kiting at Ocean Beach

jla · Post by **jla** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:24 pm

This is a message to any visitors, beginners and non locals showing up at Ocean Beach. There are a few basic and practical rules that should be followed that are pretty much common sense.

1. Do NOT launch / land your kite anywhere near the sea wall and promonade. Yesterday I saw a guy land his kite right over the wall to his friend standing on the promenade. Pedestrians and especially children on bicycles that are on the promenade are not visible from the beach and it is extremely dangerous. Kite launching /landing is always safest with kite towards water. In case of on shore winds, best to get to a clear spot NEAR the water. In case of a mishap, you will be dragged towards the water and not into a 15 foot wall, through a parking lot, over the great highway and into the side of a condo.

2. Do not practice flying your kite on the beach among a bunch of sunbathers / walkers / children / dogwalkers....... especially if you are a beginer and constantly crashing your kite on the beach and letting it roll downwind. Again, I saw a beginer doing just this yesterday while three people walked right in the impact zone beneath lines and kite. The person learning was not wearing a harness, and repeatedly crashed and rolled his kite. The beach is large enough to find a spot south of Lincoln way that will have less people on the beach than in front of the parking lot between Cliff House and Lincoln Way. Just use common judgement. If it is foggy and the beach is empty there should be plenty of open space anywhere along the beach. If people start walking near you, land the kite if you are learning and wait for the area to clear out before you relaunch and practice more.

3. Take lessons before you show up at the beach and know how your gear works. Last week I launched a guy and found out he did not know what the depower strap did. There are three good schools in the bay area and the safety issues alone are reason enough to spend a few bucks to learn the sport.

4. Stay clear of windsurfers and surfers. They are less maneuverable than kite boarders and the windsurfers need more run out space to get over the beach break to the outside.

5. Spread out! Why does everyone need to kite in the same spot? With on shore winds it is hard sometimes to stay off the beach. There is good kiting from Sloat to Cliff House. Especially if you are learning, try and kite in an area that is less crowded.

Let's keep OB open to everyone. One mishap could close the beach to all kiteboarders and someone could get seriously injured.

average_male · Post by **average_male** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:37 pm

Could you expand on 1) ? Do you mean the sea wall that seperates the sandy beach and the parking lot? If not, perhaps you can make a google map locating where you are talking about?

jla · Post by **jla** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:28 pm

windhorny · Post by **windhorny** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:54 pm

Everything you wrote seems like common sense. If someone can't figure those few things out on their own they shouldn't be allowed to kite anywhere.

Plus, tell me if i am wrong, but isnt it a long walk from the ocean to the parking lot? At least in comparison to all the beach you have to land?

Bulldog · Post by **Bulldog** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:47 pm

At OB people seem to launch far away from the water because they assume that whoever is going to catch their kite is standing up on the promenade watching the action. But landing your kite on the promenade seems insane to me.

Same goes for flying a full sized kite in onshore winds on land without a harness.

teamsketch · Post by **teamsketch** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:12 pm

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:52 am

With regards to #1........

I actually approached the individual. He apparently walked his kite up the seawall steps and had his buddy land his kite on the sidewalk. It was straight onshore conditions and there were lot's of people around. I kept a cool head and asked him a few questions. turns out he was from Australia and apologized for doing it. I don't know if he was visiting or here for a while but we struck up a small conversation and left it at that. He won't be doing that in the future.

Posting threads here is just a small part of the equation. It is ultimately necessary to approach the individual at the scene of the crime and KINDLY explain why he/she cannot do that action.

Posting it here and grumbling under your breath while watching it won't help without actually engaging in conversation.

With regards to #2-#4, please see above. I have approached other people and advised them of their ways............

With regards to #5........If this is who I think it is, you have done your fair share of "pinching". And I have as well...........

To really get the word out, we should look into having some sort of signage posted like @ 3rd Ave.....

Scotty

jla · Post by **jla** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:57 am

Signage will never happen unless we work with the SF Park Dept and form some sort of comittee to promote safety and for that matter improvements at the beach. How about bathrooms and showers? Wouldn't that be nice?

In the meantime, people should just practice common sense and try and be as safe as possible. I posted this for beginers and visitors mainly. You are absolutely correct, that a friendly conversation on the beach works wonders. Better not to be forced to have the conversation in the first place though.

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:17 pm

I believe that is all GGNRA, so it would be dealing with the Feds...

I don't have any problem setting up a committee.

Scott

andre · Post by **andre** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:59 am

Hey guys- I work w/ the National Park Service volunteering w/ Surfrider, doing beach and fire pit cleanups. Let me know if you need any contacts to discuss beach improvements and safety.

Andre

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