![: KiteboardingUK : UK Kite Club : Kite Shop : Kite Lessons : 24 hr Online Kite Shop :]() | : KiteboardingUK : UK Kite Club : Kite Shop : Kite Lessons : 24 hr Online Kite Shop :
For information regarding Kite Equipment or Kite Lessons email us at info@kiteboardinguk(nospam).com remove the nospam and brackets bit.
Here is our shop address.
Kiteboarding UK.com, 301 London Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. NR33 0DX
Direct Line 01502 512768
Many ask. "Where are we based"? Lowestoft is the most Easterly point of England, it is the bit that sticks out like the arse end of England. We are just metres from the beach. It also means we can handle a huge amount of wind directions. Anything from North to South directly on our local beach and anything from North West to South West is just a 30 minute drive away. So now you know! KiteboardingUK's Kite School also has one of the biggest Kite teaching Kite zones in Europe it is a scrub beach with no tourists.
Our History. Briefly. We have been trading and retailing in watersports/extremesports related products since 1990 and in later part of 1999 our founder stumbled upon kiteboarding while on a surfboarding trip in Hossegor, France. At the time a yearly pilgramage to the Quiksilver/Rip Curl Surfboarding ASP ContestTours in Hossegor and Bairritz. And the rest is history,as they say.
If your popping up to Kiteboard here please call us in advance as there are spots where kiting is banned and there are some very dangerous spots and conditions. There are also hidden dangers which every time a tourist turns up we have the same old issues and problems. So call us in advance and we will tell you all our secrets.
Telephone Mail Order lines are open till 22:30 every evening, need advice just call. if you dont get thru on phone lines, please send us an email.
Our email address is above but if you dont get a reply please email us again at kiteboardinguk(NOSPAM)@hotmail.com obviously remove the (NOSPAM) piece. We do have a very aggressive Spam Filter which knocks out some real legit emails to us every now and then. Especially those from overseas. It does pay to mention kiteboarding in the title of your email, any stupid names or comments like "Hello" or just a blank email titles will probably get deleted by our spam filter. Apologies in advance for that.
After shop hours, appointments no problem, just call to book an appointment 07951 169871
We are constantly upgrading our website, and adding new products. But with products moving so fast its very difficult to keep. We sell all brands so if its out there, we can get it. We can equal or better any price or package deal available in todays market. So if you want something please email or give us a call and we will give you the best price.
You can email us at info@NOSPAMkiteboardinguk.com or try kiteboardinguk@NOSPAMhotmail.com if you dont get a reply. Remove the NOSPAM from email addresses.
Flexifoil Atom now clearing 07 new Flexifoil Atom 08 now in shop.
Ocean Rodeo Rise kites and Pryro Pro and Pyro Surf now in stock.
Nobile Kites the latest product from Mark Shinn, now updated.
Best Nemesis Now in stock we have EZ easy one pump and standard inflation or non one pump
Best Waroo 2008 Now in stock. Same bar from 2007 Waroo, Best Yarga and Best Bularoo will work on the new 2008 kites from Best, its a simple upgrade some spectacular.
Best Waroo, now clearing massive discounts. Buy 3 kites get Best Spark Kiteboard free.
Best Waroo buy 2 kites online and get free harness, or impact vest, just email us you size for the impact vest, or your harness style waist or seat and you harness and we will find you a harness. Choices will be made from current stock.
F One Bandit kites are now available
Nobile Kiteboards 555 now in shop.
Nobile Kiteboards 666 now in shop.
Mark Shinn Pro now in shop.
Nobile Skimboards now in shop.
North X ride Kiteboard and North Jamie Pro Kiteboard for 2008 now in stock.
Best Hover Footpads are a great replacement footpad and footstrap set. They use the gel air spacer just like Nike training shoes. With Carbon Fibre deck pads. We like.
Flexifoil ION 2 Now in stock we have the new upgraded Ion2 with strengthened attachment points and also limited edition colours such as the HULK.
Best Kiteboarding Spark Kiteboard £250 just arrived, a kiteboard for £250 you gotta be kidding and its a great design. Amazing value and looks the dogs.
Nobile NBL Kiteboard. Nobile have just produced an entry level priced board with top quality Nobile production. A year ago this board would have retailed for £499 not anymore check them out in our kiteboard section
The Carafino hydrofoilboards are here, we are all using them and a hard group of riders locally, greatest light wind weapon ever, effortless in the East coast chop.
Nobile NBL Now Available, Nobile starter level kiteboard , well priced entry board. Unreal specs and build quality Nobile all the way £339. Unreal bargain. Nobile have designed the NBL to compete in the market of the cheaper eastern european companies out there.
Best Spark another beginner to intermediate kiteboard and in direct competition with the Nobile NBL, take your pick both great boards. Best Spark is just a little cheaper.
Best Yarga SLE hybrid now in stock.
Takoon Nova and ENova proving popular well priced and super performance, these kites have the largest wind ranges of any kites we have tried. Especially the Nova 2. However put them on the beach next to a Best Waroo and you will struggle to see the difference. We love the Takoon Nova, Sarge has been using the 9m since they first started and just cant stop picking them up. Especailly the 9m awesome kite.
Takoon Furia dont overlook the Takoon Furia another very successful easy to use hybrid kite with classic kite feel.
Best Waroo's have been popular this year and now the SLE Yarga is available and very high kite with classic feel and approach.
Best Rastaroos / Waroo also in stock in 15m
Bic Surfboards are in stock the full range.
Flexifoil Ion 2 and Flexifoil Atoms now in stock and yes we have Rasta colours still available.
Carafino Hydrofoilboards now available, check out http://www.foilboarding.co.uk
Jimmy Lewis Kiteboards now available. Including the Jimmy Lewis Charger, Jimmy Lewis Model 3, Jimmy Lewis Twisted Sister and Sister, Jimmy Lewis Park. and of course the Jimmy Lewis Rad-F and the those Surfboards and now taking pre order for the Jimmy Lewis Stand up paddleboards. Due in the shop in August 2007 or earlier if production allows.
We stock the following products. Airush-AirTraction-Best-B3-BicSports-Brunotti-Cabrinha-Carafino-CircleOne-CrazyFly-DaKine-DirtyDog-Eola-Fat Sand-Flexifoil-FOne-Flysurfer-Gath-Gul-Hardcore-HQKites-Hillbilly-Kodeblu-Kite Surf Australia-Kheo-Libre-MBS-Jimmy Lewis-Liquid Force- Litewave-Mistral-MBS Mountainboards-NeilPryde-Nobile-North Kiteboarding-Obrien-Ozone-OceanRodeo-Oceanus-PeterLynn-ProLimit-Parastorm-Rhombus-Scrub-ShredReady-Spleene-Slingshot-Starkites-Takoon-TarifaFinCo-Xtreme-Xplorer-And-Many-More-
If you dont see it in the webshop, tell us and we will place it in for you to buy.
Point out any faults on pricing or glitches in our system and we will reward you on your next purchase with discount. We value your feedback.
For more information on our products. Please email us directly and one of our instructors will be happy to give advice and help. Kiteboarding UK trys very hard to openly promote safe kiting, all kites sold directly from our shop come with a free lesson to show you how to set up your kite, how to fly your kite and how all the safety and water relaunch systems work with your new equipment. We have affiliated instructors and other schools across the country who we pay to teach you. You can call our IKO/BKSA Instructor directly on 07951 169871.
Please book appointment in advance for these services, and then we can an arrange for a IKO/BKSA Instructor to be in the shop to answer your questions or to go down the beach with you and go over your equipment.
BUY EQUIPMENT AND LESSON GIFT VOUCHERS ONLINE.
Gul Astro Drysuits are popular this winter. Gul even have some new models not even on there website.
North Rebel 2008 just around the corner now.
North Rhino 07 now Available. Flexifoil Ion2 Now Available.
Flexifoil Fusion 2 now available. Cabrinha Omega now available.
Best Bularoo Now available. Ocean Rodeo Pyro Surf Suit.
Ocean Rodeo Go Joe, the board recovery system, better than a leash and they work fine.
North Vegas and Rebel 2007 Now available.
Cabrinha Nobile and Best are all now producing kite specific Snowboards, email us for more info and prices. Cabrinha Omega Snowkites from Cabrinha.Best Bularoo Snowkite Allterrainkite, Coming soon. A top value snow kite from Best. We seen the protos.F One Tribal 2 Now available. Cabrinha Switchblade 2 is now in shop in size 8m for now more coming soon. Be one of the first to get these beasties. its winter and the high winds are happening more now. F One Rival available now, please call. Airush Converse 2007 and Airush Hammer 2007 available now, Sarge will have one of each to demo very soon. F One Tribal 2 is in the shop.
North Vegas 07 please pre order this kite for the moment coming very soon. Slingshot Link Now available. Best Waroo 2007 Now available. Best Waroo Pro Now available. Flexifoil Ion 2
Takoon Enova Now available. Takoon Nova 2, Now available. Nobile Kiteboards 2007, Now available and in shop. Flexifoil Atom. Now available. North Rebel, now available with the new 2007 Rebel Bar. Takoon Wook 4. Now available. Takoon Air you go so high Sarge has the 12m and 16m Air that he has renamed them Takoon SCAIR. They really go high. Insane jumps.
Takoon Novas. Now discounting get the NTS upgrade and you have a great bargain Bow kite. Takoon NTS upgrade kits. A great bar upgrade, totally changes the Nova kites for the better, a bar upgrade we will be using on other kites its that good. Cabrinha Crossbow 2 now in Stock. Waroo Pro Now Available. Cabrinha Switchblade 2 coming soon Pre Order now
Cabrinha Contra Crossbow now in stock. NOBILE skimboards and Kiteboarding UK skimboards now available. FLEXIFOIL ION Now in stock, also taking Pre Orders for our third shipment which arrives in the shop end of mid June Pre Order or you wont get one for quite some time.
Da Kine Pyro now in shop. Da Kine Full stock of products just arrived in shop we have just updated online shop to include DA KINE harnesses. F One Tribal and F One Impact, M6 Now Available. Ocean Rodeo Pyro Drysuit and Session harnesses Now in shop. Slingshot Turbo Diesel order now 14m in. Nobile 555 now available. Nobile Skimboards now available.
NOBILE 666 Kiteboards NOW available. AIRUSH Halo NOW available! We also have a new range of KITE KNIFES in the shop. CABRINHA SWITCHBLADES now in shop. BEST WAROO 07 in stock. Cabrinha 2005 kites amazing deals last kites available. BEST Yarga 2005 kites, Now clearing 13m £350 new, unreal deals. Flexifoil Strike 1 and Strike 2. Now clearing Sizes 11m 13m and 17m last remaining. The latest North 2006 Impact vests now in.
Neil Pryde NPX now available.
OCEAN RODEO session harnesses and PYRO suits available.
FLEXIFOIL FUSION NOW available. NORTH VEGAS 2006 now in. F-ONE TRIBAL NOW available . SLINGSHOT FUEL 2006 AND TURBO DIESEL 12M Available 14M Very soon! Pre-order please. FLYSURFER SPEEDS available. LITEWAVE KITEBOARDS 2006.
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ALL PRODUCTS |
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 | Kiteboarding UK Kite Forum
To go to our Kiteboarding UK Kite Forum Click on the picture. This is a free to join Forum where you can discuss anything to do with Kiting in one form or another. Ask questions and our IKO/BKSA Instructors will help. Post your kite trips and your kiting days in the wind diary. key features are "Meet down the beach" which enables kiters to kite together as a group. We have members from all over the UK and including many in Europe and the rest of the world.
The local scene is mainly gathered around the East Coast of the UK, and our local beaches are Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Kessingland, Walberswick, Hunstanton, Sea Palling, Alderburgh, Felixstowe, Cromer. Happsiburgh.
A word of warning when checking out reviews of equipment on forums. Some Forums in the UK/Europe are run by kite product distirbutors and reps. These people have available to them say 100 UK kite shops with team riders and sponsored riders who will post on forums and make out a certain product is amazing, if a person is connected to a brand or company in any way you can write off their review as being partly Bullshit. We have banned Kite company reps from posting/ kiting on our main forum. We know who they are and watch with amusements as they continuely stitch up Joe Bloggs on these forums with great reviews of poor equipment. We have tried to make our Forum as much real kiteboarding by real people as possible. And when we "kiteboardinguk" post we post genuine postings.
This Forum should also be fun, we have strict rules, please read them. I am happy to say that this Forum is in general very quite due to the fact we are missing about 50 kite pimps/ secret product pimps who reguarly trawl other forums for sales leads.
We also know 90% of the posters personally in one way and another. You will also notice no banners. Which is a joy not to have flashing pictures hassling your thoughts. I personally as sick of looking at computer screens with flashing banners, I think nowadays with internet advertising if anything it makes me want to turn off.
Hope you enjoy our Forum. Happy Posting.
Please click on the picture below and register. Then you simply sign in everytime to gain full access to everything thats happening.http://www.kiteboardingukforum.com/index.php
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![Where to Kiteboard, where to kitesurf.]() | Where to Kiteboard, where to kitesurf.
Where can you go Kiteboarding Kitesurfing in East Anglia?
Where do we kiteboard?
Up to March 2004 (we have had the shop since 2000)We have never openly promoted with pictures and maps etc our Kiteboarding locations mainly due to the fact that being X surfboarders we have a inbred policy to protect some locations from overcrowding and for the individuals who really search out our locations and our club its a bonus for them. Also by keeping numbers to a controllable level has enabled us to train individuals who will hold a very high regard for safety. We now have a very solid foundation of good, friendly kiteboarders we have no bad apples, no dangerous kiters, no arrogant fukwits to spoil others fun. As far as the general public goes, kiteboarding is pretty much a main stream sport now. Indeed in Lowestoft Kiteboarding it has a pretty high profile. Kessingland beach is also a huge location and the beach itself is very wide and can certainly cater for a very high numbers of kiteboarders.
There is no doubt that KUK club members are amongst the friendliest in country and many travellers are very surprised by the openness of the local crew. Don't know why this is but it's always been the case even with the surfboarding scene. Maybe where just surprised that anybody would want to visit East Anglia
However. Please behave! If you do come to this location and start acting reckless, if you start to upset beginners and those taking tuition or indeed the instructors giving tuition. You will be politely asked to leave the beach. Enough Said.
I travel extensively and it is very worrying to see some of the situations across the country. And some of the attitudes at different locations. We are now in our fourth year working together with Waveney District Council and it has been a good relationship with no problems that haven't been addressed and worked out. But there is always the threat of an overall Ban of Kiteboarding within Lowestoft, nobody wants this.
We have three locations which we kiteboard at on a regular basis.
Lowestoft sea front (September to May only), Pakefield corner by the CEFAS factory and Kessingland main beach which is our main Kite Zone now called numerous names within the kiting community K-bay, K-land or simply Kessingland Kite beach.
All three Kite Zones are approved by Waveney District Council and KiteboardingUK.com in a joint agreement. And all have basic Rules and Regulations which everybody must abide by. Some rules are seasonal but all need to be strictly adhered to continue our clean safety record with no serious incidents or accidents to date. This is partly due to the amount of tuition that we have given, also large amount of free advice given by other senior members of KiteboardingUK and operating at Kessingland as one big overall club which has enabled self policing and self regulating and KiteboardingUK's placement of free jet ski facilities at the Kessingland location during club days enabling beginners to be assisted for free, should it be needed. Indeed all the members of KUK have all at sometime or another helped out enormously and it's the down to fellow members and they're positive attitudes that we are in the position we are in today.
Lowestoft sea front, situated on the East coast of England, is indeed the most easterly point of England, therefore works well with clean winds on all southerly, easterly and northerly and any cross-onshores. People generally say that South westerlies are the prevailing winds in the UK. Well this is true but something very strange happens at Lowestoft most definitely in the summer months all south westerlies are pushed into Southerly. South westerlies combined with a sea breeze result in a very strong cross-shore sea breeze. However there also seams to be a certain wrapping around the general coastline with a lot of the winds. The wind in Lowestoft is some of the best in the UK and with those late evenings in the summer (when other parts of the UK are in Wind starvation mode) you could easily forget where you are. And pretend you were on some exotic Hawaiian location with trade winds and just creaming it.
Lowestoft has in the past had a huge Windsurfing following and I can remember maybe 12 years ago car parks every weekend being packed with windsurfers and numerous competitions were held here on a regular basis at Pakefield. Now it's happening with Kiteboarding. This year we are expecting it to be the highest crowds we have ever had. And this is why we have decided to write articles on our locations in the hope that people will follow the Rules and Regulations.
If you look in the menu on the left you will see a breakdown of each individual
Location.
Everybody kiting at Lowestoft must be a member of the BKSA and hold the kitesurfing liability insurance that comes with membership and be fully aware of the standard kitesurfing rules and regs. Outlined on the left under BKSA.
Kessingland is our premier location and is where KUK the club meets most Sundays from spring to about September on a regular basis. Please call the shop in advance to confirm club days and locations (weather permitting).
1. All kiters must be members of the BKSA and therefore insured with the BKSA.
2. KUK have special permission to place their 4X4 vehicle on the beach from Waveney District Council. If anybody else brings a jeep or motor vehicle onto the beach. We will lose this privilege, and will probably face a total kiteboarding ban. Waveney District Council is extremely strict and has told us they have Zero Tolerance on this matter. If you break this rule the local beach warden will take your registration. And he will call the police. After which you will receive a little present in the post from the Local Constabulary.
3. One mile down from the Kite Zone is a Watch Station who directly keeps a close eye on our activities. That's everything we do, KUK are in direct contact with this watch tower. 2 miles down, you have Lowestoft Life Guards with their HQ and they are also watching us with high powered binoculars, I jest yee not. KUK are also in direct contact with them and visa versa. We also directly contact the local RNLI lifeboat call centre and visa versa and they are contacted before our club days and the guys and girls go in the water. As occasionally a tourist or just general member of the public will see a kite down in the water and will call the emergency services. And they will in turn contact us. And on occasions the RNLI wardens have turned up on the beach and checked that everything is OK.
4. When you arrive on location if you are kiteboarding rig up your equipment downwind of the KUK truck and Jet Ski. If you are spectating rig up your windbreaks etc and park your bums upwind of the jeep. Keeping your kids etc out of harms way.
Windbreaks and boards laying around are a hazard to kites as if one lands on one that's a split kite. So if we segregate we can avoid accidents, more importantly nobody will be in a position where they can be body dragged through the truck, the Jet Ski or its trailer. Hazardous situations like this have in the past taken lives at other locations overseas. This is important, we always park the jeep as much upwind as possible to take as much of the beach as possible for kiting purposes. Also do not return to the beach from the water upwind, in front or close to the KUK jeep, Jet Ski and trailer. Directly downwind of the jeep will be our training area and care must taken to avoid beginners they will also be in the shallows and inside section of the beach going directly downwind do not get in the their way. We were all there once and were glad of the extra space other kiters gave us.
5. Do not jump recklessly, leave a good distance at least 50m clear downwind of you. And about 30m in front. Do not jump close to the beach or near other boarders, especially beginners as there lack of concentration watching you boosting air maybe make them crash their kite maybe by simply over flying it. Suddenly we have another potential hazard or incident.
6. Practice your front loop and back loops, kite looping tricks etc away from potential hazards i.e. the beach and other kiteboarders these tricks when they go wrong have a huge potential of body dragging you disorientated and out of control for a surprising amount of distance.
7. Do not travel to far downwind of the kite zone. If you a beginner always allow time to body drag in and swim into the beach if perhaps you were to drop your kite at Kessingland. The later you leave it the less beach you have to land your kite on. About half a mile down, towards Lowestoft you will simply run out of beach and you will have just the cliff with is an extremely dangerous situation to be in with gusting winds across the cliff faces, do not go there. Get to the beach safely and in good time before the cliff face.
8. Kessingland has a low tide pool which everybody loves to carve it up in. It's large enough to accommodate a lot of kiters with care. Please remember that it's also used by the KUK instructors to train in so please take care to avoid beginners. Remember their kites can fall out of the sky at any minute any second and they usually do. If their equipment lands on you. Then it's your fault you were simply to close.
9. During the winter months with the heavier swells, rips can be a problem at Kessingland if you're at the south end, very rarely this has a fast running rip about 5m from the beach and if you put your kite down and have to swim in.
You simply will not make it to the beach you will simply get to 5m from the beach and get no further the rip will just pull you south. Many have been rescued by the Jet Ski with this one. It's so frustrating, but it happens. You will only find yourself on this part of the beach if it's a northerly swell with northerly wind and if you have drifted about half a mile downwind of the kite zone, but you must watch kiters who travel this far very closely. If you are spectating keep an eye on them. And together we can help them.
10. When you arrive at Kessingland always check in with the KUK guys and just say Hello. Maybe let them know your standard if you're just beginning or not to good at water relaunching etc yet. Or still doing the downwind thing. Then somebody will try and keep and eye on you.
11. If KUK jet ski has to rescue you. You must tell the guy were your kite lines are or point out to him especially if you are close to your kite its not always obvious. If you have definitely had enough, maybe start to wrap your lines around your bar. You can always put a larks head knot around the bar with your kite lines to secure the lines. So that when we retrieve you kite, the bar isn't unwinding as it bounces around as all is brought to shore. The Jet Skier will always ask you if you're OK and if you need rescuing. Sometimes we come out with two people and one will take the kite. The other gets you to the beach. Mostly depends upon how stressed you are. And if it's just you can't relaunch your kite and your drifting to far. Then the instructor will relaunch your kite and body drag in.
12. KUK doesn't not take any responsibility for your equipment damaged in rescuing you.
13. The KUK Jet Ski isn't a water taxi, for you every time, you can't relaunch your kite, it is there to assist. We do not charge for this service and joining KUK is free. Every time we rescue somebody, we are putting the Jet Ski and rider at risk, if the rider was to fall off and loose the Jet Ski. The rips and winds maybe, will also take the ski away from the rescuer. Now we have to rescue two people with no jet ski, work that one out. The risk of the Jet Ski getting caught in the kite lines is high. That will also be an expensive engine rebuild in the region of £400. Maybe we will bill you directly! Every time we rescue you we are also putting are own lives in danger. We have rescued many people over the years, and the one clear advantage that we have over the person being rescued is that we are generally calmer; more composed and can help you get to the beach. We cannot perform bypass heart surgery out at sea, etc. All the costs for purchase, servicing and maintaining the Jet Ski are paid for by one individual and not KiteboardingUK.com the shop. And you all know who that is.
14. Don't take the piss. Just because we are on location. Some people think just because the KUK crew is on location that they can go for the biggest airs and try the sickest moves possible knowing that they cannot pull off these manoeuvres. Thinking, that if the worst happens. Somebody is there to pick up the pieces, in reality it will be, we will call the ambulance while you wait bleeding to death. Again you are ultimately responsible for you own actions. Generally the bruising is enough to stop people doing this to often.
15. KUK as a club is self policing, self regulating so if you see someone in trouble or doing something incorrect, please don't hesitate to give some passing advice. KUK instructors are not the beach police. They generally are very busy. So if everybody could help out a little, like just advising people where to rig up and where to spectate from it's a great help to everybody.
16. Crowds of spectators are now appearing at Kessingland, generally friends and families of Kiters. A close eye must be kept on young children wandering into the launching and landing areas including the water. Also dogs, I have witnessed a few dogs that were not controlled in a good manner, all excited and they basically stomped over somebody kite as they were rigging up putting lots of tiny holes all throughout the kite. It's a shame but the dogs owners were the best friends of the person who kite was shredded, well were! So please keep dogs under close control, preferably on a lead.
17. The Kite Zone at Kessingland is exactly that if you see a member of the public straying into the launch and landing area, please advise them of the immanent dangers and if some parks their wind break up right in the way advise them to move it really is in everybody's interest that no member of the public is injured at this location. Indeed we were given this abandoned scrub beach to keep us away from the high numbers of tourists at Lowestoft Blue Flag beach...
18. When advising the general public, don't shout or bawl at individuals to get out of the way. They probably have never seen kiteboarding before and are totally unaware of the dangers. But you can be rest assured they will soon pick up the phone and complain to the local council or write a letter to the local newspapers. Some people have a lot of time on there hands with nothing better to do than spoil other peoples fun .You have been warned!
19. TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME WITH YOU. Bonfires are not permitted on the beach. KUK spends a lot of time picking up other peoples rubbish; please take your own rubbish home. Once a year to raise the prize money for the King of the Sky competition we have a sponsored beach clean up. And it's shocking how many people still continue to litter the beaches. When you look at Lowestoft beach after a weekends use it's absolutely appalling that families/ individuals can litter so badly.
KiteboardingUK.com The club. Basic Rules and Regulations. These apply to KUK locations.
Lowestoft
Kiteboarding here, September to May only.
Kiteboarding is restricted in the summer months as with a high tourist levels and sunbathers. Safe launching and landing is impossible. So during summer months it's a pretty much a no go area.
In spring and autumn and winter you can kiteboard on Lowestoft main beach but you must consult the Beach Warden/Life Guard. Considering that the location we rig up in and launch from is directly in front of the life guards hut, which is where he is based. It's generally not a problem. However beach walkers and dog walkers are in abundance so care is needed and also this area of Lowestoft has wooden groyne sea defences so be careful don't go out to overpowered and certainly extra care is needed on cross-onshore winds as the escape routes to the beach become very narrow and there is a very good chance you kite will land or ride onto the groynes. If you see a kite go down and it doesn't relaunch and the riders is swimming in get ready to assist him or her because they will need your help to save that kite. It also has a large protruding wooden pier called the Claremont pier. Further North is the South Pier and concrete pier. Always consider which direction is downwind, if it takes you in the direction of the piers, its most definitely a better idea to kiteboard at the Pakefield beach location.
Wind Directions: Works on all south, east and northerly winds.
North = Cross shore
North East = Cross onshore
East = Onshore
South East = Cross onshore
South = Cross shore
Anything with westerly in it is, offshore.
The Beach:
The beach at Lowestoft has pure golden sand, no pebbles or shingle until you get to Pakefield. The beach is an award winning Blue flag beach for many years now, including good water quality. So very little pollution at this location. Its also extremely popular as a public beach and is very crowded during the summer months will full lifeguard service and numerous lifeguard stations aline the beach. Along with restricted zoning for swimmers.
Hazards:
Wooden Groyne Sea defences, about 100m apart. Along all of Lowestoft beach to the start of Pakefield beach. At low tide the wooden groynes are dry but a high tide they are surrounded by water. The high potential for a bad accident at this location are these wooden groynes. Numerous close ones but to date no serious injuries.
In winter rips can be a problem, when you kiteboard this location it is important that you know the state of tide and which direction the general rip/water is travelling.
This is a very public beach and can have numerous sunbathers/walkers/tourists etc.
Lowestoft has 2 Piers, the Claremont Pier, and the South Pier obvious hazards should you drift downwind into them.
The width of Lowestoft beach is about 150m after that its high banks and concrete walls therefore some care is needed if you are rigging up and launching close to these banks and concrete walls.
Generally, it's not a problem as the beach itself is perfectly clean golden sand and everybody rigs up by the water edge far away from this hazard.
Good points:
At low tide, a great shallow low tide pool appears. Perfectly flat water, very shallow, great fun, watch out for the face plants.
Small waves the 2-3 ft size are generally about on the inside section at most stages of the tide depending upon weather/swell conditions.
There are also outer sandbanks at Lowestoft which effectively block a lot of the swell therefore reducing the wave interference. The banks (experts only) are great to ride out too. They are about 1 mile offshore, so you really need to have a rescue craft of some kind to go with you. Once on the offshore sand banks you will find an abundance of surfable waves all shapes and sizes, larger waves on bigger swells. Can be fun, but extreme caution is needed due to distance from the beach.
Facilities:
Pay and display car park 20m from beach, free parking 50m from beach.
Safe Parking directly outside KiteboardingUK.com shop which is watched by CCTV.
Public Toilets are available.
Cafés and Restaurants close by.
Life Guard hut with beach warden all year round directly by kite zone.
KiteboardingUK.com Kite shop 100m from beach.
Bars and nightclubs overlook beach.
Accommodation:
Numerous Bed and Breakfasts line the Marine parade most have sea views there are even bigger hotels which directly overlook the beach.
Price on average between £12-£19 per night per person.
KiteboardingUK.com from spring 08 will also be supplying accommodation for students on their Training courses. At the shop location.
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