Respect for the sea

In what is now to become a more frequent event, I am going to start writing about events that are not necessarily related to computers, t’internet and technology.

For those who know me will be aware this makes up but one portion of me, the others being varied and generally carry the risk of some kind of serious injury, ..that i am happy to say i have mostly avoided to date.

So today’s little gem is about respect for the mother of all mothers, nature, or more specifically, the sea.

As someone who spends a large amount of my free (and sometimes not so free) time in the sea, and having grown up with a very healthy fear of said expanse of water it always surprises and often amuses me the complete disregard many will show for the power of the sea.

I must add the amusement is usually only after i have safely hauled them, helped them rescue the kite, walked away smugly after some choice words of wisdom and then finally add a little flirtation with a less than impressed girlfriend of the victim in question. ….not that any thing specific comes to mind :)

I kite, which involves taking a large piece of material easily powerful enough to send you flying through the air and attaching it to myself and then flying it in a controlled manner which has taken a few years practice to perfect. Yet there are so many as kitesurfing begins to grow who will just go online, buy all the equipment, rock up to the beach and somehow feel they know enough to just go for it.

Now call me paranoid, but i would not even think about flying in a completely new spot until i had spoken to at least one local about the current and quirks of the tide, yet i see it done weekend after weekend.

This is not going to turn into a rant though, although it easily could through some well placed comments, for the reason i started this little post was to demonstrate that no matter how experienced we are, it can happen to the best of us as this story just goes to show.

If you don’t want to read the story, ….a picture will tell you a thousand words, …or just one, ..Oops.

And the captain only had 40 years experience :)

It just goes to show, you are never too experienced to make a monumental momentary lapse or fuck up as i believe it is known on the street.