Probably not a good idea if the beach was packed with people but if you know what your doing it can be safe. With straight onshore winds it is very hard to get out past the break if you dont have a big board but as for riding trough people I wouldnt recomend it but i'v done it.

Thanks for being aware and noting the situation. I was out paddle surfing yesterday and noticed the same guy heading down the beach. I agree with your concerns for beachgoers, and this does need to be addressed here. We have been very fortunate so far in St. Johns County not to have any serious accidents yet, and there are currently no restrictions in place. We would very much like to keep it that way.

This time of year presents a number of different problems for kiteboarding in the St. Augustine area. First of all, there are many more vehicles and beachgoers, which means less beach to launch and land kites, especially at higher tide. The general rule of thumb is to allow at least 2 line lengths downwind of your setup area for launching and landing. With onshore winds and high tide, this is pretty much impossible at areas where driving on the beach is allowed. There is however an area from A Street north to Anastasia State Park where there are fewer people and a wider beach for safely launching a landing. We need to be careful though about kiting here when the waves are up because it is a popular beach for surfing, and surfers have the right of way.

Any time there are onshore winds and waves, the surface current is 2-3 knots towards shore. That can make it difficult or even impossible to get out past the shorebreak, especially in lighter wind conditions. We have been told on downwinders by several law enforcement officials that technically we are considered a marine vessel, and are subject to the rule of staying at least 400 feet from the beach. While this hasn't been confirmed, the last thing we want is for this rule to start being enforced. The best thing we can do as responsible kiters is to be aware of the conditions, and ride in areas where we can get well offshore and at least 2 line lengths upwind of beachgoers and swimmers. Matanzas Inlet offers an awesome open area with the current opposing the wind during outgoing tide, making it easy to stay upwind and out the way of beachgoers and fishermen. If the tide is incoming, and the wind isn't sufficient to get out past the breakers, then I'd recommend trying a mountainboard on the beach down at the state park where there are no people around. All it takes is a broken line or other equipment failure heading down the beach for your kite to crash into someone and create access problems for everyone who loves to kite in St. Augustine. You may think you are so good that it's not a problem for you, but as everyone knows who has been kiting long enough, &%IT HAPPENS, especially in kiteboarding.

Be aware and keep it safe!

Thanks,

Eddie Toy
Kiteboarding Instructor
Extreme Kites