Only heard yesterday that a windsurfer was hit by a jet ski last weekend at Golden Beach.

Apparently brand new gear and was totally trashed by the jet ski. Jet ski was part of the Jet ski tours or School?

Not sure about injuries etc.

Anyone know more about this?

Yes there was a collision , local sailor on brand new board was run down by one of the riders on a jet ski tour, he was dam lucky not to have any serious injuries, gear is history though.

I Knew it was only a matter of time, had my first sail in a very long time the other day at Gb spent most of it negotiating the jet skiers. Five at a time with no idea what to do or where to go a recipe for disaster.

Yep had 2 near misses since Mid November!

Did notice yesterday the Tour group leader was looking at us hard, he should of been keep an eye on his unlicensed followers and boats coming towards him.

the Goldcoast is getting that way too

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fleet said..
the Goldcoast is getting that way too

Fleet - Gold Coast is already like that. Still recall one of the guys getting hit in 1997 in front of me, then a few more incidents since then that have resulted in serious injuries to experienced sailors.

Waterways are there for everyone to use but seems some are just not sensible about it (Power boats, Sailboats, Jet Skis, Kites, Sailboards, Kayaks, SUPS etc) and ends up with damages, injuries and deaths. Just glad the sailor involved is not seriously injured.

Plenty of room for the JS to hoon around on in the passage, without doing it in the only area you will find windsurfers and further down kite surfers

You should be out sailing at Redcliffe with us Lee. No jet skis, much safer here !!!

I was watching when it happened on Sunday afternoon. The windsurfer was moving very slowly across the channel when he was struck. From the shore it looked like the JetSki was not looking where he was going because he was moving along slowly as well. Never thought they would hit, but there was a big 'crack' noise when it happened. My first thoughts were that these collisions only happen on the Gold Coast. In this case, it was the third JetSki in a line of six, lead by an instructor, that did the damage. It's not the sharks you have to fear!!! I did notice that the learners had passengers riding with them. Perhaps the rider was too busy being friendly to the one sitting behind him that caused his attention to stray from where he was going. I was told that he made some minor course adjustments before driving right over the top of the sailor. He also increased his throttle, possibly due to panic.

it should be said that the guy in charge of the JetSki group was most apologetic and helpful. Prevention is better than cure though. The irony is that they were traversing the area relatively slowly, helped along by the fast ebbing tide though. I still think that the small group of kiters who sail across where we sail pose a greater risk. Especially the cowboy types. They have other spots along the passage where the kites congregate but seem to prefer sailing where we are. You need eyes in the back of your head when they start doing their tricks.

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MarkSSC said..
... He also increased his throttle, possibly due to panic.

It could have been trying to steer as well.... no/low throttle = going straight even if bars turned.

Should be banned at Golden Beach and Cotton Tree if you ask me. I had the kids catching waves on the SUP at cotton tree last weekend, it was absolutely packed, 500 odd people stretched over the beach / sand bars: beach kites, kitesurfing, sups, boogie boards, fishermen, kids digging holes, swimmers all having a great time doing there thing and getting along together. And then there's 3 jet skis playing in the waves most of the avo spreading noise pollution over the whole area. 3 people getting their enjoyment at the expense of 500 others. So selfish it's unbelievable.

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Should be banned at Golden Beach and Cotton Tree if you ask me.

Was at Cotton Tree last Sept School Holidays. one morning the wind was light cross off with small clean waves at the mouth. Was having a great time on the windsup in the small waves until 5 noisy jet skis came along churning the clean little break into a washing machine, totally ruining the vibe.

Was at Caloundra over the New Year, and sailed my Raceboard from Golden Beach out over the bar for an ocean cruise a couple of times. I was surprised by the number of jet skis, hire boats, and other traffic encountered in the passage from Golden Beach and over the bar each time. There seemed to be a lot of inexperienced skippers and very strong currents, so tried to keep my distance.

So not surprised to hear of this incident. There was also a Jet Ski collision with a Windsurfer in NSW late last year.

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Hi Guys, I was a bit stunned to read about the jet ski incident and the other near misses. As a fellow windsurfer(waves) I took the liberty to forward the forum link to Sunshine coast Newspapers as an attempt to raise public awareness before someone is killed by hi powered watercraft that ideally should be used some distance from other water users. I did get a response(see below)but as I only sail there once a year at best I thought it would be best suited to those that sail there frequently to have their say. For what it is worth it may provide a step to better water activity management around our waterways. Gentleman's contact details are below.




<div class="WordSection1">Thanks for that.Are you someone who could talk to us about the dangers of windsurfers versus jet-skis.Or do you know someone who could?.
<div>Damian Bathersby
Deputy EditorT +61 7 5430 8082 | M +61 407 589 114
Damian.Bathersby@scnews.com.au2 Newspaper Place
Maroochydore | QLD | 4558

Another 2 near misses today. 1 froze in front of me not knowing what to do when he seen me coming ant the other just didn't look and turned right into my path.

I think the kite's got pestered today from a few from what I could see from GB.

Inexperienced persons on Jet ski's are the problem from what I see at GB.

And Point Cartwright

Cowboy types in any sport are a problem. Can't see why kiters should be banned in favor of windsurfers. I do both. We should all proceed responsibly. The trouble is that many people using the area have no idea about the rules. And jet skis in the hands of novices pose a danger to all of us, as do jet ski hoons. The owner of Caloundra jet ski called for sail craft to be subject to the 6 knot rule, which applies only to motorised craft for obvious reasons. This would effectively ban windsurfing and kiting. Seems he never heard of the "Power gives way to sail" rule. Yes there are two exceptions, look it up.

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scaredykite said..
Cowboy types in any sport are a problem. Can't see why kiters should be banned in favor of windsurfers. I do both. We should all proceed responsibly. The trouble is that many people using the area have no idea about the rules. And jet skis in the hands of novices pose a danger to all of us, as do jet ski hoons. The owner of Caloundra jet ski called for sail craft to be subject to the 6 knot rule, which applies only to motorised craft for obvious reasons. This would effectively ban windsurfing and kiting. Seems he never heard of the "Power gives way to sail" rule. Yes there are two exceptions, look it up.

Who's saying anything about favouring Windsurfers over kites here?

Generally speaking I have seen 90% of Jet Skis in the area are acting responsibly - as per usual let down by a few idiots and the thrill seekers who are overwhelmed by the actual power of the jet ski (novelty wears off quick when they are thrown off or some other incident)

Spoke to the fellow sailboarder who was involved in the accident - it is in the hands of relevant departments for investigations.

"Cowboy types in any sport are a problem" .............. perfectly said Scaredykite.

We should all apply common sense in our interactions with other water users, the last thing we would want is to provide the authorities with a reason for applying some sort of speed rule to us as well.

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Cpt KIRK said..
Hi Guys, I was a bit stunned to read about the jet ski incident and the other near misses. As a fellow windsurfer(waves) I took the liberty to forward the forum link to Sunshine coast Newspapers as an attempt to raise public awareness before someone is killed by hi powered watercraft that ideally should be used some distance from other water users. I did get a response(see below)but as I only sail there once a year at best I thought it would be best suited to those that sail there frequently to have their say. For what it is worth it may provide a step to better water activity management around our waterways. Gentleman's contact details are below.




<div class="WordSection1">Thanks for that.Are you someone who could talk to us about the dangers of windsurfers versus jet-skis.Or do you know someone who could?.
<div>Damian Bathersby
Deputy EditorT +61 7 5430 8082 | M +61 407 589 114
Damian.Bathersby@scnews.com.au2 Newspaper Place
Maroochydore | QLD | 4558

Article in Tuesday 10.01.17 Sunshine Coast Daily page 4 from the JetSki operators point of view. Wasn't favourable to windsurfers or kites.

Oh dear, that was not very flattering for windsurfing. Keeping an incident like this out of the press would probably have been a good idea. Hopefully it goes nowhere and doesn't end up where a speed limit is placed on all craft in some areas, we could lose some really good places to sail (faster than 6kn of course). One thing that is a certainty with any government, is to regulate groups of people that can't/won't regulate themselves. If conflicts between windsurfers and houseboat owners on the Gold Coast or between windsurfers and jetski tours at Golden Beach start to feature in the press more often, the authorities WILL step in.

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Paddles B'mere said..
Oh dear, that was not very flattering for windsurfing. Keeping an incident like this out of the press would probably have been a good idea. Hopefully it goes nowhere and doesn't end up where a speed limit is placed on all craft in some areas, we could lose some really good places to sail (faster than 6kn of course). One thing that is a certainty with any government, is to regulate groups of people that can't/won't regulate themselves. If conflicts between windsurfers and houseboat owners on the Gold Coast or between windsurfers and jetski tours at Golden Beach start to feature in the press more often, the authorities WILL step in.

The issue is not about speed. I was there and saw the collision. Both windsurfer and JetSki were going at 6knts or less. The jetski operator needs to explain why he takes 6 jet skis in convoy through this area. Five of the craft are piloted by novices and to make matters worse he allows them to have a passenger on the back.

Was out in my boat fishing this morning 2km from down from the Caloundra powerboat club towards Bribie when (guess who) a line of them goes past at full throttle. Oh and guess what - number 3 in line decides to do a 360 spin with his female partner on the back and almost has gets hit by the next Jet ski!


The leader did not even see this and all kept going.If only you could hear what a near by boat was yelling at them! Maybe a go pro camera on each jet ski before they set out just to cover them selves or make someone have accountability.

But was windsurfing today at GB, the only windsurfer sharing the same area with a young kite surfer from 1 pm. The line of jet ski's goes past and gives the widest clearance to us both!

Maybe just 6 knots applies to Jet skis at all times if this is the path he wants to follow?


Don't get me wrong I like the Jet Ski tours and they run a great business for the tourists but make it clearer to your clients the consequences of their "cowboy acts"

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AusMoz said..
Was out in my boat fishing this morning 2km from down from the Caloundra powerboat club towards Bribie when (guess who) a line of them goes past at full throttle. Oh and guess what - number 3 in line decides to do a 360 spin with his female partner on the back and almost has gets hit by the next Jet ski!


The leader did not even see this and all kept going.If only you could hear what a near by boat was yelling at them! Maybe a go pro camera on each jet ski before they set out just to cover them selves or make someone have accountability.

But was windsurfing today at GB, the only windsurfer sharing the same area with a young kite surfer from 1 pm. The line of jet ski's goes past and gives the widest clearance to us both!

Maybe just 6 knots applies to Jet skis at all times if this is the path he wants to follow?


Don't get me wrong I like the Jet Ski tours and they run a great business for the tourists but make it clearer to your clients the consequences of their "cowboy acts"

In some places the jet skis have limits placed upon both speed and distance from other craft they are passing. Does this apply in the Passage?

Was at the military Jetty area this morning and it is signed for powered craft "6 knots" unless 100m from shore - I may have to check it again to verify this.

Might have to look at the other areas more closely to see where we all stand again - but may be Scaredykite can giver her thoughts on this

When power meets sail - Power gives way to sail unless the sailing vessel is overtaking.Sailing vessels should avoid sailing in a narrow channel. They have to give way to power-driven vessels restricted in their ability to manouvre in the channel.

Define Narrow Channel?

Is GB considered a Narrow Channel?

If it is a "Narrow Channel" - should we avoid sailing there altogether (kites, windsurfers, Cats, sailboats etc) Good Luck!!!!!!

From what I recall I cross the channel and sail the shallow areas mostly so there is some avoidance there of the channel.

Too many "What ifs" when it comes to this.

One of the ironies with the jet skis is that they can operate in very shallow water. Strictly speaking, they may not need the deep water of the channel like the cruise boat. It can't turn or change course rapidly so it is up to us to give it seaway. Common sense. The jet skis have options too, and is not just us they need to look out for. Kayaks, Sups, anchored fishing boats and even some swimmers could be in the passage during the day. Because the jetskis are powerful and fast they have to take even greater care, and responsibility on the water.

Hi Mark, yep I understand that this accident was not caused by speed and possibly caused by inattention. However to muddy the waters, the newspaper article has now tilted the story away from the actual accident that occurred and towards the issue of whether windsurfers are allowed to exceed a designated speed limit on a waterway. By the way, I don't really like jet skis and can't stand the irresponsible use of them and would have spat the dummy if I was quietly fishing like AusMoz and got buzzed by a bunch of them. But likewise, the irresponsible use of windsurfers will attract unwanted attention too.

I lifted the below from a government website.

PWC rules on the water
If you're travelling at more than 10 knots you must keep a distance of 30m from other moving boats, unless you're involved in an approved aquatic event or where doing so would endanger you or another person. Consider the density of waterway traffic in the area to determine a safe speed. You must stay 60m away from, or reduce your speed to 6 knots if within 60m of: people in the water anchored or moored boats, structures, boat ramps, jetties or pontoons the shore the boundary of a bathing reserve. Exceptions apply to the 60m from shore rule if: the waterway is less than 120m wide, and: you operate the PWC as close as practical to a straight line to transit the area you stay as close as possible to the centre of the waterway or a marked channel the PWC is being used in waterskiing or towing. In coastal waters, freestyling or wave jumping is restricted to: beyond 200m of the shore if homes are within 100m of the shoreline, and are in the vicinity of the waters where the PWC is operating. Coastal waters do not include dams and inland waters.

Hi Paddles

The story does seem to be muddied by the report made by the newspaper. The real power rests with the Maritime Safety department. On the day of the accident I heard the JetSki operator say that he had to complete an incident report for the authorities. After I heard about the comments made in the paper I really wondered if his original incident report was close to the truth or written in a way to protect his business. I felt that because I witnessed the whole thing that it would be beneficial to send in my own report as an eyewitness. I have done this and Maritmie Safety have passed my letter on to their Moolooolaba office because this incident is currently under investigation.

GOOD!!!! To own and operate a jet ski, you must have both a boat licence, and a Personal Watercraft License.
To hire one, you may never have ever stuck one toe in salt water.
Bloody ridiculous! I followed the incident at the Broadwater involving a lady named Linda (if my memory serve's me correctly).
If you can find the thread on Seabreeze, someone posted the Coroner's finding's and recommendation's on a previous incident resulting in the death of a tourist at the same place, and same hire operator. The Coroner's recommendation's were ignored, and after the incident with Linda, there were some restriction's and/or requirement's added to jet ski hire operator's. It is "bugger all", and it's a joke.
I think most experienced jet ski rider's who own some common sense will tell you that they are dangerous in the hand's of the inexperienced.
The main reason for this, is that with no throttle, there is no thrust, and with no thrust there is no steering.
The obvious happen's when the inexperienced panic.
As for "that article" www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/water-wars-jet-ski-crash-into-windsurfer-sparks-ca/3129782/
It is of my opinion that the jet ski operator up there is aware of all this, and is covering his backside.
As for the person who wrote this article, I think that ignorance and laziness shine's throughout, and this person show's far from responsible reporting.

Just to add to the story Maritime Safety Queensland have declassified windsurfers as sailing vessels even though we are an Olympic sailing class and we are now "watersports toys" like surfboards or kayaks or skis so they don't have to deal with our concerns.....sorry wrong Government department to complain to.....

This is what we are dealing with.
It's very rare that a windsurfer will act ignorantly, or disrespectfully.
BUT!!! We have to be careful how we react to these incident's, and that include's what we write on these forum's.
The person that wrote "That article" has merely picked phrase's from several people's post's, and addressed these as being that of one witness.
GCWWA on the Broadwater have clearly been dropping the ball for a long time now, and as tonyd said, on the other post "Playing chicken on GC",
Keep it real guy's. They are watching. We are a minority. preserve our sport.

Media story already has a link in the Australian , and also other media outlets mainly jet ski publications, 'exciting stories' with words like 'collision' 'speed' 'injury' 'trashed' and of course someone calling for rules to be enforced gets lapped up by the media all the time, they love stuff like that!
Sadly the operator of this business somehow makes out a windsurfer powered by wind and a person dealing with currents, balance etc is more to blame than a unskilled tourist behind god knows how many HP of insane power is to blame! (Luckily this time it was low speed!) sadly his view of the real world had been distorted by the constant spray of saltwater in his eyes!
He is the 'profit' business 'sharing' the public space to put the blame back to the public is arrogance at the highest level! Windsurfers, kites? Kayaks paddle
Skis etc have been using this waterway for many more years than his business has , and in far greater numbers, he is the minority in this case and probably would be better off buying replacement gear for the sailor and looking at ways to ensure it doesn't happen again, after all he has the most to lose financially. Put a positive on it to win some brownie points is what I'd be doing if in his shoes instead of blaming others (regardless of who is at fault, the business operator has the most to lose here, bad move going on the attack, he may regret that later)

Jet skis are great fun... in open waters where they can harm no body but them selves.
But...The fact is they do not control 'naturally' the human instinct is to take the finger off the throttle and turn to avoid collision.. this however won't help on a jet ski , 'losing control' is often the cause of jet ski accidents (don't take my comment as gospel , google the coroner reports of you like!)
Get them out in open water where inocent people can't be harmed, busy confined water ways are no place for them.
Cotton tree river mouth is a nightmare when a couple of skis enter the scene, crazy riders narrowly missing kiters, swimmers, suppers, windsurfers all the time, as previously mentioned 2-3 jet ski riders putting at risk dozens of water users, frankly P/off and do your stuff well from all of us, I don't want a jet ski landing on my head as I hide on the back side of wave where he can't see my waterstarting/getting on SUP etc. I can't even entertain what mind set belives they have the right to disrupt so many people and place them all at risk?
Sorry for the deviation from the Caloundra issue, but it's only a matter of time before something nasty happens....again.

Take them out to open water, where it's safe.
Rant over.

"Something Nasty", is what so many people say, (from well informed authority's, and Government Department's), of who have been constantly warned.
Not just here, but oversea's too.
Everybody say's "We'll just wait till the next one happen's.