How to make kiting safer?

Ok we have all heard quite enough about Leashes... so lets start to throw around a few constructive ideas on how to improve the safety (of ourselves and other water users) of our passionately beloved sport..


My 2c would be donated to:

1. Making helmets compulsory (geez watch the cats go nutz from this). I mean geez no-one complains about bikes anymore do they? Most folks think it is good (now).

2. Licensed/accredited users (with ID to be presented for any sales - even 2nd hand) - We accept it for cars/drinking etc etc. I' am not for a second saying this would be easy to set up or police but worth of discussing anyway I reckon. (those cats are gonna be stuffed by the end of this thread).

3. 4 line kites to be banned/burned if not modified to 5th? I saw a brand new 5 line kite being used on busy Scarb Beach (amazingly with a new 4 line bar) - all sold at bargain prices by a respected shop - to a complete moron who made every single mistake (in a very crowded location) you could imagine. Actually this is probably more a point 2 item also..

4. Gear confiscation for deliberatly dangerous and show-pony behaviour. ie, riding through flagged beaches, pulling tricks in shallows with young kids/old codgers in the near vacinity! Remember the old 25-50m radius rule? Most don't seem to..

DISCUSS...



BTW - flame away if you don't like the suggestions, but I am more interested in those that want to progress this sport safely and create more harmony with other (justifiably threatened) water users..

Very constructive relly...

Pulled my hammy playing bowls a few weeks back (yes really) in Qld so far too risky for me mate..


Anyone got anything intelligent to add? Er... obviously not you Relly so step aside please..

You are the Joke funky for writing a load of old crap like that. If you truly beleive any of the comments you have written, you are the biggest danger to the future of our sport. Wrap yourself up in cotton wool and take up writing crap full time, as you are pretty damn good at it.

Lol PR.

I like the idea of point no.2. Licenses would solve many many problems with kitesurfing, especially the whole "oh lets go give it a try with a 20m 2 line kite made in 1996 from Ebay... oh 30 knots looks good ". Although obviously it would have to have some kind of teeth (ie enforcement). Perhaps also temporary permits for people from overseas, just so that when getting the permit it can be explained to them what is deemed acceptable here etc etc.

I don't think helmets are stupid, but I'm not too much of a fan of wearing one myself, I mean I've surfed for a few years, and there is a far greater chance of being knocked out by a board there than in kitesurfing (lol and I have been )... unless you have a leash, then you should definantly wear one. Its kindof like wearing a helmet in a car, I mean it COULD save your life. For me it goes into the catagory of bringing along your own inflatable life-raft and oars... alright maybe not THAT absurd, but you get the point. Maybe it could be justified in a long downwinder, which would also be the only time I would happily wear some kind of impact vest or lifejacket for bouyancy.

I don't even know what a 5th line does... I've never flown a 5 line kite. But my 4 line gives me more than enough control, and I really don't see it as dangerous, I mean... full depower and safety release should things go wrong, that should be enough.

I think point 4 and point 2 go hand-in-hand kinda as rules can be established by way of license, confiscation is a bit far, unless its just a temporary thing to stop some noob on the 20m 2 line from killing himself, which I would personally consider doing if I saw that.

Kindof as a funny sidenote: I reckon I am going to start wearing a cup soon, the number of times I have landed on my ass in the water and had it channeled between my legs and straight into the family jewels from behind . It adds even more pain to the salty enema . Anyone else have this happen to them?

Temper temper funkster
Play the ball not the man dear.

The point i am making funkwit is kiting will never be 100% safe ever
Thats what makes it exciting the fact that it can be unpredictable

If it was predictable and fully safe then why bother might as well play bowls or ping pong

Unless you doing anything on bitumen, I dont think a helmet is really neccessary. Probably a good idea tho if your about to start doing crazy sh!t or doing speed runs in the shallows.

Lifejackets are manditory in some states, so the water police are supposed to enforce that one. I personally only wear a lifejacket when Its too cold or in the surf.

As for the rest of your points, they cant really be enforced in any way or form.
Besides, the local crew usually has their own set of rules that they 'enforce'.

I think the best policy here is just to be friendly, watch out for each other and help launch and land other people's kites and they will do the same for you one day.
Keep an eye out for learners or newbies at your spot. Give them advice where needed and alway give someone a hand if they are in a spot of bother.

What you are proposing Funky is exactly what kitesurfing is NOT about. A heap of crap rules and regulations that demise the FREEDOM of the sport.

Regulation tends to farkup most sports in the finish.......i am all for some local rules but please! do not regulate the sport.
An earlier thread along the lines of "if you try to stop some noob with his ebay kite from hurting himself and others and he still persists" what should you do. Here is the place for a standard sharp implement in the leading edge rule, or a good reason to always have your line knife on your person rule ...in the interests of safety of course!!!.
...........or play bowls or ping pong.

I propose we disband our wetsuits kite pants hats sun screen and concrete and don these

I like the idea of a Licence/permit so long as its free. I got given an IKO card from my instructor after my lessons which i now use as proof of ability when demoing gear.

Helmets are not needed, just stop the use of board leashes. I think shops should do their part and stop selling the bloody things. Life jackets are a good idea but they do interfear far too much specially in wave riding.

only 5line kites,,,,,, Nar thats a load of crap.

I think the best way to make kiting safer is to lower the price of lessons. my local store has lessons $300 each,,, now im not knocking this, they use a boat and supply all the gear etc so its a very decent lesson but at $300 thats almost a decent 2nd hand kite.

Even offer a cheap basic beach lesson for thoes who are really tight just to ensure that they are SAFER would be good.

Im not sure if Licenses would help, but maybe for 3rd party insurance reasons.

Its also pretty hard to educate the complications of kiting.
That stuff is really only learnt by trial and error, or, unless the kiter has had somekind of formal lesson.

5 lines kites verses 4 lines well. That's a hard one.
The safety advantages in strong wind are obvious, a kite released to 5th has less strain on a safety leash and the kite can be hot launched in a flash.
But..how can I put it in other ways.
5 lines is alittle like surfboards in the waves verses twin tips, only the rider can explain why they use them and whats the advantages. If you can't ride a directional you think they suck.

What does the F-one bandit fly like with 3 lines.
Does it fly like a 7m Waroo with a broken pullie in 35 knots.
This is not a good thing to be hooked into.