Hi,

Last summer Beach Patrol Officer Ian Mc Innes, in the interest of safe,
ongoing recreational Kite Surfing on Auckland's North Shore beaches
talked with a forum member at Takapuna beach about the close proximity of a
number of Kite Surfers moving at speed around, near or between swimmers
particularly at Takapuna. It was also noted at places such as Mairangi
Bay. We were really pleased to understand that the forum was going to post
some information to request that the kite surfers keep safe distances
from swimmers and to help prevent complaints from the public. Problems with
inexperienced & experienced kite surfers were being noted regularly.

Could I please ask that the forum 'spread the word' that the maxim set
for safe boating (the 5kms speed zones that the boaties adhere to) which
are sign posted at all the boat ramps be adhered to by kite surfers when
they are near swimmers, especially when near or in the waves on the
foreshore. It is not acceptable for boards to operate at speed so close to the
shore and the public who are swimming mere metres from the shore or for
the public to have to be looking out for fast moving kites & boards while
swimming -sometimes within 2 or 3 metres of the shore!

It is imperative that the safety of the general public be considered to
help prevent any possible accident with a swimmer or complaint from the
public. Obviously kite surfers leaving the beach heading out to sea will
be travelling at speed. That in itself is not a major problem. The real
problem is those that are surfing at speed parallel to the beach & within
200 metres of the beach. The yellow marker buoys designate what is
considered a safe distance from the beach for boats etc to operate at speed
once past them on their way out to sea. At Takapuna, those who enter the
water between near the boat ramp & The Strand entrance can usually head for
open water quickly. The practice of 'wave' jumping so close to the
shore may well lead to a serious accident and we ask that kite surfers move
out to sea, near the yellow buoys, as travelling at speed close to the
shore near swimmers is not acceptable practice.

Please, I ask for your utmost co-operation with this matter so that all
can maximise their enjoyment of our beaches.

Sincerely,

Ian Mc Innes
Beach Patrol Officer p.p.


Warwick Robertson
Team Leader Environmental Protection
Ph 09 4868585 Ext8291
Mobile 0272706987
521 Lake Road Takapuna
Private Bag 93500 Takapuna
North ShoreCity

I was rigging up at the Taka ramp friday avo.. when approached by a council officer....and asked if I knew the guys kiting the shoreline down the length of the beach ..... He was certainly not out to close the beach down but was incredibly concerned about the safety of the many swimmers in the water over the whole beach and the number of kites blatantly disregarding their safety!.... I could only agree with him as he pointed out kites tearing within metres of the public.. his comment was that if we can't self police then action would have to be taken to close the beach to kiting! as I usually only kite the manukau .. I had no idea who the other guys are..but if you enjoy kiting there as much as do on the odd occasion... stay out the back... or you are gonna lose the privilege!!
Chris

I recall at Speed Creek in Tauranga in the mid 90's there was a sign put up advising of the generally accepted guidelines for windsurfing in the channel there. Of couse it diddn't last long as the beach eroded around it, but that's a different matter.

What are the odd's of getting something like this put up for some of the more critical beach launch areas like Takapuna? Would be useful for warning new kiters visiting a spot over summer.

Face the facts the entire eastern seaboard is gonna get banned if something isn't done pronto. We have the same problem down here at Eastern Beach... fortunately it was cloudy in that recent kickass NE spell so that kept people away... if it's 20-30 knots and overcast then swimmers accept that there will be windusers on the water. But on hot sunny sea breeze days (when takas and eastern and orewa suck for kitesurfing anyway!!!!) anyone kiting (or attempting to grovel amoungst swimmers is more like it) at these spots is gonna get kiting banned from the entire area!! That's how bad it is...

hey fellas sup, so its the kite police thinge, how do /can u tell someone ya cant , put that kite away lol.i had 2 do that at mission bay 2 or 3 years ago, a french dude about 2 launch a 16 mt in around 20 kts at high tide, it was easy then cause he was a obvious beginer and i managed 2 talk him around,but whos gonna tell a inter pro windcrazed kiteape dude u no can ride...anyway have a safe crissy.

Oops i should have read that earlier... before i got dragged into a rock at PH today.. nice graze on my left side.

If it's 20 knots then it's generally accepted that windusers are on the water..... kiters getting dragged through an old ladies front yard because they didn't wire their bitch up properly is an issue that occurs year round... not a summer freakout. issue here is kiting in amoungst swimmers (when the whole beach is filled with them) When this happens the winds are nowhere near 20 knots and hence it's not worth heading out. Anyone who does so risks ruinin it for everyone else... which gives us the right to self police our beaches.. that's what responsible members of society do. I was "told off" by a fellow local kiter because me and a couple of the young guys were kiitng in crossshore 30-40 knots of SE at EB... no-one else around, just us fruitloops. He said there were CBs (thunderstorms) around and that i was setting a bad example. He also accused me of kiting too close to shore and that it was now summer. True but we were the only ones there and weren't causing any problems.

Thing is that if we kill ourselves because we went out in stuff too frisky.. or we get struck by lightning or whatever else happens to site us whilst we go about our business on the water.. it's no biggie. EB, Taka, Orewa is not gonna get banned. If we get lots of complaints from the public because we are frolicking around in 8 knots and drifting in amoungst swimmers at high tide EB when it's clearly a zillion times better at Bramley (15 knots, flat shallow water, no crowds etc)..... then the bans will start rollin in.... when one council takes the lead, it'll be easier for the rest to follow.

Everyone knows the conditions in question and since this thread is still a sticky thread then everyone is able to see what i'm on about... so no excuses next time I see any wise asses at EB in 8 knots amoungst all the swimmers when it packed. As for foreigners... then expect a double dose of wrath if you are caught heading out when the wind is clearly not worth it and there are people everywhere. i'm sure the council (or the police for that matter) wouldn't have a problem if the local kiters politely showed you better beaches to kite in the area.

The council wants us to self police our actions... better us doin it then them and they WILL ban us if we piss em off. They are quite entitled to do it and have nothing to lose by doin so. This isn't Capetown, the Auckland economy does not benifit financially from kitesurfing and you only have to remember what happened to the speedway when a few upper class snobs got their nickers in a knot about the noise.

You guys need to remember the difference between wild 30 knots and pussy crap 8-10 knots.... the public doesn't care if we get ourselves killed, but they do care if they have their day at the beach ruined by a kiter who really doesn't know where to go in regards to beach selection.

20-1-06 Wicked! great wind, small swell, heaps of people using the beach and kite's hitting the sand at mach 10. (lucky it missed the beach user's this time!)

Please kiters if you are going to try your lastest move, try it at least 100m from the shore line!When will we get the first auckland no kite zone!

Hopefully never? But the dudes that drive their kites into the sand could comprimise this for all of us!

So if you are one of these dudes either learn your trick faster, dont kite there or make all the beach walkers, swimers, joggers etc wear a helmet.