Hi
Recently had another go at windsurfing after not too much success 25 years ago!
With the encouragement of a friend I splurged on a new fat board begginers package from board crazy - thanks Simon.
Love these new beginer boards. I have just come back from a fantastic 5 days up at lake catharabar going out twice a day in the gentle winds. This 55 year has a lot of muscles to develop. Im good for about an hour a time.
I have had more success in 5 days on this new board than i did in the late 80's on my TC runner 
I live in Burpengary northside and want to go out to a local location on thursday or friday.
Looking at the winds friday may be more gentle than thursday - however keen for some suggestions for times and locations for both days.
Anything within an hours drive is OK by me. Anybody going out and wants to help a beginner get use to a new location?
cheers Jeff
Hi Jeff welcome to the sport, Queens beach Redcliffe is probably your closest and you will usually find someone down there, In an east/Se breeze rig on the grass just north of the toilet block. In a northerly I find it easier to rig at the Northern end.
Are you sailing with a fanatic and a couple of north sails? If you were at the lake last week I saw you out there and walked past your board and van every time I went to the well(beach shower/tap) and to the beach.(didn't take my gear)
You were doing ok.
Or beachmere on the right tide, however in light winds you may be on your own.
Hi Jeff,
Great to hear you are back into windsurfing and enjoying the new generation of gear. Queens is a great spot and probably the closest as Lungs has pointed out.
Hope to see you on the water sometime.
Just watch out for the rocks just below the water line at low and half-low tides. They stretch most of the length of the beach at the moment. You'll need some boots if you're still falling off a lot and need to stand on the bottom.
Once you're a few metres out it's deep water anyway.
Thanks for the replys. Looks like I will give queens a visit tomorrow morning
@lungs. Yep it was me blocking the beach entrance with my gear
Looking forward to tomorrow
Cheers Jeff
Didn't go sailing today - felt intimidated by the wind forcast.
I decided to go down to Queens and have a look anyway. Glad i did.
Got to see some boards in action.
Met a couple of the sailboarders and had a chat about where a beginner could do some learning.
As I was leaving I had a chat to Kerry - I had already met him and Chris up at Catharabar. He was helpfull and supportive giving me some local tips.
Looking forward to calmer conditions tomorrow.
Cheers jeff
when queens is looking a bit of a handfull id try either sandgate or beachmere as they are both really shallow, either that or id head up to Golden beach
Wind looks much quieter today. Going to have a look at some of the suggested learner spots. Thanks again for the suggestions.
cheers jeff
Hi Jeff,
I am also a keen beginner and got a board from Simon as well. I am planning on going to Rose Bay for the high tide tomorrow if you are interested. I hope the wind is a bit better than it is saying at the moment. Now I can stay up in light/moderate winds I am trying the bit higher stuff, but took lots of skin off my shins climbing back on a couple of weeks ago when the wind and swell was up a bit. I also go out to Wivenhoe occasionally and have worked out when the wind out there is good from looking at the doppler radar. I take out my old Bic board with a centreboard and the new rig and pootle about a bit further afield each time. When the wind is good out there I find it is a good learners place, when the wind drops off, swirls around and is gusty it can be a pain! Last couple of times I went out there it was a bit boring due to not having company on the water. I only go to Rose Bay at the salt but would also like to find some other places where there are a few more people to talk to.
Cheers
Michael
Got out today -
I've been laid low with the flu and back pain this last week.
I managed to get out sailing today at Simon's learners clinic at Manly.
I didn't get much sailing in as the wind and swell quickly picked up and I was soon out of my depth!!
I initially went out at 8:30 with the 6.6m sail - soon to be too much
However the swell and waves got the best of me and soon I was too buggered to make sense of the smaller rig on Simon's learner board.
I'm cool and realise learning takes manny paths- so I was OK to call it an early finish to the lesson. Spent time talking to the more experienced sailers - a friendly bunch.
Ive going away for a week to enjoy my other hobby - competion RC gliders - so will be looking for sailing oppurtunities after that. I work shiftwork so midweek sailing plus weekends are a possibility.
cheers jeff
Hi Jeff, I think I may have met you on the weekend after you had called it a day. I was rigging the Tabou 3s with the North Sail.
Great to see you out at Manly, it is a great spot to sail out of in all conditions (except the dirty westerlies - then Wello is the spot) with plenty of options as you improve in confidence.
It's great to read threads like this and re-live the stoke of learning. I think it is the continual challenge and never ending learning process that hooks you for life.
Logged another lesson today at Manly
Very light winds. Simon had me practice the makings of a Gyb.
Hoping for more winds during the week (not too much now) as I have days off mid week.
Loving the journey.
cheers jeff
ps - Is it possible to edit the initial post i made in this thread? I would like to change the title.
you should check out pebble beach at sandstone point when there is a high tide.
it's probably one of the best learner spots around and is very close to you. in a south easter it is dead onshore. it's fairly shallow and the water is flat.
for learning to plane, planing gybes etc it's one of the best spots i know.
turn left into oxley place off bestmann road east, drive down the hill to the carpark.
rigging is shaded by trees.
the downside is you will most likely be alone when sailing there but it is a sweet spot.
this is a mid tide.
just found this previous post.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Queensland/Another-beginners-spot/
p.s. reef is at the very western end where the mangroves are.
shell fish are at the very eastern end out from the mangroves.
i have so many good memories of this place. once you are sailing short boards it is an exceptional speed sailing area or if you sail upwind a kilometer or so there is a bank you can wave sail.
if you want to get a feel for the layout of the bottom, visit it at low tide and the entire area will be exposed so you can see where everything is.
@Gestalt: Thanks for the advice on Pebble Beach.
Looking at seabreeze it may be worth investigating tomorrow morning.
High tide mid morning, mild sse winds (did I interpret the graphs correctly?).
Im on Night Duty so may have to miss some sleep
cheers Jeff
yep, looks good.
high tide is 9.15am at 2.5m so a pretty high tide. wind forecast 10 knots almost dead onshore.
that's perfect conditions.
with the wind direction you will be able to sail parallel to the beach. no need to venture out as far as you can as a beginner.
Just got in
I had a fantastic morning at Pebble Beach.
It looked such a beautifull day I made it a family adventure.
Took the Wife and my young Son (His first windsurfing sicky
)
They had fun in the Kayak.
Water was calm and the breese gentle. Most time I wished for a little more wind.
I practiced my tacks and Gybes going up and down the beach - just loving the experience.
I was only going for an hour or so but stayed untill the tide got too low.
Need to get some sleep now so I can make it back to work tonight.
cheers jeff
