Interesting. It seems there is a dedicated setup area for kiters and is that even a buoyed lane for the comings and goings of said kiters? It seems all over Europe and the Mediterranean on busy/urban beaches bathers and kiters share the beach (or their respectful parts of them) together.
In Sydney it's banned between Cronulla and Long Reef (at least 3/4's of the city's beach line). Disclosure: I'm stuck living around Bondi (yet, no, I have never disrespected the ban) and have what's often a 2 & 1/2 hour round trip to go kiting. However, for the sake of constructive discourse what about, a dedicated kite set up and launch area on some city beaches on the odd days that are kite-able and unattractive for bathers and therefore less populated.
Fibreglass surfboards are not allowed when the flags are up but when its too rough or dangerous for swimmers and the flags come down, fibreglass boards are allowed. Most surfers know, appreciate and observe the rule. Occasionally the lifeguards have to point it out to the odd bod but the system works and generally keeps all beaches goers caring and sharing. Similarly, could we not have some days, conditions or criteria when kiting is allowed from a dedicated launch area?
Clearly some Sydney beaches are too small and flukey to ever really bother but beaches like Bondi, Maroubra, Manly, Curl Curl for example, on windy or stormy days seem a shame to pass up when not many other people are interested in the beach.
Interested to hear from anyone who has kited Europe and has experience of busy/urban beaches where kiting is allowed or indeed, made possible.
Also interested to hear from anyone at NSWKA on the topic.
I know this topic has been covered in some ways but what I haven't seen is any well set down arguments for the total ban rather than occasional managed access for kiting.
Just a thought as I gaze wistfully out to sea.
Meh. Another beach like Kuta full of bogans, and the usual over commercialization of the local cultures . Next!
Select to expand quoteKazan said..
Meh. Another beach like Kuta full of bogans, and the usual over commercialization of the local cultures . Next!
I'm of the same thinking, where would you go if you could?
Looks like a sound solution, rather than the Authorities "Blanket Banning" a whole beach or whole City area. But I would imagine for intermediate and experienced Tea Bagger's and Poly's only to avoid running into the hoard's of beach users down wind. Other safer places elsewhere would have to earmarked for Newby areas, I guess, as I could not see it's a place for Newb's to be body dragging or standing there and dropping their kites across the smallish launch/land zone area in this case, except for off season or bad weather days where the beaches are cleared of people. I wonder what rules are in play there if any? As I understand these countries, duties of care, litigations, public liabilities are not the 'norm' and or paying off and bribes to the Authorities are the 'norm'. Maybe "KA" should be looking to the future where our sport is only going to become more and more popular and working on having strategies in place if they have not already done so. If they have it would be nice to know what their policies are in this respect to their members and the broader kiting community who they are meant to represent?
