So I went for a kite today and decided on a spot I had being eying off which was about 400m south of the most southern jetty at Coogee.

As some people I know I have to try unstrapped so I wanted somewhere that wasn't too onshore and also wanted to try my wombat anchor for self launch/land.

Got the kite setup no problems and got it in the air, very happy with using the anchor.

Anyway, managed to stand up a couple of times but there was a nagging that it was too gusty there and the wind was probably a bit too strong for my experience.

Kite started to fall out of the the sky and then filled quickly and dragged me towards the beach. I hit the safety and got the kite on the beach OK but with a hell of a tangle in the lines. No trouble i thought, until I saw my board floating down the beach so a ran down the beach and swam out to rescue it.

So after the 50m swim and the run/walk along the beach I was pretty buggered so unhooked my lines and wound them up as best I could to untangle at home.

It was then out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, my kite was floating away with no bar and line connected. I could keep pace on the beach but no way was I going to be able to swim that fast so I packed my gear up and headed back to the car watching the kite the whole way, which was offshore enough by this stage to miss the first jetty.

The breeze was slightly onshore but one side of the kite had filled, causing it to sail slightly offshore.

I then drove to the southern part of Port Coogee but couldn't see my kite, so back to the northern jetty for a look and sure enough it was still going, sometimes on in it's LE, sometimes actaully getting airbourne.

So back to Port Coogee where I had to convince a couple of blokes that it was my kite as they had seen it going past the jetty while fishing and thought they might score a free kite!!

It was hard to predict the area it was going to make land as one side would fill and sail it towards the beach and then the other would fill and sail back offshore.

Anyway, after looking like it might just get onto the last part of the beach, it ended up coming ashore on the rocks but I made it there in time to meet it.
I tried to get it out of the water inflated but there was no chance so I let the LE down and managed to slowly get the kite and myself up to flat ground.

Haven't had a full inspection yet but it looks like I might of got lucky. Completly expected the kite to be trashed but it actuaally looks OK, will inflate tomorrow and gove it thorough inspection.

Lessons learnt;
Even though I had my harness and sand on the LE, when the wind is gusty and shifty and the kite is near the water, put the board on it or even better, deflate it straight away.
Also, there are no kiters in some places for a reason!!!
And finally, a bit less breeze would be better for my strapless learning experience!!!

Time for a nap!!

far out mate that is full on and very unlucky. I went out today but cant say it was too enjoyable as i spent most of the time ducking and weaving away from other newbs. Came close 4 times to being badly tangled and it was not my fault. Put it this way the instructor and the school will be receiving more then just my complaint. It was down right dangerous and dont see how anyone could of learnt in the conditions i was in. Anyway I am doing as much as i can do read the rules, be safe and give right of away etc but I now feel that learners should be made to have more lessons theory and practical. Im not even really sure how to put it but i just think the fundamentals need to be taught more if that makes sense. I think examples of distasters should be taught and dealt with, more focus needs to be put safety safety safety and practiced practiced practiced and before board even comes into play, getting into that on the third lesson is too quick i think anyway. I got too the board stage but have gone back to basics because i just dont feel 100%confident in dealing with hairy situations. I have met many fellow kiters mostly newbs, some experienced but the reaction im getting from most is that they felt they were just kind of pushed into getting on that board and whilst they may of got the body dragging downpacked and done 1 self rescue once they get out there the first time without their instructor they realise they actually dont know enough to be out there on their own. Thats my personal opinion anyway. I will be going back for more lessons as was practising my self rescue today and still dont have it in the bag, feel like im doing something wrong. I would also suggest to any newb to have a lesson with their kite. Its all well and good to be happy on instructors kite but then going out on a new kite is a totally different experience and if buying second hand really an instructor shoudl go over all safety features with you as well as depower. Happy Kiting...Be Safe:0)

yeah i know that I came across many today. i guess im just speaking out for the ones that arnt tools lol and that just feel they possibly havent learnt enough to be 100% confident before even thinking about a board. I saw the same 2 blokes today
making exactly the same mistake as i seen em do last time and its deadly, i actually did say something nicely but something as simple as setting your kite up upwind with lines leading downwind i kinda thought was a really really basic step and yet after telling him last time he did the exact same thing this time and expected someone to launch him. I stuff up i'll admit it and expect to stuff up many more times yet but i will not make the same mistake twice. It would be good if possibly over the low season kiteschools or a shop could possibly do some clinics focusing on theory and safety and just the fundamentals of kitesurfing. Personally i think it would help. Really wanted to make the clinic at AKS the other night but unfortunately work and kids prevented it. Hopefully will make the next one. I dont just wanna enjoy the sport, i wanna know the sport and enjoy it safely.

ApatheticEnd said...

rumblefish said...


Also, there are no kiters in some places for a reason!!!

Yeah dude......

Chelles you have to remember that no matter how many lessons someone has, if they are a tool, they will remain a tool. There are plenty of people out there with zero situational awareness. If they can't be bothered to look before they turn for their own saftey for example, and then don't listen when you tell them they should, they are a tool. There is never a shortage of tools.

why thankyou jp;)

RPM said...

that's the thing.. Most learners try and run before they can walk. I commend you Chelles for getting back to basics and getting that side sorted before you concentrate your efforts on the boardstarts.

I guess your understanding now of the different levels of kookeyness and the problems that are associated with people not having much idea (but all being in one spot at the same time)

after a while you will just sit back and watch the drama unfold before your eyes and go WTF!


jp out.

Rad Lad said...

Hey rumblefish, tell us more about the wombat. Any issues, concerns? Did you use it straigt out of the box or did you add some accessories?

Only lauched with it but had no realy issues aaprt from beach orientation with the wind meaning I had to have the wombat on the edge of the dunes.

Added 2m of 4mm spectra tied to the shackle on the top shackle of the wombat anchor with a sailing snap shackle attached to that. Worked well and means you don't have to get right down next to the anchor to hook on.

ApatheticEnd said...

rumblefish said...


Also, there are no kiters in some places for a reason!!!

Yeah dude......

Chelles you have to remember that no matter how many lessons someone has, if they are a tool, they will remain a tool. There are plenty of people out there with zero situational awareness. If they can't be bothered to look before they turn for their own saftey for example, and then don't listen when you tell them they should, they are a tool. There is never a shortage of tools.

And I am careful to not let stones fall on the kite too you know as if it was my own kite...

People get irritable about me putting sand on their kite when I catch it.. Its like damn it I am not going to have your kite tear across the beach and hit somebody.. Uggh I might not kite well yet but I pay attention to safety, lines amputate, or worse kill, run away kite strangle a kid kiting is over in Maui yeah I bet?