Marine Safety inspectors graced the beaches of North Haven today warning about the use of PFD's. Promising a $160 fine for anyone repeatedly not wearing one.
Looks like it might be worth investing in one or else, it will be a long summer.
Cheers
Is there any such thing as a kite specific PFD ? Designed to be used with a waist harness ?
I thought SAKSA were in discussions about these?
its easier to get a buoyancy vest approved to be used in the u.s.a.,but to get one approved by aussie authourities is quite expensive and not so easy....bummer!
Directly from the May newsletter...
PFDs
The SAKSA Committee has been working on the issue of Personal Flotation
Devices for kitesurfers for some time now. SAKSA’s position on this topic
is that we endorse the use of PFDs as per the current rules and encourage
all participants to use the appropriate safety measures available.
We are very aware that in many cirumstances, a PFD has actually been an
inhibitor in the safe usage of the kite and thereby actually creates a greater
danger to the user and the public alike; this is especially so for the inshore
surf zone.
We can confirm that we have met and discussed this specific matter at
length with the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure who
manage the PFD regulation in SA. They will go through their due diligence
processes and advise us in due course; in the mean time, we feel it would
be beneficial to gather some more empirical evidence.
We want you to email your anecdotes to info@saksa.com.au of specific
instances where wearing a PFD has been the direct cause of injury,
damage or danger to yourselves, or the public. The more detail the better:
Time, location, circumstances, outcome...
For more info, check out the official SAKSA forum via the website:
www.saksa.com.au/forums
So get writing and give us the stuff we need to push for an exemption !
I read on a different forum that this has happed in Canada as well, but they pulled the law after a electronic petition was posted and signed by thousands of kiters world wide basically saying that it was dangerous. Maybe we could get a hold of it, or create our own and post links up all over forums
Do you think this would help?
The other option is to always leave a car down wind and just piss of when ever the Marine Safety inspectors rock it around – we can get down wind pretty quick these days………..lol
The basic thing that people need to understand is that the authorities are interested in evidence of the danger that wearing a pfd....I can't stress enough that this is what we require.
A list of people saying we don't wanna is not going to change the rules.
From what i have heard everybody was nice and polite to the officers on Sunday. This is another very important point- any agression or mouthing off will only reflect badly on the whole community, so please make sure you are nice as pie if you get spoken to.
cheers
I don't think the SA kite community is large enough to come up with sufficient anecdotes of issues when wearing PFD's whilst kiting. If any at all !!
Would it be worth SAKSA putting a post up on the UK (kiteboarder.co.uk) & US (kiteforum.com) to get feedback from further afield ? Or would the SA Dept of Transport not be interested in what has happened outside the State ?
If someone is developing a PFD which incorporates a spreader bar that won't end up around your chin, then this may not be such a bad thing. Dare say it won't come cheap though
AGM is coming up next wednesday so all those crew with the drive and time should think about putting their hands up for the committee......
hey geoff, ill try to make it down for the agm if i can, would love to get more involved and offer an outside perspective if i can :)
Regs from Victoria.. wear a 3mm wetsuit not more than 400m from shore. no PFD needed
Marine Regulations 1999 - SECT 232
PFD to be worn on certain recreational vessels at all times by person on open area
232. PFD to be worn on certain recreational vessels at all times by person on
open area
(1) A person who is on an open area of a recreational vessel of a type listed
in column 2 of Table A in Schedule 5 must-
(a) wear a personal flotation device of a type specified in column 3 of
the Table opposite that type of vessel at all times when the vessel is
underway on coastal waters; and
(b) wear a personal flotation device of a type specified in column 4 of
the Table opposite that type of vessel at all times when the vessel is
underway on enclosed waters; and
(c) wear a personal flotation device of a type specified in column 5 of
the Table opposite that type of vessel at all times when the vessel is
underway on inland waters.
Penalty: 5 penalty units.
(2) Subregulation (1) does not apply to a person who is operating a kite board
or sail board if-
(a) the person is no more than 400 metres from the shore; and
(b) the person is wearing a wetsuit that is at least 3 millimetres thick.
It's Vic rules and they're similar to NSW rules. There are no "Australia wide" rules per se (frustratingly).
When SAKSA met with Transport SA, the 400m exemption was proposed but Transport SA's position is simply that pfds are required unless kiters can show that pfds actually pose a threat to safety.
Unfortunately SAKSA still hasn't received any anecdotal evidence of safety issues following the SAKSA newsletter in May or on the SAKSA forum: http://www.saksa.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=47 + www.saksa.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=301
If your personal safety (or the public's safety) has been threatened as a direct result of a pfd, then shoot the details through to info@saksa.com.au
If SAKSA can get enough evidence, then Transport SA will look at it.
Cheers,
Chappy
