Hi guys, and a good day to all of you! First of, thanks to those of you who helped me out landing my kite last weekend at Nitinat, when I drifted into the windsurf area .. very much appreciated!!

Unfortunately I also had an incident later that day which wasn't so pleasant. My kite went down on the water past the big log on the beach and I tried to get it back up a couple of times, unsuccessfully and I had to let go of the bar, leaving me attached to the kite with only one line, fully depowering the kite, swimming in the middle of the lake.

What happened is, that 'a' windsurfer (I don't know who he is or where he's from) chose his line right b/w me and my kite, cutting me free from the kite about 2.5 m from my wrist (his fin caught and cut the line). That's scary enough, not to mention the replacement cost for the set of lines (180.-)

I'm not pointing fingers or anything like that at all .. that's not what this is about, we all love the wind and the lake and this is only to point out that a kite on the water is some sort of an emergency situation or better a distress situation (mostly beginners), where the kiter has very little to no control over the kite (especially beginners like me) and please don't chose your line in b/w the kite and the person in the water ..

Thanks a lot for your understanding and see you at the lake!
Mathis

That really sucks mathis, sorry to hear bout the cut lines, however it may not be all bad. If your lines were only cut a short distance from you then you may be able to either reshealve (sp?)and sew the ends or if it is q-power then simply retie the knots. If the lines were origionally 30m long, then no big deal as most people ride between 20-30m length lines.

I am wondering, when you dropped the kite and was floating downwind, did the windsurfer have time to react and jibe?

Wow, that is disturbing but I would assume that sailor was simply brain dead to sail between you and your kite, there is no way an alert windsurfer would ever make a move like that to intentionally cut a line since you could easily get seriously tangled or sliced up. It also could have been a beginner windurfer who was "locked in" and unable to react to the situation quickly. I really doubt anyone would do that to you on purpose, everyone knows there is plenty of time to safely vandalize peoples gear on the beach later in the evening. but seriously, real sorry to hear you had this experience, those lines arent cheap! I too have drifted shamefully down past the camp in the past.

Scary story! I must agree with the earlier posts that it must have been an accident that the windsurfer got between you and the kite. Bummer. I saw a number of windsurfers coming to the aid of kiters last weekend - fetching boards etc, as they drifted down the lake, so am sure it wasn't intentional.

Unfortunately, I think it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I saw a kite out of control coming downwind ahead of me and almost take my buddy out who was sailing ahead of me. He got a big shock! The problem is, for a windsurfer, you don't see the object coming directly downwind until is on top of you. Windsurfers "vision" is ahead and slightly up and downwind. I am not sure what the solution is. Kiting is cool, but it doesn't share the same limitations for beginners that windsurfing has ie. if you can't do it you are generally in the water and not a direct hazard to others. Perhaps the experienced kiters have suggestions.

I certainly don't want to start a kiter rant - it is stupid, and, as I said, kiting is cool, and we all share the wind and water. But, I am a bit of a safety nut, and I want it to be as safe as possible on and off the beach.

I saw something else that was a little scary - maybe because I am uninformed and don't understand the dynamics - on Saturday (the really gusty day), an obviously experienced kiter came ashore downwind of the big log. He obviously knew what he was doing because he didn't drop the kite, but held it in the "neutral" zone while he came out of the water, and then proceeded to walk back up the beach to the kite area with the kite in the neutral zone - aloft. Maybe I am missing something, but isn't that really dangerous? Not only to the kiter, but also to the people / kids on the beach as he walks up? He made it no problem, but it left me shaking my head at the possibilities. If I am out to lunch and that is safe and ok, then please let me know.

Maybe the answer to safety and tolerance is for kiters and windsurfers to be better educated about the other sport's limitations and safety issues?

I know that logistically it will probably never nappen but it would appear that the only way to avoid downed kites from drifting through an area of windsurfers is to situate the kiters downwind of the windsurf area ...

gee, what a revelation.. ..not sure how the kites ever started launching upwind at the lake but beginners should definitely be starting below the boatlaunch in my view....during my feeble attempts at kiting I was embarrassed to be drifting through the sailing area not to mention exposing others to the hazard of the lines... ..Local grounds mgmt needs to make a decision around this as they carry a 3rd party liability here, trust me. given injury to loved ones the lawsuits will fly.....

You're Crazy. There is not much room left below the windsurfers. I think they would actually have to move up the beach where the beginner kiters are. This will never happen.

who was there 1st ... actually, there's a really nice beach near the bottom of the lake ... i'm sure some of you have ended up there before wouldn't it be nice to have a place you can call your own?

Your small and limitted mind is showing downwind dweller. I believe people are trying to find a resolution not state the obvious. Thanks for the imput.

hey guys the odd kite drifting downwind is not that big a deal, as long as the windsurfers are informed and alert to the hazard of a kite down. Theres only a couple of these situations a day, usually just on the weekends, and no reason to rearrange the campground. The reason the beach is arranged the way it is is so kites can have lots of room to lay lines out, and so windsurfers dont have to carry their heavy crap too far from the car. If you are a beginner kiter, recognize that you may be drifting downwind as you learn and launch a bit further upwind, giving you lots of time to play around and then come in before you hit the campground. Theres lots of beach upwind of the camp but not much below.

Goodness, you think you mention something in good spirits and already people are picking fights .. I did not mean to insinuate that the windsurfer did drive over my lines on purpose, if that came accross as such, I apologize .. I really only wanted to point out that a kite in the water is most likely attached to a swimmer somewhere up wind and to take that into consideration, that's all .. don't know how this got to be a debate about who was there first and who not and I don't think it matters anyways .. once again, we're all up there for the same reason and I know there is enough space for all of us .. having a basic knowledge of the *other's* person sport definitely helps to keep us all safe ..

Dale, yeah, I already cut the lines at equal length and will sleave them and will use them as a short line-set .. thanks for the tip though! Will also go and buy a new set of 27m Q-power lines ..

Nice [b]responce[/b] wrote:Your small and limitted mind is showing downwind dweller.

yes i do have a small and limited mind Nice response ... guess it's not as small as yours though, judging by your spelling

Hey guys, let's not have this deteriorate into a hateful thread.. ...agreed windsurfers should be aware, personally I never take my eyes off a nearby kiter....ever! and stay upwind whenever possible or gybe. but there are beginner windsurfers too and getting wrapped by lines in the water (or the beach) wouldn't be too cool. Maybe we can work as a group on clearing a nice launch area below the big tree near the boat launch for beginner kiters and add this to the local kite/sail poster (which by the way is still a great effort!)....that way the rescue jet ski would be downwind too. Just a thought....

Hmpff more discention at Nitnat.
Well here's my two bits: The windsurfers have been at the lake for 20 years or more. They have alot of gear and do not, and should not have to lug it all the way up the beach just to get ahead of us (yes I am a kiter).
When kiting appeared at the lake three years ago it was sort of a novelty, and there were only fiive or six kites at any one time. We used to say that 10 kites on the water was crowed. How I wish for those days again

The harsh reality is that there are now too many kiters on the lake and a growing majority of those kiters are beginners. When I was learning at the lake there was a good rule that we followed, don't go past the red flag into the windsurf zone. Occasionally I did, through no fault of my own. I recieved good and happy help from my fellow wind lovers, the windsurfers.

I am sorry to say that Nitnat is no longer that special place for me, I am actively looking for other places to fly my kite. I don't blame anyone at the lake for what is happening.

It's really nothing new, just read the posts from Maui or Caberrette where 100 kites in the water is normal at any given time. I hate to say it but I truly believe that things are going to get much worse at the lake before they get better. Shamefully I do not have any good suggestions to offer, other than try to be nice to people, respect the two very different sports, and try to stay away from the windsurfers down at the boat ramp.

Peace, and lets keep it civil here.

Gerry Bolda

KUS wrote: Maybe we can work as a group on clearing a nice launch area below the big tree near the boat launch for beginner kiters and add this to the local kite/sail poster

That is definitely NOT a good idea, there are many windsurfers and families with kids down in that end. The guidelines were drawn up with all of these things now being discussed taken into consideration. Where the kiters currently setup and launch is the only real solution in keeping the setup, launch and water access for both groups relatively safe. Yes there will be more and more of the downwind drifters and occassional loose kites as more beginners come to Nitty. It just requires more awareness by both groups.

Wsurfers and kiters need to maintain the standard sailing rules, starboard right of way, adequate clearance while turning or performing manuevers.

Windsurfers need to be aware of the downed kiter, the lines and kite while they are dragging. In some ways it's no different than having a boat/barge come by, the windsurfers should steer clear and/or yield to an obvious hazard as it passes by.