Sunday April 27th was Opening Day on the Bay...It was a warm, breezy and crowded afternoon at Coyote Pt. with swimmers and beachgoers lining every inch of available "sand."
The new sandbag ramp is a hit with everyone and it attracted an overflow crowd of people just trying to get close to the water.

Unfortunately someone from the concession area (see Jane's clarification below) decided to launch a beginner kiter and have him drag thru the swimming area while the instructor followed carring the student's board. A third kiter, after being warned by the ranger to stay out of the swimming area, launched from the same spot and proceeded to short tack upwind flying his kite just a few feet over a crowd of about 20 people who were standing at the sandbag ramp. After a few minutes the third kiter returned to the beach and attempted to land his kite over people wading in the water. Fortunately local kiter SNix (who had just done a safe water landing upwind and away from the swim area) went to his aid and directed the landing away from the waders.

It's obvious that the kiters launching from the concession area showed no regard for the safety of other park users and no regard for the posted rules of the Park. If kiting is banned at Coyote it will be because they refuse to follow the posted rules, standard safety practices and local kite etiquette that has until now been observed by other kiters at Coyote Pt.

Jane sent this email:
"Those were not our students. Not sure where you are getting your facts.
We don’t teach water lessons at coyote beach. It’s not safe for beginners. Also, kiting and windsurfing is banned from the swim area...and we tell all our windsurf renters and students that.

Please don’t make accusations without asking questions.
Jane"

I replied:
"If the lesson wasn't from your school than I'll retract that portion of the post. It was very obvious that one kiter was instructing another and they rigged and launched from the beach in front of the concession going directly through the swim area.
Minutes later I personally saw the third kiter (blue kite) as he came from the concession buildings with the guy who helped launch his kite. That assistant returned to the concession building shortly thereafter. Approximately 30 minutes after that, a male windsurfer coming from the concession building proceeded to use the swimming area as if it were a sailing zone, not just attempting to get to the wind line, but sailing exclusively in the swim area. He was on a Hot Sail (blue and white), couldn't tell you what kind of board, couldn't tell you if he was an employee or a renter but I can tell you he came directly from the concession building and was not a floundering beginner.
From all appearances, someone's not getting the message about no kiting or windsurfing in the swimming area and the people who are doing it seem to be centered at the concession. This is firsthand observation.

mo"

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