Hi everyone,
Fairly new the sport of kitesurfing but have been surfing for over 20 years. Can't wait to get my kite skills up sufficiently so i can hit the waves as soon as possible. Anyway, I have a question and wouldn't mind to hear what u all think and your opinions and stuff....

When u are out in the waves kitesurfing how close do u allow yourself to get to surfers?
Is there any legal limit in Victoria or the rest of Australia for that matter?

What about kitesurfing on a nice point break or reef and there being surfers in the line up cause its a class-A wave, is that a no go zone? Should i limit kitesurfing to uncrowded waves away from the bulk of surfers?

Also, what if you have walked down the beach away from the main pack of surfers but there is still a few on the other peaks down the beach, what do u do? How many surfers are around when u are out there and what considerations do u take into account if u get out there?

Do u have any rules in place taking into consideration that on a kite we can get many more waves and pick off the best ones easily from out the back before surfers have even thought about the wave, as i think that is something that would frustrate most surfers, what do u say about that and how do u guys go about kitesurfing good waves on a surfboard or directional board when there are surfers around, like to hear your feedback, opinions, restrictions and rules regarding safety and etiquette as well as just some of your experiences....

Hey WaveRipper,

I think that it is fair to take your share but to allow the surfers their rightful waves too. By pulling off a nice wave and calling them on, usually shows respect and consideration.

If the break is crowded with surfers I usually move on. If there are a couple of surfers out there in 25 knots, blown out crap, I give em space but take what I want. If I see them paddling for a wave I pull out.

It's a bout fairness. If you do pick off a nice one make sure you rip it to bits and don't kook it.

With regard to distance to surfers, as far as I know, there are no hard and fast rules in the real world. Just don't get too close, they'll let you know if you are too close.

Hope this helps,

Good winds,

Surf when it's offshore , Kite when It's onshore . Easy

Kitehard said...

Hey WaveRipper,

I think that it is fair to take your share but to allow the surfers their rightful waves too. By pulling off a nice wave and calling them on, usually shows respect and consideration.

If the break is crowded with surfers I usually move on. If there are a couple of surfers out there in 25 knots, blown out crap, I give em space but take what I want. If I see them paddling for a wave I pull out.

It's a bout fairness. If you do pick off a nice one make sure you rip it to bits and don't kook it.

With regard to distance to surfers, as far as I know, there are no hard and fast rules in the real world. Just don't get too close, they'll let you know if you are too close.

Hope this helps,

Good winds,

I agree-think you're pretty much spot on-except in NSW there are rules on how far we are supposed to stay away from surfers-30m as Mr Float points out-now about those fugging jetskiers......

Kitehard said...

Hey WaveRipper,

I think that it is fair to take your share but to allow the surfers their rightful waves too. By pulling off a nice wave and calling them on, usually shows respect and consideration.

If the break is crowded with surfers I usually move on. If there are a couple of surfers out there in 25 knots, blown out crap, I give em space but take what I want. If I see them paddling for a wave I pull out.

It's a bout fairness. If you do pick off a nice one make sure you rip it to bits and don't kook it.

With regard to distance to surfers, as far as I know, there are no hard and fast rules in the real world. Just don't get too close, they'll let you know if you are too close.

Hope this helps,

Good winds,

Kitrehard,
here in W.A. I think you'll find that kiting would come into the class of being towed under power, which is actually only allowed in designated ski areas, so we need to be very careful that we're not kiting in bathing areas and drawing complaints.
I think that a self imposed code of conduct similar to that surfers code (don't snake, don't drop in, rights of way, etc..) would go a long way to preserving our sport.