My only point is, that if you ask a council permission to do something, then they have to employ people to do the legals or paperwork to make it legal, so they don't get sued because they knew about it because you told them you were going to do it.
Insurance Companies will insure anyone regardless of paper permit promises providing that you have some serious equity, and council permission has nothing to do with insurance unless the insurance company has requested such a clause.
Councils don't care unless they are forced by their superiors or the media forces their superiors to do any extra paperwork.
Some kitey instructy types should learn to stay under the radar to make coin without funding gov depts.
My2c.
Fair call on visibility, but Government workers don't go looking for work unless they get complaints.
And people who genuinely worry about the future of a sport make cash out of it.
Everyone else just does it as a fickle pursuit! 
Guys,
This is a pretty serious topic and so long as all goes well, there really is no problem. It's what happens if things do go wrong that makes it a mess for all but the perpetrator.
Lets say Joe is a good kiter and decides to do a couple of lessons to put a case of beer in his fridge and some spare change in his pocket for Saturday night. He has no formal teaching background and uses his own kite and board for lessons.
The student has no life jacket, no helmet and finds he is being taught by someone who doesn't really know what or how to teach, so Joe teaches the student how to get up and ride which is essentially pretty easy.
In the second hour of the lesson, Joes student is learning water start and crashes the kite down on an elderly lady who walks her dog along the waters edge across from her house. She is knocked over and fractures her hip in several places and is left in a wheel chair with constant pain for the next few years. She lives on a pension and medical costs are above her ability to cover, so she sues the council.
The council contacts their insurer who assigns an investigator to get to the bottom of this problem. Source of the problem is found to be Joe who conveniently disappears.
Council then puts a stop to kiteboarding on their beaches as a kneejerk reaction to the public outcry for action as the old lady is pictured in hospital and her story is all over the front page of the local rag. Council now believe kiteboarding is too risky for their busy public beach and decide on an immediate ban pending the outcome of the situation. The legitimate school further up the beach has some serious work to do to try and retain access or their license is revoked (usually whichever is easier for council).
Meanwhile, Joe moves to another beach to create havoc elsewhere so he can get his free beer and spare change. His students go on to kite and as soon as their faced with a problem like wind swinging offshore, they end up in trouble because they don't know how to deal with the problem. This involves water police being called or SLSC being asked to intervene. A mark is made in the daily log of the rescue organisation. Hmmmm ..... 3rd rescue of a kiter this week!?!?! We really need to speak to someone about this problem says the captain .......
This story is based on real life events. There was a lady who was hit by a kite, she did end up in a wheel chair and needed full time carers. There was a law suit. We see students from othe "schools" come to our beach and we also see the same students drifting along out to sea by a kite they don't know how to relaunch or self rescue on.
This sport has been going for 10 years and it's time that the industry tightened up and stopped the cowboy instructors/schools for the benefit of every kiter that learns the sport now and in the future. Shops and schools need to take ownership and responsibility of this issue, Riders need to also accept some responsibility to maintain access, as the Mullaloo riders now do. This is everyone's problem, hiding your head in the sand won't make it better.
Is risking losing access to beaches around the country really worth that case of beer and a hundred bucks? Would you happily return the beer and spare coin if only to have access to that great beach once again?
DM
People often create scenarios, Scaring the general public about stuff they should be fearful of, that they will be fearful of losing something that they hold dear, using graphic descriptions of events that will harm everyone involved no matter how innocent.
Bzzzzzz back to reality.
Anyone can impart knowledge to another person in Australia with an exchange of money providing they don't step on other peoples toes.
If they wish to be insured, then that's another matter.
One simple solution, nobody should ever be able to benefit financially from suing a council.
They can however sue if they believe that it is obvious disregard for their safety that caused the injury but all proceeds from a succesful court case would be automatically distributed to charitable associations.
The result would be no more dodgy claims by loosers, all charities cashed up and capable to actually provide assistance to the needy and the ones who got truly affected by an inccident.
PI insurance would be probably a quarter of the price, council licences would be easily granted creating a florishing tourism with a multitude of cheap activities available for all at low cost and creating massive employment.
Who would loose????? the lawyers who can't chase ambulances anymore as 98% of plaintifs would not proceed if there was no financial gains
You may say, I'm a dreamer but I am not the only one!!!!
Thanks Guys for the stimulating debate, and so far we have all shared our opinions which we all believe to be to be true.
All of this page contains the same information that has been typed and retyped for the last 5 years.
So the truth must lurk somewhere in here. Ciao.
See who's still surviving after 5 years.
Cowboys have been moved on....AKS is still there :)
Wow ben a while since I've been on here an some serous discusion going on.
Sir rowdy has even grown up or matured :)
Well more money to the IKO cow today.
For kitecards student froms, and How to teach children online tuition.
Which just for fun I tried the test before reading the literature and got a 85% pass.
Money paid approx $600 and test passed I'm now requalified again..
Nothing new learned..BUt was needed for the business. SO an write some of it off on tax..
OK so to the rest of the topic..
I think there are some great ideas and after my short break with the sport I came back alot fresher and and with more ideas. Learning to be a snowboard instructor taught me alot about what teaching really is and how people actually learn.
Nor just people but kids, as well how to do everything. So regulated and it's all the same teaching punching out instructors that all teach the same way. If you cannot demonstrate or provide the right answer you don't pass. There are alot more levels and then are extremely difficult.
The same arguement happens there, an Aussie qualified is friggin insanely hard and most people fail first time. They can still teach but aren't qualified and are rated and paid as such..
In other countries there are systems like IKO you pay and do the time and you get a basic qualification no more. These guys come to auss and have to resit or accept less.
Qualifcations are rated and do cross over each country has it's own usually as well..
So Like everyone else I think IKO are money and no put back..
I agree it needs to be done and checked in Auss for sure, I think the guys talking to the BKSA are on the money for sure. It sounds good and I think we need to work together on this for sure.
YOu can count me in and my available time, not I do work in the industry..
There should be more formal discussion before January when the BKSA arrives so we know what we are after and an talk and move forward together..( how many times did I write Moving forward)
I'll leave it there and hope to hear from someone :)
Dear All
The BKSA have been talking with AKSA - we ( the pommies 
) are more than willing to help you guys out .
Andy Gratwick - BKSA head of Training is coming to Oz in Jan
Please email him if you want to hook up [email protected]
All the best
Richard Gowers
Chairman BKSA
Chairman IKA
) are more than willing to help you guys out .
) are more than willing to help you guys out .
