breach of contract and charged big time. Worse still if the car was swamped he would have been up for replacement cost (not so cheap an option now is it?). There is also a reward for supplying registration numbers of hire vehicles that drive on this beach, so is the loss of your bond worth it?
Kite Surfari is economical and the best way to kite this area. If you want to be a kite bum go and camp at Cooktown, it is still good but it is not the Kite Surfari experience. Ant works hard and is in it for the love not the money.
Not long till I head over! Excitement.
At the camp, is there power available to charge cameras?
Select to expand quoteJimJones said..
Not long till I head over! Excitement.
At the camp, is there power available to charge cameras?
Yeah, Ant runs the generator during the day so there's power when you are out kiting or while you are eating. Or you could just ask him to turn it on.
Can anyone confirm whether you get reception up there on an Optus phone?!
Just booked my trip so if anyone has recent trip pics please post - frothing already
Select to expand quoteEnglishCraig said..
Can anyone confirm whether you get reception up there on an Optus phone?!
Just booked my trip so if anyone has recent trip pics please post - frothing already
Check my posts on previous page and this one.. lots of photos from June trip :)
Telstra yes, Optus not so much..
You're going to love it man..
What's the croc scene like up there and at Cooktown?
About 10 years ago I hung out at cooktown with some locals to build a mates place. We went to the ocean a few times, fishing and diving, and though we prolly didn't need to be we were on full time croc-watch. Inside the Endeavor river was an absolute no swim zone.
How far from the river mouth are the kite beaches?
Just got back from Cooktown, kiting much better in this area than Elim Beach closer cheaper more variety in conditions, flat water waves, as for crocs the only one I've ever seen
and I've spent alot of time in this area was at the enterance where you drive onto Elim Beach. It was about 2m long so they are in this area .
I am left a little confused kiter 77. You have made two negative posts about kite Surfari. You must have a hidden agenda so l must ask some simple questions.
You state you have spent a lot of time on Elim beach. That's funny Ant and the crew have been up there since April 14 th. They no everyone who has kited the beach this year. Oh last year they did not notice any regular kiters and knew all the kiters that visited. The trips have been running for six years and the boys kiting there for 10 years. The traditional owners have asked the kite Surfari crew to police the beach . So it's there job to know what is going on in there area. Funny no one has seen you and you spend so much time there ???????
The boys are happy that you enjoyed Cooktown. I have spent four months at the surfari camp this year myself. The boys are true bushmen and spend at least 8 months a year on the beach. They continually check for any crocodile slides. They have sensor operated trail cameras they place in areas to ensure they know what is in there area. At night they spot light regularly in many areas of the beach. The boys do this all season and longer The traditional owners live on the water with there children, they protect the water. Your wealth of information came from how long on the water near surfari camp ?????
The oldest hunters story in the book is the crocodile that eats you is the one you don't see. Oh you did not see any estuarine crocodiles in there home , the mouth of the Annan or the Endeavour river ???? There has been a 4.5 meter croc at archers point for over 15 years.
It's obvious that you have a axe to grind. Well as you spend so much time on the beach go and talk to the boys about what your problem is and be a man. It is obvious that you are trying to damage the surfari business and in do so risking people's safety with your blanket claims kite surfari is dangerous and all the water in Cooktown is safe as you are the local crocodile expert from Vic ??????
Hope to see you on the beach soon
Hi Pinky16
No axe to grind here, was relplying pattiecannons question on Cooktown. What I meant was that i have spent alot of time in the cooktown area, have only been to
Elim once and i did see a croc there. I did'nt suggest kitesurfari is dangerous nor did i say all water around cooktown is safe. A 14ft croc was spotted in the Annan River
area by a fisherman in a tinnie while I was there. It's all about risk vs reward, the conditions in the cooktown area certainly outway the risks and there is plenty of variety
in water conditions to suit all styles of kiting .
Hi Kiter 77 , sorry I'm still a little confused maybe just a blonde moment. Well I have been on the beach for four months and a tad dehydrated and probably a bit of sun stroke to. But I am wondering why on two occasions you comment on the conditions yet you have never been on surfari. I was wondering how you would know the different bays and the right tides that work when you where there once. I'm thinking if anyone wants a informed opinion of the surfari locations and conditions they should probably ask someone who has been. Just saying !!!!
I can say that the Annon river is a awsome spot , probably try not to body drag in the river mouth.The sand bars work really well on the right tides The Cooktown local kiters are a great bunch . They are really friendly and are happy to give advice to kiters on the locations .
Im still waitng to see some pics of the butter flat conditons?? So far all the pics look like open choppy conditions in brown water. Looks like a good adveture trip in nice part of Aus and run by some top blokes, but the no waves, chance of crocs
and choppy conditions, Im thinking more about Cocos blue water glass post card conditions for my hard earned.
