Hello everyone,

New here, I come from France.

I will be in Darwin at the end of May.
Is is possible to kite there?

Thanks!

... yes!

Bienvenue aussi darwin, apporter un grand cerf-volant et une grande planche et de la biere

Hey!

thanks :)

Got a 13... what are the best spots around Darwin?

Any good tips where to spend good time around there?

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OlivierD said..
Hey!

thanks :)

Got a 13... what are the best spots around Darwin?

Any good tips where to spend good time around there?

... give the local kite shop a call, he's got more info and stuff, his number is on his website funsupply.com.au/

If there is wind around, we have 4 usual spots we kite, depending upon wind direction and sometimes tide.

Note: When its high tide it gets tricky to self launch/land around Rapid Creek due to rocks so be careful.



... and I reckon if you bring beer you'll always have a good time!!

Robbie

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Puetz said..
... yes!

Bienvenue aussi darwin, apporter un grand cerf-volant et une grande planche et de la biere

So lucky your can speak French mate !

Thank you all for the info!

Now, people around talk about crocodiles and sharks... is that a myth...?!

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OlivierD said..
Thank you all for the info!

Now, people around talk about crocodiles and sharks... is that a myth...?!

If I am not mistaken, there was a Kiter attacked by a croc near Buffalo Creek a few years ago.

I didn't see any when I was there but I definitely wouldn't kite there alone - safety in numbers.

The locals are a great & friendly bunch - bring beer.

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eddiemorgs said..

Puetz said..
... yes!

Bienvenue aussi darwin, apporter un grand cerf-volant et une grande planche et de la biere

So lucky your can speak French mate !

... teehee,,,, all locals can speak French!

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OlivierD said..
Thank you all for the info!

Now, people around talk about crocodiles and sharks... is that a myth...?!

... it's not a myth but people do hype it up too.

Yes, we see the odd croc now and then, maybe a shark or two here or there but no more than any other kite spot around the world.

I've racked up roughly 5000 km's a year and I can count on one hand the crocs I've seen. Not to say they aren't there but not as prolific as people like to hype it up.

Keep an eye out, yes, don't go into creek mouths, yes, but don't let it worry you too much and let it stop you from kiting and missing out. If you see us out there then chances are its ok.





Cheers,

Robbie

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Puetz said.
Yes, we see the odd croc now and then, maybe a shark or two here or there but no more than any other kite spot around the world.

I've racked up roughly 5000 km's a year and I can count on one hand the crocs I've seen. Not to say they aren't there but not as prolific as people like to hype it up.

Keep an eye out, yes, don't go into creek mouths, yes, but don't let it worry you too much and let it stop you from kiting and missing out. If you see us out there then chances are its ok.





Cheers,

Robbie

Ahhh I'm no mathemagician but by my calculations just 1 croc is roughly 100% more crocs than most kite spots in the world

I think the way to deal with crocs in the NT is the same way we deal with great whites in WA don't fall off!!!

Also bring beer that always helps

Hi Robbie, when would you say is normally the most consistent month or 2 of your season? thanks in advance for any input,
cheers Tony

Thanks again!


What about the conditions in may? Do you guys kite during this period?
Is there any thermical wind?

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ludbey said..
Hi Robbie, when would you say is normally the most consistent month or 2 of your season? thanks in advance for any input,
cheers Tony

... G'day Tony,,,, we're supposed to have 2 seasons a year with 6 months of 'wet' and 6 months of 'dry' but in fact we kind of get more. Throw into that mix, big tides, which can drastically change the water conditions where within a few hours you can have flat to choppy to wavey all on the same day.

If we have a typical year then we get about 6 different kinds of conditions, which are fairly regular, in that, the same thing happens every year around the same time. These are roughly:

- Dec thru to end of January Wet Season - Westerlies & Nor-Westerlies - Wind generated waves
- Feb to end of March Wet Season - Westerlies - Regular Storms and Swell
- April thru to end of June Dry Season - South Easterlies & Easterlies - Choppy and Gusty
- July thru to end of August Dry Season - Easterlies & Northerlies - Choppy and windswell
- Sept thru to end of October Dry Season - Northerly Seabreezes - Windswell waves
- November generally worst month, Wet season and the dreaded doldrums - Northerly to Nor-westerly - Flat, hot and usually sh!tty but we've been lucky the last 2 years.

So basically, June/July is the better months for the dry season kiting and Jan/Feb the better months for wet season kiting (my favourite time).

Hope this helps.

Robbie

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OlivierD said..
Thanks again!


What about the conditions in may? Do you guys kite during this period?
Is there any thermical wind?

... yes we kite May.

The winds tend to be south-easterly to easterly with the occasional seabreeze (northerly) in the afternoon. So far this May we've been lucky with a few 'thermical' winds which I guess you mean seabreeze winds. Just last week we had a great seabreeze that didn't even register at the airport anemometer despite the airport not being that far away with a few of us nicely lit.

cheers,

Robbie

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Youngbreezy said..

Puetz said.
Yes, we see the odd croc now and then, maybe a shark or two here or there but no more than any other kite spot around the world.

I've racked up roughly 5000 km's a year and I can count on one hand the crocs I've seen. Not to say they aren't there but not as prolific as people like to hype it up.

Keep an eye out, yes, don't go into creek mouths, yes, but don't let it worry you too much and let it stop you from kiting and missing out. If you see us out there then chances are its ok.

Ahhh I'm no mathemagician but by my calculations just 1 croc is roughly 100% more crocs than most kite spots in the world

I think the way to deal with crocs in the NT is the same way we deal with great whites in WA don't fall off!!!

Also bring beer that always helps

... yep, your maths is on point and exact-a-mondo on the 'not falling off part', its a great way in dealing with crocs,,,,,that plus keeping a eye out so as not run into one at speed. I must admit, getting close and seeing a big one can take ya breathe away.

Robbie

Thanks very much mate, confirmed what I thought about your dry season, the only thing that was throwing me was that all you guys seem to go to Bali in june/july, made me think I might be wasting my time flying in from Manila at that time of year.
cheers Tony

good on ya robbie your a great ambassador for the darwin kite crew

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ludbey said..
Thanks very much mate, confirmed what I thought about your dry season, the only thing that was throwing me was that all you guys seem to go to Bali in june/july, made me think I might be wasting my time flying in from Manila at that time of year.
cheers Tony

... actually most of us head to Bali that time of year because we're missing the waves. We have same same weather as Bali so we're not chasing warm weather like our southern brothers and sisters and to be honest, winds are better at home but man,,,, got to get some wave action or we'd go crazy.

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Youngbreezy said..
good on ya robbie your a great ambassador for the darwin kite crew

... cheers!!

I was pondering the threat of crocodiles and the way they behave in relation to kite surfing.
maybe I'm a wimp but crocs scare the s**t out of me.

With sharks I tend to worry more about sharks when I'm out deep in the offshore zone or maybe at a offshore Bombies wave, then the strategy is just ride safe and don't fall off til I make it back to the surf line, most of my actual playing is closer to the shore in the surf and the shallows. I may be wrong about this but in most cases the risk of sharks is worse further out and less so right in the shallows.

With crocs they tend to hunt close to land and right in the shallows. they are also experts at hiding in the tiniest bodies of water so small ponds and lagoons which are safe from sharks pose a major threat, they can also move on land at very high speeds in short bursts. So not only are you in a higher risk zone when your in the shallows where the waves are and where most of the fun part of kiting usually occurs but also the buggers could actually get whilst your setting up at the waters edge! Scary !!

Anyway thats my extremely uninformed thesis on crocodiles and why they scare the sh@t out of me

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Puetz said..


winds are better at home .

Guezz, while hell do I go to Bali if there's wind in Darwin.
Might have re think this one

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high as a kite said..

Puetz said..


winds are better at home .

Guezz, while hell do I go to Bali if there's wind in Darwin.
Might have re think this one

,,, meh,,,, there might be a bit more wind but no waves in D town,,, not that time of year anyway!

Robbie

ps Plus Bintangs taste better in Bali!

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Youngbreezy said..
I was pondering the threat of crocodiles and the way they behave in relation to kite surfing.
maybe I'm a wimp but crocs scare the s**t out of me.

With sharks I tend to worry more about sharks when I'm out deep in the offshore zone or maybe at a offshore Bombies wave, then the strategy is just ride safe and don't fall off til I make it back to the surf line, most of my actual playing is closer to the shore in the surf and the shallows. I may be wrong about this but in most cases the risk of sharks is worse further out and less so right in the shallows.

With crocs they tend to hunt close to land and right in the shallows. they are also experts at hiding in the tiniest bodies of water so small ponds and lagoons which are safe from sharks pose a major threat, they can also move on land at very high speeds in short bursts. So not only are you in a higher risk zone when your in the shallows where the waves are and where most of the fun part of kiting usually occurs but also the buggers could actually get whilst your setting up at the waters edge! Scary !!

Anyway thats my extremely uninformed thesis on crocodiles and why they scare the sh@t out of me

... thesis correct but if have a couple beers then you tend to not to worry so much

Robbie

ps don't listen to me!

Yeh Broomes the same although nowhere near as intense, but i am sick of crocks charging out the water while rigging up. A technique we have developed is to have women & children around or stake your family pet at the waters edge & you"ll find your perfectly safe. Kite safe folks

would wearing a shark costume solve both issues.

crocs yr a feared foe, and to sharks just one of the boys!

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Puetz said..

Youngbreezy said..
I was pondering the threat of crocodiles and the way they behave in relation to kite surfing.
maybe I'm a wimp but crocs scare the s**t out of me.

With sharks I tend to worry more about sharks when I'm out deep in the offshore zone or maybe at a offshore Bombies wave, then the strategy is just ride safe and don't fall off til I make it back to the surf line, most of my actual playing is closer to the shore in the surf and the shallows. I may be wrong about this but in most cases the risk of sharks is worse further out and less so right in the shallows.

With crocs they tend to hunt close to land and right in the shallows. they are also experts at hiding in the tiniest bodies of water so small ponds and lagoons which are safe from sharks pose a major threat, they can also move on land at very high speeds in short bursts. So not only are you in a higher risk zone when your in the shallows where the waves are and where most of the fun part of kiting usually occurs but also the buggers could actually get whilst your setting up at the waters edge! Scary !!

Anyway thats my extremely uninformed thesis on crocodiles and why they scare the sh@t out of me

... thesis correct but if have a couple beers then you tend to not to worry so much

Robbie

ps don't listen to me!

Yes they are a concern , but what you gotta do if you want to kite?

Beer is the proven deterrent for crocs up here as prescribed by Puetz.

But it's the beers which are the worry in the end .... we spend a lot of time waiting for wind and worrying about crocs. ....

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eddiemorgs said..


Yes they are a concern , but what you gotta do if you want to kite?

Beer is the proven deterrent for crocs up here as prescribed by Puetz.

But it's the beers which are the worry in the end .... we spend a lot of time waiting for wind and worrying about crocs. ....

You better start to learn how to jump that foil Eddie. I would imagine you would come to a screaming halt if you hit a croc.

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high as a kite said..

eddiemorgs said..


Yes they are a concern , but what you gotta do if you want to kite?

Beer is the proven deterrent for crocs up here as prescribed by Puetz.

But it's the beers which are the worry in the end .... we spend a lot of time waiting for wind and worrying about crocs. ....

You better start to learn how to jump that foil Eddie. I would imagine you would come to a screaming halt if you hit a croc.

Yeah .... it would hurt Ian ... both of us !

Yeh but Eddie, a nice chop just behind the back legs should yield a tail of at least 20 kgs witch would surely help with the bbq

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bluebone said..
Yeh but Eddie, a nice chop just behind the back legs should yield a tail of at least 20 kgs witch would surely help with the bbq

Haha , yeah . Might have to sharpen up the leading edge ....

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Puetz said..

ludbey said..
Thanks very much mate, confirmed what I thought about your dry season, the only thing that was throwing me was that all you guys seem to go to Bali in june/july, made me think I might be wasting my time flying in from Manila at that time of year.
cheers Tony

... actually most of us head to Bali that time of year because we're missing the waves. We have same same weather as Bali so we're not chasing warm weather like our southern brothers and sisters and to be honest, winds are better at home but man,,,, got to get some wave action or we'd go crazy.

Do you guys ever head over to Vietnam anymore?