Kiteboarding Signs
 

Signs are great, awareness is even better. Don't trust a sign to accomplish all you need to do to maintain access. Drafting and discussion a SHORT list of essential rules for your launch directed at the key issues is a good first step. Actively promoting the rules among kiters, discussions with authorities to show you are concerned and are working towards some solutions can help a lot. Always show patience and politeness to bystanders, even if they will continually stand in poor locations. There have been plenty of cases in the past where bystanders after receiving fair treatment and explanations, go out of their way to spread the word to other bystanders.

Some kiteboarding launch area signs. Click on images for full size depictions. You can print these out in 11 x 17 inch format, laminate them and instant sign. Or, just have a sign maker prepare one. You can't always get permission to erect signs at launches all that easily. As an alternative, you can put them up on foldable A-Frames (out of PVC or ... ). They can be put up and taken down each day. It would be nice if the sign won't readily tear kites either if caught by accident.

Some examples follow. Click on images for full size depictions.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/HKA_sign.thumb.jpg
HKA sign at kitebeach on Maui, HI

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/...ized.thumb.jpg
Sign at Matheson Hammock, Miami, FL[/color]

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/...ized.thumb.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/IMG_1882.thumb.jpg
Sign developed in Pompano Beach, FL

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/untitled.thumb.jpg
Sign developed by Mark Rush in Florida's Panhandle

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/Sign_2.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/...4731dacf_m.jpg
A newer sign from Ireland

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/...Sign.thumb.jpg
Sign developed in Ireland

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/..._247.thumb.jpg
Sign developed in Essex, England

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/..._161.thumb.jpg

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/...4s_1.thumb.jpg
CNK kiting rules of the road sign developed in France

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album223/...ules.thumb.jpg
IKO Priority Rules

http://www.kiteforum.com/download/file.php?id=36784


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album525/3rd_Ave_CA_sign.jpg

I like Mark Rush's.
Does anyone think this would be useful at East Beach, or is it a bad idea?
Seems portable enough that we could just put it up and take it when we leave.

Just trying to open up a talk, either way is okay with me (but I do like the simplicity and "tone" of Mark's sign saying thanks and please :))

i think it would be a good idea.
Not only for EB but for all the crowded spots.

Given the upcoming Kiteboarder Magazine podcast on kiteboarding access, I wanted to bring a few posts back up to the top.

i think we need something a little more specific than Mark Rush's sign. His community of Kiters is A LOT smaller than ours and have different problems than we do. I think something more like the red one or the one from ireland would be necessary to address our issues.

I like the mention of lmandatory kite leashes and mandatory helmets if anyone would choose to wear a board leash.

i think that some of those are too congested and take too long to read so people won't bother. Even if we included more details than Mark's sign, we could still use the same format with more text but that would mean someone would have to be there to put it up and take it down.

Definitely needed at places other than just EB.

It is often good to develop agreed upon guidelines for the launches and come up with a suggested short list for the sign(s). Also consider what you would like to tell bystanders in addition riders coming to the launch. Coming up with a final draft sign that is sufficiently concise yet still gets the essential points across can be challenging.

Any other kite launch sign photos out there? It would be good to add to the collection. Must be quite a few in use worldwide.