I kited at Brighton on Sunday (28/03) NE 18-20 knots, and noted a fair degree of conjestion on the beach and on the water. Everyone was reasonably well behaved I'm please to say even with 50% newbees out of 20 kiters out back. Just as many kites on the beach as well.
To avoid pile ups in the transition zone I dropped downwind to the next groyne (200m away) where there was no one, and enjoyed a peaceful kite session unencumbered by traffic.
Please guys, do us all a favour and spread out. There is less chance of accidents when you give yourself some room. It wasn't hard to tack back up-wind to my gear and land the kite once I'd finished.
Am I just being grumpy or do others feel the same as me?
herd mentality i guess. i experienced this in windsurfing and now in kiting. (and maybe people lack the confidence and/or upwind and/or self rescue skills to venture further?)
personally i enjoy my own space and a bit of exploring, yet at my most commonly kited venue, nearly everyone bunches up in a spot that for me is no better than another section a few hundred metres away.
still, i don't complain, because thanks to this mentality i get lots of room to play, and feel safer myself.
as for the safety of the herd? i wish them the best, though i won't be joining them.
I was there too, the main problem is that most people are too scared to do a decent 1-2km tack.
I think it's pretty weak that windsurfers fang across the whole bay but kiters are too pussy to even do a decent length tack to find some personal space.
And if you want to do big jumps and are scared of losing your board - there's an extra 4-5knots of windspeed once you get about 1.5km out, so it's actually safer and easier to bodydrag upwind back to your board out there. (and you can boost way higher)
Were you on that nice ozone KIT33R?
I agree with you guys. People need to get a bit more confidence to venture away from the pack. With a bit more room you can practice in peace. It spooks me when people around me are just on the edge of control.
Wasn't me on the C4 throwing the big jumps if that's who you mean. Since busting my foot last year I'm staying close to the water until it's fully recovered. I was on the 10m Ozone lite (3 strut, red/grey/orange splash). Fashionable blue wetsuit. See you on the water.
Hi deXtrous - I'm not saying go off alone if you're not very confident, especially out the back. You can still stick close to shore and a few others, just that it's hazardous with a mix a newbees and experienced guys in such a small area.
You should practice self rescue dextrous. Unless the kite deflates, 2km of self rescue is time consuming, but relatively simple. If it does deflate, you can wrap it up into a neat little package and you shouldn't be kiting if you can't swim 3-4km in an emergency situation towing it behind you.
Self landing is very easy with most kites. Just be careful on that new sand they chucked in - its full of evil shells and crap.
Next summer we should all have a race to kurnell and back and then drink heaps of beer.
Totally in for that one wishy - and maybe a BBQ in the park - good times John boy wants to do a downwinder from narrabeen to monterey - couple of boats for support and that could be epic
If anyone needs lessons in self launching/landing. Give us a call at NSWKBA and we'll arange a clinic on the beach free for NSWKBA/AKSA members. I'm more than happy to help arrange it.
Also, check out the web for videos on these techniques. I believe the towbar/fence ideas work OK, but I've not done it myself. A kite bag full of sand also works as an anchor with a shackle on a strap. I prefer the more conventional methods myself. You can always flag your kite to self-land if there's no one around. Practice with a mate near the kite for safety.
Here's some tips to avoid conjection on the crowded beach. This worked well at Dolls on busy summer days.
1. When you come in for a rest, roll up your lines and place them on your kite. You can them stack the kites under each other to make heaps of space.
2. Set up a launch/landing zone with plastic cones, perpendicular to the wind early in the day. This keeps the sunbathers away and gives a clear spot for people to launch and land.
3. Restrict launching in the corner near the rocks where people do transitions. If people launch further down toward the middle of the beach it keeps the traffic moving on the water.
These simple things will make the small beach more manageable.
Totally in for that one wishy - and maybe a BBQ in the park - good times John boy wants to do a downwinder from narrabeen to monterey - couple of boats for support and that could be epic
Totally in for that one wishy - and maybe a BBQ in the park - good times John boy wants to do a downwinder from narrabeen to monterey - couple of boats for support and that could be epic
