Kiteboarding Restrictions in Cocoa Beach

[Boschoss]

[alarier]

From the perspective of being new to the sport, I can say that kiteboarding has brought nothing but joy to my life and my family. In my opinion, it’s one of the most exciting sports out there. However, it is exciting enough to turn dangerous REALLY QUICK if you don’t know or are unsure of what you are doing. I got into the sport knowing and understanding this fact. It helps that I’ve had a formal University level education in Aviation Safety, which covers other potentially dangerous sports much like kiteboarding.

Throughout aviation, we have large organizations dedicated to safety, such as Flight Safety International. These organizations promote safety and awareness. Perhaps it’s time to do something similar with kiteboarding. Since almost nobody understands kiteboarding, and the dangerous situations that inexperienced kiteboarders can get themselves in to, I believe that a kiteboarding safety organization would benefit everyone. For example, if a surfer is doing something dangerous, lifeguards have the skill set to quickly understand the problem and properly react to it before anyone gets hurt. Can this be said about a kiteboarder doing something dangerous? Probably not.

The idea of self regulating is a good one and something that we should all be actively doing no matter what. I truly believe that Good Breeze Kiteboarding AND 321 Kiteboarding do a bang up professional job educating and promoting safety, but they can’t be everywhere all at once. When these guys are not in the area, the occasional idiot will do stupid crap and get us all in trouble, and guess who gets the heat even if it’s a tourist doing the stupid crap, , , 321 and Good Breeze , , not THAT’S NOT fair. The self regulation problem comes when the “dangerous kiteboarder” is observed and nobody wants to approach this person for fear of starting trouble or retaliation. The fear stems from believing that if the kiteboarder really is a jerk, a scuffle might break out and you will not have the support of law enforcement or the lifegards. It’s a basic problem that needs to be addressed.

[Breakinwind]

So the wind is down now and everyone is looking for ssomething to do. Why not hit the forums and bash the kite schools. I dont hate you, your just worried about losing a cool sport.
O well,what can ya do.
Everyone in the area can just relax. kiting is not getting shut down in cocoa beach. (yet) just go about your safe riding.
Kite schools are getting a tough time only because they (city officials) do not want a business on the beach. it has nothing to do with kiting. we could be giving sand castle building lessons and they would give us a hard time. IT is NOT because we are unsafe. we have more hours in safety then most kiters have in total riding time, so dont even start knocking our safety. HOw many of you even know the right of way rules. I'd say most of you do not. Ask one of us and we will teach you for free. Please spend your time to educate yourself on safety, instead of bashing the ones teaching it.

Accidents happen, thats why they are called accidents not on purposes. However, do not let an accident happen where there are people around other than kiters. If a tree falls in the forest does anyone here it? Kind of like kiting, if a kiter wipes out at the slick does anyone other than kiters know about it. Well they better not. It is safe to us, but a stranger/old lady citizen might freak when she sees someone crash on the beach. Then it looks dangerous and gets a bad rep and eventually canceled. I am not saying its ok to get hurt, i am hust saying it is always going to happen, so stay away from the crowds so when it does, it doesnt give us a bad name.

How do we solve this? As I have always said, stay the hell out of crwded areas like cherie down. there is parking on every block for 10 miles, why go to the most populated ones. Becasue its the cool thing to do said the kiter. well it wont be so cool when some dumbass flies kis ebay kite and crashes it on the crowd and mrs. jones tells the major her daughter has lines running down her back cause of someones reckless behavior.

Schools will not get kiting canceled here, Kiters will. I have been in the background trying to set some self regulating to be proactive against any future problems. you will see some small changes comming soon. Such as I will slice your lines if you launch a kite in the middle of coconuts, while your 6-7 beers down already. Thats called self regulating. LOL. Serious, This is a cool spot and outsiders are more than welcome, unlike in hawaii. Lets keep it a cool spot and make sure the outsiders know all the places to ride safely and not impact us. Please do not ride at cocnuts or cherie down! there are too many people there. if there is a lifegurd tower, go away from it. That means there are too many people there, hence the LIFEGUARDS. if you need a lifeguard to watch you, then you should not be kiting. Go in the river and take a lesson. To all the landboarders, you will have to go through crowded areas at some point. please keep your kite high and go slow. kids will dart accross your path super fast, they are on crack or something. If its really light wind and your kite does not want to fly while standing still, dont go through crowded areas.

It is a growing sport and if the wind picks up a bit may actually grow a little more. So before we get out of control, tell all your friends to behave, and be smart.
Anyone have any questions call me because I rarely get on these forums. NO time with all this crazy 5 mph wind were having.
Brett
321 kiteboarding
321 302 5663

[ricki]

Encouraging words Brett, thanks for posting them. Teaching on the beaches without occupational licenses can get a lot of cities upset, Ft. Lauderdale and Lauderdale By-The-Sea come to mind as recent examples. Pretty much all require them, some enforce more than others. It sounds like Cocoa is sensitive to the issue. That could be a hardship to schools but if you can work it out with the City, access should benefit from your efforts.

Commercial rivalries are normal, even heated discussions, there's been plenty on Internet forums since the sport started. In cases like this though where the COMMON GOOD is in play, I would say take a breath, and try to find some common ground. A lot may count on your success in doing this. Your advice to kiters to not cause problems is golden and worth following. How about working up a short set of guidelines, 6 points or less if we can manage it. They would specify what areas to avoid, when, riding precautions to minimize complaints and other critical stuff. The guidelines could be pushed widely on here and elsewhere to try to build awareness. Let us know what else we can do.

Thanks

[Breakinwind]

Thanks for your reply Rick.

To all kiters in Cocoa Beach area.
These are rules that have been around, and we can review them briefly.

1. No kiting near a lifeguard station. Lifeguard stations are marked with flags or signs on bothe sides. Lets keeps a clear buffer to prevent pissing anyone off. If you must kite in the lifegurard area (such as Jetty Park), it is only after they have gone home for the day which is usually after 5pm.

2. NO setting up and launching in parks or crowded areas. Most obviously, Cherie Down park, Coconuts, Jetty park, lori wilson, sherpard, and so on. Again see rule number 1. If you must park in that park, then walk several blocks away from the crowd, but DO NOT kite in front of swimmers or the lifeguard area. ITs ok crash into surfers but no one else~LOL.

3. When passing crowded areas during a downwinder, stay offshore at least 500 feet until you are clear of area. If passing while landboarding, please keep kite high and go very slow. Be sure to smile and wave while they take pictures .

4. No matter how shitty your session, or how badly you want to get out there already, always Be friendly so they (non-kiters) dont think we are rude bunch. Make them spread the word how great we are, "those kiteboarders are so friendly, I think I should have sex with all of them".LOL

5.At "the slick" AKA bicentennial park do not park in the grass. I know we have been parking there for years, but it really pisses the town off. Trust me DO NOT PARK IN THE GRASS, unless the lot is full. It is a small lot and on weekends can get crowded so park close, and leave room for the trailers.

6. If there is a newbie, be sure they have had a lesson, and are following rules. If they have not tell them to learn in there own backyard, because we will not lose our beach for someones selfishness. If you see someone flying a trainer kite and they are standing near the water so that walkers have to go under there lines, please tell them to reposition themselves. Or any unreasonable actions, please let them know.

7. Leave with what your brought and a little extra. Make efforts to clean up what you brought to beach. Dont be afraid to take a little extra trash with you. And stop leaving glass bottles. You know who you are and so do I. It is not cool to slice your foot open, every freakin week. If you see someone leave glass, be sure to place it under there tires so they remember to take it next time.

8. Any cash found on the beach please let me know, as I might have lost some. I dont remember how much or when, but trust me it is mine. Are you still paying attention. Good read on...

9. No kiting at Patrick AFB. If caught they will lock you up and shove bamboo under your fingernails. But really, no kiting there.

10. Try to prevent walking on dunes, or setting up on dunes. Do not pull vegetation from dunes or sand. Our beaches are clearly washing away, and this does mean more water for us, but also less beach. Not to mention, this angries the locals very much.

Please follow these rules, take them serious. Weed throught the sarcasm if any found and spread the rest. It is a quick start to a final copy of local rules. If we follow safe guidlines, we will continue to have happy kiters on this terrific unrestricted area. It is the accumulation of the little complaints that raise issues.

Want to know where to kite, questions about the above, give me a call anytime.
Brett
321 Kiteboarding
321 302 5663

[ricki]

mobile currently, inspired list! makes a point, not dull

more later, other input?