wonder if there will be less euros this year, now that they don't have any money with the euro financial crisis and all (?)

default said...

wonder if there will be less euros this year, now that they don't have any money with the euro financial crisis and all (?)

... that and all the sharks in WA!

Cameras, especially ones with fish eye lenses encourage people to get close.

You often see guys standing in the water and guys ride almost over them or jump very near them. There are several videos showing impacts when it goes wrong.

Even when you're not close you can still be in range (just hit the back edge of his sail). Given there's plenty of space, he probably gave them more clearance next time.

.. Your set of rules is obvious but does not hint at how to avoid collision (usually why those collisions happen: not knowing what to do) you might know by now what to do but a beginner might not be enlightened to such extent and needs to understand how to avoid dangerous situations... Dissing the rules just won't help, dismissing them is irresponsible altogether.

That's easy. Stop. Turn around. Move over. Ride somewhere else.

The application of the starboard rule is eminently simple, just turn right. Nobody knows what the rule is and nobody applies it.

The speed and maneuverability and crowding that many people kite in renders the starboard rule mostly pointless. You end up with people trying to guess where they are relative to each other and grumpy people yelling at everybody else.

If you ride along expecting people to obey some silly rule then you create the situation where people have a sense of entitlement. "He hit me because he was in the wrong!"

Start off from the position of "see and avoid". That makes collision avoidance the responsibility of everybody.

It also follows that more experienced riders "see" better and "avoid" better so the problem of incompetent newbies causing crashes is reduced.

As others have eluded to starboard/port ROW is more or less irrelevant in a lot of circumstances. In a wave location generally you should give way to the person riding the wave regardless of tack. In a freestyle/free ride situation it depends on the spot but generally make you intentions clear whether to go upwind or downwind by kite position. If there is a circuit like there is at many beaches you should be considerate of people trying to find space to do tricks (i.e keep upwind) although it is obviously the person doing a tricks responsibility to find the space- don't be a dick and ride downwind of them. In a racing circumstance the starboard/port rules absolutely apply.

There's just no point complicating the issue by expecting people to add port/starboard confusion into a simple act of seeing someone deciding whether you will pass upwind or downwind of them and making your intentions clear by raising or lowering the kite.

Each beach will operate differently- respect the other riders.