OK, some encouraging news has come to hand.
Apparently the Windsurf and Kite associations of Victoria got together and were able (eventually) to get the law about PFD's in surf changed.
Hopefully something we can emulate once this comp is under our belt.
The more members we have, the more we can be seen as speaking for all windsurfers in the State.
Cheers, Richard
Secretary, Windsurfing SA
mmmm... " Unfortunately it will take legislation or someone challenging in court to change. or someone wearing a pfd getting trapped under their sail in the surf and drowning."..........I think the first part of this statement is what is needed ,as to the second part ,well if someone died with a PFD on nobody in government is going to give a **** about one person dying who is of a small minority group ,they have plenty of self righteous blah blah to drown out the sound of a complaint for someone dying because of their legislation. It's really up to them to prove to the community that wearing a PFD is NOT dangerous and will definitely save a life .
I CHOOSE to wear one when I sail , but iff I was an expert sailor I would want the CHOICE to wear one!!!
Steve of the "can you see my middle finger sticking up?" crowd.
I'll sign up! This guy almost got me at goolwa lake in Feburary and said he was instructed to keep an eye out for windsurfers.
One of the things I'm enjoying most about my stay in NSW is that they don't seem to be into all the nanny state bullsh!t that goes on in SA.
I'm free to do things here that I've been prosecuted for in SA.
It takes fools half an hour to pass this kind of legislation that a well organised lobby group takes years to overcome.
Its worth the fight if we respect our freedoms.
I got warned last weekend at Middleton, kitesurfers have the same issue and we are mounting a case to Marine Safety FYI. when in the surf we have to be treated like surfers and have need to duck under waves when our gear is down, duck boards and not get washed into equipment by a bomb. A pfd is going to do nothing for you if you are being smashed around in the surf. Surfers don't wear them as the surf will create a danger and impede the ability to swim and go under waves. We need to get this legislation changed
