I'd post this in the Vic forum but I suspect it doesn't get as many views, and anything I can do to retain access at Brighton I will. Let the rant commence:

Seems an increasing number of beginners think they're ready to kite at Brighton in northerlies. Yesterday was further proof that this location and wind direction is for intermediates and above. By this I mean people who can:
Tell the f$%king wind direction well enough to know where to stand when getting launched,
Handle the very punchy gusts and still hold ground in the lulls (from 12-25 in a blink yesterday),
Work the wind shifts to stay upwind
Keep their kite well clear of other beachgoers if they have to do the walk of shame (kite over the water, not over the beach as you walk up)
Understand that when folk are swimming you stay the f$%k away from them.

Yesterday there were several incidents where non-kiters were freaked out by wayward kites. I spoke to a few of the offenders, all of whom recognised they'd bitten off more than they could chew. Others I only saw from the water. For those, and other beginners wondering what to do next northerly, this post is for you.

For the other competent kiters, if someone asks for a launch and then walks to an obviously wrong spot, have a word. If a person can't even sense the wind direction and/or can't understand the physics of launching from the edge of the window, and can't even work out which way to move so that their kite is catching just enough wind for a launch, then what chance have they got of being able to do the other stuff? It's up to those of us who know better to check in with them.

Beginners, if you stuff up at Brighton in a northerly then the next landfall is some way away, quite possibly past Frankston. Even if you bodydrag back to the south end of the beach having realised that maybe your 12m is a little overcooked for the 30knot gusts, there's nobody there to help you. All the skilled kiters are on the water or at the north end of the beach. The south end will be covered with sunbathers and is even gustier than the more exposed north end.

If you aren't sure you can handle this, and if you don't have a small enough kite, wait for a seabreeze. You'll learn a lot more by watching the experienced kiters rip it up than by going out and getting smashed on your first run, tangling your bridle round a wingtip, losing your board and hoping that someone else sees you in time to help.

I feel better now. (And I had an awesome session yesterday, was grinning even as I had a quiet word with said beginners. Still grinning thinking about it, that's part of why I want to ensure no public liability incidents there.)

I told a couple of guys with a Beast to put their kite in the bag. Apart from having no idea and almost clobbering a couple of girlies and being in the middle of everybody, the driver of the kite had pale pink boardies on. Definitely a fashion crime. They seemed to get the message.

I also picked up over a dozen bottles and cans after my session. Newbies are actively invited to belt people who leave sh't on the beach.

It made my day to see several very big, very angry kiters descend on a group of lads who thought the correct way to dispose of empties was to piff them into the sea or smash them on rocks. No threats or violence. Just an unequivocal message that this behaviour will not be tolerated and made to pick up all the broken glass in the area.

The sad thing is the lads were not thugs or yobs, just young and inherently stupid.

Can't see brighton being a kiter's beach too much longer unless there is a segregated section for kiters. There's just far too many bathers on the beach! It's becoming the new St Kilda.
I only visit brighton very rarely these days and will probably only return in winter next year when the beach is empty.

my $3.50

Coose said...

why even bother with Brighton in a northerly? even if your an advanced rider....you should know better.

Maybe try another 10-15 min dive down towards Frankston way, hell... even Rosebud!
if you only get 1-2 hours on the water the quality of the sesh will far out weigh the effort of kiting at Brighton in a northerly, just pure struggle town.

how about because at the moment it's 23 knots at brighton, and Frankston is only 5 knots!

plus for the city afterwork crew, during peak hour, its much more than 10-15 mins.

Gorgo said...

I told a couple of guys with a Beast to put their kite in the bag. Apart from having no idea and almost clobbering a couple of girlies and being in the middle of everybody, the driver of the kite had pale pink boardies on. Definitely a fashion crime. They seemed to get the message.

I also picked up over a dozen bottles and cans after my session. Newbies are actively invited to belt people who leave sh't on the beach.

It made my day to see several very big, very angry kiters descend on a group of lads who thought the correct way to dispose of empties was to piff them into the sea or smash them on rocks. No threats or violence. Just an unequivocal message that this behaviour will not be tolerated and made to pick up all the broken glass in the area.

The sad thing is the lads were not thugs or yobs, just young and inherently stupid.

Ah Gorgo, now I know who you are. Crossbows joined the dots for me. I'll say hi next time!

As for Mr. Pink with reel leash, they were about to try again after you told them off. I put the matter pretty bluntly, though not without diplomacy, and they seemed to finally get it.

As for the young'uns, I hope they got the message. Incidentally I was the first and loudest, possibly angriest, not the biggest, but maybe scariest (with my hooded gimp rashie) to approach them. True there were no direct threats but I did point out the half dozen gnarly dudes behind me as I approached in order to make the ground rules clear. Pollution on large or small scales gets my goat. I hope they'll think twice next time, and for anyone else considering smashing bottles at the beach in front of me, you've been warned ...

This needs to be in the localism thread and the reason is because you havn't actually explained why Brighton isn't suitable for beginners...things like crowds on hot days, reef, having rock walls on both sides making self rescue difficult ect.

All the things you have described is general safety knowledge applicable for all locations. So yer you come across as being elitist, a localist and a bit of a wanker. Don't take it personally, its just the tone you used to get your point across.

Taurus said...

This needs to be in the localism thread and the reason is because you havn't actually explained why Brighton isn't suitable for beginners...things like crowds on hot days, reef, having rock walls on both sides making self rescue difficult ect.

All the things you have described is general safety knowledge applicable for all locations. So yer you come across as being elitist, a localist and a bit of a wanker. Don't take it personally, its just the tone you used to get your point across.

I think I put it pretty clearly and the issue is Brighton in Northerlies, not Brighton in general. To recap, in Northerlies the wind is way gustier than other directions. It is generally warmer so more public on the beach, it is a lot further to the next downwind landfall than other kiteable directions.

Perhaps I should clarify my terms. I call a noob someone fresh out of lessons who is just getting up on their board, not holding ground and is flat out keeping their kite in the air, let alone navigating around others. Noobs should never kite at Brighton regardless of wind direction for a bunch of reasons including rock walls etc.

Beginners I regard as those who can ride back and forth, holding ground in moderate winds and who can keep their kite in the air, and have enough control to at least slow down when approaching other people/objects.

I'm fine with beginners like this kiting at Brighton in seabreezes. The wind is more consistent and fewer punters on the beach. Westerlies, maybe, Northerlies, never.

If you think I come across as a wanker, come along and meet the tools who want to teach their buddies on the beach in swirling gusty northerlies 30m upwind of kids building sandcastles. If it's elitism to tell those guys to take their shenanigans somewhere else or wait for more suitable conditions, then damn straight I'm an elitist, a pro-active, prevention-better-than-cure, elitist.

Looks like Saturday will be perfect for a Brighton session, Now the newbies have been warned off.

n00bs going out in inappropriate conditions has been happening since time and memoriam, in all sorts of water sports. It doesn't really matter whether it was a northerly and gusty, or a 35knot cool change coming from the south, when people are new to the sport they are going to put themselves in inappropriate conditions. It's up to the experienced amongst us to take the 2 minutes to help them out.

Riding a northerly can suck pretty hard in Brighton even if you are experienced. I've had a couple of times where I've come off and haven't been able to body drag easily back to my board because of the gusts.