Now I dont have a beef with kitesurfers as I have found them to be pretty friendly and conciderate where I sail but while reading through other threads on this forum I came across this: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=44649

I am no wowser or part of the fun police and have been known to go pretty hard at the things I do, but to me this is just pure stupidity. Surely common sense should prevail in this situation?????

What a bl00dy idiot.

Lunacy. Risk of spinal injurys up by 100

OceanBlue64 said...

Now I dont have a beef with kitesurfers as I have found them to be pretty friendly and conciderate where I sail but while reading through other threads on this forum I came across this: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=44649

I am no wowser or part of the fun police and have been known to go pretty hard at the things I do, but to me this is just pure stupidity. Surely common sense should prevail in this situation?????

Sounds to me like you are actively trying to be a fun cop, **** we did stuff far more dangerous as kids. Apart from no floatation for the kid I don't see a problem with this. I took my son out on board a while ago and it pissed me off the number of "concerned" do gooders who worried and sprouted the crap. You haven't see the guy kite, and how about you just assume for once the guy is like the majority of parents whom would put their kids life before their own. Actually that is a mis-statement as the Australian way now seems to be stand by, watch and get upset instead of them jumping in and taking action.

Kiters get trapped in their own lines? Dragging is a risk, just as much as the mast smacking the kid in the head in that pic of the windsurfer that was posted.

Did you ask the guy whether he had quick release or anything for the pack before you jumped down his neck? He has control of the kid, more so than a kid that is riding on a board, what if kid goes over the front of the board and gets run over? What if, what if... the world is full of them, this guy took a calculated risk not stupidity.

I will agree with one thing, that is I would not jump with kid on my back.

As for anything else i will put money on greater risk of neck injury for those kids that they strap into race cars yet no one seems to complain about things like that cause they are done in the name of charity.

Sorry but alot of windsurfers actually need to stop and look at some kiters and understand they have just as much control as they do.

Funny that I have seen similar setups with people water skiiing, but no one complained about that... guess they don't get dragged

Well no one said they would windsurf with their kid on hte front of their board either

I think there are far worse things than this happening to children today that you should spend your time fighting for. You have no idea the number of kids who have been intervened with at a young age and who say nothing until later primary school; it is just disguising, now THAT is bad parenting doing that to your kids; abuse or such, or allowing it to happen or not being aware of the relatives around you.

YES, I admit that it could be a risk, but considering that she is on his back, and unless you are doing a trick or jump, you always crash or get too powered and fall on your stomach. I am certain that he wouldn’t be doing this if he wasn’t confident that he wasn’t putting his daughter at risk.

I'm asking, as a parent, isn't it YOUR own opinion and judgement that is used when deciding what is safe or unsafe for your children? How many parents allow their kids to ride their bikes without helmets or at 12 let them stay at home to look after younger siblings when ANY problem could occur!? It doesn't mean they are bad parents, if they made their own educated decision!? Or does it?

Oceanblue….

Doesnt matter how good a kiter he is, accidents happen.

However, as they say, you’re more likely to get killed driving to the beach, rather than any beach activity!? If you want to put realistic statistics into this discussion. What wins, statistics or common sense!? Maybe both should prevail.

AND I am not making this a kiters vs. windys discussion, what about surfers surfing with their kids on the front of the board!? What about noes diving and the kid breaking their neck or anything!? etc.....

I cannot believe anyone could condone this: The most minor injury to the father could result in an injury whereby he cannot swim with his daughter on his back. Further, he can't see her head so after a crash how can he see if she has her head underwater? Whilst treading water without the lift of the kite her head would continually have chop washing over it making it hard to breathe.

A kid only needs to inhale ONE lungful of water and they can't breathe. If he has a 5 min swim back to land with no kite or board (not exactly a rare occurrence) and she had a lungful of water that 5min delay before CPR etc can start will kill her.

AUS691 said...

If she were wearing a PFD 1 and weren't firmly attached to him (ie if bad stuff happens to him she gets left floating safely well away from said bad stuff), I'd be fine with it. It's the lack of this basic water safety measure for a young child that gets me.

I agree. I am not against the concept of piggy backing the child with a kite as long as some form of safety measures are taken. From the images shown there appear to be none.

And the same would go for a child on the front of a windsurfer. Minimum of PDF and helmet.

what a stupid dumb half wit !!!!!!!!!

Quads and peewees are all the go here in Kalgoorlie. One day at Hannans lake , we were on the way home from work near dusk on a cold winters day, and found a 10 year old pushing a quad , He was 10 km from town . when we dropped him at home , after dark , his parents didnt even know he was gone. and didnt appear to care.

Ian K said...
....
If an expert kiter decides to sail conservatively in stable weather what can go wrong?

gust - loft - crash.

There are lots of dead experts.

NotWal said...

Ian K said...
....
If an expert kiter decides to sail conservatively in stable weather what can go wrong?

gust - loft - crash.

There are lots of dead experts.

What about kids riding bicycles as Ian K said; that is why they have installed the cams in 4WD and cars to be able to stop parents from reversing over their kids.... I BET no one ever thought kids riding bikes could be such a risk!?

Yes you can't wrap them in cotton wool all their lives, but the bike analogy is utterly ridiculous. It in no way compares to strapping a kid on your back and going kitesurfing
A parent's job is to protect and nurture, not take unneccessary risks with their kids.

NotWal said...

Ian K said...
....
If an expert kiter decides to sail conservatively in stable weather what can go wrong?

gust - loft - crash.

There are lots of dead experts.

No it's got to be more than a gust that brings experts unstuck, a thunder stom updraught or a southerly buster maybe, and as experts they knew they were pushing the limit weatherwise when they came unstuck.

I've sailed with expert kiters in strong noreasters, the've survived plenty of the gusts associated with these uncomplicated winds. They can chat to me on the beach with the kite parked overhead in 30 knots - to me nothing looks remotely like going wrong.

but it is a question of mine for an expert - What can go wrong for an expert in a stable seabreeze airflow with no thunderstorms in sight?? More details please.

NotWal said...

You'd be a better judge from a kiting safety point of view.

Yes kids safety is the responsibility of their parents. But parents aren't necessarily responsible. I have seen parents driving with a child on their lap. Obviously they think its ok. Most of the time they would get away with it. That doesn't mean its responsible or safe.

As for how I would feel about being judged, most criminals resent it. I guess I would too. Not to imply that kiting with a child strapped to you is criminal behaviour, but it might be. Driving with a child on your lap certainly is and that definitely works in the interests of child safety.

What's the ethical test here?

Oh thank you, but to the level which I would strap a child to my back, I cannot comment. Until that day comes, if ever, I will not pass judgment.

Now you mention it, as boating rules apply where starboard/ port and speed rules apply whilst in the channel, I might assume that the child (who is of a certain age) should be wearing a PDF!? Maybe that is illegal then!? Who polices this though?....

Anyway. You know ethics is area I can discuss for a lengthy time; however.... I think I shall leave this discussion as is. You brought up a very valid point regarding the parents not always being responsible in regards to their children, but there are far worse things going on that should have time spent on it; imho; I've been one to just recently realize this