Im hopefully heading out today as well, ill keep a look out for the crazy flys (i have a green 12M switchblade)
BTW where is hollywoods? assume its refering to where hollywood st intersects grand parade?
Good to meet everyone this arvo.
Lesson learned for today, 25knt winds is the top of my wind range (BOM recorded Botany as having 25 gusting to 30+ winds). Had the trim fully depowered, bar right out and was still struggling to keep myself on the ground etc. Anything over 20-25knts and I should be looking at using a smaller kite. Was crazy gusty out there after 5-6pm. Kite was back stalling a few meters then going full power to 12 o'clock and trying to take me with it lol.
Might be heading down again on Sunday midday-arvo before winds pick up too much, taking the family down cause the kids are dying to see daddy go splat haha.
Nice to meet you too warehouse13.
I was feeling pretty overpowered as well on my 12m, I have a 146*48 board which probably wasn't helping either.
A 9m would be nice for days like today for sure
It was getting rather gusty by the time we left at 6ish. Not ideal is it.
Manlykiter - must have just missed you.
Tobias, did u end going?
I was looking out for the crazy guy fly kites, spotted warehouse13 so went over to say gidday. That was probably at about 6pm so yea probably just missed you Tootharoo.
Im getting eye surgery tomorrow and then on holiday in NZ for a few weeks, hopefully you guys are all pros by the time I get out again in 2014!
Anthony,
Yes, I was out with my work mate (he's a windsurfer and has a car) ... however we went to Dolls Point (cause of free parking). We arrived at 4:30 ish but there was almost no wind (3-6 Knots). Seabreeze and BOM showed 25knots. So, everybody was leaving for Brighton cause they expected to have more wind over there. Approx. 20min later, the wind picked up and reached around 22-25 knots .... but nobody was there (except of Kitepower) and yeah it was great! I went out with my new 8m kite and did some body draggin, jumping, sliding across the beach. Unfortunately, I did not bring my board which was a big mistake.
If the wind prediction stays as it is I will be at Brighton beach on sunday!
Cheers Tobias
Yep should have brought the board T.
Manly, if you're getting LASIK good luck. Did it last year and best money I've ever spent.
So looks like I am going to be down at BB on Sunday around midday, then probably trot down to Dolls to check out KP's demo day
I'm out for two weeks - double infection of left ear. Probably dodgy BB water quality combined with an immune system flattened by kids. Happy kiting.
Hi guys
I am another newbie learning down at Botany Bay. Hope to meet you soon.
I had a good lesson last week with Kite Sessions (Jeep) so keen to do some more practice.
Someone asked a question a couple of weeks ago about wakeboarding. I went out to Panthers and had a go at cable skiing in September. I found it very useful for getting used to riding the board. It is not exactly the same as kiting as the pull is through your arms not a harness (I though my arms were going to pull out of their sockets!) but I still think it was worthwhile and probably worth doing again some time to concentrate on edging.
Hope to get out Sunday arvo
Cheers
Pat
Hi everyone, you'll all be wondering what the fuss was about very soon. The best advice I got when I started was to use a big TT.. I improved faster once I got a 150x48 still use it in medium conditions when my 170x50 becomes a handful. For all the northern side people I just had a great session off Manly this afternoon, 10/12 knots with the big board and a 21m Flysurfer Speed 3,don't hesitate to ask better riders for advice, most people are more than happy to help. Hope to see a few people tomorrow at the demo. Zeke
Select to expand quoteAnwargoku said..
Hi, I will definitely go on Sunday arvo if its stays like this. Cheers, Anwar
I'll watch out for you mate, hope to catch up 
Select to expand quoteTootharoo said..
I'm out for two weeks - double infection of left ear. Probably dodgy BB water quality combined with an immune system flattened by kids. Happy kiting.
That sux man, hope you have a speedy recovery 
Select to expand quotePat2031 said..
Hi guys I am another newbie learning down at Botany Bay. Hope to meet you soon. I had a good lesson last week with Kite Sessions (Jeep) so keen to do some more practice. Someone asked a question a couple of weeks ago about wakeboarding. I went out to Panthers and had a go at cable skiing in September. I found it very useful for getting used to riding the board. It is not exactly the same as kiting as the pull is through your arms not a harness (I though my arms were going to pull out of their sockets!) but I still think it was worthwhile and probably worth doing again some time to concentrate on edging. Hope to get out Sunday arvo
That's awesome mate, I might have a go at Panthers one day if I get the time, just for a laugh anyway.
Keep and eye out for me Sunday, planning to get there around midday to catch the lighter winds. Probably stick around for a couple hours. I've got a 12m black and white Crazyfly, I'll be the one with the 2 kids chasing me up and down the beach lol.
Ok slightly random and off topic but I am bored at work and daydreaming of the big kiting adventures I am going to be having in 25 days time when I head to Yamba.
I was going to post this in the newbies section but figured a bit of local knowledge/experiences might be useful. What I was wondering was how far out/how deep do you guys go before you start getting your board on for water starting?
My problem is that I am body dragging out to where I can barely touch bottom before I start putting the board on my feet so that if I screw up the start and go head first I am not in shallow enough water that I am going to hit bottom. The problem I am finding however is that at BB, the swell (despite being near nothing) and the current (which is often going the other direction to the wind) is either turning me around so that my feet and board are not pointing the right way or wind drags one way, current grabs board and drags the other leaving me on my stomach feet behind me, either way I now have to flounder around like a moron trying to turn around while trying to control my kite. Which usually ends in my kite in the water and me having to start all over again and it ends in me getting very frustrated.
I watched the more experienced guys the other day and noticed that those that weren't starting out completely on the sand and either boosting into the water or just dragging across the bit of sand to the water were at the most starting out no further than they could comfortably sit still. Generally they would sit just inside the water's edge no more than waist deep, kite just off 12 over the water, slip the board on their feet, wait for a little wave to come in then dive the kite and off they'd go. It reminded me very much of the stand up exercise you do with a trainer kite to get use to water starting (makes sense now why they say to practice that haha), only difference is they stood up onto their board and into the water.
My main reason for asking is that when I am kiting in Yamba it is a surf beach, generally small waves but if the swell and current at BB is giving me grief, water starting in the surf is going to be hectic.
hey warehouse13,
this may be a case of the blind leading the blind (quite literally as I just had eye surgery!), but hopefully you an gleen some useful information from my (in)experience!
I would be going out to a reasonable depth to perform the waterstart, waist deep water should be fine but its probably safer to have a bit of extra distance between you and the shore if possible. Some of it can depend on the conditions, but I go out a bit further when the wind is more onshore, as you need a bit of room to gather some speed (going downwind ie onshore) before you start edging, moreso when you are a learner.
In regards to the waves and current spinning you around, I would say most of this can be alleviated by keeping your kite directly above you. One hand in the middle of the bar and using the other hand quickly put your feet into the straps of the board. once your feet are in the straps see how putting different amounts of pressure on each foot can spin you either way also.
All of this is covered nicely in the progression dvd, I really recommend it if you haven't watched it.
In any case im a total beginner myself, and hopefully I haven't put you too far wrong! there are people much better placed than myself to answer these sorts of questions, hopefully they will chime in.
Cheers
Hey Warehouse
Where in Botany Bay are you riding? If you are at Dolls, that is the narrowest part of BB and suffers from more current than further down where the rock groynes are. The channel is only 50m from the beach at Dolls, and all the water running in and out with the tide has to pass that point of the bay. The groynes are designed to slow or stop the current, or cross shore drift. Riding there is much easier for a newb. I know as I am one as well.
Cheers
Thanks for the input guysSelect to expand quotemanlykiter said..
using the other hand quickly put your feet into the straps of the board
I think that might be half the problem, need to be a bit quicker getting the board on and dropping the kite to start pulling myself out of the water
Yeah sandyscott, I tend to try to get out around 1st Carpark and Hollywood around the groynes rather than Dolls, the swell at Dolls tends to be larger as well due to the traffic and channel I've noticed.
Was thinking of giving Kurnell a go but sounds like it could be a bit tricky until I get better at my kite control in general
Anyone looking at going down for a Friday arvo kite tomorrow?
If the wind stays the way it's forecast I will be heading straight from work and getting to 1st carpark around 4:30ish
Hi Warehouse,
Im planing on going tomorrow arvo but the wind seems fishy, seems that it will start late in the evening.
I am going to try to get out tomorrow arvo.
Looks like a good Northeaster day. The Seabreeze forecast chart always seems to have the Northeasters building late in the day (even into the night) when the reality is they build much earlier (depending on how hot it is out west). Look at the forecast and actual windspeed graphs for today as a good example (the breeze was 15knts at 1pm even though forecast said it would not build till 7pm). It is very rare for a NE'ster to keep building after sunset. At this time of year if its NE in the morning and you dont get a front or a thunderstorm then its a pretty good bet it will be good in the afternoon.
Cheers
Pat
Awesome, hopefully we can catch up guys.
Yeah as Pat said SB forecast is usually quite conservative, you are best off going off the BOM marine forecast here www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtml?location=nsw-syd&tz=AEDT
It is usually pretty spot on from 2-3 days out, looking like 15-20 knots around 1700hrs so reckon it should be a good arvo.
I am going to hit up 1st carpark to start with and try to get in near the downwind side of the groynes where the water is a little calmer, see if helps with my whole turning around issues.
Will probably duck down to Dolls after to check out the KP demo. Want to get out while winds are still kind slow before it picks up too much. I found the last time I was there with 25ish knot winds it was getting a bit too over powered for my 11m, want to try to get out in closer to 15knt winds
Hope you are right and we gonna have some wind this afternoon. BOM forecast has changed a bit. Its more 10-13knots for the arvo!
Yeah it has dropped a little from yesterday but I reckon there should be enough to get out. I have my gear with me and am heading down straight from work as long as the BOM site is at least showing an gradual increase in observations. It's only going to get harder to find time to get out the closer to xmas we get for me so I gotta take every chance I can. If the wind doesn't get up enough for the board I will get some body drag practise in instead. Anything to get out on the water :-D , but I reckon we will end up with around 15 knots gusting up a bit mid to late arvo
Have to think positive - THERE WILL BE WIND 
11 knots gusting to 15 at 1300hrs
15 knots gusting to 18 at 1330hrs
And steadily climbing, reckon it's going to be a great afternoon.
Only hour and 15 before I can knock off then an hours drive to get there, hopefully it stays around the 15-18 knots until I get there.
Anyone else coming down or is going to be just me and anwargoku?
I'm busy selling the bike and buying a car today/thisweekend - really looking forward to actually bringing the board with me! I'll be out as soon as my wheels are sorted.
Awesome dude, you looked like you had no issues with kite control and body dragging the other day so i reckon you'll kill it on the board.
Just checked BOM and its now looking like 17 gusting to 21 to hopefully it stays there, I've found 25 knots is about my limits with my 11m so would hate to get down there and there be too much wind. Fingers crossed I can up for longer the 5secs today, might even have a try at water starting goofey
Bike sold, not looking at a car until Monday though. Frustrating!!
Yeah, I'm hoping experience waterstarting with my windsurfer back in the day will help, but I remember in the brief go I had, I had similar issues to you. Kept getting pulled over/past the board even while the kite was high up, having to mess about body dragging back up, then as soon as I get it on my feet get pulled downwind of it again.
