Kiteboarding Essentials
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Seabreeze (has seven day predictions of wind speed, direction and swell) and Weatherzone provide nation wide information. Information by State (WA, QLD, VIC, NSW, SA, TAS, NT) WAP, SMS,Web Cam and Global resources are below the table. Here are the Bureau of Meterology Predictions and Observations pages:
WA Bunbury Port - has wind direction and speed updated approximately every 30 minutes. Geraldton Port - has wind direction and speed updated approximately every 15 minutes. QLD Coastwatch - is a detailed weather site for the whole state. VIC Kiteboarding Victoria - has weather information. NSW Sydney Ports - has regularly updated wind direction and wind speed information for Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. SA Wunderground.com (SA) - shows wind speed and direction and cloud cover. TAS Wunderground.com (TAS) - shows wind speed and direction and cloud cover. NT Wunderground.com (NT) - shows wind speed and direction and cloud cover. WAP What knots - will deliver information you to via WAP browser for a fee. SMS Seabreeze - also offers an SMS service that alerts you when the conditions you nominate occur! WEB CAMS Coastalwatch.com - has a geat list of webcams by state. Seabreeze - has camera links for WA; specifically Swanbourne, Trigg, Scarborough and Hillarys. GLOBAL Going overseas? Wind finder and Buoy weather provide weather observation data from a range of locations all over the world. For international locations check out Kiting Spots below. |
| KITING SPOTS Those inclined to kiteboard with others need only to attend their local kiting shop or school, log into a kiting forum or drive along their patch of coast to find fellow kiteboarders. For those of you looking for secret spots, I can only suggest you check the wind direction planned for the day and use Google Earth to help find stretches of coast that suit the conditions and your level of ability. Kite Atlas might be useful to people planning an overseas mission. Wherever you are, help to keep the sport admired and respected by the public. Make it a rule to kite downwind of other non-kiters (even awesome kiters can overshoot a landing), know the right of way rules and give way to passers-by when on the shore. |
| GEAR REVIEWS
www.kite-surf.com is a well structured review site that takes postings from its viewers. Share your experiences of a piece of gear and help us all distinguish genuine improvements from marketing hype. Seabreeze has forum for gear reviews. Kite Community has a review section. The adage "where there's smoke, there's fire" seems relevant here. It is also unfortunately the case, however, that "If you throw enough mud, some with stick." Testing, or having someone whose opinion you respect, testing a piece of gear before buying it (or one like it) is another option. |
| FUN STUFF GENERAL Here is a cool info site from Cesar - Aboutkite.com. Esperance-Kiters.com.au is a site by kiters from Esperance. PHOTOGRAPHERS Martin Pepper - try the Snaps 2 Gallery for some of his kiting pics. Tim McKenna - those teahupoo pics! Mark Johnson - links to his kitesurfing section. Ian Osborne - has really cool, original perspectives of kiteboarding. Kite Surf Sessions has a neat online gallery. Submit us your best photos and Blowie will post the most entertaining in the Snaps Galleries. MUSIC www.extremesportsmusic.com claims to cover the extreme music scene. RIDERS Aaron Hadlow - His personal site. Ruben Lenten- His personal site. Ben Wison- His personal site ART, FASHION & CULTURE Kite Surf Australia Designs FORUMS Seabreeze MAGAZINES Kiteworld - The magazine's website. Core Online Magazine - An online magazine. |
| RETAILERS & SCHOOLS (WA,NSW,VIC,QLD,TAS,ONLINE) WESTERN AUSTRALIA (School (S), Gear (G), Conducts repairs in house (R ) and Online Second Hand (SH). Metropolitan (S,G, SH)Airborne (S,G,SH)Australian Kiteboarding School (S,G,SH)Choice Kitesurfing (G)Fetish kiteboards (Link coming soon) (G,R) Hold the Line (S)Ian Young (S,G, SH) Kite Addiction (S,G,SH) SOS Surf and Sail (G) Surf Sail Australia (S,G,SH)Windforce Rockingham (S,G)West Oz Kiteboarding South West (Bunbury) (S, G, SH)South West Kiteboarding (Margaret River) (G)Delta Designs (S,G)Mr Kite and Sail Lancelin Windsurf WA Geraldton (G,S) G Spot Extreme (G)Sail West (G)New Kiteboarding NEW SOUTH WALES Central Coast (G) ESS Boardstore Coogee (G, S) Kitepower Jindabyne (G) ESS Boardstore Newcastle (G) ESS Boardstore (G) Kite works Paramatta (G) ESS Boardstore Sans Souci (G,S)Kitepower The Entrance (G,S)Kiteforce Tuncurry (G,S,SH) Cross Shore Kiteboarding VICTORIA Geelong (G,S) Kitepower (S) Kite Rite Australia Sandringham (G,S,SH) Kitesurf Direct St Kilda (G,S)Kite Republic QUEENSLAND Cairns (S)Kite Rite Australia Brisbane (S) Skysurf Kitesurf school Brisbane/Sunshine Coast (S,G) Kite Republic (S,G) Surf Connect Clontarf (Redcliffe City) (G,S,SH) Briskites Fraser Coast/Hervey Bay (G,S)Kite Republic Gold Coast (Broadwater) (S)Pureaqua kitesurfing (S) Paul Jackson's Kitesurfing - phone 0418 722 928 (Mermaid Beach) (G,S)Kitesurf Goldcoast (Southport and Palm Beach) (G)Surf FX - tel 5531 3199 (Tweed Heads) (G,S,SH) AR Wake N Surf Port Douglas (G)Windswell Kitesurfing TASMANIA Devonport (G,S)Kite Republic JUST ONLINE (G,SH) www.extremekites.com.au www.ikiteboarding.com |
| SECOND HAND GEAR Asnew.com.au has kiteboarding gear. Seabreeze- direct to the second hand gear page for Australia. Kite Trader - International second hand kite market with Australia as a region. See also Retailers & Schools with the SH coding above. Here are some Ebay kite gear quick searches:
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| REPAIRS & DIY Hold the line - repairs to kites in WA. Moti Levi - Specialises in kite and bladder repairs (in NSW but provides national service). www.kiterepairs.com.au - Repairs to kites in Toormina NSW. The Kite Doctor - performs canopy, strut, leading edge and bladder repairs in WA. Will Pringle - repairs to kites in QLD (tel:0412986953). Shapers - A resource for fibreglass and associated board repair and construction materials. |
| POSTAGE & FREIGHT Australia Post has postage calculators and a COD Service. Courier Australia WA-based couriers. DHL Australian division - perhaps most useful to merchants. Fed Ex (Australia) USPS - has a postage rate calculator which enables you to check the rates quoted by US sellers. TNT - Provides a national service. |
| AUSSIE ACCESSORIES FCS Creatures of Leisure Predator straps Wet Dreams |
| ASSOCIATIONS Do you know who gives way when another rider is heading directly towards you? NATIONAL AKSA WESTERN AUSTRALIA WAKSA SOUTH AUSTRALIA South Central Kiteboarders SAKSA VICTORIA Kiteboarding Victoria QUEENSLAND South East Queensland Kite Association |