Just heard on the radio this morning that 2 kitesurfers doing a downwinder around Albany waters didn't turn up last night....authorities has started searching for them this morning. hopefully they have been washed up on the shore and are walking back...they were doing a 50nm downwinder according to the paper.
you mean 50km? thats a decent down winder it was easteryl all day in albany in yesterday. is that still cross on? hope they get found 2
This from the ABC website this morning
Kite surfers missing off south coast
Augusta police have launched a search for two kite surfers who have been missing since yesterday off the south coast.
The men, aged 38 and 44, set off on kite boards at nine o'clock in the morning with the intention of surfing 50 nautical miles from Windy Harbour to Augusta.
However they did not reach their destination and their support crew alerted police.
Both men are experienced kite surfers and were carrying overnight provisions and an emergency beacon.
The beacon has not been activated.
Police will search the area this morning with an aircraft.
Lets hope they are found alive and well.
I heard on radio:
- from Windy Harbour to Augusta
- two experienced kiters with support team
- support team contacted authorities when did not turn up
- they are well-prepared with overnight provisions and epirb
No he means 50 natical miles roughly 100 kms from memory. I heard Windy Harbour mentioned which is a long way west of Albany maybe 200ks (approx 30-40ks South of Northcliffe) and very remote county.
An Easterly which was blowing most of the day on the South coast, according to the charts, starts to become more cross off around there as the coast starts to come back up a bit. I heard they had a couple of days of provisions with them so I hope they just came ashore for the night somewhere along the way.
I reckon you could be right there Lance, if they had an epirb with them but didn't set if of it sounds like they may be ashore somewhere and Black Point would probably be the most likely spot.
Going out in offshore conditions isnt a smart thing to do.
If they had an epirb and got into trouble they woulda set it off.
not much more added.....
www.smh.com.au/national/search-for-missing-kite-surfers-20080205-gdrzqg.html
Its interesting - but the Aerial Photography of the coast between Windy Harbour and black point, actually shows some of the most magnificent beaches, with great surf and turquoise waters - A dream down winder but just a very long remote stretch. If they came ashore they should be easy to spot but hard to get to as there are not many easy tracks along this stretch which is a national park. The total distance as the crow flies appears to be about 100kms from Windy harbour to Augusta. lets hope they find them soon...
cheers
apparently they were flying dooners and the reporter mistook it for sleeping bags 
but yeah youngy when I first heard of it you were the person that popped into my mind...
scary!
maybe keep any criticism to ourselves until they are found and we know what happened
If they came ashore hopefully they left their kites pumped up or laid out on the beach ( even if they have set off on foot ) so at least they can be spotted by the search Aircraft. If it is only 100km they should not be to hard to spot by plane. ( assuming they have not blown out to sea )
Interesting that they have not set off their epirb would suggest that they probably made it to shore.
Good luck guys hope you are found alive and well soon
ask and you shall receive Elmo.....
www.perthnow.com.au/
February 05, 2008 08:00am
POLICE have located two kite surfers missing on a trip to Augusta, in the South West.
The two Perth men, 38 and 34, left from Windy Harbour yesterday morning and had planned to reach Augusta by 8pm last night.
Authorities detected an emergency beacon this morning and the two men were found a short time later.
The trip should have taken about five hours.
A police spokeswoman said authorities were alerted the men had not arrived in Augusta about 8.30pm.
There were strong south-easterly winds along the route last night.
The two kite-surfers told friends that if they did not think they could make it to Augusta they would sleep on the beach.
The men had provisions for one or two days. They had food, water and sleeping bags.
A six-winged police aeroplane started looking for the kite-surfers from 7.30am this morning.
I love being the bearer of happy News....:)
They have been found:
www.perthnow.com.au/
..note the use of an "emergency beacon"...
What does a " six- winged police" aeroplane look like ?
Does it require six wings to lift the overweight officers ?
Maybe they misheard "fixed wing"?
Looks like they have been found safe and well
Kite surfers found
Police say two kite surfers missing off the south coast since yesterday have been found.
An emergency beacon was activated just after 9 o'clock this morning near Yeagerup, which is between Augusta and Windy Harbour.
The 34 and 38-year-old Perth men had planned to surf 50 nautical miles from Windy Harbour to Augusta before nightfall yesterday.
They did not reach their destination and their support crew alerted police.
Department of Environment and Conservation officers found the two men.
Police say they do not appear to be injured.
I'm glad they were found.
Nice downwinder. The water would have been cool down there but the night temps are not that low at the moment so sleeping bags would be sufficient. You just don't want to get that wet.
Pitty they didn't take some radio or sat phone to alert the "support crew" of their position and intentions.
Please tell us what the experience was like.
Great relief to hear Paul and Odin well. Paul has just been interviewed on ABC radio.
Im particularly relieved after having jokingly told Pauls' wife to take out life insurance for Paul a few dd ago!
Would be good to hear the full story here
Good they are home and safe. From the sites I have read, it sounds like the plan if the wind dropped or they had troubles was to spend the night on the shore. That would be wicked. Like a super downwinder/camping overnight trip. If only they had a way to tell their crew they were staying on a beach.
Who needs a support boat when a rescue beacon will call a FREE one instead.
* No running costs
* Cheaper to maintain
* No depreciation
* Taxpayer collects the bill
* priceless!
These guys have done a lot of down winders together, always well prepared, sometimes over the course of 3-4 days allong the coast, so I believe they will have been prepared for a few misshaps.
Take it easy on them, and keep the BS to a minimum
