Boat Hazards

[RickI]

The following is a repost from the kitesurf list:

Thanks for the update Scott. They sound like some serious issues.
Kiteboarders should checkout the KS #1 account referenced in the last
message to stimulate consideration of how to deal with a potential
very serious situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kitesurf/ ... TEBOARDING%
20SAFETY%20REFERENCES/

That is you are connected to your control bar or even near the
lines when a boat crosses over your lines at high speed. The
outcome could be very serious and unavoidable once things are in
motion.

You might also post your email on the forum at iwindsurf.com. There
are a lot of California riders that monitor that list.

On the subject of cigarette boats, ($@#&%#^%, DELETED!). I have
been dodging those craft moving at unsafe speed NEAR shore or others
for decades. I have been run over about 30 times while diving and
twice while holding my breath free diving! As they move so fast,
normally by the time you hear the engine underwater they are on top
of you when you surface. So if you hear one you hang on to the
bottom and WAIT until the noise passes, if not it could be a nasty
surfacing. You do get to see an inverted boat wake from beneath it
but it really doesn't make up for the stress of the encounter while
free diving.

I don't even want to think what would be done to the body of a
connected or tangled kiteboarder if his lines were hit by a
cigarette moving at 60 to 90 mph. I would think death or severe
injury would be inevidable and some maiming as well. Watch out for
boats and particularly if your lines are on the water!

Rick Iossi

--- In kitesurf@y..., LA2WNDSRF@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 11/5/2002 6:03:14 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> flkitesurfer@h... writes:
>
>
> > A post including some other incidents involving windsurfers and
> > boats along with some possible ways of avoiding negative
> > consequences appear in:
> >
>
> Hi Rick -
> I was able to discern some information on the tragedy at the
kiteforum site.
> It is only a matter of time for kiters to be injured or killed by
powered
> watercraft in the USA too.
> Here's why-
> In 1999-2000, I and a 3 other windsurfers were involved with
coordinating a
> resolution to an on-going powered watercraft vs a non-powered
watercraft
> issue in Los Angeles Harbor, after the tragic death of a
windsurfer at the
> hands of a negligent jet skier (modified type).
> The same issue exists for kitesurfers, kayakers, board paddlers,
small
> sailboats, canoers, catamarrans.
> Powered water vessels are becoming faster and more prevalent at
many
> 'Enclosed and dual-use locations' - this is turning into a death
trap for
> non-powered watercraft users(including kiters).
> What we found is a real need to separate powered watercraft from
non-powered
> watercraft in small bays, lakes, rivers and harbors. And, all dual-
use
> launching sites are needed to be rigorously enforced with speed
limits (5mph
> for powered watercraft) and distance from powered watercraft.
> Most of us, non-powered watercraft users and/or authorities, may
find this to
> be a hassel until their friend(s) are repeatedly seriously injured
or killed
> by powered watercraft.
> We have found that very few powered watercraft people care about
non-powered
> watercraft people and frequently 'blame' us for being at fault.
They also
> have no remorse or regrets after injuring or killing someone and
in 75% of
> the incidents, they will 'hit & run' from the scene. That is the
kind of
> 'people' you are dealing with. Attend the meetings and you will
hear it for
> your self.
>
> The ONLY WAY TO STOP PROBLEMS IS TO PREVENT PROBLEMS.
> At So Cals fav beginner/intermediate kite beach, Belmont Shore,
Long Beach,
> we were recently confronted with another intrusion to help
establish an
> "in-the-water" boat ramp next to our kiting beach. This would mean
about
> 25-100 powered-watercraft a day right in the same area as 50-100
kiters,
> windsurfers, small sailboats etc.
> Fortunately, we are keeping that from happening for now, with the
Resident's
> Association carrying most of the political clout.
>
> The only solution to the problem from years of our experience is
to KEEP
> POWERED WATERCRAFT SEPARATE FROM NON-POWERED WATERCRAFT IN
CONFINED AREAS.
> Kite Strong, Kite Free
> Scott Carter
> LA/LB
>
> BTW, some of the cigarrette boats that jet by us in Long Beach do
speeds of
> over 90 mph and can probably do more than 100mph - the authorities
dont have
> a speed boat fast enough to catch them, and the speeders know it.
I know i
> could get plenty of email from pwc lovers, i dont respond to them
at all.
>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RickI on 2002-11-06 16:46 ]</font>