Tim Pumpa's speed kiting skills plus Luderitz-like conditions yesterday (nuking wind + flat water) allowed him to get close to 100km/h top speed at Parham yesterday.
I believe this would be the fastest kitesurfing speed achieved to date in Australia(?):

www.gps-kitesurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=user&val=38501&uid=142

HOw much water at high tide?

Is the wind offsore, onshore ?

footage?

Onya Tim, great speeds

wdric said...

HOw much water at high tide?

Is the wind offsore, onshore ?

Wind is almost always cross-on
and at high tide the water is about 1m deep where the camera is standing and about 1.8m at the 1km post (the closest one you can see in the picture).

However, for speed kiting at Parham only low tide is good (as pictured - with the water about 1km out) when massive (kilometers long) flat spots appear on the ocean surface due to sea grasses growing just under it. These flat spots remain flat even in high wind, but their shape, size and location changes with the conditions (mainly with the tide). Interesting place...IMHO much better then Luderitz except for one minor issue ... we don't get the regular nuking wind they get...

Didn't they make a new rule about depth of water? What was it?

harry potter said...

sir ROWDY said...

Didn't they make a new rule about depth of water? What was it?

I think 30cm ( minimum depth ) is the new rule

Quote from WSSRC record rules:

"...the shallowest part of the course must be covered by water with a depth of at least half the static immersed beam of the craft involved, or 10cm, whichever is the greater." (Parham would pass easily as the flat water parts are at least knee deep)

They may have been enforcing deeper water at Luderitz because windsurfers were involved there too and at events they reserve the right to close the course if they deem it to be too shallow for ratification of any of the competitor's speeds.

However there is no depth rule for GPS kitesurfing and people like Tilmann Heinig openly admit to achieving their speeds in "no more then 5cm of water". I believe this is what triggered WSSRC to come up with the above depth rule - in case he ever asked them to formally ratify his records.