Been surfing Trigg in the afternoon seabreeze for a wind wave since I was a kid... every year there's more and more kiters flying past with no regard for surfers or anyone else in the water. This year it's got to the point I looked into doing something about it.
Turns out they aren't allowed in the south Trigg area from 1st Oct to 30th April: "North from a line westwards from the southern most end of the No 3 carpark to the Trigg boat ramp". I can't post the link to the document, if you want to look it up it's the first link when putting "Stirling beach recreational activity policy" into google, there's a map with the exclusion area included in this.
I've tried talking directly to kiters asking for some respect both ways, however am either ignored or told to **** off. It's generally the inexperienced kiters that are the problem, however the majority of them now seem to fall into this category. I'm not generally a fan of dobbing someone in, but I'm sick of nearly getting my head taken off by arrogant kiters with no regard for anyone else in the water. If anyone else is getting grief from kiters in the exclusion area you can contact the Beach Inspectors on 1300 415 228.
Cheers
Sounds like a fair enough point to me, purely safety based and not like you are wanting to create a new rule, perhaps it has just been a rule that is upheld with common sense (ie. if no one out there surfing or swimming and only a few kiters no where near anyone it is deemed ok)
This rule was created a while ago as there were several collisions.
I cannot locate the article however there was a couple in the paper when they occurred.
A lot of kids surf here after school and with the foil boards it would only ever lead to a fatality,
This rule was created a while ago as there were several collisions.
I cannot locate the article however there was a couple in the paper when they occurred.
A lot of kids surf here after school and with the foil boards it would only ever lead to a fatality,
There's no where to hide if you had an out of control foil heading towards you
Its something that needs to be watched for proximity to other people
Halloween on water
Summer only really starting to kick in, more people at the beach with less travel, this will be an interesting one to watch how COS handle it.
Imagine the backlash for a local government if genuine concerns were raised on record, nothing done and there is a serious accident. Wonder how they would fine people, have rangers on Kites as well? Crew could launch well away from the beach in question and work their way up and back?
Yep, fair points, it's a massive safety issue. Other beaches have issues too, I have been hit at Leighton.
Thanks for the input all - I've had a couple of genuine near misses already this season, once coming up from a duckdive and having a kiteboard fly past less than a meter from my head. These were in the area north of 3rd carpark. My concern is definitely a safety one (rather than any sort of generic anti-kiting stance), I also have no issue with kiters walking south of 3rd car park and using the area outside the exclusion zone. It's only come to a head now that there's no where between Brighton and Trigg that surfers can use without a very real risk of being hit by a kiters.
The exclusion area is relatively small compared to the amount of space kiters have available, to me it seems like a sensible area to leave for surfers to enjoy the area as well. If you do have any issues in this area of Trigg it'd be worth reporting as currently there doesn't seem to be any enforcement of the exclusion zone.
Cheers again
There is a safe distance rule although Im not sure what distance it is,
but good to know as they are liable if they injure anyone while not adhering to it, ok its 60 metres from any other water users
Maybe post this in the kitesurfing general (it's mostly WA) section?
As a kitesurfer (and surfer) myself I give any surfer (very few in our bay) a wide berth or let them know that I can see them, but if they are breaking the rules and kiting in non designated (swimming) areas I would report them.
Maybe post this in the kitesurfing general (it's mostly WA) section?
As a kitesurfer (and surfer) myself I give any surfer (very few in our bay) a wide berth or let them know that I can see them (eg. with a wave) so they don't need to worry. Nothing scares me more than hitting a swimmer or surfer that just popped up.
If they are breaking the rules and kiting in non designated (swimming) areas and not responding to you, I would report them. Just make sure you get their kite color and brand.
Select to expand quotePeahi said..
Maybe post this in the kitesurfing general (it's mostly WA) section?
As a kitesurfer (and surfer) myself I give any surfer (very few in our bay) a wide berth or let them know that I can see them (eg. with a wave) so they don't need to worry. Nothing scares me more than hitting a swimmer or surfer that just popped up.
If they are breaking the rules and kiting in non designated (swimming) areas and not responding to you, I would report them. Just make sure you get their kite color and brand.
I posted it in the WA section for y'all
WTF are you doing surfing in 20knot slop. Should be like down south where real surfers and kiters have a good understanding and share. Offshore till around 1, surfers only,. After that once the wind is in, pass the batting. Fairs fair.
You pass no kiting rule,.. as a swimmer I'll winge about your out of control surfboards,.way more swimmers get hit but surfboards than surfers by kite.
Ban everything I say,.. no more fun cuz it scares me... What what wha
i never knew that rule as a surfer or a kiter. Broken it in winter when no-one around on cracking westerlies.
If u do get smacked in the head or want to raise it for maybe some action you could try hitting up kiteboarding WA, would like to see my membership fees go to something useful, maybe they can put some signs up rather than it being buried in a website
kiteboardingwa.org.au/contact/
mahalo
As a surfer that sometimes likes to roll the arms over in the summer slop as well, and long term Kiter on that stretch, I'm sorry to hear you feel the need to go down the path of authority, rules and regs. Kiting does seem to attract a minority of somewhat entitled look at me twits, usually with no or limited ocean knowledge, but I don't think the majority is like that. A couple of points to the above:
- I've only ever seen a couple of kiters with foils going in the waves through there over the years. Most are outside on the swells, so let's not make that the issues (a fin chop if coming up from duck dive is bad enough anyways)- Most foilers have worked out kite-foil is better for racing, so now it is the wingers and paddlers mostly on foils in surf. There was even a prone foiler just doing a huge down wind drift with wave riding etc last week. Definitely a disaster waiting to happen in Perth crowds eventually.
- north of thirds kiters are probably either end of down winder crew getting that last tack or two in, or it's the triangle guys who are trying to avoid the DWer crew as well. I'll kite down there myself when there's no one out surfing, but prefer not to if crews paddling, unfortunately not everyone's like that. Seen a few more windsurfers entering the arena around firsts in the past couple of summers as well.
- clubbies have done a good job in recent years chasing down dickheads going through the flagged areas close to shore and swimmers at scarbs, so maybe they will be willing to chew people out for you. - some signage at the thirds entrance probably will help majority understand the concept, but the dickheads will still do their thing no doubt (unfortunately).
Good luck, hold your ground, stink eye the **** out of em!!! 
thanks OP for posting, I wasn't aware of the official exclusion zone here. Although I always thought it was common sense not to kite north of trigg car park No. 3 due to swimmers and surfers.
Looking at that map, seems kiters should be coming in about 30 meters south of the last beach access trail. I'll spread the word.
The experienced kiters are most scary. Zipping around me creating wake that inhibits the fun factor. Saw them plowing between the flags at Scabs on the weekend too. Clubbies couldnt care less.
Select to expand quoteWeta said..
Would be good if the OP can update us with the response from Kiteboarding WA???
Kiteboarding WA were helpful. They weren't aware of the exclusion area at Trigg (which is fair enough given there's no signs), they plan to let their members know on social media and will talk to the rangers. Appreciated them replying to the message and taking some action, legends.
Same problem in Cottesloe aka Dutch Inn. There are exclusion zones in place and access is restricted to KWA and KA members but council doesn't seem to enforce this.
Yesterday I witnessed a number of people kiting and boosting right next to the groin. I personally saw a couple of close calls and when I pointed out that perhaps this wasn't the right place and that this was an exclusion zone I got told to "f*** off". Nice.
I would hate to see kiteboarding banned there because of a few cowboys. Perhaps if any KWA / KA members read this they could have a chat with these idiots and tell them to follow the rules. I feel it's only a matter of time before either someone gets injured.
New home of the nannystate:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Surfing/Shortboards
Exclude this, exclude that, no setting up on the grass here, look at my neat red and green local council map that noone has ever seen before and was drawn up by 5 bored people in a dimly lit room someday thinking up new regulations
These kind of exclusion zones are generally in existence because a small number of clowns couldn't play nice with the other kids in the playground.
Exactly and the "exclusion zone" is also least effective on those same small number of clowns.
It is typical nannystate bureaucracy, that does not solve any real problems, but instead disproportionally impacts the normal goings on of honest people doing the right thing.
WA might be waaay behind most modern society style of things compared to the rest of Aussie,
but waaaaay waay waaaaaay make up for it in the nanny style of things
Just out of interest what is the legal repercussions if someone injured by a kite surfer in one of these areas?
If its as crowded as I am reading above it will happen one day, there is an odd for everything.
Select to expand quoteSouwester said..
Just out of interest what is the legal repercussions if someone injured by a kite surfer in one of these areas?
If its as crowded as I am reading above it will happen one day, there is an odd for everything.
It doesn't matter if you are inside or outside a "gazetted" exclusion zone. The exclusion zone only gives rangers authority to boot kiters out of the water.
If a kiter hits a swimmer or beach bystander, the kite surfer will be liable. Even if it's not in an exclusion zone. KWA membership includes public liability insurance for such scenarios. If a kiter hits a surfer then it could be considered a maritime incident, and it will have to be settled with pistols at dawn.
I was under the impression that a kitesurfer, wingsurfer, windsurfer, surfer, supper, foil surfer, supfoiler, surfski, paddleski, kneeboards are all classified as "surfcraft".
Nutdip, in your world, who is responcible when a surfer hits a swimmer? Thats way more common than a kiter hitting someone.
Select to expand quotePrfctChaos said..
I was under the impression that a kitesurfer, wingsurfer, windsurfer, surfer, supper, foil surfer, supfoiler, surfski, paddleski, kneeboards are all classified as "surfcraft".
Nutdip, in your world, who is responcible when a surfer hits a swimmer? Thats way more common than a kiter hitting someone.
Seems pretty clear the surfer would be but I think the difference is that because a kite is moving so much faster the damage would be worse.
Generally speaking.
