Damn, it was windy. Me like a number of very very new kitesurfers were only up to our waist in water, but out of our depth with the wind.
Saw multiple massive offs (yes, me included) and saw some great team spirit in catching people's lost/out of control kites...
I've never experienced vertical uplift before (i.e. 9metre kite completely depowered kite at 12, over my head) and lifting me straight out of the water... is that normal?
I went past St Kilda on a tour from Hampton to Port Melbourne & return. www.peterskiteboarding.com/2012/10/kitesurfing-tour-from-hampton-to-port.html
Conditions were gusty with some big frontal spikes later in the afternoon. These were forecast, and hence avoidable. Not ideal conditions for beginners. Its better to wait for some steady sea breezes when learning. It is really dangerous to get lofted close to shore.
It was absolutely manic yesterday at St K. People all over the shop. Didnt help that the tide was quite low - hence bunched everybody up.
Wouldnt have thought it was a great day to be either; Teaching beginners or learning as a beginner. Particularly on the wrong kite (was forecast up to 30kts - Y would you rig a 12m).
What is the saying - What doesnt kill you makes you stronger?????
Yeah I was out at st kilda in the afternoon. It was a struggle the whole time and not much fun. I battled through it wondering if I had rigged up wrong until a calm period had hit and I felt I had survived the war. I was out on an 8 and went from overpowered to underpowered so quick I felt I never hit the sweet spot. Certainly not a confidence boosting day. Will hopefully get back on it soon.
Hey Peter, what forecast did you use that predicted the frontal spikes? I always look at the wind forecasts like BOM Marine and seabreeze and wonder how I can determine if it will be gusty or not.
Had a great session at Hampton from between 11:30-3:30. Think I missed the worst of it, but it certainly was gusty. Was on my 11 the whole time started off on a strapless sb then when it picked up to 22+ swapped over for some boosting fun on the tt.
Absolute chaos; I was demoing a new airush kite for a bit of fun (cause mine are at the hospital for some R & R) and while i was rigging up I saw 5-6 people get lofted or dragged within 10 minutes. Not ideal to teach in such conditions, but overall I think everyone helped out each other which was good to see.
Was on a 2013 11m Airush Razor balls to the wall most of the time; but some good fun boosting and doing some long tacks.
Was plenty of room further up towards the Spirit of Tassie, and sometimes I felt like I was the only kiter round there in sight. When its crowded get the f$@& out of the school's way if you're worried about beginners and not confident in close waters= less congestion.
Wicked start to the sunny/silly season though- and look out for the fair weather friends ;)
I was at Hampton between 11am-2pm. Good fun on 9m edge, some nice boosting but geez i could not get my timing right and stuffed up some landings.
Yes, I was one of said muppets, and concur, overall not good for confidence, or the balls of my feet (given the number of times I was lifted and dumped in shallow water... still, if I'm going to land on some sort of balls, I'm glad it was those).
I ended up going to the kiddies pool at St. K by the Pier... Seems no matter which way I turned, the breeze was direct on shore.
Here's to some more steady (and non-rectal) summer wind!
I went out early on a 10m and then packed up to head back to the family just as the chaos happened. The forecast were pretty clear so not sure why people rigged 12m. The wind picked up as expected although it was pretty gusty no matter what kite you were on. I think a lot of people rig for the current wind instead of rigging for the way the conditions are headed.
A saw plenty of beginners in the kiddies pond again as I was leaving. Probably a good time for some education of the new kiters. It looked like one person was even being instructed there??
Harry Potter: well done, a nice tour far from the madding crowds.
Acitta: I have put some info on checking weather, sites to use etc here: kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteboarding.com/weather/kitesurfing-storms
By the way, I got an email from a chap who did a tour from Mordy to Mt Eliza and back to Ricketts. Looks like that westerly was enjoyed for a few tours; we should link up!
Here are some pics of my tour. It certainly wasn't crowded where I was.
Storm front about to spank some kiters
I was at Brighton 10-3.. was not that crowded until around 1:30. but went past St kilda and saw the mayhem :) i'm grad i avoided it.
anyway this is how i look at the wind forecast.
www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/wind/index.jsp
just gives me a better idea of when the wind actually picks up plus the direction.
Cheers Peter,
I reckon ill try Brighton to St Kilda on a solid S to start with..
Fair enough Beersy, i just like boosting nowadays and don't mind the big swell for it although does make it messy, at least not worried about other kiters..
each to their own. (except the idiots who rip up and down inside the first sandbank making it difficult to enter/exit)
I know what you mean Kovi, but I think the experienced kiters using the flat water creates less of an access issue than the 20 learners standing around with kites at 12...
I accept they have to learn somewhere... but I don't have to like it...
To the bloke at brighton beach that had a bike rider smash into the back of his nissan pulsar and smash his back window, try contact the event organsier from "around the bay" and see if they will collect the bill.
Looks like the parking inspectors were out on Sunday along St K also.
Saw loads of tix on cars as I was walking past.
Also unlucky.
Kazan, it was a westerly, so Altona would have been cross offshore -with the wind coming from the land. Not good for kiting. You would have been much better off on the east side of the bay.
Altona in due west is cross shore. As Peter points out - not only gusty - but you will also be directly into the chop as you head out.
Certainly not the 1st/best choice of locations in anything with much west.......
Okay, so, I'm sure you're not especially interested in my confidence levels, but went out last Sunday (approx 5-7pm) in approx 16knotts wind, and apart from the unexpected and rather unwelcome quick release experience, I had a bl00dy good time.
As a newbie clawing (and often sliding back down) the learning curve, it repaired a lot of the damage that last weekend's gusty weather did.
I had predictable (and some might say, pretty lame) wind that allowed me to saunter about finding my feet.
So on reflection, had I knew what I know now, would I still have gone out in that horrible gusty wind on a packed St. Kilda beach with no room and no hope of controlling the kite and board.......
...well yeah. I'm mad for my kiteboarding!
