Hey Guys,
We are doing up a bit of a safety article this next issue.
Who knows the actual facts and figures on legally acceptable distances from swimmers and from flagged areas?I know kiters are classed as sailing vessels so we gotta just stay well away from flags etc but does anyone know the correct distance?
Also surfers are there any actual legally liable rules etc? And people on the shore?
It's super important we put this info out there in the aid of making sure to educate everyone, lots of people don't know.... How many of us have seen some gumby kiting way too close to flags! It puts the freedom of our sport at risk for all.
If you could share your knowledge in this forum we would be most grateful and really help our article, and help educate the newbies.
Thanks! - Ollie J ~ ED
Pretty sure it's 200 meters off shore within flag area and 30 meters away from either end of flag area.
30 meters away from surfers.
Am sure I will be corrected here on sb if I am wrong.
If your upwind of flag area stay far away as you don't want to drown swimmers if your kite goes down.
In the Midwest if you hear a clunk on your fins it means reef or swimmer, reef means loss of fin swimmer means loss of hair,
Sometimes less is better olly. Keep it brief
Use ya head
Stay away from the flags
Say no to pfd's - they're a danger to wave riding and dangle passes
This applies to NSW, I don't know if it the same for all states
Read pages 85 and 52 of this publication
www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/maritime/licence/boating-handbook.pdf
I know that the picture on the front is a power boat but most rules apply to us, page 85 is all about kiteboarders and sailboarders
Not sure of distances but even if there is one - with regards to flagged areas newbies have to be aware they can not under any circumstances place their kite near swimmers in a flagged zone.
I say this because to many times I have seen newbies practicing 50, 100, 200 mts… (distance is irrelevant) upwind of a surf lifesaving zone only to get into difficulty and being uncontrollably dragged into the restricted area. The more experienced guys go and help and apologise to the Lifesavers but some day somebody will get hurt. FFS do us all a favour and do not practice upwind of a Surf Lifesaving Zoned area.
Not trying to be a smartass but....
As a commercial publication, why would you not approach the authorities or surf life savers’ groups for the official word? If this (gauging opinions on forums) is how you research facts and laws then I'm loosing confidence in quite a few stories I read inside your cover.
Have to agree with Harlie but of you want to publish my guess I'm pretty sure you have to be 50m from swimmers and surfers in Victoria
Select to expand quoteyendor said..
Pretty sure it's 200 meters off shore within flag area and 30 meters away from either end of flag area.
30 meters away from surfers.
Am sure I will be corrected here on sb if I am wrong.
If your upwind of flag area stay far away as you don't want to drown swimmers if your kite goes down.
I Was WRONG.
This is correct from boating manual.
Surf flag area 560 meters out. 500 meter surf zone then another 60 meters off that.Pretty sure everyone is guilty here?
and 60 meters from the side of flags.
A swimming area, flat water not surf flags.
60 meters out and 60 meters from the sides.
Yes, it's much further out than you would think.
In SEQ pretty sure it's 400m in the surf zone.
Select to expand quoteharlie said..
Not trying to be a smartass but....
As a commercial publication, why would you not approach the authorities or surf life savers’ groups for the official word? If this (gauging opinions on forums) is how you research facts and laws then I'm loosing confidence in quite a few stories I read inside your cover.
thanks for all you comments guys. Harlie this forum post has been insight into who actually knows the rules... I'm being straight up honest I don't know! Do you?
Yes we will contact some officials before we print anything.Trevor Hendy is at the camp Im at right now haha i'm gonna ask him surely he knows! :D
State maritime laws apply to each state........in NSW
**60m from a person (when doing over 10 knots)
**30m from an object
**60m from either side of swimming flags
**500 m out to sea from flags
**you need a life jacket when more than 400m out, so on downwinders technically if you pass flags out to sea without a life jacket you could be issued an infringement
**swimming zones and Sydney harbour are no go areas 
Ive been in meetings with council, Rangers,national parks, lifesavers, and maritime officers to keep areas around Byron open. Maritime said they class the closest point of the kiter (eg it may be kite) in the distance off rules.
Ps maybe check each state association website or maritime handbook for differences
The closer the more swimmers are mirin. I use swimmers as buoys to mark my position to measure how far my fully sick jumps are
Select to expand quoteFreedomKite said..
... I'm being straight up honest I don't know! Do you?
Yes we will contact some officials before we print anything.Trevor Hendy is at the camp Im at right now haha i'm gonna ask him surely he knows! :D
Are you being honest?
Seems to me these posts of yours are looking more like they are part of a deliberate social media marketing campaign than anything else.
Sounds like a great idea to me.. and who cares if this is also a social media marketing campaign. Any magazine that is published in Australia by Australians and helps promote our sport to the rest of the community as well as trying to raise awareness to kitesurfers about the regulations is something that should be promoted and supported. Especially by kitesurfers.
