G'day guys,
Looks like were in for our turn for a cyclone!. It was just sou'west of us and man it was pumping, some big waves too (big for us)! I took my sons 9m out and was just about blown away, the airport had 32 knots with gust up to 45 knots while I was out so no wonder the poor kite was straining under me. At the moment the airport is saying 33 to 50 knots! Its gunna be on like donkey kong tomorrow, yeooow!!!!
See ya,
Robbie
Wow...... Darwin getting a cyclone is about the only normal thing to happen with the weather for months. 
Good luck.
Maybe WA may get some wind back soon.
Hey N8,
Hoff gave it a crack yesterday, with the 9m OS fully depowered but couldn't even stop himself from getting dragged on the beach so he put down straight away, Ben was gett'n blown away on the 7m OS, Tone had an hour lit on the 7m, and was thinking he should have put Mitch's 4m up!!!! By the time I came in I had to have help landing, Hoff and Cameron catching the kite, and Ben held onto my harness to stop me from getting dragged. For me to get dragged is not a common thing, as you know I'm not a little fella!!
Last night there is flash flooding and trees falling all over the place so it might explain why Hoff has no power. Gusty 50 knots of wind, Darwin is covered in leaves everywhere now. They predict this arvo is gunna be hard core as the low goes over the water and develope into Cat 1 cyclone. The bad thing is its gunna pull the wind off shore so I can't even give it a go with a 7m.
If it doesn't rain it pours!!
see ya for now,
Robbie
ps check out the radar pic, the 'eye' is right over the top of us now (a.m) and the winds have gone errie calm at the moment.
Hey putz - just watching a doc on tv on crocs in darwin
I cant believe you guys kite up there
Two winters ago in Perth I was riding the storm on my 9m when I got caught in +50 knots wind and it picked me up from the water surface and air freighting me towards the power lines of the train line. I thought if I keep my kite above my head it will suck me up to the clouds or hit the train power lines.
I turned the kite from 12 to 10 but it gone to a nose dive ad before I know I was bleeding all over my face from the impact
It's better to be on a smaller kite under power than be on a big kite wishing you could make it back
... hey guys,
bruceX, the crocs are pretty much controlled by the parks and wildlife guys with traps and what not. Having said that, one of our favourite spots there is a regular little 2 or 2.5m croc we see often but as soon as he see us he's off (well at least we don't see him). Anyway, if the winds calling, you gotta do what ya gotta do! I wouldn't go in the harbour, big ones there, we're not that crazy!
When the big blasts of winds came through the poor old 9m Rebel was contorting as if it was under inflated, I'd say it was well past its wind range and ended up feeling like a big plastic bag, especially when I did have the guts to pull the trigger. Yeah these big winds aren't as much fun as we think!
Currently 12.00pm, the wind has gone from Westerly to NW to N to E and is just now turned SSW, almost full circle now! And every one is being sent home from work! The main road out of Darwin has an 8m, yes, 8m pot hole across the road and nearly flooded over the road so we could be cut off soon. 310mm of rain in the last 24 hours, would do that wouldn't it, so no wonder there is flash flooding!
N8, no news on Hoff yet, if I find out anything I'll let you know!
cheers for now,
Robbie
i take back everything bad i said about the 4M DNA... well most of it anyway... wooooo hoooooo.............
and Bruce, crocs are scared of cyclones!!
Hey guys,
check this out,
... I think this is the latest track map! Its circled back around and looks like Tone and I gave Carlos a go, Tone on a 4m Airush (90 kg) and me on a 7m Rebel (120 kg), both lit.
Actually, I have never used a 7m, on the water, not me actually kiting with it! I was was 3/4 depowered no less, not in my 7 years of kiting, a red letter day indeed! While out there the rain was so hard and horizontal, visability was down to about 30 or 40m, I gauged were I was with the missus trying her hardest to video us standing at the waters edge! Video was next to useless because the rain was too heavy even for the Sony water housing and wind buffeting, she couldn't hold it still enough!
We had to stop as a squall came through, I tried to stop to land the kite and got dragged up the beach, kicked the board off and sat on my arse, still getting dragged up the beach (a first for me, remember,,,, 120 kg!!!!). Anyway, all good now!!!
Anyway, better go get the house ready,
cheers for now,
Robbie
ps driving home, bloody trees every where across the roads, nearly flooded the car too, with water across the road 
Good to see crazy people not just confined to Townsville!! Just kidding, guys, but cyclone winds can be pretty unpredictable. I lived in Darwin in the mid eighties and while windsurfing out the MIDDLE of Fanny Bay, hit a log, or so i thought, in the water. I fell off and thought that I had knocked my fin off. While swimming the rig around for a waterstart, I noticed that is was a 4metre salty croc looking very pissed off! Fortunately for me, I got up quickly and made it back to the beach, with the bloody thing following me! SH!T!! I was faster with a 7metre up and a good 15 kts. Anyway, I hope that you all ride the storm out OK, thinking of you.
Anyone have action/storm photo's of kite corner and Casuarina beach??
Death/destruction aside...I do Love Darwin in a good wet season squall/low category cyclone!!!
Just kidding, guys, but cyclone winds can be pretty unpredictable. I lived in Darwin in the mid eighties and while windsurfing out the MIDDLE of Fanny Bay, hit a log, or so i thought, in the water. I fell off and thought that I had knocked my fin off. While swimming the rig around for a waterstart, I noticed that is was a 4metre salty croc looking very pissed off! Fortunately for me, I got up quickly and made it back to the beach, with the bloody thing following me! SH!T!! I was faster with a 7metre up and a good 15 kts. Anyway, I hope that you all ride the storm out OK, thinking of you.
!
puetz said... "... me too!
ps hey Tone, can you believe you were lit up on a 4m "
nup, never thought i'd have to ride that thing! however, it had plenty of grunt considering its about the size of a large towel... and by the way.... 90kg? you angling for some free beer??? i wish!
and Knut = crocs... especially with the kids kiting...
... I'd say the crocs are the biggest danger and proberly sharks too but since our water goes all brown, we just can't see them!
I didn't realize that Carlos is spanish for Karl, he was right (again)!
Hey, Tone, no angling (maybe just a little, if it gets me free beer, I can say your 85kg, what will that get me???)!
95kg on a 4m, pretty impressive being powered on a 'beach towel', how cool was that!
cheers,
Robbie
theres f-all at nightcliffe, i think its got too much south in it now
Fannie Bay is looking good but needs some more water first
