No matter how often I have tried to figure it out I am very muddled about where at Leighton you can kite in Summer time.
On the WAKSA site it says- "The preferred launching and landing area is North of the railway footbridge and South of the dog beach."
But, I have walked a dog all along there and looked at google maps, and the dog beach starts AT the footbridge and goes north to Dutchies (around about).
(The coloured aerial photo shows green (for go I assume 
) for all of the dog beach area, plus a bit south of the bridge
)
So, as far as I can work out there is about a 2m wide strip of beach for launch and landing
(and last time I was there a bunch of about 15 kayak'ers zooming out and back repeatedly at exactly this spot!)
Can anyone clarify this?
there are signs near all the access ways onto the beach. they clearly state either NO surf craft or ALLOWED surf craft (and the relevant dates)
the allowed signs start roughly around the foot bridge.
basically, from the dog signs north you can kite, and theres mostly nothing but rocks
i think technically NONE of leighton beach is allowable. the bit where the dog beach starts northwards towards dutch inn is mosman beach... (at least thats what it was when the gravity games was run there)
Yeh, the no surf craft signs which includes us kiters starts about 50m south of the raliway footbridge, anywhere north of there is ok.
Keeping out of the dog beach area is just to avoid the very busy section of the beach and all those dogs that love chasing kites.
Before the new diversion road was put in surf craft were allowed to enter the water starting at the second car park south (which has now disappeared) of the railway footbridge. All of the beach north of this point, upto Deane St in Cott, should be ok.
I think the best options are to either launch 50-100m south of the dog beach signs that are stuck in the sand at Leighton, Mosman beach (just north of Cable Stations) or Dutchies.
I have only kited Leighton a 1/2 dozen times or so and whilst on the water it was a bit gusty and choppy it was ok. Problems start on the beach though. I reckon it is as gusty and awkward as fook.
Is it worth a bit longer drive to swanny or city beach for some nice, more sedate sandy areas?
how on earth can you be confused?
READ THE SIGNS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BEACH... if it says no surf craft you can't kite there.
as a rough guide, if your north of the foot bridge you are ok (just watch out for dogs eating your kites)
I'm guessing the intentions of the kite restrictions is to keep the kiters away from the regular punters at the beach, esp near the surf club. We're meant to rig up north of the bridge which is where the dog beach starts, and but that is often the most busy section of the beach. Usually the area just south of the bridge/dog beach is less crowded, and thats where most kiters rig up.
So use a bit of sense, choose an uncrowded spot to rig up and don't go too far south of the bridge.
