Click photo for full sized image of the area around Damon's Beach
Thanks for your input Gregg. I assumed the area north of that easement on to the beach and seaward of mean high water was a part of the Town of Sea Ranch Lakes. Just checked, it isn't but a part of LBTS. The area upland of mean high water is private property.
This can be a crowded, congested area. We can approach LBTS to see if this could be setup as a designated launch. We can ask, not sure how it will be received. It would be great if it could be a well managed concession to minimize problems. That would need to come from someone with an interest in setting up, bidding on and running a concession. They would enforce rules, no small task to avoid complaints and problems. He would need to look into the feasibility and legality of operating a waverunner to get students offshore for instruction. Shoreside instruction here even with permits doesn't seem to be feasible with crowding in that area.
I think some of the problems have been irresponsible people kiting among bathers, passing kites over peoples heads while too near shore, walking kites upwind through bystanders, instructing newbies illegally without permits and in crowds. Another problem is leaving kites and lines lying around instead of winding lines up and "parallel parking" kites in a smaller area away from the waterline. In congested areas, you need to get the gear out of the way of bystanders, emergency traffic, etc.. Obvious, stupid practices geared to cause us problems in short. Looks like they have succeeded.
The easiest solution, would be to craft some simple rules and allow the honor system to enforce them. i.e. don't launch if too crowded, get offshore beyond a 100 yards and stay there until time to come in. If you want to ride near shore, go someplace else less populated where this isn't perceived as a problem. In my experience, this doesn't work all that well in SE Florida as all too often people simply don't know the rules or don't give a damn. The goal is to stay off the radar and avoid complaints. Some of us ride this way routinely, there are others that do the opposite. If we pulled together more as a community and actively promoted this simple approach, we probably wouldn't have serious problems in most places.
Registration of kiters was proposed by the BSO four years ago. Offending kiters out of the lot would be logged in a database with two strikes and you're out being enforced. Made sense to me then and even now. Enforcement could be tricky but if it is the only way we can be allowed to kite in the town, so be it.
Some locals have proposed limiting registration to 25 individuals for the entire year. Riders would carry an issued kiting ID with residents being allowed early access. Again, doesn't sound bad but capping at 25 could easily result in very few riding off LBTS on a regular basis. I would think increasing the cap but maintaining reasonable enforcement of basic rules targeting at avoiding complaints might work. There is no real provision for tourists or out of town riders in this either necessarily.
It has been suggested by resident kiters to not allow kiting between 11 and 4 pm on weekends and holidays, peak user times, though out LBTS. Again, if the launch area is well run and/or if riders abide basic rules, the time limitations may not be necessary, IF the site isn't too crowded.
Another approach would be to designate a set of rules for the more densely populated and more readily publicly accessible area south of Sea Ranch Lakes alone. The less accessible areas further north don't seem to have a lot of complaints at this time.
A lot of this comes down to us, what we are willing and able to effectively enforce with other riders. Going hands off hasn't worked, we are being forced to make some changes, here and elsewhere.
Important rider meeting to discuss maintaining access
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
7 pm at the Tiki Bar
Oceanpoint Resort
1208 N Ocean Blvd
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
(954) 782-5300
Map and Directions at:
http://tinyurl.com/d8xbnw