Hei guys,

I started kiting two seasons ago and love it. I normally go to Rosebud or Altnona and try to avoid St. Kilda but I happened to be there last week and had an interesting chat with an instructor about the teaching zone. I am not too familiar with the rules and he made two claims which I find hard to believe. Just out of interest, can anyone confirm if these claims are acutally correct?

1.) "The teaching zone is restricted to kite schools and only students and instructors should be in it"
2.) "Kiting in the teaching zone is at your own risk and schools are not responsible for any incidents that might happen in the zone since they are expected" I.e., if a student crashes his kite into mine and breaks it, that is my own problem.


Thanks,
chimo

chimo0703 said...
[br]Hei guys,

I started kiting two seasons ago and love it. I normally go to Rosebud or Altnona and try to avoid St. Kilda but I happened to be there last week and had an interesting chat with an instructor about the teaching zone. I am not too familiar with the rules and he made two claims which I find hard to believe. Just out of interest, can anyone confirm if these claims are acutally correct?

1.) "The teaching zone is restricted to kite schools and only students and instructors should be in it"
2.) "Kiting in the teaching zone is at your own risk and schools are not responsible for any incidents that might happen in the zone since they are expected" I.e., if a student crashes his kite into mine and breaks it, that is my own problem.


Thanks,
chimo

Nope. The first reason I say that is that the instructors currently think their zone is the entire beach. If they actually left people room to get out, then it would be practical to work that way, but currently we are forced through what they think is the instructors zone because they have no choice.

Secondly, I don't believe liability has ever been discussed or agreed with the kiters. Do the instructors also think this applies to swimmers or beach goers who are legally entitled to use the beach and the water. The instructors are required to be in control of their students and this includes their kites.

So yes, although I don't kite in the instruction zone, I'd be more than a little pissed off if I was forced to go through the instruction zone due to no other choice and the instructors wanted me to pay for my own damage.

HaydenDekker said..

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Always remember that it's not a licensed sport so there are only a few rules put in place by parks vic.

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Aye, it's self regulated... and like all self regulating things... you have to take the good with the bad. I'd rather keep it self regulating and give constructive feedback to other kiters and schools than have to buy rego for my board...

Can't let one or two (or three?) bad eggs spoil the broth (I may have mixed up a few metaphors there... along with a recipe or three).

The schools don't own that zone, however they are limited to that zone. Why not do everyone a favour (especially yourself) and kite further down the beach. You will have so much more room to yourself and no danger of students smashing you with their kite..

Back under the bridge Troll.