Unfortunately, the people who most need to read this post probably won't, but it's worth putting up in the chance that they might.

Long Reef one day on the New Year's weekend (I forget which day now), it's 30C, sunny and about 6 billion people on the beach. Wind is about 15 knots S and there are about 15 kiters out. I've just come in and am walking across the beach to put the kite down for rest and suddenly a 12m kite has crashes into sand by me at full speed, bounces up and as I look up it's now relaunching, directly into my lines, knocking me over onto the sand and nearly entangling with my lines, which it would have done had I not steered my kite away immediately.

If there had been another 5 knots of wind, it could have been serious trouble.

A bloke is trying to teach his mate to kite with a 12m kite. There were sunbakers everywhere. There was practically NO room on the beach to even launch a kite, let alone enough room to teach anyone to fly a full-sized kite.

This beginner clearly had no clue how to fly even a trainer kite, yet his mate has given him a full-sized power kite--in the middle of a crowded beach.Truly idiotic behaviour.

Luckily, Pete and Mark were nearby and were on the guy in a flash, giving him a severe verbal lashing and as soon as I got my kite down I came back and did the same, demanding that they take the kite off this bloke and not give it back again.

So, PLEASE -- if you see this sort thing going on, approach straight away and as diplomatically as practical, put a stop to it. I'm afraid that after this incident I was bit less than diplomatic with these blokes, but I make no apologies given the circumstances.

1. If you can't fly a 5m trainer kite confidently, you've got no business flying a big kite. This bloke had clearly never flown a kite in his life and was standing there in the middle of a crowded beach with a 12m kite--an accident just waiting to happen.

2. No matter who you are, learning to kite on a big kite on a crowded beach is not only irresponsible, it's just plain stupid. Really now, what sane kiter would ever do this with a mate?

3. PLEASE GET THE BEGINNER TO TAKE LESSONS FROM A TRAINED INSTRUCTOR! How many times do we have to say this? Just because you can kite doesn't mean you know how to teach someone else to do it. Just because you can fly a plane doesn't mean you are qualified to teach someone else to fly. You're not doing your mates any favours by trying to teach them if you aren't an instructor. If you can't afford lessons, you can't afford to be a kiter. It's as simple as that.

PLEASE, if someone you know wants to learn to kite, get them to a good kite school or set them up with lessons with a trained instructor.

This sort of behaviour has to be stopped before it wrecks kiting for everyone.

Apologies for the rant, but this is a serious issue and needs to be taken as such.

Rob Smallwood
NSWKBA Committee

Greenfinger said...

OOOoooh I so want to say that are you sure you didn't distract him and therefore contribute to the incident to some percentage. But this is a serous matter so I probably shouldn't.

He was only 60% responsible!

40% stupid

how to become famous on seabreeze in one thread!!

Agree with what's been said.

I have not been long out of lessons and have had friends wanting me to do what's been said here but I refuse every time, at first I was like them but after having done all lessons you can realize there is a lot that can go wrong! And the importance of doing them !


lol at RSC puns that thread is unique

BRAVO ROB BRAVO
Last time i was at Longy the same thing happened to me a guy was teaching his buddy to kite in the middle of all the kiters in knee deep white water then he moved to the sand just so happened that the student or "instructor" had no control of the kite at all he and his buddy had no idea what was going on then lost control of the kite and as I'm walking up the beach his kite was doing kite loops with the student being body dragged in tow the kite went straight into mine keeping my cool i simply asked him if he has to learn on the beach maybe he could be considerate and thoughtful of other kiters also beach goers and learn either way up or way down the beach away from others
I was basically told to" GET F*#@ED we know what were doing why don't you kite somewhere else" IS THIS THE ATTITUDE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH FROM THE NEW KITERS THESE DAYS?????
i raise a motion that no kites are sold to DISRESPECTFUL LOW-LIFES
you may have noticed the student on a old skool slingy fuel dont remember the size but aprox 12-13m they both were dressed in the latest kite uniform of 1.thermal wetsuit 2.sailing gloves 3.life jacket 4.booties 5.helmet the list goes on you get the idea anyway are these the total knobs we are going to be dealing maybe there will be greatwave kiting on the moon ill have to check it out when Sr Richard starts his virgin blue planes to the moon
thats my new year winge
HAPPY NEW KITING YEAR EVERYONE
Cheers T

Good job Rob on :
1) Not losing control of your kite
2) Not punching the bloke in the face

We need a Numpty Patrol for our beaches.