Graeme
before we allow your posting to be the first to get 1000 hits, giving you a life membership (Laurie?) to Sea Breeze, perhaps you could post your x rays on the web so we can check your authenticity.

I suspect you're not going to be beaten until we can get a decent shark bite storey going........on past records it is likely to be in German (don't mention the war). Sorrry, I retract that last bit.

Graeme,

In reply to how to help inexperienced kiters. Firstly, This forum is the best way to ask other kiters about kiting spots, conditons etc.

A lot of inexperienced kiters won't go to up to other kiters on the beach and blurt out 'I am a learner' Why is this? Old fashioned pride and ego.
All inexperienced(any kiters) should not kite by themselves.
All enexperienced kiters should watch others on the water to determine conditions. Have a look at what size kites are being flown, how big the person is flying the kite and what moves/tricks they are doing, direction they are going and what area they are avoiding. You can work out pretty quick who is experienced.
All inexperienced kiters should talk to other kiters on the beach, ask about wind conditions, hidden rocks, holes in the wind (Pt. Walter). We are all a friendly bunch, we all like to grab a free launch/catch of each other. I remember a guy down the river was going to self launch, Lucky Bay,(learner). Dan offered to launch him and the guy said no, or his pride said no. Dan answered in his friendly way, hey I've been kiting 4 yrs and I never knock back a free launch, the guy accepted.
It is in all our interests for the safety of the sport to help these people, we were all learners once, so try not to make some guy on the beach who is asking you a million questions while you are rushing to pump your kite up to get on the water, feel like a fool and give them good advice.

Sue

Quote: before we allow your posting to be the first to get 1000 hits, giving you a life membership (Laurie?) to Sea Breeze, perhaps you could post your x rays on the web so we can check your authenticity

Haha! .. Ok - I've give a free membership to Graeme, if Shannon gives him a FireAway DVD for getting the most read topic (which I think Shannon holds for his kite auction in the buy & sell?)

Graeme - if you & anyone is interested, I can put your crazy neck/back photo's on the site .. let me know.. [email protected] ... I'm getting a FAQ together, and this topic will be in it for sure!

Thanks Laurie - honorary membership graciously accepted. Shannon gave me a free DVD when I helped rescue him from the water after he almost broke his ankle in shallows. Unfortunately Fingers is still borrowing my copy, so would love another one Shannon. ;-)

Now, to get this thread back on purpose ... Sue's offered some good feedback on improving communication with new fella's. Does anyone else have any ideas on how we might improve our safety record?

Personally I think some sort of empirical rating system is needed, because a newby can't judge site conditions without the background of experience. Mines have ratings, the weather has ratings, pilots and aircraft have empirical ratings.

Are there any other ideas someone can throw into the melting pot please?

Graeme

happens to the BEST
see current discussion on kiteforum.com

seems shannon best had an ugly experience recently

same issues- gusts/squalls
worth a look as detailed analysis with weather graphics - trust the seppo's

Thanks for the explanation and info on the site Laurie - really useful stuff I reckon.
R

Thanks Brett

We've got the WA Kitesurfing Association (WAKSA) developing some printed notices and flyers which must be just about due to be posted. The idea was that each site would then consider whether additional location specific comments could be printed at the bottom of each sign at each site.

Guy's, what do you think about brain storming this a bit further? Can someone propose a basic rating system (for rider, location, conditions)? Could that be printed as a supplement to the signs which WAKSA's going to be posting at each site? It would give us a benchmark which we don't have at the moment. As Brett said, other sports have a rating system. If we started to evolve a safety rating system for ourselves, I think it would help our sport mature a bit quicker.

Does anybody from the WAKSA committee have a comment to offer?

Graeme

"Send it up" is 100% on the money, we all gotta lead(offer help to) less experienced kiters (or tell them not to kite in winter conditions, and other kiters need a bit of advice if they are stuffin up. A few Cott regulars were drifting back to the Cott phone box site in the last week, because it is a easier place to leave your car, they all know the council is on our arses to ban us in the area, I WAS AMAZED AT THEIR SELFISHNESS.

poms will be poms I guess.
Graeme, glad to hear that you are getting better. Have been wondering how you were going.