Rules of the water- right of way

http://www.gokite.com.au/resources/education/rights-of-way/

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Kitesurfing Rules and Right of Way

With more and more people on the water every year, and this year’s classic coming up, it seems like a good time to re-post (my suggested version of) the kiting right of way rules, edited from others. Please read/share, esp with beginners.

Basic Rule: No matter what, make sure that YOU are staying far enough away from others that you don’t crash or cross lines with someone even if they mess up.

Keep the kiting community friendly.

Good rule of thumb most of the time: stay at least a line length away from others, so if someone drops their kite on you, you won’t both end up with a bad day.

If you’re heading towards getting too close to someone, turn and go the other way. Don’t crash or make them crash because you can’t be bothered to turn. Stay far enough away from other people that you don’t get your lines crossed/tangled no matter what they do. If you can’t remember the rules, or if the other person can’t maneuver because they are down in the water or are a beginner or there is low wind or they are coming out from the beach or they don’t have good control over their kite…. stay a line length away. Don’t ride close to someone or right under someone’s lines unless it’s pretty clear that you both have good kite control. One kitemare takes up more time than 100x yielding a bit of space, and that’s if there is no harm to people or gear.
Yeah, when there are a ton of kiters out, sometimes you have to cross close over or under someone else. Avoid it when you can, esp if it’s not clear what the other person’s situation is, and everybody’s happier.

Fact: The ocean's really big... you don't have to mow the lawn right in front of your beach all the time.

Rules in Pictures:
http://www.gokite.com.au/resources/education/rights-of-way/

Rules in Words:
1. Don’t waterstart or transition or do your super cool trick when somebody is close enough downwind of you that if you crash you could hit them with your kite.
2. If you’re gonna transition, or go a different direction, make sure there’s nobody there.
3. If somebody is coming in on the beach and needs his or her kite caught… be nice and catch it. Even if you have to put down your beer. Especially if they’re struggling with the surf/rocks/board/low wind.
4. Other water users with limited maneuverability (yeah such as larger boats!) are always right. The same goes for slower water users e.g. swimmers or sometimes even windsurfers.
5. Kitesurfer on a starboard tack (right hand/shoulder forwards when heel side) has right of way. Given it’s wind and geography, this normally means In Ventana YIELD TO THE PERSON GOING TOWARDS THE BEACH.
6. Kitesurfer on a port tack (left hand/shoulder forwards when heel side) must yield right of way which is typically going downwind, however it's the person on the starboard tack that decides where he or she wants to go.
7. When two kiters are on the same tack, kitesurfer that's upwind must give way to the kitesurfer downwind - e.g. if he's faster, let him pass.
8. That does't mean that if you're downwind you shouldn't be mindful of the guy upwind - not everyone knows these simple rules.
9. When two kitesurfers are passing each other riding in opposite directions
- upwind kiteboarder must keep their kite high,
- kiteboarder downwind must keep their kite low.
10. In the surf: kitesurfers leaving the shore have the right of way.
11. In the surf: kitesurfers riding a wave have the right of way, except when the other person is leaving the shore.
12. When you're riding behind someone stay vigilant as they might not look back before maneuvering.