Dawn patrol kitesurfing at St Kilda

Session 258.  We got to St Kilda ahead of Melbourne's peak hour at 7 a.m.  The wind had just dropped from around 25 knots to under 20, but with strong wind at South Channel we decided to take out our medium size kites.  I was first on the water with my Lithium 9 and S-quad surfboard.  The water was cold and noticeably grey compared to further south in the bay.  

Out past the breakwater the wind was good and a nice swell was rolling in. The wind picked up and I was nicely powered.  I did some nice jumps and get in close to the breakwater and onto the flat water behind it for some fast runs.  Coming back out, the waves formed nice ramps to launch off. 

I cranked out a few downloop slaloms which were nice.  Tarren and Stuart were honing their tricks and James was having a ball.  

After about an hour we came in and packed up to head into work.  All good things must come to an end.

A great way to start the day.

GPS log

Time:	1:07:17
Moving Time:	1:04:28
Elapsed Time:	1:07:17

Avg Speed:	21.7 km/h
Avg Moving Speed:	22.7 km/h
Max Speed:	42.3 km/h

Seaspecs - all models now available in store

All models of Seaspecs are now available in Peters Kitesurfing Store.  

You can choose any of the following combination of colours and lenses and pickup a quality sports sunglasses for a great price.

Jetspecs: black frame, grey lens (the most popular)

Sunset specs: black frame, brown lens

Cobalt: blue frame, grey lens

Copper blaze: copper colour frame, grey lens

Crystal: black frame, clear lens

Lightning: white frame, grey lens

Soleil: yellow frame, grey lens

Sunfire: red frame, grey lens

Tortuga: Tortoise shell frame, brown lens

Nice upwind kitesurfing tour from Aspendale to Mordialloc

Session 257. I got on the water at Gnotuk Avenue Aspendale at about 11am. The wind was stronger earlier - I missed the early session - but was still around 15 knots with some white caps around. I chatted the only other kiter there who had taken out a 10m kite and struggled to stay upwind.

I rigged up my Lithium 12, then chose to take out my Sector 60 board in case the wind dropped out further. This was a refresher for the Sector 60. I came off a few times when turning, but got the hang of it quickly. The turning is very different from a surfboard - I find I need to keep carving it around then lean back to complete the turn then swap my feet.

I was getting plenty of speed and going upwind well so I did several tacks out then back to shore into the waves. I got past Mordialloc pier without much effort then headed back past the pier with some fast downwind runs and into the waves.

I was did several downloop turns heelside to toeside to stay on some waves which was really nice. The Sector 60 handles these conditions well.

I came in after an hour, very happy to have got on the water again and covered some distance.

No technology today.  GPS was flat and I left my cameras behind.  I did see a few Blue Blubber jellyfish in the water though.  They seem to be about earlier this year.

Kitesurfing a brisk north westerly at Brighton

Session 256.   I arrived at Brighton and 2pm and met Cesar who had just returned with 4 other kiters from Frankston by taxi, having completed a downwinder from Brighton!  Unfortunately I had a commitment in the morning so I missed this one.

There was still good wind at Brighton however, so I rigged up and headed out.  I notice one strap on the camera mount was undone so I came in and refitted it.  Then it was on!  Nice strong wind in the sunshine.  It was up and down a bit but I was well powered (depowered even) for a lot of this session.

Several larger yachts passed offshore, possibly racing.  I cruised past a few of them and waved.  My gybes are much smoother now, practice makes perfect . . .  I did a few jumps too.  There were about a dozen kiters out and everyone was having a good time.

Summer is on its way.

GPS log

Cracking kitesurfing downwinder from Brighton to Frankston

Session 255. With a good northerly forecast Cesar and I decided to have a go at another downwinder from Brighton to Frankston.  There were quite a few kites out in about 20 knots when we set up at Brighton just after 11:00am.  I took my Lithium 12 to ensure I had enough power.

The gear

We had took off immediately and headed out on a fast tack.  The wind was good and the water was quite flat compared to yesterday so we made good progress.  I tacked out for a while then came back to bayside near Sandringham.  The wind dropped further. I was hoping to a "pinch effect" would result in better wind closer to the shore, but as I approached Half Moon Bay and the wreck of the Cerberus it dropped some more.

Leaving Brighton

Leaving the madding crowds behind

Cranking

I headed for the beach to pull the pin, but the wind picked up so I headed back out past the Cerberus.  The big decision was to go past Ricketts Point.  Cesar was way out.  I wasn't confident the wind would hold up and as I approached Ricketts Point it dropped again.  I made it to shore at a narrow beach and the wind conked out completely so I landed my kite.  I called Cesar on my marine VHF radio and told him I was on the beach and the mission was over.

The expanse of Port Phillip Bay

South of Hampton

Half Moon Bay

The Cerberus

A pit stop at Ricketts Point

 He eventually came in and brought the wind with him when he did.  With the wind back I launched my kite and headed off, still dubious about the wind holding up.  Going past Ricketts is the commitment zone into a large expanse of bay.  I got some really nice speed runs in up to 40km/h and was having a ball.

Leaving Ricketts

The surfboard is more relaxing to ride than the Sector 60 as it is much easier to turn and ride toeside.  I stayed out a fair way to avoid any wind shadow from Ricketts Point.  I cruised past an anchored boat and waved.  I crashed the kite a couple of times but had no trouble relaunching it.

More long fast runs and slalom sections with downloop turns took me to Frankston, very happy to have made it.

Committed

Speed run

We stopped for a coffee at Frankston in our wetsuits and caught the train back and walked back to the beach. Middle Brighton station is the one to get off at .

These downwinders pose a lot of challenges that make them exciting.  Good downwind technique is necessary, the wind has to hold up, you need to make choices about where the best wind is and you need to make decisions about whether to proceed and if, when and where to bail out.

GPS Log

Wind

Overpowered kitesurfing in gale force winds at Rye

Session 254.  Cesar and I met at Rye at 8:30, hoping the forecast for lighter winds during the morning would be accurate.  When we got there is was nuking.  It was blowing a steady 30-35 knots and gusting up to 45 knots.  A few windsurfers were having a go - I spoke to one who said he was overpowered.

I rigged up my Crossbow 7 and gave it a go.  The kite was fully de-powered but it was still pulling like a train.  I headed out climbing over the big bay surf that was pumping in.  Coming back in I got yanked off my board a few times and got dragged down wind a bit retrieving it.  I couldn't get settled on the tack back in as I was getting overpowered.

Coming back in I decided to land the kite and not persist.  I think up to 35 knots was o.k, but wind stronger than that was proving too hard to handle.

Cesar followed me along the shoreline and landed my kite which was quite a relief.

Wild weather and strong winds but no kitesurfing

I took my kitesurfing gear into work on Thursday 28 September hoping to get a session in after work.

However, several storm fronts whipped through, including some hail and massive gusts.  There were huge and sudden wind variations.  In the end I decided that on this occasion "discretion was the better part of valour" so I did not go out.

Kitesurfer dies in accident in W.A.

Some very sad news via Seabreeze.  Marc Sprod ("Coldshot"), a well known and experienced kitesurfer died after an accident at Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia.

Condolences to his family, friends and fellow kitesurfers.

Details of the accident have not been confirmed, but it appears that after a lull strong frontal winds lofted the kiter onto land.  First aid was provided.  The death has been referred to the Coroner for investigation.

Great care must be taken when kitesurfing during storms and/or in frontal winds.

You can donate to Marc's family using the information provided [here]

Marc Sprod. Source: ABC News

Links

• Very serious accident phone box cott - Kitesurfing - Seabreeze Forums
• Coldshot Donations - Kitesurfing - Seabreeze Forums
• Kite-surfer dies in freak accident at WA's Cottesloe Beach - ABC News 
• Kitesurfer killed in freak accident - The West Australian 
• Kitesurfer killed in freak WA accident - Ninemsn news
• Kitesurfer killed in windy weather (video) 
• Kitesurfing storm fronts - Kitesurfing Handbook

The history of kitesurfing and a great video

Kitesurfing is a very recent sport.  I started in 2006, six years after I saw kitesurfers in Noumea ripping along on flat water in the strong winds of New Caledonia.

I was intrigued by how the sport had developed so I researched the early history of kites and kitesurfing and wrote the history section of the Wikipedia article on kitesurfing and added a lot of additional content to the article. It is amazing how far and wide this content has now been copied!

Recently, Stuart Webb found this video which has interviews with many of those who figured prominently in the development of kitesurfing, including Cory Roeseler and Flash Austin.  It is well worth viewing.

I have also written this article on kitesurfing history on our Kitesurfing Handbook and included a link to the the video.

Let me know if you have any more kitesurfing history that should be added.

Kitesurfing Hampton dawn patrol

Session 253. A short session before work at Hampton.  The wind wasn't strong and it faded after a couple of runs. It was nice to get wet though.

GPS log