A little note to all you Noob and so called experienced kiters ....
When passing downwind of another kite drop your kite down in towards the water so the slightly upwind guy can stay powered up and pass each other without fuss 
The amount of retards who dont do this and keep there kite up high amazes me 
They usually look up at their kite at 80 degrees and pull dumarse faces that are like - fark hes gonna crash into meeeee WTF 
the thought to lower their kite to 45 never enters their lack of common sense brain at all....
Another joyful day in Paradise 
That's all good & understandable, but I have one related question:
If you have your kite at 12 as you're getting your board back on your feet and someone is approaching; what should you do with your kite?
I usually try & make eye contact with the approaching rider to try & to convey that I've seen them & won't attempt take off until they've passed, but I leave my kite at 12 cause I'm not sure where else I can put it.
Is this right, or should I be doing something different?
Commonsense says you get your board on and wait until the other person coming towards you has gone. Keep your kite at 12, Look over your shoulder both ways before waterstarting.
I hear ya. It's so frustrating when your are both coming together and the kiter below you raises their kite up and then you have to raise yours up to 12 o'clock just to pass them. Dude keep it at 45 degrees that way you keep going and so does the other person.
Maybe they should teach this in lessons.
went out on my first run without an instructor and was about an hour in with dudes going crazy all over the place. I was downwind of everyone and one guy comes roaring towards me as I am going to put my board on so I start putting my kite lower and he starts yelling "DONT MOVE" "DONT MOVE" "DONT MOVE", so I am ****ting myself and not putting my kite lower (already at 45degrees) cuz I have no ****ing idea what hes doing so i dont move and he pulls a ****ing transition jump over the top of me, scaring the **** out of me and him getting only about 1.5m above my lines, Lucky I didnt move.
If I'm standing on the beach waiting for a gap to go out, should my kite be over the ocean or the land?
Heard a couple of conflicting ideas on this one...
a) Over ocean because it's safer if a gust comes
b) Over beach so it doesn't interfere with the guys gybing
Ok, I thought I had it but now I'm not sure. If I'm cruising along, keep at 45, even stop edging the board - no problem. If I'm in the water, I generally stay where I am with Kite at 12 - feeling decidely like a rabbit in their headlights - but then ff the approaching kiter can't pass with my kite there he shouldn't be so close?
I really should get a little red L-Plate ribbon - if only to get a bigger share of the sea.
Good questions all-
and JJB, I feel for you. You were doing all the right things then an ass does the wrong thing- ok behaviour if it's a mate playing on the water with you but not ok if its not a mate!
If you're waiting to water start, I think 12 o'clock is acceptable, if you're on the beach waiting to beach start or walking, I am not sure either. Low over the water is safest but may get in the way of other kiters, at 12 is risk of being lofted, and low over the beach is a risk of being dragged into something.
Kite high upwind, kite low downwind is of course just common sense[}:)]
Schools should start teaching the "kite low" rule as aposed to the "kite high" rule, i also find way too many noobs keep kites too high
“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”
or the lack of it
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
stay away from the dangerous people
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
time for the w..kers to show of
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.”
look up
i think keeping the kite over the water at all times should be the way to do it . If someone feels the need to come right into shore then **** them . All they want to do is come in close to show off how awesome they are .
If it's a big issue then don't expect them to drop their kite, just go downwind around them instead.
Simple.
If you are sitting in the water with your kite at 12, (say after a stack) you are a motionless vessel and everyone should be giving you fair space. You can't manoeuvre so you can't get out of anyone's way!
That said you should be prepared to water start quickly once you get the chance, especially in a busy spot (think the kiddie pool at St Kilda)
But sometimes it is easier to give an obviously less competent rider the benefit of the doubt and ride out of their way!
In sailing when I was a kid we used to always give the newbies a bit of latitude when it came to exercising the right of way rules (ie. being better and faster than them it was no skin off your nose to give them a bit of space)
No point getting in a tangle to prove a point - that just stuffs up your session and helps no-one...
Hey Oceanfire if someone is passing upwind of you while your sorting your board it's easier for them if you keep your kite to one side. That way they can get past without bringing their kite to 12. Also for those who have trouble in crowded spots just like in marine laws you should show your intentions early, for a boat that would be at least a 10 degree change in direction, all kiters have to do is make an obvious change in the angle of the kite.
I doubt it would be a problem kiting way off shore though
ok......if i have my kite at twelve, and my board at three, and im in the shallows, and i need to go number twos, and i launch, how far away is the minimum safe distance from the other kiters before i can do my number twos and clean off in the water?
Oh and its east coast with tide running in on a half moon.
Holly **** batman. I must be very lucky because my local has a thing called common sense. If your at the beach ready to go with your kite preferably over the water, you watch whats going on in the water and who is coming in towards you to avoid a problem. once there's a break you get on your board and go. If someone has a stack you just give them enough room to get themselves back up and then business as usual. You guy's in W.A. must be so saturated with new guys and a lack of beach space to accommodate everyone cause every second post is from over there with one problem or another.
Ha ha ha that's a good question.
kite at 12 = annoying kook that needs to move. if your stuffing around drop ya kite as low as possible on the edge of the window and stay out of the way
Yeh Drop ya kite ya kooks and stay out the way. Dont you know Brighton's a small beach with no room for error. JUST USE COMMON SENCE. No need to call everyone except yourself a kook. I have seen even the most competent kiter park there kite in the wrong spot before. You just deal with it. Ever thought of giving the new guys that do it some advice on the beach?
No it isnt Brighton. or Sandgate for that matter and as for your story of the School instructor/owner, there is no shop owners that are also instructors that kite at Brighton.
Yes it is at high tide but then it is crap to kite there at high tide. At low tide there is miles of room. I dont disagree with you , just think if you took the time to tell these kooks as you call them you might help educate them in the right thing to do.
Keep your kite low so everybody else can pass,when all clear take off on the up stroke,even if you don't yet have your board on da feet still keep kite low, lean on your board with front arm,then when clear you are already to bring your board around and put straight on feet.
