Perth Next Sunday

Hi There,

Does anyone have any idea on where to kite on westerlies in Perth? Next Sunday's forecast looks quite exciting.
I've started kitesurfing in Perth this season, so not too sure what to expect this winter.

Would Point Walter be any good on westerlies?

Cheers

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cbulota said..

Frogzie,

I don't think many Perth kiters would ''recommend'' spots for kiting in Westerlies or any such frontal winds (NW, N), especially after the tragic accident last winter, especially if you are new to kiting.

Winter fronts are approaching and beginners and new kiters in Perth must be aware the dangers of kiting in such conditions.

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Winter-Weather-Warning-for-new-Kitesurfers_2879690.aspx

This article summarizes what you need to know.

I've witnessed a few kiters ending up on the roads (including one in the power lines) and bushes and lots of scary beach crashes in On-Shore winds over the past few years. All of them were beginners and were very owerpowered and also they all were very lucky that they got away unharmed.

Point Walter can be kiteable on Westerlies, but would be extremely gusty so not much fun and potentially dangerous as well.

Best advice if it's your first season kiting is simply to skip this winter. Get more experience and practice going out in stronger winds (25 knots+) with smaller kite sizes next summer.

good article........ can't wait for the westerlies .......

It's not winter yet anyways. Winter doesn't start till 1st June. Monday 28th April looks good according to seabreeze forcast. 20 to 25 kt. will be at Melville beach to sus out the weather

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Frogzie said..

Thanks for the advice guys. the article was intersting as well and I don'twant take any chances. Is it as extreme all through winter though? I went out 30 or 40 times this summer, can do my jumps and boost, go upwind no issues, can manage a little bit of over powered conditions, but I'm far from years of experience indeed.
Would I be able to score a few more calmed sessions or should I just get an air ticket and fly somewhere else to get my fix :)

When it comes to kiting, every day is a different day. You can get dangerous fronts in the middle of summer as well, so the specific time of the year is irrelevant. It's just that in the winter in Perth you are more likely to get extreme weather changes (i.e. 10-15 knots getting up to 30 knots + in a matter of minutes) and from now on there is pretty much no more chances you get Sea breezes due to land being too cold, which means the only winds you are going to get from now on until October are fronts. Sea breezes are much safer winds due to their consistency in direction and strength and frontal winds are much more dangerous for the exact opposite reason. By the way, all this is essential knowledge you should've learned in your first lesson...

The decision to go out kiting in fronts is ultimately yours. Additional things to consider if you do decide to go out in Winter fronts (learning from other people's mistakes) are:

-Use the smallest kite size possible. This way if the wind picks up suddenly, you won't be as overpowered. If you only have one kite, you are much more likely to be overpowered quickly, so get yourself a smaller kite if that's the case.

-When arriving at the spot, take your time and don't setup immediately. Observe and assess the conditions for a good 30 min. Look at other kiters weight and kite sizes and how powered they are. Ask them for advice. If in doubt, don't go out!

-On shore frontal winds are probably the most dangerous conditions to kite in and probably responsible for the majority of some of the worst accidents in kiting.

-As much as possible, avoid self-launching, especially in a narrow beach with on-shore winds full of sea weed (tangled lines). The chances of failure are much higher in these conditions. If in doubt of being overpowered, trim your kite to full depower and keep one hand on the safety system until you are confident it's not too much to handle.

-Remember 20 knots of cold winter wind has roughly the same power as a 25 knots hot summer breeze.

-Be ready to activate your safety system anytime, anywhere. Make sure you can easily, quickly and safely self-retrieve your kite after activating your safety system. Don't just tell yourself ''you know how to do it''. Get out there and Practice, practice, practice. This should've been covered in practical scenarios more than once during your lessons. This is a vital skill that is unfortunately very rarely taught in lessons, hence most people hesitate to activate their safety systems when things go wrong and wouldn't know how to retrieve the kite even if they did activate it! If you decide to kite this winter there is pretty much a 100% chance you'll have to do this on multiple occasions, sometimes in very strong winds...

-Make sure your safety system operates smoothly and is not jammed or corroded, full of sand, etc. Check it regularly

-Thoroughly inspect your equipment for possible early signs of failure (lines, bridles, depower rope, pulleys, canopy, etc.) Replace anything that looks dodgy.

-Keep a safe distance from the shore especially in On-Shore winds. Jumping big or riding too close to shore in on-shore winds you can quickly end up very close or on the shore upon landing.

-Avoid very narrow beaches with high dunes and too close to roads or other major obstacles. When something goes wrong, you will need space to activate your safety system and retrieve your kite.

-Don't get complacent, observe the weather changes closely. Land your kite quickly when darker clouds approach before things get out of hand!

-Keep a big distance from other kiters, kite tangles in strong on-shore winds could be disastrous.

Hope this helps,

Christian

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NickT said..

So I should put my flagging line back on?

Oh yeah, do the opposite of what NickT is doing and you'll be safe

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cbulota said..

NickT said..

So I should put my flagging line back on?

Oh yeah, do the opposite of what NickT is doing and you'll be safe

LOL
Time for a kite Nick

Hey
I came across your radio while i was down there today buried in the sand. Funnily enough i set up my kite on it. What time did you leave?
I picked it up and had a look at it but put it back down mayby a metre or two east of where i picked it up, diddnt look like it belonged to anybody so i didnt take much notice.

Anyway, it was pretty tough conditions there with a few squalls coming through that made it pour down with rain and added a few knots of wind. I even found it a bit challenging myself when the squalls came

Well done anyway for getting away with no injuries

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Frogzie said...
Are you serious Calvin? I walked up to the North/West end of the beach so I have no idea where I lost it. Do you remember if it was near the end of the beach or more towards the car park? Close to the water?
I won't be able to go back there until Wednesday... Hopefully it doesn't get buried too much (I think I 'm dreaming right now). Audio was the only bit left working in my car. I think I'm back to the old engine sound now... I'm lovin' it!

It was on the point area pretty much in the middle of both sides, about 10m west of where the scrub grass ends.

thanks mate

great info here... its my first winter as well frogzie and i am in a really similar position as you, confident on the board & kite, can stay up win, got backroll /front rolls n learn to unhook..

its good to take in the info as i am always keen as mustard to get out in any condition!

i think danno has it right... kite before or after the front.. I had a great session yesterday at woodies (new vid comming your way dusta :D)... great consistent win and didn't gust too much.

but i think its really important to get in before that front hit... just take a look at how much it gusted over night and into the morning... could of been in some serious trouble...rotto forinstance at 2am went from 30 - 15knots in 20 odd minutes...@!

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Calvin6m said..

I had my gopro on so i might be able to point it out on the footage when i look at it.

I went back to Woodies today... Awesome session again by the way, and found my stereo front panel!
Someone had put it on the sign at the entry of beach.

I love Straya! I was cranking the french tunes on the way back home! GOLD! That made my day! And thanks again whoever that was.

hahaha I do it all the time after a good sesh as well.
Thanks anyway.