I don't know Perth beaches that well and I have no idea how big Rotto is or how far it is off shore but I'm expecting a bunch of people telling me I'm stupid. but....

on an easterly could you SAFELY do a down winder from one of Perth beaches to Rotto?

awww cmon juddy thats gotts be a "no...BUT" perhaps a mish from down swingin pig way to...lets say rotto pub way avoiding shipping lanes? those easterlies are a fickle bunch tho to say the least

why not just go from Rotto back to mainland instead?

Um, people have kited from Tasmania to Victoria. A bit further and a bit gnarlier stretch of water than Perth to Rotto.

Of course they trained hard for it and had appropriate support, but with the right training and support Perth to Rotto should be a doozy.

Official compliance is another matter, but worth asking.

Not so long ago a Paramotor pilot had a flight from Perth to Rotto and he had an article in Soaring magazine.
He listed all the authorities that you gotta get permission from.

They doing this Iron man thing so it is feasible to get the permission.

I agree with Aorta, if you wanna do it on your own and take the risk of flying below the law's radar it's better to start from Rotto and come to Perth ((IN SOUTHERLY WINDS))

If you are under the radar send me a pm

Relying on Easterlies is fraught with danger.

Hey Guys,

It can be done but only with the permission of the Fremantle Port Authority and also the Rottnest Island Authority. You need back up boats, flares, Radio etc etc.

You are crossing an international shipping lane and there in lies the problem. It is illegal to operate a sailing vessel without all the safety stuff more than 400m from shore.

You can be fined and have your gear confiscated. Not worth the risk nor the bad press it will bring down on the sport. We are already in trouble with the Joondalup COuncils new draft plan for coastal management with new designated "Kitesurfing Exclusion Zones".

We are categorised as "Highly Conflicting" in the casual recreational beach activity list, and have been put right up there with freestyle jet skiers in regards to level of danger. Lets not make stuff any worse for ourselves.

The new draft plan sets a precedence for councils Australia wide. Get set for some major moderation over the next couple of years as councils adopt the Joondalup councils new rules We will be able to look back one day and acknowledge that this was the start of the end of our unlimited freedom.

Was AKSA involved in this process? Is there primary role not to maintain access to beaches? What happened?

KH

Kitehard said...

Hey Guys,

It can be done but only with the permission of the Fremantle Port Authority and also the Rottnest Island Authority. You need back up boats, flares, Radio etc etc.

You are crossing an international shipping lane and there in lies the problem. It is illegal to operate a sailing vessel without all the safety stuff more than 400m from shore.

You can be fined and have your gear confiscated. Not worth the risk nor the bad press it will bring down on the sport. We are already in trouble with the Joondalup COuncils new draft plan for coastal management with new designated "Kitesurfing Exclusion Zones".

We are categorised as "Highly Conflicting" in the casual recreational beach activity list, and have been put right up there with freestyle jet skiers in regards to level of danger. Lets not make stuff any worse for ourselves.

The new draft plan sets a precedence for councils Australia wide. Get set for some major moderation over the next couple of years as councils adopt the Joondalup councils new rules We will be able to look back one day and acknowledge that this was the start of the end of our unlimited freedom.

Was AKSA involved in this process? Is there primary role not to maintain access to beaches? What happened?

KH

I was contacted via PM with confusion as to my previous support of the zoning as quoted in the West Australian. My contentment was that our local beach was untouched and that was my main concern at that time. Only yesterday I received the "Draft copy" in the mail and had the chance to read all of it last night.

It is disconcerting to be lumped in with other hi risk activities like freestyle jetskiing. Highly conflicting activities are categorised as "activities considered to be unpredictable by nature, involve high speeds, are likely to pose a risk to others or have the potential to impact on the surrounding natural environment"

I will start a separate thread on the exclusion zones and impact in kiteboarding.

Cheers,

KH

was a planned kite race to rotto a number of years ago
lots of kiters entered ,many support boats organised etc
t - shirts printed

only trouble was seabreeze only managed it to gage rds and not to the coast at port beach
you could see the wind line sitting out to sea....the support boats were radioing saying ssw 20-25kn just offshore, but wind remained offshore at the beach too

so it was called off - never to be seen again

bummer really

Thanks for all your replies and cheers to all the people who got rid of all my red thumbs down. surprised to see a full red bar reduced to nothing in less then 2 hours didn't see why asking a simple question was such a bad thing but hey, **** happens doesn't it.

I have sent an email to the Fremantle port authorities asking if I could get a bit of info about the correct way to get a pass.
hopefully I can get a few answers and persuade a few powers to let a group of us do it.
Already got 2 boats and skippers lined up just encase they can be convinced to let us.
If all goes well I'll let everyone know.

cheers,
sam

pynnee said...

Thanks for all your replies and cheers to all the people who got rid of all my red thumbs down. surprised to see a full red bar reduced to nothing in less then 2 hours didn't see why asking a simple question was such a bad thing but hey, **** happens doesn't it.

I have sent an email to the Fremantle port authorities asking if I could get a bit of info about the correct way to get a pass.
hopefully I can get a few answers and persuade a few powers to let a group of us do it.
Already got 2 boats and skippers lined up just encase they can be convinced to let us.
If all goes well I'll let everyone know.

cheers,
sam

i have my boat available as well so can always count that in

not sure i am ready to do a rotto to perth but i am more than willing to offer support services

This is something I would love to do, but probably only once just to be able to say that I did it. As others have pointed out previously, it would probably not be a very interesting run, as it would just be 20kms of lumpy seas on the one tack.

Let us know what the FPA say. If it was possible to do it with all the proper approvals, support and safety gear, then I would be keen to help out and have a crack.

Have you done a 20km downwinder before? That's a pretty long way - would be similar to Swanbourne to Pinnaroo. I reckon you would want do it in January on a solid seabreeze, the breeze at this time of year is way too inconsistent to be relied upon.

And dont forget a sore right calf from just heading in the one direction kids.

Thanks for the opening "Doc".
AKSA; via WAKSA & our WA rep on the WAKSA c'tee; has been involved in this issue from the minute it was raised. WAKSA (hence AKSA) has been involved at every stage, working hand-in-hand with MUGS; the local user group. WAKSA has commited to back the local kiters and this issue to the full extent of its influence as it is seen as something of a test case.
It now appears that the next 6 weeks will be the crucial time.
There will be reports of progress in mailouts and on websites as deemed appropriate.

Two things need to be pointed out here.
1) ALL sides to any issue can read what is posted on public forums. Inappropriate 'loose words' can cause enormous repercussions and damage when taken out of the, often thoughtless, banter and quoted in formal documents.
BEWARE of your comments.
2) To say AKSA should be backing this, or any issue, is simply saying that all state KSA's should back the issue. AKSA is a collective of one rep from each state. Its power lies in its affiliation and cooperation. In issues like this one it is only the locals, with all the necessary local knowledge, who can formulate the best action to push forward. The state KSA can guide, ensure that a consistent theme of 'open beaches' is applied and add influence and an official voice to the local kiters.
AKSA can be referred to as the national body in support as well - adding to the impact of any official response/s but it is the network which provides validity to our cause. But to suggest that 'AKSA' can magically walk in and take over these issues and actions is simply unrealistic. AKSA is the state KSA's working together; the state KSA' are local kiters working collectively at the grass roots level.

The latest on the Mullaloo issue will be discussed by the board at this Tuesday nights AKSA phone conference.