Safety First?

[Norman]

I was chatting with Chub and Joshua this weekend when the subject turned to near-misses that we'd had in the past while surfing on windy days. Turned out that both Joshua and I have had a near-collision inside the main bay, i.e. directly opposite the center.

While recounting the details of our lucky escapes, it was suggested that perhaps for the sake of safety during windy days we should outlaw high-speed course-changes and unnecessary manoeuvring inside the bay altogether, i.e. tacking, duck jibing, general freestyling etc. After all, the bay is often packed with surfers trying to launch and don't yet have accelerated up to speed, as well as newbies and class-takers that aren't experienced enough yet to know when or how to take adequate evasive action.

During side-shore winds it can be quite shiok to practice jibing in the bay, because the water is sheltered by the breaker and the longkang, hence quite flat. But in the interest of safety perhaps banning this, at least during the busier weekends, is not a bad idea.

We figured the bay entrance runs from the imaginary line between the end of the longkang to the breaker.

Joshua also suggested that if anyone is caught by a few people screeching into the bay at full blast, then a S$ 10 fine is payable by the culprit. All proceeds to go to a BBQ. 

Anyway, just floating a balloon here. Your feedback is welcome.

[Ian]

"During side-shore winds it can be quite shiok to practice jibing in the bay, because the water is sheltered by the breaker and the longkang, hence quite flat"

Or is it purely showboating?

[Coolsurfer]

i wish i had a camera at the time of an incident where a short board was cut at the side front end of about 300mm in length by a fin from another surfer during a high wind planing where the two boards kissed. The fin is scarry, sliced that board, skinning off 5mm depth into that board. This happened elsewhere.

Close encounter...

[38 mph]

Ian is about right.
For 40 years, people have been blasting in and out from beaches seemingly on rails.
They do their turns, tricks, light cigarettes or put on their makeup etc next to the beach so they can impress their girlfriends, mistresses or the occaisonal cameraman.
Set some long distance races round the tankers offshore.
Better still send themto Batam on long boards. Like we used to do !!

[Norman]

"During side-shore winds it can be quite shiok to practice jibing in the bay, because the water is sheltered by the breaker and the longkang, hence quite flat"

Or is it purely showboating?

Not me, I couldn't complete a jibe to save my life. 

But yeah, some peeps have suggested that we return that little red bouy that Ahlee put outside the bay last year for jibe practice.

[jacktan]

Since we are on the topic of safety, I would like to highlight what I think is a serious safety issue that should be addressed.
Firstly, "Starboard has right of way over Port" should always be obeyed.
Secondly, "Port has to alter course EARLY and Starboard has to MAINTAIN course."
Thirdly, "Do what you have to do to avoid collision and injury." Guess this one is common sense.
A typical scenario takes place on a beautiful crowded weekend with 10-15 knots of wind. The wind and the current are moving in the same direction. Everyone wants to go upwind and it is like a game of who blinks first. Then at the last moment both blink. The result is a collision or near collision.
I think these basic rules should be obeyed whether you are a beginner or pro.
Cheers,
Jack

[Denis Wee]

Firstly, "Starboard has right of way over Port" should always be obeyed.
Secondly, "Port has to alter course EARLY and Starboard has to MAINTAIN course."

How do you explain all this to kiters

[Rich Chang]

Almost all the kiters are fellow windsurfers; they read this forum;  we (wsurfers & Kiters) should all conform what Jack has recapped..   Kiters who are reading this should comment on this proposal and voice their own concerns..if any.   

[Chubby]

Remind me to put e bouy, but if e winds dies coz of that
dont blame me

[Norman]

On Chubz 

[PlaneSailin]

"Port has to alter course EARLY and Starboard has to MAINTAIN course."

I think this is a key point - often, you don't know whether the other person is going to change course or not until very late.  It's not like road traffic, where you can assume 99% of the time that the other people will follow the rules, and traffic will flow in an orderly manner.

Also, sometimes it seems like it's just not practical to change course, if it would require bearing off deep downwind, right across the other person's path.  Might as well just stay on the wrong side and keep clear, but it's a difficult choice to make sometimes. 

And if the other person is flying a kite, you'd have to go quite far downwind of them just to be safe, so it's always going to make more sense for a kite to pass a windsurfer on the leeward side, regardless of which tack they're on.     

[Chubby]

good kiters will know to bring up their kite to let e windsurfer pass

[PlaneSailin]

good kiters will know to bring up their kite to let e windsurfer pass

But how can you be 100% sure?  And what if something goes wrong?

It's mostly psychological, I know - it seems more dangerous than it really is...but...

[Ian]

Me, i just treat everyone on the water as an idiot, well Norman only that is  

I know who has the right of way, hold my course, but always ready to avoid collisions and adjust my course accordingly, as most people don't seem to know who has the right of way, know their left from right hand or are unable to make course changes.

If you have the right of way, you can signal it loudly, like calling out STARBOARD or F..k off out of my way you bast..d, should Norman be the offender (often seen looking down at his GPS hoping for another bottle of champers and generally having way too much water time).

The bay posers know who they are and can be clearly identified as they seem to appear regularly in the videos.

Please don't forget that in the 90's someone was killed in Singapore from the result of a collision between 2 windsurfers.

[Denis Wee]

Almost all the kiters are fellow windsurfers; they read this forum;  we (wsurfers & Kiters) should all conform what Jack has recapped..   Kiters who are reading this should comment on this proposal and voice their own concerns..if any.   

How does a kiter know whether he's on starboard tack or port?  If he's been windsurfing before he probably does, but if he's never windsurfed or sailed before then he will have a problem.