VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I hope I am considered a foiling optimist ... and a kiting and windsurfing optimist as well!

I can't do "a quick tack", few non expert levels windsurfers can and generally it'll take me twice the distance out in order to be back up to the peak. Meanwhile the kiters are just stacked there immobile. Am I supposed to simply barge through at speed?
Hard to not feel jaded when my wave count is perhaps a dozen for the day and the kiters are getting on one every 5 minutes but still feel the need to boost onto my waves.

Grantmac I can't speak for everyone but I will always allow a windsurfer into the rotation. You should see at Margaret River. Mostly windsurfers but same program works, everyone gets in rotation and stays there. Just a matter if respect from the other riders...

grantmac wrote:I can't do "a quick tack", few non expert levels windsurfers can and generally it'll take me twice the distance out in order to be back up to the peak. Meanwhile the kiters are just stacked there immobile. Am I supposed to simply barge through at speed?
Hard to not feel jaded when my wave count is perhaps a dozen for the day and the kiters are getting on one every 5 minutes but still feel the need to boost onto my waves.

There is No excuse for people stealing your waves but the overall lower vs. Higher count is why I started kiting there. No matter how respectful people are it's always going to be something like 10:1 or 5:1 as the spot, current, wind direction and strength at sea level are so challenging.

I can't believe the extent of the conversation on this subject. Anyone that is new to riding a new location (especially dangerous wave location) should just hold off and watch how the ROW works if they don't know or understand. Every spot has idiosyncrasies. If your new to the spot, ask questions, respect the veteran riders as they know the spot intimately (pretty standard surf etiquette). Kiting or surfing any new spot, giving up a couple waves on a good day goes a long way (in my opinion and experience). Kiting is so versatile and on a good day you can usually take as many waves as you can handle (energy level) so who cares if someone snakes 1 or 2 waves... not something to get all worked up about, if you've been riding there consistently for years and the same person keeps snaking waves... well that's something to get work up about but at that point your generally know everyone that your riding with.

The only time I went to Gordons I was a bit confused with how I should windsurf/foil there with the kiters doing big jumps and being all over the place. I was South/East of Tugwell at the beach access there and reached out and back a handful of times, but the kiters would be further up towards the Tugwell kite launch area and then all the way down below where I was, and would switch directions frequently, big jumps, having fun. But what I was confused about was do I just continue on my course if I'm on starboard reach, will they yield to me, or am I screwing things up and pissing them off if I do that? I opted just to change direction and go the other way whether on starboard or not if they were up ahead so I didn't piss anyone off, as a non-local, but was still unsure after session end what I should or should not do around kiters. So, glad this thread is here and JL's link and all the resources so I can understand things better. To be clear, this wasn't a wave scenario, just a general windsurf/kite compatibility question, minor chop.
Ross Bay/Cook St. is nicely separated -- wingers and windfoilers seemingly totally compatible in Ross Bay, normal rules apply, but if someone is coming downwind on a wave I will give them as much room as possible and stay out of the way so they can enjoy that wave as long as they can and not have to keep a close eye on me. So on a SW I tend to go up towards the East side o the bay, then come down the West side on the waves into the bay.
Likewise in Pat Bay, I'm often out there with a couple of kiters, and we seem to both be doing reaches back and forth across the bay. I stay well above them if I can and that works well. If I can't get well above them then whoever's coming across on starboard has right of way. No issues.
But at Gordons I was surprised how quickly upwind/downwind they made progress and not much reaching at all going on so happy to get clarity for that for future.

AJ: this priority issue only matters in a place with defined waves. People get fussed about priority in flat water spots, citing all sorts of marine laws, but it's a non-issue. It's a big ocean, give some space, if in doubt yield, don't jump if people are downwind of you. Pretty much covers it.

For wave spots, the issue is that the waves peel along, usually downwind. So riders lock into the wave at the start of it peeling, then ride downwind with the wave. A kiter doing jumps is riding sideways to the wind and hitting the waves at a right angle ... which bisects the track the wave riders are taking. This is an issue worldwide, not just here ... and pretty much everyone agrees that the wave riders have priority (other than booted folks who wear shorts over their wetsuit perhaps ;-). The jumper should do a quick turn, wait for them to pass, then do their thing. This is a s**t show and argument when it arises locally, but also in wave spots everywhere.

A related issue that everyone can agree on, even the booted folks, is that if you're a beginner or just mowing the lawn, DO NOT ride through the waves, to the beach, do your turn, then back out through the waves. If this is you: you are not using the waves, but you wrecking the wave use for everyone! It is just as easy for you to do your turn outside the waves and not wreck anyone's ride. This is most noticable at Island View and CB. And it applies equally to kiters, windsurfers, and wingers.

Think about how your actions affect others, see your actions through their eyes ... and act accordingly.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSRoVkhZTDc[/youtube]

Awesome video! I can attest that the best friends you make are those you give something to, even when you don't need to!

Nanmoo makes great point. I'm not a great winger but even with nobody burning me I get at least 5 waves on a kite for every one on wing. If you are not really powered it is almost pure luck to be there at the right time.

tempy wrote:Awesome video! I can attest that the best friends you make are those you give something to, even when you don't need to!

Catching a nice wave is such an amazing feeling but lining one up takes a lot of time and patience, so when someone helps you on that quest it's... well her reaction sums it up perfectly!

Busy Cook St Saturday lead to frustrations when riders were jumping close to shore or right within the wave areas... I know its hard for people to understand but there is a cycle at cook st... if you tack in and out of the reef areas you're in the way when you boost you 6ft airs right beside the reef.. keep an eye out for riders riding waves! They like to drift down wind with several gybes while slashing..
Also keep you're kite low when coming in on port tack its really simple.. don't try to pinch out those coming in on port either they are to avoid you so just keep your course...
Polite reminder