Ok I didn't see this with my own eyes but my friend told me yesterday she was driving along the cliff at Seaford and saw someone self launching their kite at the top of the cliff standing in the middle of the road with the kite on the grass. She had to stop the car to wait which the guy launched the kite which took off and he had a lot of trouble controlling it. Her words were he "nearly got blown off the cliff". They apparently then went down the ramp with the kite in the air. Now yesterday it was North and gusting over 30knots. Really nasty down here with a bit of east in it. I had a go setting up near the rivermouth and once I had the kite in the air I decided the wind was far too gusty and turning NE so I packed up and went home. I can only guess whoever launched the kite at the top of the cliff did so because the tide was high and they didn't want to do it on the beach. I can just imagine the wind coming up the cliff. I don't want the Onkaparinga council to ban kiting at my local break.
Comments?
POP
Here is an update. It was about 9.15am wed 25th June. The wind at Noarlunga station was 18knots from the North according to Sea breeze but I was on the beach between the rivermouth and the jetty at the same time at it was too much for a 12m so Id say it was over 20 knots and GUSTY with occasional shifts to NNE. I launched my friends 8m and the kite was all over the place so we landed the kite and I didn't even put my kite in the air .My source thinks the guy on the cliff had a grey/darker coloured kite. He was launching across the road and standing in someones garden on top of the cliff at seaford!!!!
Now this guy I saw down at Henley last summer a bit comes to mind. I'm sure other people saw him with his new grey kite and no instruction getting dragged and yanked all over the place. My girlfriend who was also learning this season tried to talk with him on two occasions but he wasn't interested in reason and had had no lessons. He had a brand new Grey Rev..I think 11m and he had no idea how to use it. If this is the same guy it seems we have a loose canon out there who will potentially get us banned from beaches. It would only be a matter of time before he takes himself or someone else out (I hope its him) How can/should we as a group deal with people like this? I think the main priority is to identify the guy first.
POP
You sure It wasn't a white/grey 9m SS Link?? There was a beginner @ henley with one a few months ago who wouldn't accept any advise about where he was going (very) wrong...
That was me 
. I wasn't self launching, I had a mate launching me. I do this about 90% of the time when kiting there. I look out for cars, run across the road and launch. It works pretty well with nothing going wrong so far (I use stable kites
). I have been kiting for 9 years, most of the time on Guernsey, UK so pretty happy about gusty conditions, probably the worst in the world with the most rocky launch sites too. I wouldn't advise any one to try it but it works for me.
Thanks
Tino
Thanks for fessing up Tino but geez that sounds likes a recipe for disaster.
Well I've been kiting for only a year so I guess its not my place to tell you what to do but I can easily imagine someone complaining about it to the council. As far as I know kites are currently off the radar here but that could change pretty quickly. Mosly I'm concerned because this is my local and I see how tightly self regulated the kiting is at Henley to keep the council onside. The way I see it it that you may think you are in control but what about newbies copying you and what are people who don't kite thinking when they see you doing this? It doesn't sound safe to me and I kite. This last point reflects on us all as kiters. If Onkaparinga gets banned Henley is next and so on so I would like some guidelines agreed upon which cover all beaches and not just Henley.
Constantly I read in the forum that it is the role of experienced kiters to regulate the newbies who might be doing something dangerous because it risks complaints and possible closure of beaches. Well all you guys, Tino included, are way more experienced than me. Heres your chance to to give your opinion.
Let me pose a question to Kitecroc and Murf (instructor) and other Henley kiters. How would you feel about someone launching across the middle of the road (and footpath) at Henley? Is it appropriate? If not at Henley then why at Seaford with the added danger of the Cliff and wind turbulence? Do you think there might be a point to discuss regarding the perception of the safety of our sport in the eyes of the council or public.?
POP
My feelings are that qualified instructor should lead by example.
I'm actually horrified at the thought of what could have gone wrong 
, and feel for the locals down there that have to justify to the council that we don't do that. Only some individuals.
Tino i'm glad you fessed up, but really does it really need to be done that way, where all about self policing our sport and we have qualified instructor doing this.
Select to expand quote
Let me pose a question to Kitecroc and Murf (instructor) and other Henley kiters. How would you feel about someone launching across the middle of the road (and footpath) at Henley? Is it appropriate? If not at Henley then why at Seaford with the added danger of the Cliff and wind turbulence? Do you think there might be a point to discuss regarding the perception of the safety of our sport in the eyes of the council or public.?
POP you make a very valid point, and thankyou for raising this issue 
. Before i had a chance to read your latest post, i had already been in contact with Tino and discussed the situation with him in private and off the forum pages.
We all as a collective group, no matter where we kite have to think about our actions and how they are perceived by the public and councils for the benefit and future of kiting in this state. So no matter what your home beach is, look after the sport and it will look after you.
Thanks again POP and hopefully see ya on the water 2moz.
Cheers Croc
BTW I don't mean to set up any group of kiters against any other. ie Henley vs South..I thought I picked up a sense of flippancy about the road launching in the initial responses and was pointing out that the self- regulations are quite established at Henley which is great and that I think those standards should apply wherever we fly.
Definatly be in the water tomorrow..lookin good!
POP
All good that we got it out in the air and resolved, and no one got lynched...
Thanks POP for raising it and keeping everyone aware. Shaun makes a good point of looking after the sport and it's thanks to his work (and Pete, Guy etc) recently that Onkaparinga see us favourably; keen to keep it that way...
Just a reminder also that SAKSA's keen on holding a Wave Comp on the Mid before the end of the northerlies. Not for any reason other than some fun.
We'll talk it up tomorrow for those who can make it to the Downwinder.
Cheers
Chappy.
I'm not saying what I did was right and had no idea it would cause a problem with regards to the council. That wasn't my aim. I know being an instructor I should lead by example and I would never suggest anyone to do this as it is dangerous when inexperianced.
Thanks and see you all soon.
