19 posts
At my local spot, I had parawinged upwind, packed up & was downwinding on some really fun swell. While on my downwind run, a kitefoiler was riding right at me (on his port tack), yelling at me to "watch out". I was able to work around him, but it got me thinking about right-of-way in this situation.
While downwinding, I'm unpowered & kind of at the mercy of what the swell is doing. The kitefoiler was powered and should have been more under control. He was also on port tack & should be giving way to just about everyone else. I think in reality he was overpowered, a bit kooky & barely hanging on.
I know in the end it's up to me to not crash into other riders, but who really should give way in this type of situation? This spot is loaded with other riders - kiters, kitefoilers, wingers, parawingers, windsurfers,windfoilers, downwinding kayaks & SUP foilers. And I don't even want to talk about the foil assist guys who are motoring upwind 😀. Everyone is generally really good at avoiding each other, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone talking about the right-of-way dynamics with this many different water sports mixed together.
224 posts
Hmn, interesting... you were surfing in the open ocean and a sailboat demanded right of way of a surfer. If it were two powered boats, you technically would yeild to the other as he was on your starboard side. If you both were under sail, you would have the right of way as port tack yields to starboard. Least navigatible boat which is typically the largest has right of way. Beach rules are sail craft yield to surfers who yield to swimmers. In open waters, swimmers have no right of way and have the duty to avoid collisions. In a surf break such as a point or reef break, swimmers have no rights and must avoid surfers. In open waters, what rights do surfers have!? In foil surfing the person catching the wave has rights over a person pumping out, as a wave rider has rights over a paddler. But as a wave rider it is your duty to not run into a paddler or person already on a wave. I think in your case, the kitefoiler is least able to avoid the collision, but the consequences of causing you to veer course are much more detrimental than to the kiter. So I'm going to rule the kiter was a dick, but you shouldn't run into him just to prove a point.
153 posts
right of way has been discussed many times on many forums. my rule is assume no one will yield the right of way, and so it's up to me to avoid others. but if someone is coming at me and yelling 'watch out', i'd have a chat with them on the beach later.
NSW
210 posts
Basic rule is to avoid collision. I have noticed this confusion which maybe comes about because lots of wingers are sailors vs kites and sups that have more of a surfing background. My take is that regardless of port or starboard, the rider on a wave should be given room. For those that haven't kited, if kite lines are low you pass above, if lines are high, you pass underneath. There is a pecking order where sail gives way to no sail and electric foilers have no rights at all
NSW
77 posts
Yep avoid collisions at all costs.
Think the biggest risk of collisions is when people are not aware that the other person is there…
Think its important to yell and make noise when you are approaching someone so they know you are there..
Wing foilers (me) have big blind spots and dont always look especially when they think they are alone.
Boating right of way rules are interesting… Boating rules seem very vague with right of way between sail and paddle craft. Paddlers assume the right of way.
But I read that sail has right of way over paddle craft.
Paddle craft are non sail vessels like a motor boat?
Surf wave priority is a can of worms…
Does the sail craft have right of way catching the wave from way out the back or the paddler waiting on the bank?
