They are still running lessons there now? geez keen.
Great pctures

What would st kilda be with out some kind of drama?
They should start filiming 'days of our lives' down there.

suniboy21 said...

What would st kilda be with out some kind of drama?
They should start filiming 'days of our lives' down there.

Tell me about it. I saw a collision between two kiters for the first time. Not kites colliding, the actual kiters collided. Poor guy on a Vegas was standing the shallows after wiping out on a trick and someone on a Rebel just rode straight into him. I don't know if they were a beginner and were watching their kite instead of the water but I have to say I was a little bit disappointed I didn't get it on camera.

I quite often check out "the Zu's" webcam on st kilda beach, its quite amusing some of the stuff you see happen in front of that camera.

On a serious note it would be great to see the council invest more money into st kilda area for kiters, like more protected areas like the pond.

Hi Saff,

I am confused. You say that the "kiddie pond" is not suitable for beginners, and you say that KBV even say this. But where?

According to KBV...

http://www.kbv.org.au/kbvmain/kbv-locationview.php?locid=103.htm

"A narrow shallow water shelf is also ideal for learners. "

Is this the kiddie pond you're referring to or another area? Because if it is, then KBV are actually saying it's ok to kite at the pond and I imagine it's the area in front of the ZU cam?

With all due respect, beginners need clear and precise information where and when to kite and your comments about "no wonder beginners haven't got a clue" is true in relation to your vague comments more than anything else.

Yeah but "east of the general area" is not the kiddie pond, that's more directly infront of the ZU cam, isn't? Again we need Saff to explain his comments more clearly.

Hope this clears it up.

I would have thought that if you are learning at St Kilda - it is up to the instructors to impart the "Local Knowledge" - which is also available via KBV. Either that or NOOBS would ask a local.

Any sport has their "beginners" area - ie. surfing - a beginner wouldnt paddle out at Bells - however if you were at Torquay out the front of the SLC you would expect to see loads of beginners.

A previous version of the KBV site actually had a cartoon diagram depciting this exact scenario (even had a q&a element to it).

Kazan said...

Ahhh. Thank you. Yes that is much clearer now.

Mind you, up until now, beginners have not been told (where in KBV, where in forums, where anywhere) where to kite properly - nah really... the information from those that know and should know has been scant at best. Personally I think that's a selfish "we own the beach" mentality. But that's for another thread.
Yeah, the kiddie pond is dangerous close to the rock area as well and closer to boats and experienced kiters. This now makes sense.

Oh and please loose the "How hard is it to understand?" attitude. Sorry, but IKA instructors have missed teaching beginners how to read kiter's minds!

I strongly suggest Saff you pass on the above image to KBV to update into their website. Well done!

Apologies, but "how hard is to understand" attitude comes from the fact that:

1. This topic comes up at least twice a year
2. The information is readily available on the KBV website and people don't bother to check it. (the east part is not that cryptic)
3. People don't bother to ask when they arrive at the beach. When I started kiting in Melbourne, the first thing I did was walk up to some locals, ask them about local rules, hazards etc. Most people are fairly friendly and forthcoming if you are polite about it.

What you are 100% correct on is that the IKA instructors don't bother to teach their students how the zoning works. Most of the time the IKA structures are foreigners and schools don't bother to educate them on local rules. The reaction from the instructor on the weekend was a good example of where the beginner problem stems from. Maybe the lack of local rules knowledge gives them an excuse to teach in the pond so they can plead ignorance.

matto said...

I would have thought that if you are learning at St Kilda - it is up to the instructors to impart the "Local Knowledge" - which is also available via KBV. Either that or NOOBS would ask a local.

+1. Combination of poor instructors (and yes, if any of you are reading this, you should understand local rules if you teaching there, so if you don't, take offence), schools not managing their staff to make sure students are getting taught properly or not bothering to educate new instructors on local rules (how hard can it be to give them a one pager with local zoning and rules) and beginners not asking first (or asking the instructors who don't know the local rules)