After a great bank holiday I’m afraid I’ve got to have a bit of a moan. On Sunday afternoon I took a spin to Ynyslas beach. It was high tide and around 12 knots from the SW. The sun was out and as you would expect the beach was busy. I find it hard to understand why anybody would want to try to use a landboard or buggy in these conditions. Weaving in and out of people dropping kites isn’t very pleasant for the majority of people on the beach. From a kite surfing point of view it would be the equivalent of me kiting around kids or surfers playing in the water or mountain biking down a footpath.

Speaking to the locals who use the beach to take their kids to play or dogs for a walk, kites are not welcomed. When I explain that I kite and I launch on the beach and kite on the water the response is one of interest and they normally enjoy watching us. People find buggies and land boards a pain. I don’t want kites to be banned on the beach mainly because of people who kite at high tide and in front of the car park. The beach is around 1 mile long and at low tide it extends to 3 miles.

On Sunday a few guys were kite surfing and walking back up the beach in the light conditions. They probably should have walked down and launched in a quieter spot passed the bunker. When I did go out later in the day and I was walking back up the beach with my kite, a woman was nearly hit by a foil kite as they tried a jump and the kite hit the sand. She was quite rightly scared. Getting tangled in kite lines has killed people.

With summer approaching and the winds lessening and more people on the beach, I feel people should check tide times and the forecast. So if there is no wind then stay at home or if there is and the tide is high then either wait or get on the water out of the way. For kitesurfers it is most probably better to launch past the bunker and likewise for buggies is stay further away from where most of the general public sits to enjoy the beach. If we do not respect the public, we could easily get banned from the beach.

agree totally chris, ive pointed this out to various people and posted on the flexi forums..if there in the carpark estuary end i go up to them and point it out most are only to happy to move i usually say that the wardens dont mind kiteing on the sea front but not here as it will end up with a ban..if you point out that your local and are trying to protect the spot for everyone there ok about it...


show me who they are and i'll have a gentle WORD

excellent point, we need to protect what we've got - all need to make sure that we have a gentle word ( as col says) to anyone who is doing dodgy stuff around members of the public

Good work pointing this out chris. Ive tried my best to control things over here at Aberdyfi. In the next week or 2 Ill be putting sisns up on the beach so that things are clear. I think as well, if you see some one messing around in a unsavory mannor, as long as you dont mind doing it, go up to them and explain what theyre doing wrong. At the end of the day, us locals dont want our spot banned because of some one that comes here twice a year!!!! Weve had a few moans dyfi side recently, but luckily because Ive built up a relationship with the council, things are cool, and they all understand the kiting issues really well. Maybe its worth having a word with the Cereigion council or Aberystwyth harbour master about getting signs put up at ynys las as well??

i've had thought on the lines of some form of signing but not too sure if Al is in agreement.
lets try and set a good example ourselves by launching past the bunker.

I'm the man if you need some professional signage, that's what i make and do every day. You might need permission off the local council. before sticking signs in the ground!!

Fully dudes..

Yesterday the Bok had to have a word with a bloke flying a blade and jumping over the end of the car park! I just find that some guys seriously have no FRIKKIN clue as to what they're doing and how they could harm those around them..

Right on Chris, well said !

da borth massive have got the idea. where do all the buggier people post there stuff??

i think we should invest in a large plough and churn up the beach each morning so they can't use it, like at croyde in devon (only joking) (or am i)

aren't buggies meant for golf courses.

You'll probably find most of the buggiers and boarders on the flexifoil forums. I know a couple of guys who come up from Worcester, so have made them aware of the comments made here.

Start a new thread in the Meets section and it should get read by a fair few people, except maybe the "kite only on bank holiday" numpties.

Too many bans at the moment, Saunton etc, I'm happy to help out where I can.

Mark

cheese wire kite lines to decapitate the braindead could be an idea?!? im only usually out midweek when there's nobody about on the beach but completely agree with whats been said... certainly high tide has gotta be a definite no no for anybody with half a brain?! whats the point anyway theres no room even on an empty beach!?

kiters ! har though having no brain was part of the package !

kiting seems to be getting really popular at wsm. it also seems to me to feel more dangerous both on & OFF the water.....