This weekend I noticed several newer riders showed up at PaG to ride.
I mentioned this idea to most that were there that were new to the area, but figured I would post it again on here all the same. I have been riding PaG now going on 7 years for kiting and before that windsurfing going back quite aways. We have had a core group of about ten riders there for several years that have followed an "agreement" out there.

Until this weekend, I had never witnessed kiters or windsurfers enter the swim area where all the people hang out. Yesterday, I saw several riders going thru the swimmers repeatedly for hours getting very close to people and on several occasions dropping kites in the swim zone close to waders.

It concerns me that 6 years of kiting etiquette and efforts to stay out of that area to insure continued access might be risked if this approach continues.

Here is the situation as I see it.

When at PaG, nearly all the people are located in a fairly limited area by where the parking meters are. Most people are very lazy and don't want to walk 5 feet more than necessary, so it ends up being very crowed by the meters.

This works to our advantage, because about 150 yards north of where a lot of riders were yesterday there is relatively open space with very limited numbers of people (usually 2 people per 40 yards as compared to 2 people per 10 feet).

So beach goers laziness works to our advantage at PaG by providing a non crowded rigging and riding area for us to use.

Can I ask that riders in the future please walk the extra five minutes to insure we don't land and launch in a crowded area. Kiting is by nature takes up a lot of beach space. If a launch went bad yesterday, it would have been in a highly visible area and also may have adversely affected some beach goers... double whammy.

The riding in the crowded area was what really got to me though.
I just don't think there is any excuse for this. I saw several incidents that basically floored me, especially jumping and landing close to kids.

I want riders out there to realize that we have had zero problems out there up to now for a long time due to the agreement at PaG among riders. I only want for this to continue.
If we do run into problems, I am confident that it will be due our laziness to not walk the extra 150 yards and also our ignorance to ride in the swim zone of a relatively heavily populated area of our beaches.

Please just use judgment out there.
Thanks.