So, I've been in India and Sri Lanka kitesurfing since November, only arrived back to Adelaide about a week ago. Now that I'm over my jet-lag, I decided to try my luck on a seabreeze about a week ago (to no avail, surprise surprise) and headed down to Semaphore.

Arrived and parked up just over the train tracks at Bower Rd in the usual spot near the breakwater, wonder over to the beach and there are these HUGE signs up with big "NO KITESURFING" icons..

When did this happen?? and the big question - WHY?! Kitesurfers don't hurt anyone, we're not obnoxious, rude or dangerous.. So why can I not kitesurf in one of the only flat water areas for miles anymore? I'm a full time, final year uni student who also works to pay the bills and I can't drive to Milang or Parham every time I want to chill out and kitesurf..

Hm.. sorry, this has turned more into a rant than anything else.. but I just feel like more and more we're being restricted for no reason other than the ignorance of the public..

So, does anyone have any further info on this? I'm sorry if this was all discussed in another thread when it happened (and please just put me onto that if it's easier). I read that there might have been issues raised with the council about this ban, however Google has failed me with any further information.

TKC

Cheers for the heads up guys. I'm sure that those no-kiting signs have gone up since last November though!!
I'll probably stick to the Torrens Mouth for now, at least when the tide is right you've got that great little flat water inlet.
Hope to see you out there.
TKC

I'm pretty sure there was no kitesurfing there for quite a few years now (however the signage may have been upgraded recently).
What Hydra says is right - that council area ends at Bower Rd., and restrictions do not apply to the south of it.
Furthermore, council's jurisdiction does not cover the ocean, so they cannot legally stop you from kiting there, as long as you don't land or launch from "their" beach.

That sign went up about a week after we saved the lives of a bunch of non-swimmers, who stayed too long on the sandbags when the tide came in, and got swept into deep water. Two people died that day, but it would have been more if the kite surfers weren't there. Thanks, Council.

mick14 said...

That sign went up about a week after we saved the lives of a bunch of non-swimmers, who stayed too long on the sandbags when the tide came in, and got swept into deep water. Two people died that day, but it would have been more if the kite surfers weren't there. Thanks, Council.

no mention of kitesurfers in the messenger...it says a windsurfer saved them, while the lifesavers seem to be taking most of the credit...

www.adelaidenow.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes

jamdfingr said...



How can people confuse kite surfing with wind surfing....

...maybe he just said he's a windsurfer, so he doesn't get fined by the council...

DaGodfather said...

mick14 said...

That sign went up about a week after we saved the lives of a bunch of non-swimmers, who stayed too long on the sandbags when the tide came in, and got swept into deep water. Two people died that day, but it would have been more if the kite surfers weren't there. Thanks, Council.

no mention of kitesurfers in the messenger...it says a windsurfer saved them, while the lifesavers seem to be taking most of the credit...

www.adelaidenow.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes

It was a the incident 6 years ago that Mick is talking about (that is how long we have been banished) and is mentioned in the article, at that time there where mainly kitesurfers involved plus a wind surfer and some beach goers also helped to try resuscitation. Mick was one of that team, I dragged one frightened kid to shore and went back out and retrieved his aunt who did not make it, a windsurfer brought one in and Adrian W also retrieved a young kid one of these also passed.
It was ironic that we had saved 2 people and dragged 2 bodies from the water and banned from the shores the next week. The ban had been coming for a while caused mainly by a dog walker complaint's and elements in the council that don't like us. Another irony is that these incidents may have not even been in PAE jurisdiction ,one was in Nth haven (LMC) and one was sth of bower rd. the rest was fear mongering about how dangerous we were.
I myself was five -o'd by an inspector in the car-park (while the HSO of PAE looked on- he was the one in charge of the operation) telling me I was breaking the law-funnily enough while 3 others where out kiting 'illegally' and i was getting ready to set up and kite the legal zone.
They wont even acknowledge it is a ban they say there are restictions and permits.
All this pussyfooting and regulating gives me the sh1ts, the times when kitesurfing should be restricted is when there is too many public beach-goers - in the below 15 knot days once it's above 15 -20 knots they leave anyway so this is self levelling, if it is a public safety problem, then you identify it tell the kiter responsible and get them to smarten up -I have done this - the child does't acknowledge me any more but he seems to give more room to bystanders so job done.