reposted from wa section as i feel this sort of **** needs to be called out

gobsmacked , actually no well considering the cowboy school i shouldn't be surprised to see at melville on a day like today Soulkite really guys wont be surprised if we see a fatality on the news tonight . How f$cking close to shore with direct onshore gusty winds do you want to be ?


not the first time this cowboy school has operated unsafely .







seabreeze wind strengths this morning at melville

Faaarkk that!!!

I feel sorry for the guy/girl learning, they are going to think this is normal behavior. No wonder there is so many dangerous kooks pleasuring us with their presence

And let's not forget this is the same school that had an accident with a student in February at point Walter

And more lessons happening now from soul kite.

Would love to see their management plan

The irony is that they got heaps of green thumbs for their "Before I die" video post here on sb April 16.

It's all safety until production gets in the way....

Select to expand quote

dusta said..
reposted from wa section as i feel this sort of **** needs to be called out

gobsmacked , actually no well considering the cowboy school i shouldn't be surprised to see at melville on a day like today Soulkite really guys wont be surprised if we see a fatality on the news tonight . How f$cking close to shore with direct onshore gusty winds do you want to be ?


not the first time this cowboy school has operated unsafely .







seabreeze wind strengths this morning at melville

Dusta,

I was injured doing lessons with this school - Good on ya for calling them out!

Does the AKSA take any notice -

Cowboys - oh i thought brokeback mountain... ??

How a kiteschool can morally operate in those conditions is beyond me.

When wind conditions are gusting double the average, EXPERIENCED kitesurfers dont go out, so how do you teach a quality lesson?
How do you condone as a business compromising safety, when experienced kitesurfers have died in conditions similar to these.

A website with anecdotal posts from beginners who are clueless about what a good lesson is about write a comment about how good a lesson was in ideal conditions is highlighting the wheat from the chaff. A good school says NO.

Please tell all all, avoid these guys like the plague, cause they can kill you. These guys teach in all conditions at places they used to have no permit for and will eventually get beaches closed down. Their teaching practises show a disrespect of the sport and of human life.



A kitesurfer has been taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries after she hit a sandbar on the Swan River.The RAC rescue helicopter picked up the injured woman from the Point Walter sand spit this morning.More to come.




Look at the gusts, again The average wind speed the gusts are double, kites dont work in those conditions fro an EXPERIENCED kitesurfer.......

So they havent changed their procedures, occupational health and Safety.....

Negligent, dangerous and chasing the dollar.............

Good on you dusta

Select to expand quote

Jhana said...

dusta said..
reposted from wa section as i feel this sort of **** needs to be called out

gobsmacked , actually no well considering the cowboy school i shouldn't be surprised to see at melville on a day like today Soulkite really guys wont be surprised if we see a fatality on the news tonight . How f$cking close to shore with direct onshore gusty winds do you want to be ?


not the first time this cowboy school has operated unsafely .







seabreeze wind strengths this morning at melville

Dusta,

I was injured doing lessons with this school - Good on ya for calling them out!

Does the AKSA take any notice -

KA provides accreditation to schools who follow heir practices, but there is nothing stopping other organisations from doing their own thing. A licence is required from the council to teach in those areas, but I doubt these concerns are being raised to the council.

Around 100 lessons need to be done just to pay insurances and pay instructors, then add equipment costs
Instructors although partially to blame are there to make a buck
It's the operators

How do you know the council hasn't already been contacted after Saturday? I have contacted the council , also going to contact worksafe andnsee if any investigation was done from Feb and also swan river trust. Believe me I am not letting this go. I have also found the council meeting minutes from soulkites pathetic council submission

2 ways to deal with this
1 sit in car
2 get out of car, pull off your tracky bottoms, walk out grab kite and ask instructor what the finhell he thinks he's doing
Give the student a heads up of the implications and advise them to go elsewhere
Walk back to car , and next time put some jocks on under your tracky bottoms

Select to expand quote

Gustyas said..
The irony is that they got heaps of green thumbs for their "Before I die" video post here on sb April 16.

lol....that vid sprung to mind straight away....... they show the "before I die" vid to their student before lessons....lol

evryone go watch this video now so everyone knows who these diks are....and are not welcome newhere.

Select to expand quote

dusta said..
How do you know the council hasn't already been contacted after Saturday? I have contacted the council , also going to contact worksafe andnsee if any investigation was done from Feb and also swan river trust. Believe me I am not letting this go. I have also found the council meeting minutes from soulkites pathetic council submission

Sorry to pull this but how is a fatal accident relating to years of kiting? You know what I mean.


If your local beach will be closed, it will be closed by a blanket rule caused by YOU. The Sprods was not closed after, but it would if someone called a council 1000 times complaining, don't you think?

So, sorry Dusta, you are not right and have no moral grounds after you let your mate on 40kn. Period.

Hi All

If people have concerns about a kiteboarding school we appreciate being notified of them directly to contact@kiteboardingaus.com

We have a complaints procedure we follow in relation to kiteboarding schools and will act upon verifiable and formal complaints.

We are now accrediting schools and will withhold and/or suspend or refuse accreditation and support with local government where appropriate.

Cheers

Alexandra | General Manager
Kiteboarding Australia Limited

Select to expand quote

GMkal said...
Hi All

If people have concerns about a kiteboarding school we appreciate being notified of them directly to contact@kiteboardingaus.com

We have a complaints procedure we follow in relation to kiteboarding schools and will act upon verifiable and formal complaints.

We are now accrediting schools and will withhold and/or suspend or refuse accreditation and support with local government where appropriate.

Cheers

Alexandra | General Manager
Kiteboarding Australia Limited

So have iko granted you authority to do this or do you bypass them and have permits withdrawn by shires/ local authorities
Surely they'd get a warning 1st and if they didn't improve practices then they'd have their accreditation or permit withdrawn

Select to expand quote

dbabicwa said..

dusta said..
How do you know the council hasn't already been contacted after Saturday? I have contacted the council , also going to contact worksafe andnsee if any investigation was done from Feb and also swan river trust. Believe me I am not letting this go. I have also found the council meeting minutes from soulkites pathetic council submission

Sorry to pull this but how is a fatal accident relating to years of kiting? You know what I mean.


If your local beach will be closed, it will be closed by a blanket rule caused by YOU. The Sprods was not closed after, but it would if someone called a council 1000 times complaining, don't you think?

So, sorry Dusta, you are not right and have no moral grounds after you let your mate on 40kn. Period.

what the hell are you on about ?

this has nothing to do with sproddy you twat .

This has nothing to do with a local beach being shut down.

This has everything to do with a rouge school operating unsafely.

Prob best you use some ventilation when making those wacky boards mate .

YOU yourself knew what marc was like , a learner has NFI of the conditions . A school should not be teaching in conditions where 40 knot gusts are recorded , surely you can understand that and this thread is not about a beach shutting down because someone complained . Do you not think there aren't owners of houses along marine parade or melville beach that haven't already complained ??





and cauncy i wasn't there but have confronted their instructors on numerous occasions at melville and told to f#ck off everytime so now it's time to report them to the authorities .

Bringing up sprod is fcking poor form. He was a good experienced Kiter who made his own decision has got nothing to do with a ****ty kite school operating in stupid conditions.

get some proof. tell the Dept of Transport it's they whp have ultimate responsibility for the river use permits.

Select to expand quote

eppo said..
Bringing up sprod is fcking poor form. He was a good experienced Kiter who made his own decision has got nothing to do with a ****ty kite school operating in stupid conditions.

Couldn't agree more eppo. Well said. That whole post by dbabicwa was devoid of logic.

dusta - Excellent thread, well overdue. That 'school' has been operating irresponsibly for too long.

dave.... Excellent post too. Every point, spot on. What a pity that the majority of beginners will not read it before trying to choose a school; therefore 'flying blind'..

cauncy - Regarding giving them a warning, if you'd been in the metro area for the last few years, you'd know the 'school' in concern has been witnessed using unsafe practice and operating in a fashion that seriously threatens access on the river - for far too long. They are way past any warning. They ignore anything that is said to them in that regard. As dusta and others have said, approaching them to 'warn' them of what they are doing has no effect. Their usual response is quoted above by others. They are arrogant in the extreme and show complete lack of respect for a privilege granted to operate in the area by Melville Council. Looking at information available to the public, the permission granted appears to have been given under misinformed circumstances also.

Dusta/Cauncy.

Sh#& happens when good people do nothing.
Happy to write a submission to Melville council on negligent operating practices regarding the standards set by BKSA and IKO with regard to wind strengths and gusts. Although both operating manuals are a bit vague, you can successfully argue a case that they are instructing in an unsafe manner, contrary to not guidelines but limits. Beach location and wind angle are also in breach in not keeping a safe distance to land obstacles.

Shall it go on.................

So who's actually spoke with the school owners
Spoke with waksa
Spoke to shire

Select to expand quote

cauncy said..
So who's actually spoke with the school owners
Spoke with waksa
Spoke to shire

no point speaking with the school owner as have tried in the past and nothing has changed

spoken to drew at length yesterday while driving out bush
tried to get through to someone who handles issuing of permits at the council but no luck, will try again tommorrow

I applaud you for starting this. . . . These clowns are by no means improving the sport. . . . I brought up the same issue when I viewed a beginner being taught in exactly the same means (onshore and gusty to 40 at the same spot by the same crew). What will happen is a serious accident will occur through these idiots at melville and that will be it. . . . ***ked 4 e body. I hope the ground swell continues and action comes from this

S

I think most of you are missing the point...it states quite clearly on Soulkite's website the following:

WHY CHOOSE SOULKITE ?
Premier kitesurfing and Stand up paddle board School in Perth, SoulKite is run buy passionate riders, our aim is to share our kitesurfing & SUP passion to our students
Best kitesurfing and Stand up paddle board locations in PerthYou want lesson before or after work, we are geared up and ready on the spot!
Open from 6am to 7pm everyday to suit your availability
Professional and friendly instructors ( ASI for SUP, IKO/BKSA/VDWS for kitesurfing)
All gear included in lessons (even the wetsuit) from top brands
We give kite and SUP lessons only in suitable conditions
If the kite or SUP lesson is cancelled, you don't pay any feeWe give you the best and honest advice to find the right gear for you

So if they say it, surely it must be true!

Select to expand quote

alverstone said..
get some proof. tell the Dept of Transport it's they whp have ultimate responsibility for the river use permits.

swan river trust don't grant the permits, it's the melville council who does

I usually don’t post anything on forums but I can’t just close my eyes on this… Can’t believe what I’m seeing.

I took lessons with Soulkite last season and it has been a fantastic experience. The staff is very friendly, passionate, qualified and professional. I do remember that the lessons were cancelled/rescheduled a couple of time as the conditions were not suitable. They check conditions and come on site first to assess if it is safe to run the lessons. They also assisted me even after my lessons for free to make sure my lines were set up properly. They kept an eye on me and provided advices as I progressed with my own gear.

In regards to the complains above and the subsequent witch hunt:

1) The wind was clearly not on shore but SW, it is obvious on the graph!
2) The forecast was 20-25 knots SW. If that is enough to cancel lessons, I would really question what can be qualified as suitable condition? Should the schools only operate within 15-20 knots? Do you guys realise how crazy does that sound?
3) Every rider in Perth know that the wind is not equally strong on the river (not sure where the seabreeze sensor is located?). It always tends to be less strong in the school zone. Again, I’m sure that they did assess the conditions and the danger for the gusts based on the equipment used for the lessons.
4) Are they breaking any regulation/rules?
5) The guys (or “diks that are not welcome newhere” according to Rads) in the “Before I die” video are not Soulkite staff; I know a few of them. They are just a bunch of friendly riders who want to have fun and promote the sport. Some of them - just like me – had a very good experience with Soulkite and want to support the school.

Dusta, you seem to be pretty determined to discredit and take them down. You also seem to know a lot about kite school permits and regulation. I would not be surprised if you were a competitor or someone planning to open a school in Melville. If not, I hope your intention are good but you should know that there are processes and rules in place to manage complaints. A post like this on a public forum can only lead to a witch hunt and deteriorate the overall spirit of the kite community. If you had what it takes (assuming you’re a male), instead of hiding behind your forum avatar, you would have gone and talk to the owner (their contact details is on the website) and have a normal discussion about what happened that they and why they did operate. My advice: you spend way too much time on this forum; get a life buddy and think about the consequences of your actions.

To Soulkite staff; if you read this: don’t pay attention to these clowns . You guys are doing a great job and a lot for the kite community!

Hi Ryan.

Dusta has a great job and a family to look after. The last thing on his mind would be loosing money in a kite school.

In case you didn't know from earlier posts.

Dusta, and many many others, lost a close mate who was experienced in a kiting accident, so please understand, Dusta is only looking out for peoples safety.


When people you love die, It changes priorities.

Look man, I can't disagree that security should always be the priority and I'm really sorry to hear that. But it does not change the fact that the above statements are inaccurate and that there are much better ways to deal with this. Just go and provide your feedback to them! Who knows, you might learn something in the process ...