Hey everybody,

Ive just gotten into kiteboarding within the last month or so, i did lessons down in Shoal water with West Oz and it was great. Ive got my self some good gear and have been out a few times on my own and am loving it.

However, today i went down to the canning river near my house in waterford, opposite the Shelly sailing club. I never ended up going out onto the water because the wind was a bit on and off and the kite was falling out of the sky, but a guy came over and told me that it is a terrible place to kite and him and a group of his mates who all kite agreed.

I am not exactly sure why, i thought it was be a great place, there is heaps of grass to rig up and it is shallow for about 50 or so meters, so plenty of room to walk around and learn in. The wind usually comes from the south.

Ive also sailed my laser in there countless times and know where all the sand bars and old wooden channel markers are and i cant see what the problem would be.

If you aren't sure where it is, if you put
"Fairview Garden, Waterford, Western Australia"
Into google maps it should be pretty clear.

If someone could fill me in if i am missing something that would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Hegs

That is indeed a crap location. It would be impossibly gusty as there is very little clear area upwind. Stuff like trees and houses chop up the wind. The reason that Shoalwater was a good spot to learn is that there is more than a KM of open water for the wind to travel before reaching you. Just drive less than 10 mins over to Melville beach. Check out the WAKSA site guide for better spots.

it's a bit wierd, but some places that look great are just absolutely crap. In my experience it's usually because of wind turbulence with the wind coming over the top of somewhere upwind. But sometimes it's worth a try.