Underoath said...

wow like just wow

thats what you said when you were hanging out in izaaks van

Interesting development.
Response from John Snook, CoS Beach Services Co-ordinator.

In part:
"The City recognises that windsurfing is an activity that has long been enjoyed at Scarborough Beach, particularly the southern end of the beach, and has no intention of banning this activity. Rather, for the period October to April when beach usage is at its heaviest, it is proposed to create an area where beach users are made clearly aware that if they choose to enter the water within the designated area they do so knowing that windsurfing occurs within it."

Now, to me that reads like there is no ban, no zone. You can windsurf where you like and the swimmers will be warned that windsurfers frequent the area.

Thoughts?

^^^ maybe I am reading this wrong but it seems pretty plain: they say windsurfing is not to be banned (ie: you can go wherever you want and there is no legally enforcable penalty)
and that all they are doing is picking an area which will have signs to warn swimmers

and that is GOLD

Bails said...

I hope that's right.

Just another thought if there are zones imposed, what if someone ends up extremely underpowered and/or breaks things? I've had a number of instances where I've had to come ashore 100m downwind from my starting point. It's hardly dangerous to slog back in off the plane, but this is probably the sort of thing they would police.

isnt there some law about marine craft in duress?

Mark _australia said...

^^^ maybe I am reading this wrong but it seems pretty plain: they say windsurfing is not to be banned (ie: you can go wherever you want and there is no legally enforcable penalty)
and that all they are doing is picking an area which will have signs to warn swimmers

and that is GOLD

I read that as in it is not to be (totally banned) but allowed in desiginated areas where swimmers will be warned of dangers.

I wouldn't get your hopes up, to me, reading the other proposal and this response still reads that they will have the exclusion zones, and then outside the zones, warning signs of kitesurfers and windsurfers. A bit like swim between the flags.

Bertie said...

NR said...

I wouldn't get your hopes up, to me, reading the other proposal and this response still reads that they will have the exclusion zones, and then outside the zones, warning signs of kitesurfers and windsurfers. A bit like swim between the flags.

except you dont get fined if you swim outside the flags or go to an unpatrolled beach do you!

What I meant, is that they recommend you swim between the flags, and if you don't, you may put yourself in more danger. How I read these proposals, and mark's response is that, the exclusion zone is another flagged area for swimmers, and the kitesurf/windsurf zones areas can still be for swimmers, but just being made aware of the extra dangers. When the letter says not banned, I assume they mean, moved, but not banned from the new moved spot. Maybe thats just me being pessimistic

I'll never forget the day on a decent swell when the clubbie d1cks were zooming in and out in the zodiac being heros with no one to save.

They went over a decent set and both clubbies fell out. The zodiac did circle work through the lineup for the next 20mins until it ran into the sand on the shore. No one could stop it, just waaay too dangerous. Everyone had to exit the water.

Nice one SSLSC....safe as!

^^^It wasn't at Scabs but a windsurfer died at Gnaraloo the year before last.

This has probably already been asked but has a petition been formalised? As someone stated in the thread, council members rely on votes and get nervous when public sentiment turns against them. A well signed petition accompanied by a letter that summarises the key points made in this thread could be very powerful.
Also, a mass meeting at Scabs carpark with a couple of journos present would also be good.

So lets recap,

You guys are now pointing out to council the dangers of the SLSC,"yeah,make sure you send those complaining emails Sheeny and Default against the surfclub.WTF" and are fighting to be exempt from martime rules of keeping min of 60m from swimmers?
Bagging out the surf club to try and get your way with council,,,,good luck with that.

Then again,senior citizens vote in record numbers. and endless letters and email.

lets keep on track.

last time i went out sailing at Brighton - last Sunday - i had kite lines dumped on my head - AGAIN.

This guy gybed his twin tip in front of a wave , got eaten and had the tension pulled out of his lines so the kite lines were now in freefall onto my head. Down i go into the water and then eaten by the end section of the same wave. Thankfully this time i didnt get wrapped in the lines like the fun incident last year.


When he came up from the wave he explained to me how terrible it was that his foot got twisted in the strap. I felt very sorry for him.


The session a few days before that it was a guy on a flysurfer with a super slow kite that kept flying into the water (not enough turning speed / larger bar required) - and twice right in front of me so i had to take evasive action.

And then he was in the break clogging up the place - and then after relaunching he had a twisted whirling out of control foil kite that would not behave or correspond to his control inputs on the bar - not a good look.

Then another guy plonks his kite in the break just as i was launching- about 10 ft in front of me. Wait for the attempted relaunch - inevitable wave wash and swim in with drowned soggy kite/ lines in a mess.

I would love not to have to Windsurf with kites anymore as all these incidents just add up to 1 big pain in the ass footprint. As usual Most of the good guys i have no issues with - the problem is that the kooks and learners then follow.

default said...

I'll never forget the day on a decent swell when the clubbie d1cks were zooming in and out in the zodiac being heros with no one to save.

They went over a decent set and both clubbies fell out. The zodiac did circle work through the lineup for the next 20mins until it ran into the sand on the shore. No one could stop it, just waaay too dangerous. Everyone had to exit the water.

Nice one SSLSC....safe as!

I was in the water when that happened, some guy paddled his board over and managed to stop it and take it back to the tools. It wasnt even big that day!!

That was a couple of years ago from memory..

I had lines dropped on me when I was sailing my Hobbie 18 at Pinnaroo was a very scary situation would hate to be in a tangle and sudden tension on my arms or around the neck. The winkir abused me ! Was going to cross his way????
Is there an exclusion zone of let say...... 50 m around idiots kiting????
I have bought a small rope cutter and I carry it attached to my harness! Drop your lines on me and I will cut myself free![}:)]

^^^especially since the dude managing the whole exclusion zone thing is a member of SSLSC.

To be fair, I dont think anyone is planning to write to the CoS complaining about the clubbies and their f-ups or trying to have them deemed as high risk.