funkyllama

Glad to hear the 7m is looking after you. Am thinking of grabbing a 4m flow or something similar to play around with on the land etc. Could even be interested in hitting up some of the spots down your way, just to try it on. I'll get on google earth and have a look around... I have a crazier idea for launching that i'm not sure has been done yet, will talk it over in person wit you next time.

Yep we're a bit different down here... Catching up with Ben this weekend hopefully smash some waves too, yes he is the Ozone man in Tassie developing a Catalyst addiction from what I hear

THROTH!!!

Hey Blackant, sorry I didn't see your post sooner - not been on xk for a while... huge thread too! Even though it sounds like you've got it dialed, am happy to lend a hand next time down on the beach with the launching methods - have got it sussed for all the spots we kite at. There's a couple spots to do a tethered launch, and I actually used to have carabiners on clips there to launch with. Samio uses the towball of his car sometimes!!! Other popular methods we've used are: Pal dogfood bags on wingtips - slides v well off the canopy folding wingtip with sand - can easily go wrong if not enough sand used Samio's towball method Wombats or screw into the sand type thingi's drift launch (use this one a bit personally) There's a few tips on self-landing the Trixes that will keep you out of trouble too. Might see you at the Ducks this weekend?! JK

5 of us on the water down south today for crappy wind, 2 guys in 4/3's hoods boots 0.5mm titanium undershirts etc, 1 girl with 4/3 wettie and 2mm smoothskin jacket on top (6mm total on top), and 2 guys in drysuits. Thats about average for tassie beaches.... enjoy your new wettie Blackant! JK

sorry mate just saw your post here - haven't been on the forums much lately! Most of us here just grab some 3mm spectra from the sailing shop to replace broken bridles, or parts from old snapped lines that we've kept for things like replacing bridles. Interested to hear how you went with lubricating the pulleys etc, i've always used silicone spray but always looking for a smarter way to do things... Can't have you sitting out of kite sessions cos of busted gear - we've all been there, and it sux. Anything we can do to help you here just sing out mate JK

Hey Dude, next time a bridle goes grab a hold of us - Lisa is a gun with knots and I've also had my fair share of fixing GK bridles - got it down fairly pat now. A bit of spectra from Peter Johnsons Marine and your away! I'm sure Mike will understand if we keep the kite a little longer till you can try it out on the water too flies real nice! JK

Cool Steve. Blackant, i forgot to say that with the W wind this weekend we're prob looking at Mortimer bay for some flat action if you can get out.

Hey Blackant, didn't realise you were looking at these kites too! We're calling the C4 the Attack Helicopter, and I'm thinking about swapping out the GK Trix's for a squadron of them. FYI i'm about 73kg and riding a LF 135 x 41 with medium rocker. We've just had one down for a Demo, supplied by Kitethrills in Currimundi, if your about this weekend we'll chuck you up on one for a ride. I can tell you that compared to the 11m Sonic your riding now, this is a waaaay different kite. FYI I had the 07 8m, 08 11m, and still flying an 08 14m - all sonics. The bar pressure is probably about the same C4 vs Sonic. Have also chucked some of my best F-16's on it yet, this kite is wicked to loop. Compared to how the Sonic loops, this is a more constant pull throughout the loop, smoother, whereas the sonics tend to more want to rip your arms off halfway through. Have been concerned about how they would handle gusts too. The 12m demo seems to be coping very well with the gusts, soaking them up like the Trix does (I found the sonic tends to fly fowards more in a gust, creating more apparent wind and thus yanking you like a ****er). I think to get the most out of it its going to be essential to have good board control and edging. I'd be looking at a 13/10/7 combo for tassie conditions. So maybe you could get away with a 12/9 or 11/7 squadron. Its just tough getting that wind spread to be nicely powered from 12-40 knots! Grab us on the beach for a chat and a fly before you lock into anything, have got some other suggestions for you too. JK

check it out. Shoulda gotten one of these bad boys Gadget!! Wonder if they do trade ins... http://www.oceanrodeo.com/drysuits/predator

Cant rate my drysuit enough but you'd get away with a good 4/3 + hotskin or 5mm wettie with boots hood etc What was really cold was the apparent wind chill doing 110km/h with pete being towed on the back.... Bugger all wind about, usual situation for winter, moreimagination i'd go the 5mm there's no way your gonna be able to swim in a self rescue with a 7mm wetsuit!

Thinking about it now dude I was adjusting some new lines a while back and forgot to get them even at the bar end - ie depower strap still pulled in. The kite wasn't flying too well at all when my front lines were suddenly heaps shorter than the rear. I'd also give it a go with the bar from your 12/13m but you've prob already done that one! Crap wind again today...

Hi Katie your not gonna be too happy about the cold! For Hobart the seabreezes (12-25knots) in summer is the best time to be here, we would usually get between 12-40knot winds most the time (thats worth kiting). For winter it can be so gusty no one goes out, or 40+ and insane, but you usually have small windows of opportunity to hit it up. Wow. I am 75kg and use a 14m in 10-18knots. I guess it depends how powerful the kite is. Theres a gun chick here that uses a 12m in about 10knots pretty happily and is about 10kg less than me. Most people have the 12m & 9m combo happening or a 10m and a 7m. They say the cold wind is more dense, can use smaller kite sizes. Depending how cold you get, 4/3mm wettie or 5/3mm will get you out most the time, some of us are even looking into drysuits atm. And the surf pumps through winter just about everywhere... Keep an eye on here the girls are goign to be pumped theres another chick in town! JK

Hi Aalsal, unfortunately no, I do not have the certification to teach kitesurfing. We usually recommend people to check out kiterepublic (on the web) and book into one of their devonport weekend courses, or fly up to a guy in sunny queensland for lessons there. Once you are sorted with gear and happy flying it there's enough of a crew here to help out with the little things and places to go to kite sustainably and safely. JK

Hi Team, had found this on the net somewhere and lost the addy for it, some chiro guy gives some basic info about preventative things you can do to look after the body when kiting - and keep kiting forever. Worth a read, for both young bulls and old bulls JK exerciseguide.pdf

Yeeeeeeeah looks great! Stoked you got that ralley. What happened to the unhooked one you splattered on? I vote we try to get as much carnage on the next video as possible

I won't talk about the 2 weeks in a row in Jan we got wind every day then... good thing i'm on sonics with light bar pressure or it would not be possible :s Feed off the pain, it makes you stronger raaar

This from a dude on coastview, left about a week ago: Found some kite surfing gear left behind at Bellerive beach on Sunday arvo. I can be contacted on 0407 686 197.

check it out from seabreeze (18/2): Hey kiters. Heard that not many lessons are available down in Tassie and since I'm on the path of a contract kite instructor, thought I might let you know that I'm available in the coming months for lessons. I'm IKO level 2 senior, been kiting since 98 (Yeah, Wipika classics and free-airs- two line kites), and 5 years teaching around the world. I promote a safe and effective learning procedure that I feel will stop all the kite accidents in Australia and I'm currently in the process of becoming an examiner for the IKO. Contact me on rastazungu@gmail.com for more information on prices, equipment and availability. Good winds.

Only did 5 mile a couple of times years ago, is the boggier wet type of sand was good on the landyachts for cutting up spray, but have seen stacks of other spots with lots of potential. Marc sounds right too, what CASA says pretty much goes. Add the tassie trotters club (big, big money in horse racing) to that list and any number of personal complaints to council and things could escalate quickly. Yep there have been two incidents with the airport - the first time involved landboarding and the runway inspection security guy was sent to investigate and give an informal warning. The second time involved kitesurfing and the Australian Federal Police were asked by airport operations to investigate. All they have asked us to do is stay well away from the runway. When we pushed for details of the exclusion zone, the info above in the diagram is what they gave us. I am sure that if we can do this as a community group, then CASA wont be concerned. Ask yourself as you are on a tack moving towards the exclusion zone, or unsure of how far away you need to be, "do i want to keep kiting in this area?" and reconsider if you really need to hold your line for that extra bit or not. There has got to be some other things we can do on a club level too....

How long? Low-low tide gives you stacks of space, more hardpack to cruise on maybe 35-45m to dunes, maybe more? All good with 25m lines and enough space with my ozone imp on a mountain board (think they're 21m lines?). Used to landyacht on 5mile beach at super low too, acres of sandy goodness. No excuse for a dog biting you or your kite, they'e meant to be under 'effective control' by their owners if not on a lead. What if a small child was flying a one line kite? I'd pop any dog too if it bit my kite... JK

Cool I got a bit worried with the CASA part! That sounds awesome Steve, wouldn't mind getting hold of a copy when they're done so I don't do anything stupid on my mountainboard. Yes Day Use Area 4 is where we go from sometimes too, gives the best tack on more S-SSW-SW winds. Its a bugger because for the entire stretch of beach between area 3 and area 4 the dune area is clear of pine trees that can foul up kites and would be a really good run (esp with long lines) but for the airport in the middle. The only hazard to note apart from the crap pine trees that like eating kites is sometimes horse riders do some pacing runs to the carlton end and back. I have asked a couple of them about kites and they seem ok with us being there, the horses just aren't happy about things moving towards their heads ie diving a kite near a horse, however, one guy on a horse buggy was swearing off his head at us once and took his horse off the beach when we turned up. Doubtful that they would have a exclusive claim to that part of the beach so we think that guy just didn't want to share!!!! Will keep an eye out for buggiers setting speed records on the beach, low tide is awesome for it! JK

Its probably the best way to have it too Steve. That means its low on their 'radar'. If we're not being a problem to their day to day operations and they can't see our kites above the end of the runway from the tower/terminal/runway inspectors car then i think we're okay Does this mean that CASA are currently developing a code of conduct for kiters that will apply to the area around hobart airport? Okay bear with me here's the full story Steve: The info i provided above is the result of a conversation I had when approached on the beach by Australian Federal Police a fortnight ago when they were sent to investigate kite flyers on Seven Mile Beach in line with the flight path. They informed me that to intentionally cross into the Exclusion Zone was an offence under commonwealth law and subject to a fine. They also said that they would warn anyone who did not know they were entering the Exclusion Zone first time around, which sounded fair to me. When i enquired where exactly the Exclusion Zone was, they said they didn't know and called the flight tower guys to find out. The answer was fairly detailed, and specific about their being nothing reaching above dune level at a 45 degree angle both ways from the end of the runway and extending outwards for 20km. The land in this zone is owned by the airport and you can see where the trees have been cleared within this zone. If this information is not accurate then I would appreciate being put in contact with the people who know as soon as possible so we can get this right. As I understand it the concern with kites is if one gets loose and finds its way onto the airport or in the way of aircraft. As long as kiters keep to the suggested fly zones in the diagram provided and be sensible with their gear (and proactive about informing others on the beach) then there will be no problem and kiters will be able to continue kiting there as much as they like. From discussion with other regulars who kite there, if we raise our profile by becoming an issue for flight operations coming in and out of the airport we believe that could potentially lead to enforced restrictions to kiting activities on seven mile beach (as has happened in other states). Being a resident local and seeing as 90% of my kiting is done there, that would be a very sad situation to be put in. So in the 3-4 hours we kited there today, from out back of the water when we could see we're getting near to that line formed by the trees and can fully see the radar apparatus all it meant is its time to turn back - plenty more beach there to share! I can see how this would affect you guys on buggies and mountainboards (have given up on my ideas of mountainboarding along the whole beach at low tide) but I did see a guy absolutely reefing along on a sweet landyacht as I was talking to the feds he looked happy as! JK

yep glad it was a crap day for kiting. Not so happy about the last 5 days of crap wind summers not over yet...

Having a small kite to start on is a good idea in tassie with our winds, if you went a 9m or so and got used to flying it in lighter winds etc you would still have a kite for big wind days (and grab a 12m or something to get you going the rest of the time). Goodluck!