VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I have read the thoughtful suggestions and opinions herein. Basically there are a few truths that should be considered in this important discussion. One - everyone at Nitinat, kiters and windsurfers (I'll call them Boarders) are here to enjoy the wind and have a nice time on and off the water. Two everyone has the right to do so and do so safely without negatively impacting the use of the site for others, Three - site use is increasing and will only continue to do so, Four - a new level of informal or formal regulation (in my opinion) is needed to maintain safety and thereby ensure our continued access to the site. You can bet that a serious accident and resulting complaints will draw the attention of the government and its regulation of use at the site. In my opinion, it would be better to regulate ourselves first and demonstrate our co-organization as a single user group, rather than have the government do it for us. If we as users take the initiative then we should be able to secure our long term interests. If we wait for the government the outcome may not be very positive and I think kiting is particularly vunerable here. Thus I suggest that the Nitinat Windsurfing Society needs to modify its constitution to include kiting and change the name possibly to the Nitinat Boarding Society. Then a representative group of kiters and windsurfers need to meet and discuss safety and how we can collectively promote safe use of the site by both groups. (this was done previously but seems to need modification and a higher level profile). It seems to me that some education for both user groups on how they each operate is needed (circulated as a brouchure with a few strategically placed signs). As a windsurfer and kiter myself I have experienced and witnessed incidents where both windsurfers and kiters have not been very respectful of safety for the benefit of each other. In addition, without education and clearly understood guidelines for everyone this problem will continue to escalate.

I would hope the outcome of a updated society would be a propossed site use plan developed by both user groups with guidelines that can be presented to the society members for ratification. This would likely produce the best compromise outcome to promote the continued safe use of the rec site for all boarders.

A little organization now may go a long way for the future of our boarding interests at the Lake. That being said I am willing to get involved with the society as required to help this take place. We need to hear from the current Society Executive?

My two Cents - Shred Safe and Hard and be respectful of your fellow users.

Tom Vandall

Nice suggestions Tom, the reality is that the lake isn't "like it used to be" and will no longer be, call it evolution and overpopulation. There are definately a lot more people using the site for both windsurfing and kiting, soooo many new faces (I personally think this is great). What I am having difficulty understanding here is that both experienced kiters and experienced windsurfers have the capability to head upwind a long ways!!! up to the little island if need be. On occasion when the lanes become overly crowded and I feel I cannot do what I want in a safe and fun manner, I just turn the board up wind and head out. Rarely, if ever have I seen it congested around or above the caycuse river. For that matter, once the wind has locked in there is some great wave riding below the main beach area on the other side of the lake. The real estate in front of the actual campground is just a fraction of water real estate available to sail so why must we all stick in front of it and fight over it???? Granted there are times one wants to showboat, especially when you have just learned a new trick or something (been guilty of that a few times ) so do your thing get some photos, then bug out and practice some more elsewhere. I don't get this animosity between sports, we are all out on the lake to have fun, sure there are times I don't understand why something happened or why someone did what they did, but hey, it didn't ruin my day nor did I want to go punch someone out, so what is up with all the bickering are we not adults? In my mind it will be a sad day when there have to be Hard rules set down to follow on the lake, enfored by whomever, so I totally agree with Tom V. lets work together amongst ourselves and those we share the water with and get back to what the whole purpose of being at the lake is about, having fun, meeting friends and enjoying good sailing!

Aren't we all having too much fun for all the fuss to be going on? Let's co-operate and get off on one another. Nitinat is more fun than ever. I've been going every summer since about 85 and my last trip last month was the best ever. Cool people, shortboard blasting all day on my 5.0, learning to kitesurf, living in the bush with friends, groovin on the far out wilderness....it's the best it can be. We're there. Let's learn about one another and enrich ourselves in the process:
Windsurfers; stop being paranoid and hostile to the kiters. Face it, the competitve equipment-dense grind of the nineties wasn't much fun after awhile. Kiters came along just in time to add a new dimension to wind crazyness. The lake is a bigger experience now; you must be able to handle more fun. Don't be scared of kites, just stay away from them. It's easy
Kiters; don't respond to the fight. Continue to be the fun new guys and gals you are. You've reeally spiced-up the lake and I will soon be joining you. What fun to have to decide whether to windsurf or kitesurf today. It just keeps getting better. Can we handle it? Easily.
We are West Coast people.

This is an issue that needs to be discussed. I have been in dangerous situations that could have been avoided if everyone followed the user guide. I believe the answer to this problem is education and awareness. The user guide should be amended if necissary and posted in more places. Don't be afraid to tell people nicely if you think they are in a dangerous situation. As Tom V pointed out, a major accident will cause many problems for the campsite, I am suprised such a mishap has not already happened this year.

Both windsurfers and kiters need to be educated. Who was there originally is totally irrelevant.

My 2 cents.
Tom B

Hi,
I was bitching about kiters in another thread (I know it wasn't the right place to do so), as last week I feel Nitnat was becoming a zoo. I have seen many good kiters doing tricks almost on the beach, and crashing kites so close to the shore or on the beach once.
I would say 50% of my friends are kiters, I was as well at some point. I pick up a kiteboard drifting last week. Sure enough it will be more and more dificult to sail safe in the future. But it is everyone's responsability (I think windsurfers can be dangerous too) to make sure we keep Nitnat (and other places) safe . I feel not safe in the gorge on windy weekend either..
I was with a friend of mine whom had no clue about kites and he came across a situation where a kite was in the water but did not even think, someone was attached to the lines... Education is indeed one of the key to avoid some serious incident. There is enough trees at the campsite to post some signs in regards of sailing and kiting..
I have heard someone saying there is another launch on the North side of the lake, is that true? Is there any other access to consider I loved the nice beach up wind of the camp site, past the river. I can see myself launching from there ..

I am a long time windsurfer at Nitinat, and am just learning to kite. Like Tom V says, discussion is the key to future friendly relations between the sports (they ARE different, no matter how much the people who do them are the same). Dangers need to be identified, because a crash between the two sports will hurt BOTH participants, and so prevention is in everyones interest. There is a third party as well, BOATERS. I was in the water last Saturday, near shore with my kite, just starting to body drag in very light wind. I barely had enough wind to fly the kite but it was picking up so I let it pull me out into water over my head. I looked downwind and was shocked to see a large aluminimum skiff coming directly toward me, with noone on the front of it checking the water! None of the occupants were visible to me, so I knew that they couldn't see me either. It continued to come as I realized I had to take the kite out of neutral position and try to get some power into it to take me out of their line of travel. They were only five or ten meters away when one of them finally saw my head coming into view just a meter or so out of line with the boat. I yelled "Watch where you're going"! and the three people in the boat, who had all been looking inshore instead of straight ahead in this high water use area, realized there mistake and said "Didn't see you there." The thought of being chopped up by their outboard really wasn't forgotten that easily though. This was witnessed by a few of the kiters I talked to when I returned up the beach later.

On a side note, I was amazed to find that the wrist leash from my kiting bar had been stolen off the bar, at my campsite, three days later as I was preparing to go for my last kite session, (after waiting an hour or two for the wind to come down to my speed) before leaving Nitinat. This is another shock to me. I guess Nitinat is self supporting for some summer person, camping free on the beach, living for the wind, and taking the parts they need from someone else. Thanks for tainting the many years of bliss I have experienced at Nitinat, for the sake of your uninterrupted sense of freedom (however irresponsible it may be to others.)

Thanks for listening.

WR

You know, more launch spots IS a good idea. There's lotsa lake, just not enough beach. So let's get some more! I ventured to the site west of the caycuse river and it's very beautiful. And there's a nice launch just above the river. It would involve a little equipment transport but nothing any of us hasn't done before. I saw a big school bus on the other side a few years ago so there's got to be a way over there. And I've heard of a down wind more wavy area around the Little Nitinat river . Maybe we could pool our information and get into some new spots for next summer. Maybe an out-house or two could be built in the spring. Exploring new territory used to be the norm back in the old days....it was adventurous and fun. It would be cool to just spread it all out alleviating the weekend crowding and go back to our easy-going old ways.
I'm going back before the month ends and if it's crowded (it's not during the week) I think I'll try camping up above the river. I'll be the only one there with the place to myself. Maybe I'll sail down and visit the "village" if I get lonely.

Sadly access to the other side of the lake is only by boat at this time as the old forestry road washed out badly and has yet to be repaired. As for launching sites up the beach for kites/windsurfers hey if you up for the walk, fantastic. at this time there really isn't road access to the beach just on the other side of the river, although I do remember a old road that did head down that way of the caycuse mainline (heading towards carmana).

Funny how it was much the same during the old skier/snowboarder rift that eventually pushed skiing to new hieghts..

Will kiting not do the same?

Taker easy
and if she's easy
taker again!