NO
I need to but it's a bit of a bull**** policy if you read the small print, quite a big excess, doesn't cover a year from date of purchase, does it cover overseas travel?
Read this policy www.bpka.co.uk/ compare the 2. It's far superior.
The iko policy sounds ok BUT fine print says you need to have certified proof of lessons, so if you don't have and try and make a claim it could all go arse over tit.
Yes , I pay each Mambo as a requirement of the event . I haven't seen a tag in the last 2 years either . 
What does a tag do? Protect you from sharks?
If you paid you are covered.... easy
My ute doesn't have a NRMA tag......
I heard AKSA went belly up anyway and no one is covered in Australia at the moment? Truth or rumour?
Dave I don't need to ask AKSA anything as I already know the answer.
AKSA dont read this? Come on mate what boat do you think I just got off?
if you don't want to join - simple- don't.
why attack something that is for the good of the sport.... ?
I love all the anecdotal references to what's wrong with AKSA.
Noone yet has come up with any actual facts.
For $65 you get PL insurance....the rest doesn't matter. It's not 'our money' because we bought something with it.
I have never heard anyone bitch about what IKO, AMP, RACQ, NRMA BKSA or any other body does with the money from the insurance premiums that we buy.
If you don't like the policy.....don'y buy it. $65 is good peace of mind money.
I suggest some of you go through the Old AKSA thread.
I personally got tired of smashing my head against a brick wall and gave up as did a few others. Of the 6-7 people I kite with on a reasonably regular basis not one is still a member ( all were about 3 years ago ) and that is a trend accross the board.
Ps: If my memory serves me correctly the insurance component of the $65 dollars is a grand total of $12.50 per member.
Where was AKSA during some of the recent council debates ? their mantra was about protecting kiters access to beaches etc....... It looks like this has been left to the state associations. 
So what do they do ? What is keeping them soooooooooo busy that they cannot mail out membership tags etc.... ?
This combined with the speculation which arised regarding the misappropriation of funds ie: holidays etc... for comittee members family ( not sure if this was ever proved but there was enough smoke being made by enough people to make me suss ) resulted in a promised change at AKSA ( this was over 12months ago ) we ( those complaining ) were told by AKSA on this forum that there would be sweeping changes , new people were in charge etc...etc...etc.....and that improvements had already begun and that we should all back off and give them a chance to sort things out.
I will let you all make up your own minds as to the level of improvement !!!
my head hurts just thinking about this again
so does mine Potter- I know some of those involved in aksa and I know what they are like as people. I also know what they have to put up with at the hands of whingers like yourself.
The world is full of whining f#cks ready to take a swipe at the small minority who try to do something positive for not only themselves but others....
And we get the same old lines ..... nothing has changed.
If you dont like the work load dont volunteer, my indoor soccer club is run by volunteers, my yacht club comittee is run by volunteers, gun club, Car club etc... etc...... and they seem to ba able to run things without these problems.
Fellas seriously...the pooor volunteers line has been worn very very thin and in the meantime membership is plummeting and you guys keep your heads in the sand. I have checked the old posts it was October 2008 when I last banged my head over this Thats 18months ago
where is the action.???????
Here we go again. This tired, worn out bitchfest of pro/anti AKSA. FFS leave enough alone already. Some ‘don’t’ for whatever reason. Some ‘do’ for whatever reason. Those that do obviously see a benefit (like 300+ attending Kitestock this year). Those that don’t obviously don’t see a benefit. There’s enough crap on this site as it is. Let it go people.
Here we go again. This tired, worn out bitchfest of pro/anti AKSA. FFS leave enough alone already. Some ‘don’t’ for whatever reason. Some ‘do’ for whatever reason. Those that do obviously see a benefit (like 300+ attending Kitestock this year). Those that don’t obviously don’t see a benefit. There’s enough crap on this site as it is. Let it go people.
My last post on this, I'm getting a migraine
BWD, that quote from AKSA is nothing to brag about, they made a decision to change the % split between AKSA and the states.... woopee. they even describe it as " a very satisfying move " must have been many late nights to come up with that. And that's the best evidence you can come up with to support the claim that AKSA is being run correctly and providing adequate representation for it's members.
Membership of AKSA has plummeted when kiting as a sport is growing. Why ?
Without it (AKSA membership ) being a prerequisite at Mambo(ask the organizers their thoughts on AKSA ), kitestock etc.... Imagine what the membership figures would look like !
Any one who complains about AKSA or a facet of , is labelled as a whinger by both comittee members and their cronies ..... Great way to treat members or potential members.
Like I said before how come every other association or club ( all run by volunteers ) I am a member of does not have these issues ?
AKSA, for gods sake pay an administrator to run the thing. it is a national body and deserves someones full attention. Pass on the cost to members. If it cost each member an extra 20 or 30 a year people will pay but only if they see they are getting good representation, good communication and value for their $$$$ hold fundraisers or events, auction gear whatever is needed to raise the extra $$$$$ ( thats what other associations do ) or as big Dave and loverboy would prefer . stay as you are , do nothing, keep losing members until either the comittee is ousted or AKSA becomes so ineffectual and irrelevant that it collapses.
kiters, Support the state associations they do all the heavy lifting anyway ( also run by volunteers).
When I can see a change I will happily re join !
Ps: the tags are important they legitimize the association and provide evidence of membership to both kiters and the public alike. If AKSA don't deem them important enough to send out, why bother paying for them to be produced in the first place.
I can’t believe the level of apathy and acceptance on this issue. You know the profile of the average kiter is somewhere in the mid 30’s which means the average kiter possibly has one or more of the following:
1. Job
2. Mortgage
3. Kids
Which means commitments that will suffer due to loss of income. Just take a while to think of what would happen to you if you broke your leg kiting and could not work. Lost job? Home repossessed? Little Johnny and Jane back at your parents? Not a pretty picture eh?
Personally I have income protection insurance so I am not pushing my own barrow. I simply do not believe that with the membership numbers AKSA has (I am assuming here) and the potential market of non members that limited insurance for personal injury is not negotiable with a supplier.
Dave, just because an organisation is volunteer based does not mean it is above constructive criticism and improvement. I am not bashing AKSA for the sake of it I am trying to stimulate a debate on an issue that affects all kiters. If you hold yourselves out to be a national association that ‘represents all kiters’ then you have to accept that people will discuss your practices and policies and discuss improvements.
Its called democracy.
All this talk seems to be about value for money. Fair enough. For a sport to be recognised and accepted national and state bodies are important. When someone complains to the local council about their kid being hit by a stray kite the council as a number of options. They can ban kiting at that location if there is no one to discuss the issue with, or they can speak to a representative from a recognised sporting club and work out ways to minimise the risk of future problems. Councils prefer the second option if they know that kiters are not just a loose collection of individuals with no regard for the safety of the public.
Which would you prefer?
Appart from the insurance issue here are a few small examples of what state bodies do that I know about.
If it wasn't for NSWKBA working behind the scenes all NSW kiters would now be wearing PFD's whether they want to or not.
Right of way issues on Botany Bay. NSWKBA has had discussions with the Maritime authorities and acted to keep good relations with the authorities and other water users.
Look at the NSWKBA Code of Conduct on the web site. Every member will receive a copy with their renewal. It's all about safety and access to our beaches.
Kite Chicks - hugely successful.
