No, we're not kidding - it is simply NOT SAFE to be in the water between Redcliffe and Brisbane City this weekend.
Here are several reasons why:
There's so much debris washing out of Brisbane right now - it's astounding how quickly it's arriving on the beach. Everything from building materials, to trees, pontoons and dead animals were being washed up on Wednesday morning - you can imagine what it's like now! Not only could this be dangerous if you ride into it, but stray objects underwater could catch your lines and hold you underwater while you're relaunching a kite. The beach is covered in debris as well, so launching is not only difficult, but it is VERY likely you'll damage your gear (or yourself) on something sharp.
Brisbane's sewerage overflowed over the last few days so there's going to be tons of it floating around in the bay by now. This is the last thing you want going up your nose or in your mouth. That's not all though, think about everything else that's contaminated the water like oil, petrol, fertilisers and insecticides, which will all be well above the usual levels - and certainly not safe to be immersed in.
Dead animals are also floating into the beach. Over the last two days we've had a couple of kangaroos and cows wash up and, it's a horrible thought, but it's also possible some of the many missing bodies could wash up too.
Finally, there are better things you could be doing this weekend. Go and help people. The water should have subsided by Saturday and the cleanup will be in full swing. Come down to the beach and clean up debris. Head into the city and help a stranger clean up what's left of their house, or work a bit of overtime if you can and donate the extra to charity. There's a never-ending list of helpful things you could do, and kitesurfing should on the bottom of that list.
Click here to visit the Volunteer Australia websitehttp://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?article_id=4195&nav_cat_id=-1&nav_top_id=-1
Please note: at the time of posting, the government is calling for financial donations only, goods and services are not accepted at this stage. You can make a donation at all the major banks, plus Coles and Woolworths.
Good stuff Rhys.
When the time is right I have some pretty kites to donate.
Still waiting for some wind here.......hot but dry thank God.
Aussies are a resilient mob I believe, but it will take sacrifice and effort....good luck peoples and hope y'all get your life back soon.
i've donated money to the wa bushfires and wa floods but my thoughts are with you bannana benders
The rubbish is even getting around to Scaborough in Redcliffe. There where pot plants, bottles of wine and a couple of trees, one that was massive not to mention a **** load of branches and sticks and eskies and buckets and even a toilet brush.
I just went down for a look... Day one and it looks like this... It's just nuts, gas bottles, pontoons... and you can't see the bottom in 1cm puddles the water's that murky...
I dropped down to Sandgate at 2pm this afternoon, just to see the state of the beach and bay. It's amazing the amount of debris on the beach and in the water (logs, trees, pontoons, traffic crash barriers etc) and who knows what else below the surface. I was also amazed to see half a dozen kiters out there, kiting amongst all the crap in the water, even more surprising was a guy getting a lesson from a mate (I assume) and body dragging around through it all.
Now I'm only a newbie and have limited kitboarding experience....but use some common sense people! It would be very easy for a serious injury to occur, impailed on a tree branch or other debris, or any other number of dangerous scenarios, let alone the potential damage to your gear. I truly hope there are no incidents or injuries that will reflect badly on the majority of kiters that do have some common sense. If your that desperate for a kite, drive an hour north to Caloundra or south to the Goldy.
Even better, get out and lend a hand and help the masses clean up Brisbane! Or clean up your local kite beach. Kiting in the current conditions at Sandgate / Brighton is just plain foolish IMO.
Yeah it was a kite - there was about 5 or 6 guys out riding at both ends of the beach.
I counted more than 10 pontoons floating in the few km's between Sandgate and Brighton. Two half full gas bottles that the fire brigade were pulling out of the water as I got there, and so so many small objects that just break your heart - kids bikes, footballs etc...
Here's some more pics...
Was down there at lunch time ,the local member (council) came up and asked If I new any of the idiots kiting out the I said "yeh , but I'm not that desperate".
she said she was going up the rode to talk to the police about keeping people out of the water,they have the power the arrest people for performing a dangerous activity .similar to swimming / body boarding in a flood swollen creek.
Talking to a few locals who have seen seringes , logs ,trees ,dead amnimals all sorts rubbish not to mention live brown snakes!!, human waste and chemicals from all the flooded industry.
I've seen 10m long pontoons , 300/400mm pipes about 8/10 m long.
Anyone venturing into these waters risks possible disease , injury or even getting arrested or a fine..
Jay..
we're looking for you! we gonna finnnd you! So you better hide ya kids hide ya wife hide ya kids hide ya wife...
i was one of those idiots out kiting it wasnt to bad in the morning 19 to 23 se bit of rubbish but good wind 
harden up this over regulated country has made us soft, we get all sorts washing up here all the time. this isnt any more dangerous than the usual flush outs. keep ya mouth shut when underwater but. get off the "media bandwagon" and think for yourself.
Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result; all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they are not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey every again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here. And that, my friends, is how a policy begins.
I do agree now is not the best time to be in the water.
us guys that kited were actually cleaning stuff up as well... so we were "doin our bit" with the cleanup
I was one of the idiots at sandgate yesterday arvo. It wasn't that bad and we were definitely aware of the dangers. We were also down here yesterday morning from 6am cleaning the beach as best we could for 2 hours. It looks good today with most of the debris collected by the council and a lot less floating debris. The council are doing a top job cleaning sandgate and brighton.
I went down and had a look yesterday arvo but I didn't kite. I would have to agree that it wasn't really that bad, a bit of crap floating around and if you knew what you were doing you wouldn't been in much danger at all.
All you whingers are a bunch of pussys, I guess thats why most of you kite.
This just goes to show you cannot do absolutely anything these days without some spoil sports thinking they have the authority and superior intelligence to tell you you cannot do it... Or even worse some prick goes and dobs you into the cops... Well done mate! your a****** hero.
Go rhinoman would have joined you if I was not working.
To many softcxxks around I say.
Jealously comes in many forms looks like these red thumbs are reflecting their green eyed inner deamons.
Winds cranking rhino, downwinder from nudgee----KEEN
Hey hey hey... I'm not saying you can't go kiting, you can do what you like - I just gave everyone a few reasons why I (me personally) don't think it's such a good idea...
It's the same as those people who choose to drive though flood waters and head out in electrical storms - Everyone says not to do it, but many try it anyways and most people make it out fine...
It's the old "what if scenario" that i'm talking about here... Many have already riden at Sandgate and come out unscathed over the last few days - There's been no incidents so far - but what if someone gets hurt or drowns or ends up with herpes... You won't be all "She'll be right mate!" then will you...
