Here's a bit of motivation to get WA kiters organised.
I started windsurfing in 1981 in Sydney, it was very popular it seemd everyone was into it. Most beaches had it's crew of sailors, from the wave sailors of long reef to the 100's sailing the harbour. As the numbers grew conflicts with other beach users increased. In a couple of unfortunate incidents fatalities occured. One involved a collision between a body surfer coming in and a wave sailor going out. On the harbour numerous resident groups were raising serious questions about windsurfing.
All this led to windsurfing being banned from most metropolitan, and harbour beaches (1985). Windsurfers were forced to congregate in other areas (Kyeemagh).
I lived in Mosman at the time and windsurfing was banned from all areas except for a small strip of beach. Violation of the ban would result in a ranger showing up, sometimes accompanied by the Police. They would confiscate all of your equipment and you had to pay a hefty fine to get it back. The Mosman council ended up
with quite a collection of gear. Where I sailed a ranger would be parked permanently waiting for anyone who made the mistake of landing on the wrong part of the beach !!
In what I thought was a master stroke I would launch from the prohibited area and land in an unrestricted area. I did this once and the ranger called the Water Police !!. I tried to out run them, but they cut me off, stopped the boat and dragged me on board. Hello sergeant ????
No one ever got organised or approached the councils with any serious suggestions. Instead we carried on a like a bunch of mavericks giving the finger to the man.
The result was the death of windsurfings growth, and reduced the number of sailors to a small group. 
Sound familar ?
Don't let Kiting get banned guys !!!!
PS. Feel free to make jokes about the death of windsurfing etc.. I didn't wear boardies over my wetsuits, I wore hot pink boardshorts with a matching pink and blue sail 
Good advice!
I guess that kinda stuff happens when things get too popular. And kitesurfing seems to be growing exponentially at the moment. I've been talking it up for a while now, but I'm going to start telling people how crap kitesurfing is from now on.
good idea, i'm not bragging about how much fun i'm having anymore!
As usual the minority are trying to root things up for the majority.
Good post, just look at WA obiviously the sports getting a bit to popular and we aren't the flavour of the month any more. Restrictions are comming as a group we've got to pull our heads in. I got pulled over by water police years ago for not wearing a pfd thought pretty funny in the middle of the bay, at the time. We aren't far off being as bad as jet ski riders, and if the truth be known probably potentially just as dangerous. Can't rememeber the the windsurfing boom in the 80's
but obviously created big problems, lets try to stick to the rules as best we can people
I have always wondered, how do you wear a pfd and a waist harness anyway? I know you can get some two in one jobbies.
try explaining that to the water police holding a kite at the same time. Got booked again a few weeks later and was able to demonstrate the imposiblity of it even with their gear, they seem to have backed off a bit these days. I'm not a top swimmer or anything if theres an suitable safety vest I'll wear it, but yet to see one.
Just found this in the SAKSA category:
From AdelaideNow
www.adelaidenow.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes
DANIEL WILLS, JOANNA VAUGHAN
December 03, 2008 12:01am
BEACHGOERS are being threatened with a $200 fine for "harnessing the wind" without council permission.
Signs have sprung up at local beaches this week warning that using the wind for kite surfing and other unspecified activities is prohibited without a permit.
Port Adelaide Enfield environmental health manager Ian Hawkins said kite surfers were a danger to swimmers and others on the beach.
"The council had a couple of incidents involving kite surfers and one quite serious incident where a kite surfer ended up tangled with someone on the beach," he said.
Mr Hawkins said there was no plan to repeat Holdfast Bay council's ban on some hand-held kites.
"The permit doesn't mean that people can't do it, they just do it with the necessary safety precautions and knowledge," he said.
A new Port Adelaide Enfield by-law banning kites "used for the purpose of pulling or carrying a person" comes into force on December 21. Permits are only available through membership of the South Australian Kite Surfing Association at an annual cost of $65.
Mr Hawkins said the law was "just vague enough" for the council to crack down on new kite sports that may be invented in the future.
But some people have complained that ambiguity opens the door to abuses of power.
In September, acting Ombudsman Ken MacPherson told a parliamentary committee some councils were maliciously issuing expiation notices for animal, traffic and other infringements.
West Lakes Kite Shop owner Phil McConnachie is a key organiser of the annual Adelaide International Kite Festival, run in conjunction with Port Adelaide Enfield Council.
He claims he has been "targeted" by officials and told to cease kite surfing even before the new laws have come into force.
"They're basically trying to restrict the hell out of it as best they can," he said. "We are courteous to the other beachgoers and give way to everyone."
Charles Sturt Council is also understood to be considering restrictions. Bans already apply in areas of Holdfast Bay.
