Anyone know where the official list of designated areas for kitesurfing can be found. There is nothing listed on waksa.org.au, emailed them last Thursday and have had no response other than the autoresponse email.

Can't blame any visitors to this state for kiting in the wrong area without guidelines available - also does not encourage paying subs if basic info is not available on the state site.

They normally have guidelines on the website for the more common spots, hopefully they will be up again soon. Lasy I heard they were also doing a few new printed location guides on top of the ones already floating around at the kite shops.

I'm sure it will be all updated soon.

Thanks - need something available if the season decides to kick off shortly, lots of travellers coming through asking to be pointed in the right direction. Will update with the response from WAKSA.

WAKSA volunteers are reworking the site, so I imagine they'll be up as soon as they can.

In the meantime, you (& others) can find them here:

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/Riding-in-Perth-WA-What-you-need-to-know_4578814.aspx

Well I was going to bring my kiting gear over with me in about a month when I make the trek to WA from TAS.

All these can and cant kite areas are kind of messy. < no offense intended > I am just used to kiting pretty much where I like in Tas.

With a little common sense everyone goes home happy at the end of the day.

Probably a few more hundred kiters in WA sharing the beaches with a few more million ppl. than here in TAS to complicate things just a smidge

Hopefuly I'll find a nice quiet spot a a hell windy day anywayz.

Can't wait to sample some of your warm afternoon sea breaze.

Leethul

It's not so much "messy" as you put it, but more a case of doing the right thing by all beach users, so that kiters can maintain access to our favourite spots.

Some of the sentiment behind the guidelines cards that have been developed (distributed at retailers & online here on SB) is to assist kiters from out of town (yep, that's you buddy.... - but also for our Teuro friends) who might not know the local do's and don't's - rather than can & cannot as you suggested.

We have a rough estimate of about 2500 kiters in WA, far far in excess of the numbers in Tassie. You're pretty lucky to have minimal numbers, fewer hassles & far fewer problems to deal with. As the sport grows here, incidents and issues will become more frequent - the guidelines are an attempt, one way to hopefully minimise incidents and issues.

The guidelines are our suggestions and guidelines to minimise issues; maintain access & keep everyone on the beach happy. The guidelines are only that - guidelines - but, depending on where you kite, you will find them fairly rigidly enforced especially say @ Mullaloo - fail to comply with the guidelines at Mullaloo & it's safe to say someone will be in your ear pretty quickly.

Welcome to Perth, hope you have a great time and we hope you find the guidelines useful and contribute to you having a more enjoyable kite at any of our great beaches.

Good posts guys, thank you. I'm looking forward to the updated location guide too.

I'm inbound from unregulated waters too so will be glad of all friendly guidance here and on the beach .

Cheers

Toddy

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WAKSA. said...

Leethul

It's not so much "messy" as you put it, but more a case of doing the right thing by all beach users, so that kiters can maintain access to our favourite spots.

Some of the sentiment behind the guidelines cards that have been developed (distributed at retailers & online here on SB) is to assist kiters from out of town (yep, that's you buddy.... - but also for our Teuro friends) who might not know the local do's and don't's - rather than can & cannot as you suggested.

We have a rough estimate of about 2500 kiters in WA, far far in excess of the numbers in Tassie. You're pretty lucky to have minimal numbers, fewer hassles & far fewer problems to deal with. As the sport grows here, incidents and issues will become more frequent - the guidelines are an attempt, one way to hopefully minimise incidents and issues.

The guidelines are our suggestions and guidelines to minimise issues; maintain access & keep everyone on the beach happy. The guidelines are only that - guidelines - but, depending on where you kite, you will find them fairly rigidly enforced especially say @ Mullaloo - fail to comply with the guidelines at Mullaloo & it's safe to say someone will be in your ear pretty quickly.

Welcome to Perth, hope you have a great time and we hope you find the guidelines useful and contribute to you having a more enjoyable kite at any of our great beaches.

Thanks for the information.
I will certainly abide by any local guidelines and local advice.
Someone has obviously put a considerable amount of time and effort into these guidelines, and I'll do my best to follow them.
I would like to fit in, not stand out.
Thanks again.

Would be so cool to have a spot guide with suitable wind directions etc. waksa slackers ;)

No slackers at WAKSA pigfarmer, they do a great job as volunteers.

Wher did you end up heading out, I'm living/working down in Guilderton for a few days so might give it a crack down there, no point missing out on a session

Hey guys.

The guides look really nice and hadn't notice their existence until a few weeks ago.

Was just wondering if anybody knew of a semi decent spot to go in east freo. I see the readings there are always nicer than melville. And for now my gf refuses to learn kiting on the ocean. Do need to give me your secret spot just a general area ok to use.


Ps: yay the winds finally here

I spoke to an instructor from a school (no names mentioned) this morning at point walter who had 2 students and was teaching in the bird sanctuary fenced off area. I explained that the local residents take pics and he was giving them ammo for the spot to get restricted even more.

Maybe due to the abundace of euro instructors is it possible WAKSA can send out a few copies to the schools for the 'backpacker instructors' to check out?

The Schools should be taking responsibility for where there instructors are teaching,
let me guess he didnt move

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Doggfather said...

Hey guys.

The guides look really nice and hadn't notice their existence until a few weeks ago.

Was just wondering if anybody knew of a semi decent spot to go in east freo. I see the readings there are always nicer than melville. And for now my gf refuses to learn kiting on the ocean. Do need to give me your secret spot just a general area ok to use.


Ps: yay the winds finally here

The readings seem nicer because if you look at the river at this point, it narrows between to sets of high banks/cliffs and funnels the wind through. I live just above East Freo sailing club and it is not a place where you want to kite. There are no good launching points, there is a busy boat ramp down by the Swan Yacht Club and as the river is narrower here, you are going to get mixed up with a lot of 'traffic' heading in/out under the bridges.

If you're gong to kite on the river, Melville is by far the best place. There is a designated area and you get a fairly clean wind blowing across the water. I also crew on a yacht out of South of Perth yacht club and we always head into that bay when we race up towards Point Walter as you get a good breeze in there.

You can kite off Point Walter, but it is only good when there is an Easterley blowing, which is usually an early morning breeze in the summer (think 6am on a Sunday morning!) and you can kite off the east side of the spit. It's no good for kiting in the afternoon, as the safest place to kite would be on the west side of the spit, but the wind gets turbulent due to the high cliffs I was talking about earlier. You will see the odd person trying to learn here in the afternoon sea breeze on the east (wrong!) side of the spit, and when things go wrong, they get blown across the river.