[ricki]

Thanks for the heads up Paul and extra info Josh. Did Todd see it? Still trying to find out more info. Did come across some observations about "business as usual" at Hobie.


Rode there wednesday and yesterday, and a bunch the week before. I saw two kites end up in the seaquarium and lots of people riding too close to shore as usual. The first was during a windy day from the west and it looked like the guy just had to blow to the leash and the kite blew downwind into the seaquarium. Didn't see what led to releasing the kite.

Yesterday I saw a guy end up on the seawall of the seaquarium in shifty/puffy NW winds (5-20 knots) which are sketchy at best at Hobie. He was riding a North, and going back and forth from the catamarans there on the beach to the sandbar, crossing about 200-300 feet upwind of the seaquarium. Super sketchy since there is very little room for error. A big lull came rolling through as they had been doing the entire day, and the kite fell. With little downwind space to work with, his kite was almost immediately on the seawall as he drifted with it trying to relaunch. Following the lull was a fresh 15-20 knot puff that filled the kite and pegged it up on the seaquarium fence. Luckily it didn't blow over. Guy had to unhook and swim to the wall and go for a climb. He eventually got it sorted but it was an easily EASILY avoidable situation. Just setup farther up the beach so you have plenty of downwind space to work with!

Another major issue yesterday was that somebody was giving lessons in the flats (12 meter red Best Bularoo) about 300 feet upwind of the seawall (so again, right by the catamarans). Super puffy NW winds, very little downwind room to work with, and a big 12 meter kite with students that looked like they had never flown a kite before, let alone body dragged. I watched for about 45 minutes as each student hooked in and practiced flying the kite in knee deep water. Saw 3 times a big puff roll through and cause the student to slightly loft and faceplant while getting dragged away quickly from the instructor towards the seawall. Luckily no apparent injuries but seriously bad judgment in my opinion.

If our instructors are teaching like this, it is not surprising that riders then do it later on.

The word in the parking lot in hobie over the past two weeks is that we're gonna get kicked out soon. Would be a major hit, but the poor decisions of some are sealing our fate.