anyone see..

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

Disclaimer:
This post is not aimed at anyone in particular, period. I have a good relationship with most shops and instructors in the area and hope to keep it that way, sorry if I offend anyone. My personal opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of TBKA, K4L, or ASF members.

I think the local instructors all do a pretty good job when teaching. I am sure there's room for improvement for more respectful riding practices when they aren't teaching, myself included.
The intro class is the first thing I tell my students about when booking a lesson. It is a prerequisite to a water lesson and worked really well last season. Sure, most of the people that call me end up getting a lesson from another instructor, but at least they're getting lessons. I am fine with that. I also personally feel that (industry-wide), lessons and gear sales should be separated ,as it is an obvious conflict of interest. My interest is in building respect for the proper learning channels (certified instruction with a complete lesson plan) and the $elfish actions of a few are making these problems much more difficult than they should be.

Since this is a positive talk about instruction, we could discuss solutions for:
1. uncertified instructors
2. poor choice of teaching location
3. Gear sales before water training
4. Local Surf shops selling kite gear
5. roadside sales- (special discounts during hurricanes!)
6. Laying out acceptable guidelines/distances for both riding and teaching in our area. (then we can start issuing pats on the back)

BTW, kristrudo- whoever said that East Beach is an advanced location is spreading bad information. It is well known that EB is the best location we have for beginners. What makes it "advanced" for them is that no advertising or gear sales are permitted. We are committed to following the rules laid out by park officials

On less controversial note, local certified instructors can obtain Liability insurance through KTB for roughly the cost of a 3 hour lesson. This will soon be offered with several more options for certification/coverage.

TBKA and its parent organizations are actively working on everything mentioned that will get us back on the right track to preserve access and prevent accidents. Its time for us to really start working together to solve these recurring problems on our beaches.
A general membership meeting is in the works, I will post details soon.
More discussion of local topics at www.TBKA.org

Kite safe!
Steve S.

I have met about four people at the beaches who did not have lessons.

A couple said they purchased the kite from a store in Largo but did not say which one.

I just finished my lessons but was not riding yet and asked them not to try to fly the kites without lessons but they did it anyway.

It was really a little scary because the kite crashed so many times on the beach with people watching, I could tell they did not know how to launch the kite.

Someone should find the store in Largo and do something about it.

It would be sad to see someone get hurt trying to fly a big kite in the storm.

[Erick]

Originally Posted by kitekristrudo

Someone should find the store in Largo and do something about it.

It would be sad to see someone get hurt trying to fly a big kite in the storm.

I’m not putting in doubt what you saw at the beach on that day but it would be a little bit more helpful if next time you get more specifics. It’s hard to do something about without names or contacts.

[Steve-O]

I pose a question on this forum about safety. Riding location as it relates to wind direction. The question has nothing to do with profits, schools, instructors, or any business for that matter. Just a simple question about safety. Rider to rider if you will.
Let's not forget all the crap that went down with guys laying in hospitals in comas and broken necks this week.

A certain person has masterfully directed the attention towards WSW team riders and instructor practices and riding habits. Taken the attention away from the question at hand. Nice job by the way.

Take this and run with it. Call the shop or send someone in and pretend like you are a new person seeking information for kiteboarding. Likely you will get referred to me. Tell us you want to buy a kite but don't want to take lessons. Load us with your resume of surfing, and skydiving, and that you are and F-16 pilot. See what we say. Ask how many hours of training should you take. Where you will learn. Tell us you want to buy four kites, 2 boards, and all the accessories, but again you don't want lessons.

Or feel free to join me and my students for our safety class that meets every Saturday from 9-12pm. We have one tomorrow. You might get sick of me though, because I sound like a parent. Its three hours of one warning after another. No joke. I don't know why anyone would want to kite after that.

It is so hard to believe that people lie? A dude came in last season and told me his friend was a great kiter of four years and was moving to Miami for school. He was going to learn down there. I sold him the kite, as probably any shop would. I warned him to make sure not to fly this kite until he got with his friend. He agreed. A week later his kite was found by the coast guard floating around Tampa Bay. Got a description of the kite and I knew who it was. Called him up and yup, he put his kite up at Cypress on an East Wind. That dude just flat out lied. I'm sure he wasn't the first, and won't be the last to lie and get gear. Anyone can pick up a phone, say the right thing and get a kite. I am sure I can get my wife to buy one tomorrow from any shop in the country.

If you want the madness to end, then work towards a sport with certified standards much like diving. I would love everyone having to be certified to buy gear. Alot of problems solved IMO. Don't we have to show ID to get a drink or buy cigarettes?

The world is not a perfect place but I can assure you this. I will continue to teach my 3 hour safety class. I will continue to go out and teach the best way I know how in the safest locations I can find. I will work with my instructors to become better and safer teachers. I will continue to tell people to get lessons and to head my warnings. I will continue to pat our team riders on the back and thank them for choosing to do business with us. They are some of our best customers and safest riders in the bay area.

Oh yeah one last thing to this incredibly tiring post. Had a nice lesson with a student of mine Wednesday at Sunset Park. Gentlemen in his 40's. I worked with him for three hours and got him up and riding. He took all my advice. Sat through my safety class, did lots of time on a trainer, and worked on board skills this summer behind his father's boat when there was no wind. Great student. Yesterday he bought a 14M Contra. Great deal by the way at 1099. He showed up back at Sunset and was hanging out on the beach. He asked me if I thought he could put up the kite a practice with it. It was hard, but I told him it was too windy for that size kite and he would have to wait another day when it was less wind. He understood and left. That dude has spent over 20+ hours preparing for this sport, and I still recommended he not go. That was tough.

By the way, that store in Largo is Watersports West.

I think I am going to take a vacation from the forum. It's crazy up in here. Face to face communication is so much better.

Peace out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wdewilde]

Steve,
Don’t apologies for being responsible. I am a relative novice in the sport but have a vast world wide experience with so called extreme spots and the culture and responsible nature of the local area is unique. Guys like you drive it....Will

" The stories of and old man are the deeds of man in his prime"

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

I agree that an accident brings out a lot of animosity between everyone, this thread is an example of that, and I obviously got reeled in and said my 2 cents. (as usual)
The fact is, this area is the largest, most proactive, safety minded group in the state, maybe even the country. We all need to drop the BS on the forums and start looking for soultions, and put a stop to the obvious problems going on around here. Let's lay out a course of action, and stick to it. its really that simple.

I would like to see certification before gear purchase as Steve-O mentioned, and I am sure WSW would take the lead in being the first shop to participate in a system like that, and it would draw them even more business from the locals and others who respect good business practices.

[b-rad]

[QUOTE=Kiteboarding Tampa Bay;36147] I also personally feel that (industry-wide), lessons and gear sales should be separated ,as it is an obvious conflict of interest. QUOTE]


I disagree. We sell 95% + of all our kite inventory to our students througout our lesson process. It is much safer because we can educate the student on the gear they are buying. They can even try everything out and be sure they are getting the right thing...it's way better.

[Kiteboarding Tampa Bay]

The reason you disagree is that you are a retailer, all other retailers will say the same thing you did. If you didn't have a stake in the kite biz, you might see the other side of the fence.
Nothing stops retailers from selling them a kite before they're ready. It happens all the time up here, even by non-kiters at the rest stop on the interstate. I kinda see that as a problem....
A skills test or certification card from a non retailer who is independent of the industry solves that problem.
Maybe we could sit down and chat sometime, that would be nice.

[H]

Certification shouldn't be necessary this is America for God's sake.

Cert's would have done nothing to prevent the majority of bad accidents including the ones this week. The riders involved were not newbies and would have been certified anyway if it was necessary.

[bryanleighty]

FYI .. some great news:

the kiter that got hurt in Ft. Lauderdale was released from the hospital..