Was demoing some kites yesterday down brighton scabs. Wow. How things have changed in the past 9 years. Was out with my bro, staying upwind in one spot and watched at least 10 swarms of about 15 kiters head past on a down winder. Look to the left and right the amount of kites in the air was....well....scary to be quite honest.
Used to uncrowded kiting at our local spot was freaked out dodging mostly new comers who looked anything but comfortable. (I realise we all have to learn somewhere, so this is just an observation).
Surely, surely we are reaching a point - if not in a couple of years where over saturation on the water may occur. With all the swimmers in the water as well, we had better start considering some of the god awful ideas of registration etc etc.
While this rots me to the core and goes against every principle in my body and mind only blind freddy couldn't see from saturday that the time is coming very soon where councils may ban kiting altogether unless it is ....OMG can't believe I'm saying this, regulated (I slowly choke as I spell it out).
Maybe I'm just not used to crowds and it is not as bad as it seems. But we were freaked out and will never again kite scabs if we can help it.
Anyone feel the same or am I just over reacting? Please tell me I am!
I agree with you, i seem to always try and find places that are least crouded, But yes regulating the sport would be a pain in the a#$ but it would stop looneys that we don't want in the sport. I think the Biggest thing is we need to regulate the damn Euro's, Give them a run down of local rules about kiting at certain beaches, Ie Cottesloe, and the local spot rules, as in stay up wind on the high side at "The Pond" and then go low and well down wind on the return. Other wise its a pinball machine and a huge mess. Euro's are all hell cocky too and think its their right to do what they want and how they want. :(
Thats my 2 cents worth and Monday morning rant over :D was a good weekend on the water, wind wise though!
we did a downwinder from floreat to brighton yesterday arvo, and it was fine up to when we got to brighton, when we hit the circus of kites, swimmers, poles, surfers, kids, body boarders, not much room to land the kite on the beach either, in 25knots. i ended up landing the kite just upwind of it all.
along the way i just let the full powered strapped in guys pass and i would take the next wave. I still had a ball. 
your right though brighton is really crowded on the weekends, even in 25 knots. previously that sort of wind cleared the beach and swimmers, with sand lifting to knee to waist high, it cant be enjoyable lying on the sand sunbaking?
sorry, i did mention a downwinder on facebook 
My first (and last) Sunday kiting Metro in months and months.
Did the swannie to Brighton downwinder.
The amount of people out was insane. Never seen so many kites.
Shan't be doing that again
Hey eppo,
A big part of the influx into the waves is the mags and vids promoting kite surfing. You can't pick up a mag anymore without some random pro riding out front of an awesome barrel or making a backhand snap. All this promotion of surf riding is now coming home to roost.
A good 60% of the people doing lessons now are frustrated surfers coming from crowded breaks and lame waves. These guys want to get into it straight away and many are just doing the basics in lessons and hitting the waves. You no longer need the skills to stay upwind, you can just grab a buddy and do a downwinder.
Wait until next year, the surf will be twice as crowded, you aint seen nothin yet! I have been saying it for many years, we will soon need regulation, at least in the cities. I don't particularly want it either, but the ability to be able to single someone out that rides through the flags, or jumps over a bunch of swimmers is going to become essential if we want to remain able to kite when and where we want.
The other part is you are from a place where there is no crowding and to get used to city beach madness takes some practice 
The kitesurf story continues to unfold.........
DM
i've been doing that downwinder from swanny to brighton for a good few years now, yesterday was definately most crowded i have seen it by a long way. was still farken good fun tho
Hey Eppo,
When you consider 3 is a crowd @ our local and you just want someone else to come out so your not lonely, I think we will be right down here for a while
Got some nice waves @ Lano this weekend with a few mates from Mandurah
Busted a foot strap out @ the south passage which ended my session a bit early but other than that it was great 
kiting on the weekends sucks now, never feel completly safe, have been at woodies 1 two weekends in the last four, seen a total of three kites over the back into the dunes from launching mistakes(non were euro's either)
there must be double the amount of crew there now compared to 2 years ago
but not everyone can kite in the week(we have to deal with it or go elswhere), so next year i think the car will get more of a work out, lots of great coast to explore
Thing is moons, mandurah is totally crapola compared to scabs/pinnas/ rocko/safety....
Can't see it getting crowded too soon as the waves are crap and teh wind comes from the wrong direction for the lefts. Estuary is okay but you can have that mosquito infested hole.
As a newbie from what ive seen since starting out has been quite a shock actually with the amount of inexperienced "dangerous" kiters out there and i think every kiter should be made to join WAKSA and i totally agree with a registration process, it is far too easy to get into the sport and too many dont even bother with lessons. I have spoken to many observers who look on and think it is a piece of cake even the cocky few(my cousin is one of them and after even trying the trainer he couldnt control it) Some have even said stuff the lessons, just get out there, man i would not have the guts to do that personally and i cant actually believe their are tools out there that do so I am all for putting some sort of regulation on the sport before someone gets seriously hurt
yesterday was insane though. awesome wind and awesome fun.
was at north cott, and never seen so many waves and waves of kiters doing downwinders. 95%+ on surfboards.
next thing i see a loose north rebel go tumbling downwind about 400m offshore. great, just what we need. next thing a clubby comes paddling out yelling something at me, half thought he was going to tell me to get the hell out of here (wouldn't have blamed him seeing what was going on). turns out he was looking for the kiter that should have been attached to that kite. hope he turned up OK.
im keen to carpool up north to lano, wedge and further if others are keen to chip in for fuel? not as crowded up there, nice breathing space!
A group of 5 of us did a medium downwinder yesterday, Leighton to Pinnas (27k in a straight line) the first half was great, but as soon as we got to brighton, like Poida said fully strapped, fully powered, out of control, surf board riders were the flavor of the day. A few tools getting too close to swimmers at the usual spots, going through flags etc.
But the real spanker from the day was the guy we helped get in with board gear, who'd been swimming for god knows how long but no one had helped him.
And not at some unpopulated spot along the way but at leighton where there must have been 50 kiters!
Maybe this sounds like a dumb question, but who does have right of way on the downwinder. The rider hugging the shoreline or the rider who goes out a little further before picking a swell to ride in ?
Yesterday was just one of those days.
25 knots, beautiful day, small swell but some nice little wind waves around and a sunday.
Hasnt been any quality days the last week and its almost the end of the sea breezes... everyone was champing at the bit to get out...and did so.
Hence the big crowds.
When all these points come together you can always expect a crowd.
explain to me how registration will keep the crowds down?
people will simply register and then turn up.
or ride unregistered, cause who's gonna stop them!
euros will just say they didn't know.
(I kited Maui last year and after all the effort of getting to Kite beach with my gear I was hardly not going to kite just cause I hadn't paid my registration fee to some local kiting group!)
I was chatting to one of mates from Perth -
He said that next season he is going to start a bus shuttle service for the downwind crew - sounds like sick idea - just roll up do your downwinder wait for the bus which will stocked with cold beers and for a small fee you get driven back to the start ready to go again.
He is even talking about having a Skimpy ( I believe that is WA term for a chick in lingerie) serving the beers and collecting the dollars.
What style do you think will work best ?
How much would you pay for the shuttle???
Great to hear people hating / loving but talking regulations to ease the congestion / loonies on the water....
I work in transport and every year I see LESS and LESS CARS on our roads and the loonies are all locked up in their bedrooms after a good oral spanking from their folks.
Adam and Eve thought the garden was crowded when the grand kids came along...............I'm thinking suck it up
Gstar
You are the scary sand dune man, get back to your sand dunes and don't come out till the downwinder kiters start coming through !!!
At least you will doing your bit to stop overcrowding.
Poida I agree , sometimes not worth the hassle just to get tangled up.
growth was the perfect word to use, as it is like a cancer, eventually it kills its host.
Moons Core kites from Darren at AKS. Great kites. Spent the day with my brother, just trying out a few kites, flying our own, but more than not feasting our eyes on the unbelievable talent on the beach. I don't know how you guys concentrate and stay focussed.
Moons all we get is 60 year old grandmothers and the occasional stray dog - I wish the water was colder, kept getting in the way of my kite bar...he he he - great day.
We should head up one day, good fun. wouldn't mind trying the north gear actually.
