I know this has been covered before but I'm getting old & I've forgotten..
Last time I sailed at canton it was pretty busy with sailboarders & kiters and I was sailing along downwind and behind a kite and I realised I have no idea where their danger zone is what I have to do etc..
Where is a safe spot to sail.. what sorts of things can cause problems etc.

I think its best to sail upwind if possible, I've been in a few positions where I've almost severed kite lines due to a kiter loosing control of his kite and it ending up in the water directly in front of me. The lines are almost impossible to spot in the water so keep an eye out for kiters in the water then just head up wind.

Keep your eyes open and keep looking around. Don't sail underneath the kite if possible. I quite like windsurfing with kiters, except that old bloke who was kiting too close to us that Sunday. Not sure what his problem was.

a shout or a whistle is a good idea, just to let them know there's someone to leeward. and if they look like they're a learner you're better to gybe out of there or pinch upwind.

and if you're heading towards each other on opposite tacks the kiter should bear off so that the poley passes upwind, away from the lines.

Plan A is stay upwind of them. Upwind of them they cant get at you with the kite.

Stick to the Starboard rule, but dont assume they will. They will often be better passing downwind of you even if they are on Starboard tack, so if you see them starting to do that, let them.

Watch out for a kiteboard in the water if you see a kiter in the water being towed by the kite. If the board is upside down it will be very difficult to spot.

Remember Plan A.

Mark _australia said...

lotofwind said...

elmo said...
When sailing with Kiters, watch the kite, not the sailor.

Windsurfers you can see what they are about to do by their bodies, with kiting the kite moves well before the kiter starts doing anything

Top advice Elmo, thats how we know what the kiter in front is about to do.
If his kite starts moving up, usually means he is about to jump or turn.

The other indication of "just about to turn" is he will not look over his shoulder.

I called it. Waterhouse wouldnt have given good odds on it anyway.

edit how did you delete your own post??? Or did the mod's do it?

^^^^^^This is only true if sailboarders think that closed minded way. Which most dont.
Have had many sessions with mixed water users with no problems.
You just need to accept that others also use the water and learn how to approach it.
Which is why sboardcrazy is being a responsable waterman and asking questions to keep harmony on the water.

Mark _australia said...

lotofwind said...
blah blah

Nice edit on your post to predict my reply and then appear so clever.
Knob. Playing the man, not the ball, yet again.

"Knob"????? hmmmmmm, where did the ball go?????Over all these years I have never called you a knob, gay, homo, f'head, d'head. Ball?,,,ball sports only work if all play the same rules.
I have not yet played your name calling rules and wont let myself go down to that level.
Same as sharing the water and waves.
I thought I was giving some good bridge building advise between the two similar but different sports that share the same bit of water.
Some make it hard to respect each other and like to keep the sports seperate, which will never work when we all share the same water.
Live and let live.

Mark _australia said...
^^^ you [were] doing that with good advice right up until you said that Markie will be here with some troll blah blah.

Usual crap because you have some kind of obsession with me.

Your funny....obsession with you..lol
Im not going to let you troll me back to my old ways of stirring, sorry, I know you love it but I have growen faster in the few years I have been here, alot shorter time than others that have been doing this trolling between the sports for years.
Dont make this another endless bla, bla, bla thread.
Sorry sboardcrazy if this has interupted your thread, I didnt want it that way, I will bail out now as a kiters perspective on "sailing with kiters" isnt wanted.?? Peace out.

^^^ yeah well CJW what you missed was - after I replied he edited his post to make it look like he "predicted " my response then promptly he posted to say he was right. Then posted ahelpful reposne. All orchestrated.
Juvenile crap so I deleted my post to show him for what he does.
I do not troll, I state what I see on the water from kiters. Simple as that.

You cant always stay upwind of a kite for various reasons . The question is does this Kiter know Im here .

The Mast abeam rule no longer exists so if the kiter who is travelling on the same tack is windward but in front they still need to give way to leeward . Its this position I worry about, as you are in the impact zone if the kiter decides to do one of those up you go jumps which takes them downwind and into a collision course with the leeward board . A normal tack for the kite is no drama as they can turn on a dime and effectivley avoid the leeward board .

All the kiter needs to do in this case is look prior to jumping . This needs to happen a little more often.

Starboard does a kite know what this is ? Im pretty sure most do however is it an accepted right of way rule within the kiteing world.

The opposite is when I'm on port how much of the kite rig am I expected to give way to ? I always give way to the board rider but often pass under the kite.

lotofwind said...

elmo said...
When sailing with Kiters, watch the kite, not the sailor.

Windsurfers you can see what they are about to do by their bodies, with kiting the kite moves well before the kiter starts doing anything

Top advice Elmo, thats how we know what the kiter in front is about to do.
If his kite starts moving up, usually means he is about to jump or turn.

Thanks