Kiteboarding needs to be regulated like other water activities.
Boaters (in Florida) must be 22 years of age or have a Safe Boater's License to operate a boat (anything over 9.9 hp) within state waters. IN ADDITION, boat operators must adhere to all safety rules and regulations...no wake zones, no motor zones etc...
PWC's have a section in Fla law devoted to them: among other things: must wear a uscg pfd, must be of age or have boaters license AND must adhere to all waterway laws and regs.
Kiteboarding is still free reign because it is still new. It will be eliminated if the users (us) don't get with lawmakers in order to regulate our sport.
We don't really need a bunch of video slamming ourselves and our sport...I just think that will do more harm than good...and it WILL get into the wrong hands...
We work with the "Near Shore Water Committee" here in Islamorada to educate lawmakers as to the needs of our sport and to ensure that there is space for kiters in Islamorada.
Rick...you are the man to do this (or at least lead the charge...we will all help). We need to sit down with FWCC and propose some basic regulations. If we wait and let them do it...it will suck. (like the deal in Hawaii right now...that wasn't proposed by a kiter)
The regulations need to be simple and easy to enforce. They need to be enforceable by non-kiters...just as pwc laws are enforceable by non-pwc users.
For example:
No kiting in clearly marked swim zones. (ticketable offense)
No unsafe Kiting (just like no "unsafe" boating)
No intoxicated kiting etc...you get the point.
What I think is best right now...is...to self regulate our sport, but from a state level...not the bro beach level...it's not working...
If municipalities knew that FWC was on it...they would relax...
FWC has divisions for different water users...maybe we would benefit from a kiteboarding division? or advisor...like you, Rick.
All big sports are recognized on a lawmaker level...it doesn't limit the sport, it allows the sport to continue...
people might say no...I don't want to get a ticket for kiting wrong...but at least you were kiting...
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