For those who pay no attention to the news - easterlies are possible the week, but it looks like hauraki gulf beaches aren't too healthy at the moment. Dogs sick and dying after swimming, and other shellfish etc washing up dead.

Might pay to keep your head out of the water and even bung up any other orifices!

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c...mp;objectid=10588708

Just saw the herald and was coming here to post about it... wierdly it seems to suggest keeping animals and kids away... but how can they be sure it will not affect older people?

So anyone fancy strapping a scuba tank and drysuit on for a session this weekend?

A friend told me that there are sooooo many dead fish out there floating around a few days ago, a dead dolphin too. I am not so keen until they find out what it is. Poison algee or maybe DOCS big bait drop on Rangitoto (then it rained)...? who knows. Not eating any caught fish either for a bit.

Man that sucks!!!!

I was so excited last night that all the forecasts were finally saying good easterlies for this weekend.

Where else is good to sail in an easterly wind not too far from Auckland?

Any ideas what Omaha or Mangewhai should be like this weekend?

ah lame i was going to te atutu but takas infected so i think i;ll surf at piha this weekend any takers?

then i guess processed fish might be off the menu for 6 months while it swims away, gets caught, sent to china and then returns packaged.

heh kited early on in the week and was only two dogs and when was the last time anyone really got sick. harden up and hit the town beaches

hmmm with piggy wiggy flu and infuendza flying around im not chancing getting ill but go for it kiwisurferboy best of luck and remember to close your mouth wen you fall off lol and if you do get ill i'll send you a post card wen the big wind day comes in lmao

Yeah kiwisurfer boy!

I was about to say it on the forum, then I noticed you already said it.

I promise:

1. I will not drink any seawater.
2. I will not eat any raw fish, dead or alive.
3. I will not eat any seaweed.
4. I will not suck on any jelley fish.
5. I will not play with any dolphins.
6. I will not chew on any funny pellets floating in the water.
7. I will not pee on any dead thing that came out of the see.
8. I will not take my dog with me to the beach.
9. I will not take my kids to the beach.
10. I WILL BE SAILING MY GUTS OUT AT OREWA THIS WEEKEND!

If I am sick on Monday, so be it! I will need some quiet time to recover from a hectic sailing weekend anyway...

Who's with me? HEEEHAAAAAAA.....

hahaha i'll send you a post card in hospital to on monday and tuesday of my epic days

Here is the proper page I think www.arphs.govt.nz/Media_Releases/20090807_HaurakiGulf.asp

The most daunting of what they say is:

•People should avoid contact with sea water and sea life

Hope they can figure something soon!

ill be there in the water, weekend easterly kite is prioritised above my health...

That website doesn't tell you anything you don't know already, other than you "should not" go in the water and "if" you develop simptoms after an hour, go to your GP.

In the country I came from, we regularly had red tides, which is when plankton dies and goes toxic. We also had cases where hundreds of thousands of crayfish walked out onto the beaches and died. No one was ever told to stay out of the water. We still sailed and scuba dived and swam in the sea.

And no one ever died from it. You just had to avoid eating shellfish during that time, as that could be fatal.

Kitesurfing is not called an extreme sport for nothing. You risk your life going out every time you go out in strong wind attached to a massive foil above your head.

There are millions of fish in the Hauraki Gulf. A few hundred died. And they swallow and breathe the water 24 hours a day.

I may be wrong, but there is only one way to find out....

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is only my opinion. That is why I am withdrawing some of the comments I made.

my wife didn't let me go today...

ok I see some people enjoing it via orewa webcam.

if there are no bad news about them later today, then will go tomorrow

hey all
just wondering if anyone went out today, and if it was all good or have you all started growing third arms!!!!!

hey i hit te atutu beach for an hour or about 1ish was crap but i was in the water As my posts say I was on a black blade kite :)unfortunatly i swallowed so water but i feel fine no ill stomac or light head infact the only time i was felling slightly is was when my mistress throw up in the car on the way home after eating a dodgy sandwitch hahahaha I shall Be out tomorrow with a few mates at cheltham in the morning then off to orewa later anyone want to join me send me a text.I think the little green monsters only effect you if you eat alot of it

02102654803

I said I am sailing today, and I did!

Orewa was cooking. There were about 40 kites on the water this afternoon.

It was awesome!

I sailed until the sun went under.

No one got sick.

I had water down my throat and through my nose a few times, and there is nothing wrong with me.

To all the wusses out there that were so scared, you missed out big time.

The only health problem is that I don't know if I will be able to walk again tomorrow. My muscles may be too stiff!!!

I am a very happy man tonight cause I had an awesome day of sailing.

Hey toy boy. I thought you said you weren't going to chance it.

Try Orewa tomorrow. Much better. They are forecasting reasonably strong wind.

Kitey wrote:


yeah well im always a guinea pig so have to live up to my rep lol

I went to chelt today was a mean sesh but unfortunatly after yest and today im not feeling to good and very pale

oh well mean no work for me mwahahaha

anyone no what the poison actualy is ??? is it gone yet????

Signs were still up today and they were taking samples from a helicopter just offshore so they must still be worried about it. I got dunked a few times today and no ill feelings here either (so far!).

I think this "poison" thing is a big load of cr_p. Forget about it.

That's my opinion. If I wasn't in a full time job, I would have been sailing every single day this week.