A few happy snaps I took when my ribs were smashed...

Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

Couple of weeks ago, can't exactly remember the day.

What was the wind direction?

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Duff15 said..
What was the wind direction?

Pretty standard SW - pretty much straight onshore.

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stok said..
Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

unless you are any good you will struggle to get upwind is generally directly onshore and the beach is very small for launching and the water is shallow and choppy.

It is NOT an ideal beginners spot. there have been a few there lately (compliments of MKH?) choking up the shallow area with their kites at 12 making it difficult for others where they would be much better off going a bit further north or south.

also make sure you kite south of Naples road, if you kite in front of the Mentone LSC they will call parks vic or the police and you will get fined.

Great pics sputnik.

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HighzaKite said..

stok said..
Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

unless you are any good you will struggle to get upwind is generally directly onshore and the beach is very small for launching and the water is shallow and choppy.

It is NOT an ideal beginners spot. there have been a few there lately (compliments of MKH?) choking up the shallow area with their kites at 12 making it difficult for others where they would be much better off going a bit further north or south.

also make sure you kite south of Naples road, if you kite in front of the Mentone LSC they will call parks vic or the police and you will get fined.

Great pics sputnik.

Lol ok Highza, you can try in vain to protect it from the masses. Really though Melbourne's a big city and the bay is small - crowds are a reality.

But I've never really had any issues, I normally just kite Middle Park to Port Melbourne or Elwood, all uncrowded with (small) waves. I'm just keen to see which spots have the best baywaves for strapless sessions.

p.s. I didn't know you had to be good to go upwind, isn't that a basic skill?

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stok said..

HighzaKite said..

stok said..
Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

unless you are any good you will struggle to get upwind is generally directly onshore and the beach is very small for launching and the water is shallow and choppy.

It is NOT an ideal beginners spot. there have been a few there lately (compliments of MKH?) choking up the shallow area with their kites at 12 making it difficult for others where they would be much better off going a bit further north or south.

also make sure you kite south of Naples road, if you kite in front of the Mentone LSC they will call parks vic or the police and you will get fined.

Great pics sputnik.

Lol ok Highza, you can try in vain to protect it from the masses. Really though Melbourne's a big city and the bay is small - crowds are a reality.

But I've never really had any issues, I normally just kite Middle Park to Port Melbourne or Elwood, all uncrowded with (small) waves. I'm just keen to see which spots have the best baywaves for strapless sessions.

p.s. I didn't know you had to be good to go upwind, isn't that a basic skill?

my comments were not necessarily directed to you, just letting others know it's not ideal for beginners and light winds and chop can make it a struggle to get out so they end up going back and forth in the gutter right on the shore and dropping their kites on the beach walkers.

it never really gets crowded as its too far away and there is plenty of space but most summers we get an influx of beginners and kiting groups. but if you like waves and ride a surfboard its probably one the best spots if you are prepared to travel 20km outside the inner city bubble and there is usually a regular local crew ripping it up.

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HighzaKite said...

stok said..
Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

unless you are any good you will struggle to get upwind is generally directly onshore and the beach is very small for launching and the water is shallow and choppy.

It is NOT an ideal beginners spot. there have been a few there lately (compliments of MKH?) choking up the shallow area with their kites at 12 making it difficult for others where they would be much better off going a bit further north or south.

also make sure you kite south of Naples road, if you kite in front of the Mentone LSC they will call parks vic or the police and you will get fined.

Great pics sputnik.

Sorry that you feel that way highzakite, I'm sorry that a group like MKH that is inclusive of ALL kiters and keen to spread the community vibe of kitesurfing to all locations around Melbourne, isn't your cup of tea.
MKH aren't arrogant to think some people can't kite at some beaches!
It's hard to understand that some kiters forget that they too were once a noob, parking their kite at 12. Yeah parking the kite at 12 can be annoying, but these are things that they think is normal, but like yourself will learn pretty quickly there are better options. They however won't learn, If they've got people telling them off rather than giving them assistance and tips.

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joelz87 said..

HighzaKite said...

stok said..
Awesome! I never really kite there but it looks like the waves aren't too bad (for the bay!). Might have to try it, when was this?

unless you are any good you will struggle to get upwind is generally directly onshore and the beach is very small for launching and the water is shallow and choppy.

It is NOT an ideal beginners spot. there have been a few there lately (compliments of MKH?) choking up the shallow area with their kites at 12 making it difficult for others where they would be much better off going a bit further north or south.

also make sure you kite south of Naples road, if you kite in front of the Mentone LSC they will call parks vic or the police and you will get fined.

Great pics sputnik.

Sorry that you feel that way highzakite, I'm sorry that a group like MKH that is inclusive of ALL kiters and keen to spread the community vibe of kitesurfing to all locations around Melbourne, isn't your cup of tea.
MKH aren't arrogant to think some people can't kite at some beaches!
It's hard to understand that some kiters forget that they too were once a noob, parking their kite at 12. Yeah parking the kite at 12 can be annoying, but these are things that they think is normal, but like yourself will learn pretty quickly there are better options. They however won't learn, If they've got people telling them off rather than giving them assistance and tips.

No arrogance suggested in my post, rather kind-hearted recommendation for newbies to go elsewhere for a much better experience. Yes I was a newbie too, and I graduated from St Kilda to Brighton/Hampton, Ricketts where winds are mostly cross-onshore. Mentone requires a bit more skill.


Failing any other authoritative source I went to kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteboarding.com/wind/wind-directions which says:

Onshore The wind blows towards the shore at a 90 degree angle. You will get blown onto the beach immediately if you dunk your kite. It can be hard to get out through any shore break. Skill level: Intermediate and experienced kitesurfers. You must be able to stay upwind to keep away from the beach.



Here's another: www.mackiteboarding.com/kiteboarding-conditions.htm

Wind Directions to avoid: (arrow designates direction wind is blowing towards) Onshore winds blow directly onto the shore. Only riders who can go upwind instantly should attempt onshore wind riding. It only takes 5 seconds to get your board stuck in the sand and get pulled onto your face and have your kite out of control.


It's great to see many kiters of many levels at Mentone or anywhere for that matter but it is not ideal for beginners because it is regularly direct SSW ONSHORE. Would you recommend Brighton/Hampton/Aspendale in a direct Westerly?


Its great that you organize kiting groups and assist people, but I hope you are not passing yourself off as a "professional kite-surfing instructor" as I saw you did in one of your LinkedIn(?) profiles.


And as an organizer of such groups, providing support, instruction for benefit or no benefit --- you may also need to think about whether your liability insurance covers you if something went wrong.


I need a cup of tea.

Kind of sorry I posted the photos now.......

The fun police have arrived.

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Sputnik11 said..
Kind of sorry I posted the photos now.......

Just make sure all you have adequate public liability insurance cover next time

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stok said..

Sputnik11 said..
Kind of sorry I posted the photos now.......

Just make sure all you have adequate public liability insurance cover next time

Will stick to posting windsurifng pics.

I might start windsurfing Sputnick, or just surfing again these guys are crazyyyy! And not crazy in a fun way, more like - dude go wear your bus pants over there..
Nice pics by the way :)

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RosieKB said..
I might start windsurfing Sputnick, or just surfing again these guys are crazyyyy! And not crazy in a fun way, more like - dude go wear your bus pants over there..
Nice pics by the way :)

Thanks Rosie. Windsurfing welcomes you too. We're a happy bunch.

LMAO - windsurfing.... If you think windsurfing isn't political just do a search for insurance within VIC windsurfing.............

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Sputnik11 said..

RosieKB said..
I might start windsurfing Sputnick, or just surfing again these guys are crazyyyy! And not crazy in a fun way, more like - dude go wear your bus pants over there..
Nice pics by the way :)

Thanks Rosie. Windsurfing welcomes you too. We're a happy bunch.

Also, your profile pics is a crack up!

Anyways ....

I spoke to my old mate Huey last night on the whale-bone phone and he said he was so pleased to see so many kiters having fun in 13 knots at Mentone that he was going to give us another whole week of it!!, maybe mixed in with some rain to wash your kites.

But he said if there are enough red-thumbs on this post he was going to give the same for the whole of Feb!!

Meanwhile at Mentone ...

Learners have to learn. Provided they have had proper instruction to begin with I think it's safer to be around other kiters. I agree that the beaches along the SE of the bay don't have much area for landing and launching, are generally crowded with other beach goers and when onshore are difficult to get out. There are other safer places to learn in Melbourne like Apex Park at Altona and Brighton.

It is frustrating when people (not just learners) keep their kites at 12pm, especially when the wind is light or the kiting area limited and you can't get around them. I have had a quiet word with people who do this afterwards and many don't even realise it creates an issue and once mentioned are happy to try and do less of it.

As for liability etc. I'm no lawyer, but it is a grey area and let's put it this way; if you call yourselves a club and act like a club through selling merchandise, inviting people to events at specific locations and times to kite and then offer some advice on kiting, you are crossing a thin liability line and if something went wrong you could be exposed.

We looked into setting up a proper registered kiting group here in Melbourne last year but the cost of insurance, council permits, lifeguards, first aid qualified people, risk assessments and more would have meant we'd have to charge people $30 to come and kite at a location that they could otherwise kite at free on their own.

I like the community MKH is building - but you guys do unfortunately need to consider what legal entity you want to be and how much you want to 'care' / be responsible for your members.

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Also, your profile pics is a crack up!

Its real. Trust me, I'm a windsurfer....

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HighzaKite said..
Meanwhile at Mentone ...

??? That's not even Mentone...

nice pics Sputnik, what camera were you using?

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Smithy said..

HighzaKite said..
Meanwhile at Mentone ...

??? That's not even Mentone...

nice pics Sputnik, what camera were you using?

Canon 5D with a 100 to 400 f4.5

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Macster said..
Learners have to learn. Provided they have had proper instruction to begin with I think it's safer to be around other kiters. I agree that the beaches along the SE of the bay don't have much area for landing and launching, are generally crowded with other beach goers and when onshore are difficult to get out. There are other safer places to learn in Melbourne like Apex Park at Altona and Brighton.

It is frustrating when people (not just learners) keep their kites at 12pm, especially when the wind is light or the kiting area limited and you can't get around them. I have had a quiet word with people who do this afterwards and many don't even realise it creates an issue and once mentioned are happy to try and do less of it.

As for liability etc. I'm no lawyer, but it is a grey area and let's put it this way; if you call yourselves a club and act like a club through selling merchandise, inviting people to events at specific locations and times to kite and then offer some advice on kiting, you are crossing a thin liability line and if something went wrong you could be exposed.

We looked into setting up a proper registered kiting group here in Melbourne last year but the cost of insurance, council permits, lifeguards, first aid qualified people, risk assessments and more would have meant we'd have to charge people $30 to come and kite at a location that they could otherwise kite at free on their own.

I like the community MKH is building - but you guys do unfortunately need to consider what legal entity you want to be and how much you want to 'care' / be responsible for your members.

Better to avoid that road.......seriously... stay as an informal hookup....... the minute you go down the club road........ well, its terrible.... red taped, power hungry people, crazy silly people etc........ just stick to being a bunch of people informally coming together.......

Great photos, keep at it!

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Macster said..
Learners have to learn. Provided they have had proper instruction to begin with I think it's safer to be around other kiters. I agree that the beaches along the SE of the bay don't have much area for landing and launching, are generally crowded with other beach goers and when onshore are difficult to get out. There are other safer places to learn in Melbourne like Apex Park at Altona and Brighton.

It is frustrating when people (not just learners) keep their kites at 12pm, especially when the wind is light or the kiting area limited and you can't get around them. I have had a quiet word with people who do this afterwards and many don't even realise it creates an issue and once mentioned are happy to try and do less of it.

As for liability etc. I'm no lawyer, but it is a grey area and let's put it this way; if you call yourselves a club and act like a club through selling merchandise, inviting people to events at specific locations and times to kite and then offer some advice on kiting, you are crossing a thin liability line and if something went wrong you could be exposed.

We looked into setting up a proper registered kiting group here in Melbourne last year but the cost of insurance, council permits, lifeguards, first aid qualified people, risk assessments and more would have meant we'd have to charge people $30 to come and kite at a location that they could otherwise kite at free on their own.

I like the community MKH is building - but you guys do unfortunately need to consider what legal entity you want to be and how much you want to 'care' / be responsible for your members.

Well said. Pretty much what I was saying before the red thumb lynch mob descended but full credit to you.

Looking forward to a cracking day tomorrow. It's been a while.