I don't want this to be a noobie bagging post but down at Melville yesterday the number of noobs south of the big white gum and even south of the last marker was starting to do my head in. One guy crashed his kite on the beach whilst being taught by a MATE missing my daughter and dog by about 2m. Another guy clearly struggling with control takes off upwind of me and sends his kite into my lines as I was waiting to launch. One guy launched his kite from the footpath. Two windsurfers operating north of the rocks. Another lesson taking place just outside of the yellow marker - why do these people not follow the guidelines from WAKSA - ie beginners north of the white gum? I can almost understand the noobs but not the guys giving lessons.

I don't say anything out there because there are enough agro's on the water already and I was only learning myself a couple of years ago however when I was learning I respected the guidelines and wouldn't be caught dead up around that last marker for fear of making a tool of myself and pissing everybody off. I don't mind people crashing their kites into mine and stuff like that because ****e happens but not in that launch area???

Whats the etiquette here - shut my mouth given that this is going to happen regardless or try to educate some of these people and tell them to move? When I have tried to give a tip or advice to someone in the past it never seems welcomed.

ah that old chestnut...

Yeah it was pretty bad yesterday, helped one south american of spanish guy who was 'teaching' his friend to take his kite out of a tree.

Saw 2 guys trying to launch a kite by throwing it up from the grass. I told them not to do that and take lessons however he still went out and 10 min later saw his kite death-looping towards the boardwalk. He had the guy who launched his kite with him on a jetski but he didnt have a clue what to do.

People not giving way or looking where they are going while water starting.
Had one guy waterstart right behind me while i was trying to go around him to land my kite. He JUST missed my head.

But ah well it's been like this for a while now and in my opinion, unless there is going to be proper signage it will never change. In fact it will probably get worse

moon waxing said...
Not exclusive to noobs, plenty of FIGJAM people trying big jumps and unhooked crash and burn stuff well inside the yellow buoys. I chased down one guy yesterday pulling big moves almost on the beach said he didn't know.

Unless there's signage it's impossible trying to enforce anything.

that's the issue . No-one knows . You get tourists teaching their gf and once you tell them to go the other side of the big gumtree they normally listen and apologise .

It's the ****ing idiots who come right in to shore to transition that don't give two ****s and are the ones who are agressive .

puppetonastring said...
The guidelines are very clear and precise for Melville...

The guidelines are clear but I guarantee you everyone will claim ignorance noob or expert.

What's the problem with signage Phil? Surely there must be a few pennies in the WAKSA funds. Explain why brochures are a better option than signs.

RPM said...

moon waxing said...

puppetonastring said...
The guidelines are very clear and precise for Melville...

The guidelines are clear but I guarantee you everyone will claim ignorance noob or expert.

What's the problem with signage Phil? Surely there must be a few pennies in the WAKSA funds. Explain why brochures are a better option than signs.

WAKSA doesnt want a bar of enforcing their own regulations especially at Melville and Leighton and say they dont have enough time/money/volunteers.

It's like a broken record every season. Say good bye to Melville guaranteed!

Surely if its a case of funding to put some signs up we could all pull together to make this happen???

AndyHansen said...
The issue is that who's rules are they?
Are the rules of council or the water way authorities.
If they are enforceable by council, fines could be applied if breached.

Signage cant be put in place until it becomes a council bylaw.

http://www.melvillecity.com.au/about/corporate-information-documents/local-laws/signs_hoarding_billposting.pdf

Best suggestion, somebody get hold of the local council and use them as a means to get this resolved before somebody gets hurt, the sport ends up in the paper for the wrong reasons and the spot is lost.

www.melvillecity.com.au/about/who-is-your-elected-member

If the spot is lost due to a public members injury, Precedence would soon see arguments for many other having kiting banned.

yeah ok, but problem is you go through council and then invite more assessment, scrutiny etc and make it an even bigger blip on their radar, if you know what I mean. In addition, they end up policing it rather than our own community! I don't think any of us want that.

I guess my original post was more on etiquette as no matter what you do down there the inherent risk with being so close to the road and houses can only be mitigated so much.

I reckon noobs and figfams should be the focus of feedback from the experienced and more modest community who should be more proactive when encountering the ignorance and/or stupidity of these players. Not only out of self preservation for the site but for avoiding injuries to both the noobs and joe public as nobody wants to see that.

Anyways, thats my 5c worth!

AndyHansen said...


Best suggestion, somebody get hold of the local council and use them as a means to get this resolved before somebody gets hurt, the sport ends up in the paper for the wrong reasons and the spot is lost.

I'd suggest this would just lead to a ban. If you mention someone getting hurt the council will not be interested in patrolling or trying to change behaviour.

Normally at any given kite spot there are regulars who kite there all the time. Perhaps if you discuss with the regulars and come up with a group who have a good knowledge of the spot and are capable kiters who can then pull errant kiters into line.
Often all it takes is a quiet word in their ear so they understand what they are doing is wrong and could lead to a ban.
If the person chooses to ignore the advice, then get the selected group together to have a word to the kiter. If they are asked to desist by a group rather than an individual they will more than likely comply.

Rather than trying to bring outside bodies into solve our problems, it is better that we act to protect our kite locations ourselves.

Signage is a problem.
Nothing to do with lack of commitment or funding from WAKSA.
The council agreed 100% to the controlled kiting inside the buoys protocol as they did to the involvement of WAKSA kiters being proactive in the area.
They are simply completely opposed to signage which 'may' be interpreted as their approval of any sort of activity.
As suggested by Dave.... the control issue is complicated by the limits each authority has over any given beach. Councils have the right to impose by-laws that can be enforced but only to the beach high tide line. Beyond that it becomes an issue shared by the various river water authorities. To get mutual agreement of policy which is consistent between the various authorities involved is where the composite agreement is required.
WAKSA has negotiated with ALL the parties involved to have the current guidelines approved (& including the placement of buoys by 'Marine Safety'). All parties are satisfied. "AS LONG AS KITERS ABIDE BY THOSE GUIDELINES" all will be saved until some major incident occurs.
WAKSA has no rights to install signage - similarly the water authorities have no right to install signage. The council attitude is that signage 1) may imply some level liability if there is an incident; and; 2) signage may create an eyesore that ratepayers may object to.
We have won the right of access at Melville for only as long as kiter control can, and does, result in kiter behaviour abiding by the (again very sensible) guidelines.
Its all up to local beach users. Get active or be prepared to drive to an alternative (less controversial) kite beach. Its your call.
You cant expect non local WAKSA volunteers to carry the can - if you want to maintain access get off your asses & work for it - just like those before you have done.

And as for the criticism - as always - it comes from those have never done anything for anyone.

Why not at least have "LAUNCH/LAND ONLY" OR "NO KITING ZONE" on the buoys? Same for Peli Pt.

coldshot said...
5 years max and all of us will be kiting in the ocean not the river in SW winds

Go and ask these people who teach their friends if they have INSURANCE! I guarantee if I'm Injured by someone who is being taught they better have INSURANCE cause I'll be coming for some compensation and I bet an innocent bystander will do the same....

coldshot, I know from where u comming from, we discussed this in person.

But, lets be constructive here. It's is what you and me can do to make it better.

Now, you proposed organising a PeliPt group to go with. How is that going?

Akwa said...

1likeBJ said...
Why not at least have "LAUNCH/LAND ONLY" OR "NO KITING ZONE" on the buoys? Same for Peli Pt.

I like this idea!

Would it be appropriate to print LAUNCH/LAND ZONE ONLY signs, laminate them and attach them to the buoys myself? I'll do it over the weekend if people think this is a good idea?

WAKSA what's ur thoughts on this?

It doesn't work on PeliPt buoys. Every single one has a sign on it plus a sign on launch/land area which no one cares about.

What we really need is WAKSA/aksa tag. No tag, no kiting. Season permit, that is.

And than, when you're teaching a student go and do it somewhere else. Duno, Shark Bay...Or go and learn with a qualified instructor who's got a permit to do so in a registrated waksa spots.

Hi all.

If you look there is signage at Melville, just showes no one reads the signs. More signs means more obstructions.

I sacrificed my kiting session last week to go and talk to the few people who were breaking the local rules. After a while every one was turing at the right spots. And the learners were in the right spots and the more experienced guys were doing the right thing.

If you are not aggressive and casually tell people the local rules they do stick to them.

Some thing like "hey mate, have you been kiting here long?
You know that the local rules suggest turning at the buoys? It works both ways it gives people launching and landing space. It also means that you are not turning round in gusty crappy wind that could get your kite in the trees.

If we keep newbies down past those two white gum trees and experienced guys up here there is less stress... Continue kiting chat"

They now know the rules.

It takes everyone to keep the spot ours.

Steve

There's road signs with the No Standing areas around the little islands, which no one reads. Where when its gets full, kiters park there blocking up the traffic, yet theres plenty of side streets.

On the othere side of the No Standing signs which no-one reads, theres an orange sign, that says caution kitesurfing zone......
Yes, they are there.

dusta said...

dave...... said...
theres an orange sign, that says caution kitesurfing zone......
Yes, they are there.

north or south end ?

There is a white kitesurfing sign down the southern end of the beach.