No, we're not kidding - it is simply NOT SAFE to be in the water between Redcliffe and Brisbane City this weekend.

Here are several reasons why:

There's so much debris washing out of Brisbane right now - it's astounding how quickly it's arriving on the beach. Everything from building materials, to trees, pontoons and dead animals were being washed up on Wednesday morning - you can imagine what it's like now! Not only could this be dangerous if you ride into it, but stray objects underwater could catch your lines and hold you underwater while you're relaunching a kite. The beach is covered in debris as well, so launching is not only difficult, but it is VERY likely you'll damage your gear (or yourself) on something sharp.

Brisbane's sewerage overflowed over the last few days so there's going to be tons of it floating around in the bay by now. This is the last thing you want going up your nose or in your mouth. That's not all though, think about everything else that's contaminated the water like oil, petrol, fertilisers and insecticides, which will all be well above the usual levels - and certainly not safe to be immersed in.

Dead animals are also floating into the beach. Over the last two days we've had a couple of kangaroos and cows wash up and, it's a horrible thought, but it's also possible some of the many missing bodies could wash up too.

Finally, there are better things you could be doing this weekend. Go and help people. The water should have subsided by Saturday and the cleanup will be in full swing. Come down to the beach and clean up debris. Head into the city and help a stranger clean up what's left of their house, or work a bit of overtime if you can and donate the extra to charity. There's a never-ending list of helpful things you could do, and kitesurfing should on the bottom of that list.

Click here to visit the Volunteer Australia website
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?article_id=4195&nav_cat_id=-1&nav_top_id=-1

Please note: at the time of posting, the government is calling for financial donations only, goods and services are not accepted at this stage. You can make a donation at all the major banks, plus Coles and Woolworths.