If they want kiters to follow the "sailing" rules, they need to rewrite them to suit the modern times.
When those old sailing rules were written, kitesurfing wasnt even invented and poledancing hadn't even really started.????? Lots of pirates' around back then too " aaarrrrrrrrr"
Trying to follow rules written waaaay back then would be like following the road rules from back when cars weren't invented and horse and carts ruled the road.
Its probly the reason why so many windsurfers are getting mowed down by boats??????? Time to update to modern day.

Yadda Yadda Yadda, it makes sense for the same rules to apply to all people/vessels travelling on water because there are no centre lines, roundabouts or traffic lights. Generally, the pilots of most vessels need to pass a test on those rules to get their licence, whether it's for a jet ski, yacht or mega freighter. Kiters, paddle boarders and wind surfers don't need to pass that test but it makes sense that we should know them because we are sharing the water with them. As for kiting, yes, upwind: kite high, down wind, kite low, coming in to land, give way to kiter trying to get off the beach etc
Yelling out "STARBOARD" is a very wanky thing to do! Only ever heard it from Euros. It helps though if you are on a collision course, both riders know, without being able to talk that the rider going to the right is going to hold his course and the rider going to the left is going to either drop down wind or edge further upwind if they can to avoid tangled lines. Usually the rider on the port tack (left foot in front) can signal their intention by either raising or lowering their kite Watch Blake's video clip I posted earlier in this thread.

Cheers

Just spent 2 weeks in Cape Town ,in the 2 weeks only 2 people lowered their kites when I was upwind ,and the look of astonishment when mine was at 3 -4 mtrs off the water as I was below them if conditions allowed.

newbie23562 said..
Mmmm... the fact that different people practicing the same sport (not sailing...) have posted somewhat different opinions on the same topic may raise concerns, specially when those same riders are on collision course with each other

Luckily for us there is plenty of coastline :D

There isn't an actual problem though.. 20 years and we have had hardly any collisions of vessel vs kiter, or kiter vs kiter.

This is because we respect the dangers and vulnerabilities we have as kiters and we are super cautious.

It is a problem when new misinformation with a sailing agenda is spread though confusing a new generation.

Like said we do anything to avoid collision. Kiters use "buffer zone" a radius around them empty of risks due to the nature of kites that can see riders suddenly fly/ accelerate. We try to go nowhere near other vessels where possible.. we are skin and bone vs tonnes of fibreglass/wood.

Kiter vs kiter.. we don't play the starboard rule because it means that some miseducated rider may disrupt a session by ruining the traffic flow.. no need to pinch upwind in a stupid way but usually it is clear who is further up wind... keep them upwind... we work hard to get back upwind to jump/ trick/ surf/freeride so don't snake.

Kitesurfing is not sailing, it has it's own very different safety considerations, it doesnt use a sail or mast!!, half of all kite surfer deaths are as a result of the flying nature of the sport ( usually accidental flying due to loss of control)

People need to be very careful how they "educate" a new generation of kiters.

Safety is the number one consideration and the sport of kitesurfing has it's own unique challenges that have been well managed for decades.

Sailings involvement in kiting at a racing /Olympic level should not enable corruption / misinformation of tried and tested safety standards for kiting.

Unfortunately as money is involved in the form of funding for the Olympic kite discipline through sailing which is a world away from what 99.9% of kiters do, there is risk of being dictated to by people that are absolutely clueles$.

And they think Australian Maritime Marine Regulations don't apply to them.................What a bunch of Frk'n Muppets!!!!

"It seems to you" lol

Starboard! Don't worry about buffer zone, wave riders, jump/freestyle sessions.. you just plough straight through them shouting starboard.

Want to pinch upwind and piss everyone off thinking you are sailing not kiting?.. go hard! Lol

Go to woodies, the pond, corronations, lancelin and tell us all what we have been doing wrong for the last 20 years to well manage our own safety.

Like mentioned by others do whatever necessary to keep yourself and others safe, if you decide to claim starboard in close proximity to another kiter that has worked their way back upwind during a session; however, you can still pinch wind towards them forcing them downwind in close proximity, u are are the rider creating a risk and not adhering to our 20 year culture of buffer zones and session rules. Also selfish to those that want to have a fun session and maximise a trick spot, waveriding time while sharing.

It sounds to me like u have an agenda, ploughing through fellow kiters on starboard and getting your little made up rule book out and lecturing us about getting home to our family safely.


Don't kite near me. Your a sailor mate with a sailing avatar and 3 windsurfers for sale on the breeze, not an og kiter.

The sports are different as we can fly with our kites ( not sails), we need to protect ourselves and others way more than sailors and have been doing so for 20 years because we are a different sport with a far higher rate/ risk of accidents than sailing.

I don't know much about KA, but I entered an event and it could have been better organised by children, it seemed the objective wasn't any rider satisfaction whatsoever, but simply a result ( I suspect the organiser was a paid subcontractor) There were no judges organised, the person running it didn't seem to understand that sub 10 knot lulls should result in an abandoned heat, no clear judging guidelines... so god help us if they try and rewrite the rules of keeping kiters and others safe!

My concern is that KA try to align themselves to sailing in order to receive funding from the $20 million IOC funding pot rather than let kiteboarding in australia look after it's own sport. That should not happen.

Its nuking, starboard!

the truth said..

iandvnt said..
Starboard!!!! said no one ever while kiting.

I do, although mainly when I'm on the port give way tack, works sometimes

lol!

experience wins out

Even with bar crossing rules there was a surfer run over and killed by a boat at currumbin a few years ago, just minding their own business, real world situations are often very different from peoples rights to give way to those crossing the bar and gunning out though the bar with their rule book - who was the muppet here. I have no hesitation in sticking up for my own safety , the safety around me and if you come to me quoting a rule book and I think you are full of $hit, bring it on.

Unfortunately there are agendas to try and control our sport from people without the og experience in our sport and they have the potential to put themselves (liability) and us in a very risky position.

I think most kiteboarders, especially the highly experienced, understand this.

KIT33R said..
Here's an interesting scenario. I was coming into shore toeside on my foil. I'd slowed down getting ready to perform a stylish downloop to heelside and out again. Just as I was raising my kite another kiter came in full tilt underneath me thus preventing me from transitioning. He rode up to the shore, stopped and then headed back out completely oblivious. I had to bale out to avoid a collision. I spoke to him later on the shore and he was very apologetic and was unaware of the needs of upwind riders. No temper tantrums needed just a bit of misunderstanding.

Depending on exactly where the other bloke was, another option may have been to flip the kite over the other side of the window and do the loop/downloop in the opposite direction (if you were lacking power)...if that makes sense. Not as smooth or as fun as a gybe with downloop though.

iandvnt said..
Go to woodies, the pond, corronations, lancelin and tell us all what we have been doing wrong for the last 20 years to well manage our own safety.

Like mentioned by others do whatever necessary to keep yourself and others safe, if you decide to claim starboard in close proximity to another kiter that has worked their way back upwind during a session; however, you can still pinch wind towards them forcing them downwind in close proximity, u are are the rider creating a risk and not adhering to our 20 year culture of buffer zones and session rules. Also selfish to those that want to have a fun session and maximise a trick spot, waveriding time while sharing.

It sounds to me like u have an agenda, ploughing through fellow kiters on starboard and getting your little made up rule book out and lecturing us about getting home to our family safely.


Don't kite near me. Your a sailor mate with a sailing avatar and 3 windsurfers for sale on the breeze, not an og kiter.

The sports are different as we can fly with our kites ( not sails), we need to protect ourselves and others way more than sailors and have been doing so for 20 years because we are a different sport with a far higher rate/ risk of accidents than sailing.

I don't know much about KA, but I entered an event and it could have been better organised by children, it seemed the objective wasn't any rider satisfaction whatsoever, but simply a result ( I suspect the organiser was a paid subcontractor) There were no judges organised, the person running it didn't seem to understand that sub 10 knot lulls should result in an abandoned heat, no clear judging guidelines... so god help us if they try and rewrite the rules of keeping kiters and others safe!

My concern is that KA try to align themselves to sailing in order to receive funding from the $20 million IOC funding pot rather than let kiteboarding in australia look after it's own sport. That should not happen.

Its nuking, starboard!

I thought we banned you 4x guzzling pricks from Queensland that have enjoyed a wee too much sun on the cranium from kiting in WA.

I'll have to talk to my mates on border control to keep an eye out for you.

WTF are you on about 3 windsurfers 4 sale??? Really??? Piss off back to the banana state mate............Seriously!!!

On a side note, if you are kitesurfing but not doing tricks in that moment, say just riding to go back upwind before the next trick/wave, are you sailing?

A basketball/footy/soccer player following the rest of the team around the field, distant from the action, isn't just running?

Ahhh leave me alone