I was out at Bower Road, Semaphore, yesterday afternoon. Sweet session on my 9m in 25-28kn seabreeze as recorded by outerharbour windmeter

One windsurfer came a long way out of his way, rode just downwind of me in towards the beach stopping me from turning back out. He then dismounted and let fly with a real spray.

This is the first time in my 5-and-a-bit years of kiting I've ever been on the receiving end of any of the windsurfing-kitesurfing antagonism. I suspect that is because I always try very hard to be as well behaved as possible around windsurfers, because I'm aware of previous issues.

Anyway, he took issue over a few things
1. - That I had no permit (I did)
2. - That I was kiting in a no-kiting area. (I wasn't - I launched south of Bower road, and at no stage was I on land north of Bower road with my kite in the air.
3. - That it was too windy for kiters now, so I should pack up and go home. (I had spent my first hour a little undercooked, and was just getting into the sweet zone for my kite)
4. - because of 3, I was in danger of losing my edge, and taking out windsurfers. (I wasn't, and in fact haven't "lost an edge" in longer than I can remember. May years at least).
5. - He'd been windsurfing in that spot for 20 years, so it was his spot. (No answer to that one I'm afraid, although I suspect that was the real reason he was so upset).

I attempted to have a chat with him about it, and even tried to suggest having a beer together to talk about it, but only scored angst in return.

Soem credit to him. He was clearly a fairly good windsurfer - at least according to my inexpert eye. He looked to be pulling off a few nice jumps etc.

I have thought back over my behaviour, to think whether I had actually done anything deserving of his ire. I spent most of my time 50-100m upwind of the windsurfers. For the first half of my session, there were probably 6 windsurfers out. I would periodically ride a wave down through the windsurfer zone, then quickly kite back up to my normal spot. I gave way to all windsurfers, irrespective of right of way rules.

As it got more congested with more windsurfers, I did this less and less.

I kited very conservatively, never putting my kite in the water. I had only 1 stack all day in which I lost my board, recovered in less than 30 seconds.

Could I have gone further upwind? No. It was low tide, and the wave break was breaking dry. I do this in a higher tide, even though it puts me at risk of hitting the marker poles with my kite (or myself)

Could I have gone downwind? That would have put me well-and-truly into the no- kiting area of the beach.

The guy clearly had an issue with kiters

Anyway. My question is:

Is windsurfing a wind harnessing sport?

If it is, then the windsurfers are not allowed off the beaches all through the semaphore/largs area either. This also includes the area near largs sailing club. The signs all say "no windharnessing sports (including but not restricted to kitesurfing) without a permit"

I'm not attempting to get the windsurfers banned from the beach. But if one of them attempts to incorrectly be the beach-policeman about this issue, I think it is reasonable for me to be able to point out to him that he is in fact in the wrong.

This is the first time I've appeared on the forum in anyway related to a windsurfer-kitesurfer conflict. I normally try very hard to be considerate. I'm just hoping for a bit of the same in return

Brady,

I know the guy in question and it really doesn't matter whether you were in the right or not, he has real issues with kiters - period. I windsurfed for years before taking up kiting and so can give him some back and he is pretty cool about it. If you kite down wind of him he would probably have smouldered in the inside still but not let you have a spray. If you have a permit then there is no problem kiting down wind/north of that location. It isn't a no kiting beach, it is simply governed by Council by-laws that you have a permit. The main issue being public liability insurance. You're not the first and I suggest won't be the last to be on the receiving end of his abuse. Stay down wind and all will be sweet, or go even further south (upwind) of the breakwater/Bower Road.

KiteDevil said...

Christ there were 2 poleys out at HellFire last week, I only had a spare 5km of beach to kite in. Then they went and said it was too windy and gusty and packed up and went home before we could have a fight or anything! Lame as!

surely you could have thrown something at them - like maybe a browneye

Hellfire must suck for the poleys at low tide. That would be a long way to walk with all that kit. And we know from experience what happens if you ty to drive a merc across it!

Thanks Flapjack

Haven't been here for long. I've mainly been kiting at Largs, coz it's where I'm living. There's even less wave there than at Semaphore, and the breeze has been swinging offshore in the afternoon recently, so I've been looking for somewhere else.

The original plan yesterday had been to do a down-winder, but it fell through

Let me guess he was riding Gasstra sails. Don't worry about Fowler just give him the finger and sail off.

Sebol - the port adelaide council area has declared its beaches to be "no wind harnessing sports" areas without a permit. As far as the kiting "permit" is concerned, it essentially means AKSA membership

brady said...

Thanks Flapjack

Haven't been here for long. I've mainly been kiting at Largs, coz it's where I'm living. There's even less wave there than at Semaphore, and the breeze has been swinging offshore in the afternoon recently, so I've been looking for somewhere else.

The original plan yesterday had been to do a down-winder, but it fell through

Ride the "Chicken Shop" Mirani Crt Tennyson. Best spot for a SE Seabreeze.

Such a shame the surf mentality 'my spot' stuff is present between the windies and kiters in some places . The windsurf guys where I am are all great blokes. Several of them have even taken up kiting themselves recently (and more are lining up for lessons with me).