Hey - good work guys, I always wondered what was going on as at the end of last year (xmas holidays) I spent the day down there and sort of figured that with the crowds at the front beaches thru to Wategos at least would make for a cheeky session...

I think one day soon we will have to do something similar on the Goldie although we have lots more open beach area and less overall crowding unless you try kiting at Caville Ave! Our problems relate mainly to the flagged areas and how many kiters intentionally or accidentally end up in there and cause the lifeguards to have heart attacks and write a log in their little black books...

I had probably one of the best sessions of 2008 at Tallows in 15-18knots N/NE with only 2-3 foot of swell but they were welling up on the bank around 150 metres out and it was so much fun riding out and following these gentle suckers into the beach until I almost got all the way to the Caravan Park 5km later...I actually hadn't organised a downwinder so I had to walk back with my gear - took me 1hr and 30mins and a big nut RASH later to get back to Tallows and one very angry girl friend....!!

It might be an idea to email SEQKA with this info, maybe they could help educate other local (gold coast) riders (thru our web site) as many of us from the Goldie come down to Byron for a change up - given the easy drive now. Anyway congrats on being proactive and taking the initiative so that council hopefully won't have the chance to overreact and place more permanent and restrictive policies on you locally....

Keep us updated...

There were a lot of people who contributed to this over the years... and thanks to all involved. Please spread the word, especially to travelling kiters.. tourists who stop by at Byron need to know not to just set up out the front of Main Beach... just takes a short walk up the beach, either eastwards or west.

If all goes well this season, hopefully the Council will adopt the kitesurfing plan and we'll keep access in the bay.

So do you HAVE to have AKSA membership to kite seven mile or the pass???
If so, are there fines if you dont??
And who is policing this???.

I am in no way against AKAS insurance etc, just that at my local there is no-one around to hurt but myself(rural) but I like to kite 7 mile or where ever when I pass through, which is only 1 or 2 sessions a year.

lotofwind said...

So do you HAVE to have AKSA membership to kite seven mile or the pass???
If so, are there fines if you dont??
And who is policing this???.

I am in no way against AKAS insurance etc, just that at my local there is no-one around to hurt but myself(rural) but I like to kite 7 mile or where ever when I pass through, which is only 1 or 2 sessions a year.

Public liability insurance... Good question. No-one wants to be a policeman, the Council Rangers don't, the Marine Parks Authority don't, local kitesufers sure don't - we all just want to get out and have fun on the water.

But it was an important part of our submission, that we remove responsibility from council for kitesurfing accidents. If it is well-known that you can only kitesurf at the Pass if you have public liability insurance, it is a major factor in allowing us continued access.

The proposed ban came about because of close calls with the public at Main Beach. In reality, in 10 years there were only 2 accidents with the public on record with the lifesavers. But the potential exists. The more people around, the more risk of accidents. Its in all our interests to be insured. If I maim someone, however unlikely, I don't want to be paying their bills for the rest of my life.

So, who's going to police it? Locals, probably. There are no fines. If we self-regulate effectively, then there will be a future for kitesurfing in the area. If not, we'll lose it.