Do the numbers, it is scary:
Assuming there are 5 Kite Schools in each state (WA, Qld, NSW, Vic, SA/Tas/NT) each teaching 6 new people per day over the next 12 weeks = 5 x 6 x 5 x 7 x 12 = 12,600 new kiters.
If we assume that 2 out of every 6 (33%) takes up the sport permanently then we end up with 4,200 new kiters across the nation in the next 12 weeks (not including overseas tourists).
This concerns me firstly as a windsurfer as more kites means more hassles for windsurfers. This also concerns me as a kiter because the trend with councils around the country seems to be to limit the kiting areas available. With more and more kiters and less places to do it = problem.
Was it the same with windsurfing in its hey day? How the heck is this going to play out?
yes alot more appearing here at home, i think it's good as long as there is not too many and there not blocking the speed strip
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I started windsurfing in '83 and there were calls to ban it then. Lots of out of control gumbies zooming on their wally windsurfers through the swimmers.
That's why all those windsurfing signs appeared on beaches.
Kiting will go the same way. Lots of mid-life-crisis dads will get kites. Try it a few times. Chuck it in the back of the garage never to be seen again. Lots of "core dude" adolescents on inappropriate kites trying to do wake-stylee moves.
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Dude your not even from australia, so how would you know the statistics?? And if all the schools were teaching 6 people a day in Australia they would of run our of people to teach by now.. I am sure they have there quite days just like any business.
Some info you should know about Melbourne any way, I wont speak for any other state.
There is a new windsurf club started up at inverloch that is growing really fast they are getting 60+ people turning up for there demo days..
We have just started up a wave sailing series that is growing at a really fast rate.
The last comp had 40 + windsurfers in the expression session.
Mate people are still wanting to learn to windsurf it's not just all kiting..
I know at least a few guys who have gone back to windsurfing too, who took up kiting..
If you have a look at all the new designs that are all turning up on the market in windsurfing, it shows that companys are putting in there 100% effort to make the gear perform real well, like the new thrusters that have just turned up on the market and the quads. And most of the sail companys are really putting in 100% effort to make there product sell, like adding in fancy grafix and sails that have boom cut outs ect.. Why would they bother doing all this if they thought windsurfing will be extinct soon??
Windsurfing is not dead and kiting is not dead, but I would not say kiting is growing at crazy rates..
Rad Lad here is a pic of last summer in Melbourne, it does not look dead to me.. And this was no compition, thease were just guys enjoying there weekend windsurfing..
^^^^^looks like someone left the gate unlocked at the old age home again
Did I put enough to show Im just haven a dig.
Not sure on your math but even allowing for exaggeration, yes, kiting is a growing sport, and each kite take up a large amount of space on the beach an in the water.
Hence the probability that councils will limit the areas it can be done in, but that has benefits as well.
Maui has demarcations, allowing kites at Kite beach only, so there is no clashing or aggro between styles, and everyone wins.
Windsurfing is on the move again , as the kids have grown up and the old farts that quit are taking it up again and teaching the teenagers as well.
Less space problems for us, as us pole-dancers don't have such a huge footprint, and we prefer the foul weather days that keep everyone else away.
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12000 new kiters, that's great news... The idiots will all be sat on the beach untangling themselves leaving the water clear for us.
it appears quite a transient crowd that kite. There must be at least a few hundred who did lessons on the goldcaost over the last 5 - 10 years, particularly in 2002 - 2007 during it's boom when there used to be 3 kite schools teaching almost daily on the broadwater alone, some with 5+ students at once
a small percentage of the above continued on after the lesson
it seems that locally only a small percentage of those who continued on, are still doing it after 3 seasons on
Considering you don't see them at the beach or on the broadwater, where do all these other mysterious local people who took up kiting more than 3 years ago go to?
Windsurfing is more popular than kiting.
Every meteric and measurement proves this.
Windsurfing is heaps better too.
well soon people would get pissed of taking a camera to the beach to take family shots and having those kiters getting in the way.so they would leave the cameras at home and so no camera no kiters simple
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Personally - as a kiter - the thought of thousands more kiters doesn't thrill me either. 
Almost the same if there were 1000s more sailboarders out there.
Not all kiters are nongs, but granted the ones that are make life pretty difficult for all n sundry.
BTW - in the 80s whilst surfing I had a class A idiot, out of control, poley drop his kn heavy boom on my head! 
BOING!!! I copped the vey end of it after he let go in a gust. It kn hurt and dazed me big time.
The stoopin d!ck actually laffed, remounted and took off back out to sea!!
Now - I'm not gonna assume that every poley is a total d!ck like that nong - so try not to paint every kiter with the d!ck brush either.
I reckon the real "canary in the coal mine" will be if flipper444444444444 takes up kitesurfing. probably the most stoked out poley on this site (and he keeps coming back), if he switches then I reckon that will be a sure sign.
What about Darwinsm ???? Most kiters i know have had serious near misses or injuries. One even ask if you could windsurf with a fused ankle, i said take up kite surfing...he said thats how i did the ankle.....How.....Got hit by a car 
. Heres my list of kite injuries of people i know.
Broken leg- still sails windsurfers,no kites
Compressed spine- lucky to walk anywhere
Smashed shoulder and pelvis-no water stuff anymore
Dead
^^^^^^ yep totally agree,,
If you want to get on the water powered by the wind but want a really safe option,,,windsuring is the go.
Anyone wanting to try kitesurfing,,,,dont....
Way too dangerous,,,
buy a dancing rig if you want to keep your bones held together with out metal plates and screws,
Narr I will be windsurfing when I am 80 years old They will find it hard to keep me in the old peoples home, cause I will escape every minite I see wind out my window. I will be one of thease old dudes driving a old combie van down to me local beach and checking out the wind every day..
Is that Kato in this forum??? well the day Kato takes up kiting I am packing up my gear and going home, cause kato owns the PIT. The pit will get out of hand with to many kiters they will start comen from every where
Well I was going to start a new topic with this shot (on Delhi Rd in Sydney North Ryde yesterday), but it fits here.
I love few things a bout this add, the speed boat (fast recovery), the trees, the powerlines... it's all there !
There is also the speed limit at 60. What's their recent world record ? 56 something ?
But I say, good on them I haven't seen an add in the public to go and learn to windsurf !
That's me boy lotofwind, so how did you go?? do you think you might become a windsurfer?? your a smart boy
Nope.
We did it as a school sport for a year.
Was progressing along pretty good,but just wasnt my cuppa tea.
