dusta said..

iandvnt said..
"Sure you western aus guys have better wind, but at least here on the east we don't have to wear a life jacket." lol

"who was pissed off with kiters at leighton because they kited where he liked to surf" perth surf... legit! what a loser.. lol

how come suddenly there is a law without any mention on here first to help kiters be ready to do submissions - good representation, not..

Very short sighted not to take into account wave ridering kiters 400m+ out to sea kiting reefs - kind of selfish.

mbuckley do you go further than 400m offshore ?

Yes, multiple times every wave session in the sea breeze (4+ days a week). My normal tack to get back upwind after a few waves is approximately 700m out (I know this from having to cross the line of shark bait at 500m!). I am happy to swim or self-rescue from this distance (minus crossing the bait line!!).

The idea that this doesn’t affect 99+% of WA kiters is wrong. Even if DOT doesn’t enforce the law, do you really want to be breaking the law every time you pass that invisible 400m line? As discussed in the previous thread, 400m is not a long distance for kiting, self rescuing, or swimming.

default said..
For safety's sake and due diligence.. we HAVE to ensure this notice makes it out across the globe. Especially to our fellow kiters in Europe who want to come kite in WA this summer.

default said..
For safety's sake and due diligence.. we HAVE to ensure this notice makes it out across the globe. Especially to our fellow kiters in Europe who want to come kite in WA this summer.

Good idea.

And can all those chanting 'I can surf and wear what I like, dude, and The Man ain't taking that away from me' please get off the bong, away from the car park and panel van barracades, and think about common sense.
More race kiters are heading offshore to get away from the shorebreak lawnmowing crowd, so only really affects the ones playing with the bulk carriers in Gage Roads - and perhaps those few doing anydownwinders that sometimes head beyond the general shorebreak-400m line of lawnmowers.
There's going to be a year-long education period, a year of warnings and fines won't come in until after that, apparently.

mbuckley said..

...do you really want to be breaking the law every time you pass that invisible 400m line? As discussed in the previous thread, 400m is not a long distance for kiting, self rescuing, or swimming.

Every day I drive, I see people on phones, speeding, tailgating, running red lights etc etc. And thats endangering others, not yourself!

From an everyday punter point of view, I think it's a silly idea, but I do understand how it can get to this point. Life isn't as simple as it was 20 years ago.

This sh1t has come to NSW as well. Though thankfully no need for flares or EPIRB:


www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/index.html

Yeh I love the idea of carrying an explosive device around with me.... well thought through guys....

My two cents worth after kiting for 12 years and surfing for 40 both in WA and QLD

Like all new rules and laws , they can be challenged if they are considered to endanger lives , carrying a explosive ( Flares) on your body I'm sure relates highly as dangerous , haven't had a had alook at flares lately but I'm sure that the instructions would say keep away from your body some where.

Obviously there have been some incidents that have happened over the last few years now that kiting is ever more popular , and the so called safety gurus that have no idea what kiting and / windsurfing is about have come up with this brilliant plan , not

No use everyone stressing about it look at the new laws ,if the majority of the people concerned (kiters/windsurfers) challenge it while it's in the early introduction phase and come up with new ways to ensure the safety of the kiters that the F wits in government can understand ,

www.transport.wa.gov.au/imarine/life-jackets.asp

pfd type3 is the minimum standard. then its an epirb or plb

not sure if there is an app on your phone (with a water proof cover) for the plb

So now that we're recognized as vessels by the DOT, does this mean all kiters in WA are going to need to have a recreational skippers ticket?

just jumped on the breeze after a bit of a period away and got a bit of a surprise from this thread and a few others relating to it. once i'd had a chance to digest, i'd realised this isn't that big a deal imo, but something worth considering over the next year or 2 in terms of gear, modifying my kit and depending on what type of kiting i'm doing in the future.
the vitriol towards waksa, DoT and others just doing what they think is best sucks to read (considering that most kiters are in effect a well educated middle-age demographic), but then again, this is an internet forum (and i suppose most kiters are grumpy middle agers too haha).

i have kited heaps of offshore spots, both south and north, but it's rarer then my usual sessions where 400m tacks or around the shark buoys is pretty bang on for where i head out to. i'm sure the usual crew at the offshore spots will just stay under the radar, do what they've been doing for a decade without calling attention to themselves - and noone at DoT will be the wiser. so breathe easy.
someone also hit the nail that the gov guys in transport are so under resourced anyways that it is hard enough to be checking vessels at the ramps all the time, so if you seriously think they will be out chasing kiters for going out 1km without a flare or pfd then just go ahead and take another deep breath.

i agree with another comment, that you are only likely to be pinged with a fine in future if you are rescued for example out past the channel markers, and don't have the relevant gear. im even sure that boaties railed against alot of the relatively new epirb and flare laws a couple of decades ago when they came in... but we are seeing the difference this education and legislation has made in recent rescues in WA.

so, my take on it is that if highlighting this legislation and educating / enforcing it over the next few years helps NEW kiters, that havent been kiting hells gates for half a decade already understand the risks and what might be either some worthy precautions, or just to reconsider whether they're ready, then this is probably a good thing. old kiters keep doing the risk assessments you subconciously have done a thousand times over, and if one day you say, "nah, f@rk it, i think i will take a flare or 2 out behind the island this year" or "this harness with built in pfd mightactually come in handy" then good luck to you and i hope you never use em.


finally, i just wanted to take the time to remind of a tragedy up near coros close to 2 years ago (RIP), that is a timely reminder of both the risks and the epicness of this past time we do. a gentleman of the sea died at 70 from drowning after things went wrong offshore. i'm not saying any of the new legislation is applicable to potentially averting this tragedy - however none of us can bury our heads in the sand and not acknowledge that things can go very very wrong at there, and for most of us will at some time, and if you are going to pay the price it is better to prepare for the worst. i know i've had my share of lucky dodges and will continue to way up my safety equipment versus fun factor as time goes on.
for those who don't recall:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Man-dead-kite-surfing-20-km-north-Geraldton/

again - R.I.P.

looking forward to some good winds for all.

..So who's wearing their pfd? I haven't seen anyone :P