Hey peeps, Newbie here- first lesson next week and need a wetsuit. I've been told an Ion Strike Shortie long sleeve is a good way to go. Any words of wisdom?? Also- looking to get a sharkshield of some description- is there a "must buy" option that's available? I live in Alkimos if anyone want a kitebuddy : )
Many thanks in advance
Tim Bennett

Don't crash your kite. Best shark shield money can buy.
Also, if you are stressing about sharks now, maybe don't start to learn a water sport. Just saying.

Select to expand quote

timsontheroad said..
Hey peeps, Newbie here- first lesson next week and need a wetsuit. I've been told an Ion Strike Shortie long sleeve is a good way to go. Any words of wisdom?? Also- looking to get a sharkshield of some description- is there a "must buy" option that's available? I live in Alkimos if anyone want a kitebuddy : )
Many thanks in advance
Tim Bennett

I dont know about shark shields.. but if that gives you peace of mind.. go ahead.. where are you taking your lessons?

Lesson this Thursday with Wendelien from Action Sports

Awesome man, I wouldn't stress about sharks to much, have a chat to your instructor about suitable locations to frequent while your learning. It's best to head to a location where there are other people to help you out, with launching, landing and just be there if you get in trouble. You want to learn somewhere a little sheltered with less waves, enjoy the stoke and be prepared to be surprised by the power of the kite

sharks don't usually attack when we are kiting , mainly because the water is so stirred up and sunlight gives their shadows away hence why most attacks are either overcast days or first /last light

I've never heard of a shark attacking a kite boarder - how often does this happen anyways?

Select to expand quote

ory said..
I've never heard of a shark attacking a kite boarder - how often does this happen anyways?

Actually there has been at least 2 cases.. one just a few weeks ago.

If you are looking at Shark Shield also check www.rpela.com/

I'm not bothering with my kiteboards but I think I will get Rpela fitted on my next two surfboards. Rpela is headed by a WA surfboard shaper (Shark Shield is also a WA company).

Hey guys, I'm new to WA and I've been hearing so much recently about sharks ! Went for a kite off the Bib and Tucker this arvo and couldn't stop thinking about being eaten up !! What do you locals think ?

Select to expand quote

bene313 said...
If you are looking at Shark Shield also check www.rpela.com/

I'm not bothering with my kiteboards but I think I will get Rpela fitted on my next two surfboards. Rpela is headed by a WA surfboard shaper (Shark Shield is also a WA company).

I've got the rpela fitted into 4 of my surfboards, you don't even know it's there. Great piece of mind for you and the family

Select to expand quote

Buzzby said..
Hey guys, I'm new to WA and I've been hearing so much recently about sharks ! Went for a kite off the Bib and Tucker this arvo and couldn't stop thinking about being eaten up !! What do you locals think ?

you will be fine, as long as you dont drop your kite .

Select to expand quote

EternalNoob said...

Buzzby said..
Hey guys, I'm new to WA and I've been hearing so much recently about sharks ! Went for a kite off the Bib and Tucker this arvo and couldn't stop thinking about being eaten up !! What do you locals think ?

you will be fine, as long as you dont drop your kite .

OMG !

Don't worry about sharks, and don't follow the 'dorsal reports' apps or any of those sites that report 'shark sitings', it will only cause you to get the heebee jeebees when you are body dragging out the back :) If people talk about sharks just cover you ears and sing "lalalala", if news stories about sharks come on, just change the channel...

Sharks
Do we have them here ???
I've never seen one while doing any watersports (and I dive for crayfish often)

My Rule of thumb is if it is a grey overcast morning (how often do you kite in the morning) then stay in bed.

Select to expand quote

Nathe said..

bene313 said...
If you are looking at Shark Shield also check www.rpela.com/

I'm not bothering with my kiteboards but I think I will get Rpela fitted on my next two surfboards. Rpela is headed by a WA surfboard shaper (Shark Shield is also a WA company).

I've got the rpela fitted into 4 of my surfboards, you don't even know it's there. Great piece of mind for you and the family

Exactly - more so for the family than myself!

Select to expand quote

Bronnieren said..
Don't worry about sharks, and don't follow the 'dorsal reports' apps or any of those sites that report 'shark sitings', it will only cause you to get the heebee jeebees when you are body dragging out the back :) If people talk about sharks just cover you ears and sing "lalalala", if news stories about sharks come on, just change the channel...

I never used to check but I now check the Dorsal App when surfing (but not really kiting as it's in the afternoon). If's there's a 4m pig hanging around I wanna know before I surf there!

Select to expand quote

NoWorries said..
Sharks
Do we have them here ???
I've never seen one while doing any watersports (and I dive for crayfish often)

My Rule of thumb is if it is a grey overcast morning (how often do you kite in the morning) then stay in bed.

I never see them either but over winter the surf is often good when overcast early.

You wont see the sharks but that doesnt mean they are not there - dont kid yaself!

When things are feeling a bit sharkey I always think back to a surftrip i did in the Maldives few years back - we did a dive out the back of one of the breaks looking for reef sharks but instead got a 9m whale shark. We were right next to the surfers in the line up. 9 divers and this bloody big fish. We were there for over half an hour. Back on land none of the crew in the line up even knew we were there....

Cant see the need for a shark shield kiting - just dont stop for long.

Best to stay out of the ocean go to the river

This is interesting
The shadows on bottom of board reflect light and distract in some way
Its an 80 dollar sticker for bottom of board
A genius I know showed me and explained it the other month...


Other than that...use safe gear dont drop it ...as eternalnoob says. I prefer it to surf in south wa because u can escape quicker and rescue people easier.so its actually a benefit...a kite in W.A.... :-)
Met one chap who uses a leash for board retrieval when out around perth or margs /lancelin/wedge/ Gero no matter what (yes yes yes...
Kiteboardleash.com etc..)

^ Just had to read that 3 times. Just as retarded each time.
Leashes = no

Leaches are fine, just use a 9ft/mal leach.

If you look at the stats, Perth had far more shark fatalities from Bull Sharks in the Swan River than from sharks in the ocean, until '98 (Ken Crew fatal attack) and beyond. The Swan River ain't 100% safe either....

A few more comments here re the shark discussion:

Regarding the safety of kiting in the Swan River, if you look at the stats, Perth had far more shark fatalities from Bull Sharks in the Swan River than from sharks in the ocean, - that was until '98 when Ken Crew was the first of many fatal attacks. The Swan River ain't 100% safe either....google the Scotch College kid who got muched in 1929 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45596509 ..... old story, but there's plenty more like it. Recent fisheries research shows the population of Bull Sharks (a notoriously aggressive species) is still thriving in the Swan.

Regarding the black and white stripey board / wetsuit theory.....ok, so the theory goes that the majority of slow moving things that are poisonous in the ocean advertise their poison status via the coloured stripes - think lion-fish, sea-snake etc. So, someone decided that stripes on your board will stop a great white attacking you..... However, minor fatal flaw in this theory.....have you ever scuba-dived or snorkelled and looked back up at your girlfriend and her hotty mates floating on the surface in their fluro bikinis? Do they look colourful? Nup - they're just hot looking black silhouettes. Little bit about great white biology here - smaller (<3m whites) generally feed on fish. Once big enough, (3.5 - 4m) they generally change prey and start targeting marine mammals, i.e. seals / whale calves etc. Attack strategy is strike fast from below. So, when a big-ass great white is in attack mode, charging vertically up at 40km/hr, from the deep, (i.e. seal-killing tactic, cause this is what you look like when sitting on a surfboard), you just look like a black seal-shaped silhouette too (regardless of your stripey board). Do you think that 4m shark is gonna care about a few stripes it can finally see in the last split second before it annihilates you?

Regarding sharks only attacking on dawn n dusk / overcast days - the day the guy got killed at Umbilicals was a perfect sunny, glassy day - I was surfing mid morning at 3 bears (just up the road) and thought there's no way a shark attack would happen when the vis is 20m and it's sunny, mid morning. Then the rescue helo flew over to collect his body about 10am. Same deal with the kid east of Albany, 3 years ago - mid morning, sunny day. SCUBA diver killed earlier this year off Hillarys, - midday, sunny day..... So, yep, shark camouflage (light underbelly / darker dorsal side) works better on grey days, and the stats show more attacks at dawn / dusk / overcast days, but don't be fooled by this theory either.

Have fun deciding what to do with all that info..... if you think you need a shark-shield, go for it. Shark-shield (the actual brand) to me is probably the best option - the most defendable / rigorous scientific evidence to back it up.

You're in the ocean - you roll the dice.

Agree with the other boys - best advice - don't drop ya kite!