Hi, I just moved to DownUnder and although I am currently in Brisbane, I hope to relocate permanently in Perth... I admit the main reason for this relocation is Windsurfing 
.
As I still can choose between the northern or the southern suburbs (CBD and sourroundings is too expensive), are there relevant differences when it comes to wind?
I am looking to stay in/near Rockingham, is this a good place for windurfing? I like practicing freestyle moves and jumps.
Any advice is welcome!!!
Hey Tramuntanero, como estas?
You will love Perth and the Rockingham area is awesome for windsurfing. Really nice bunch of windsurfers are based there.
Hola,
Rockingham offers the best flat water sailing in the Perth area so it is ideal for freestyle. You can sometimes get some ramps on the north side of penguin island but you need a day of good swell. You'll need to venture outside of Perth if you're after proper wavesailing.
Thanks so much for your replying and for the warm Spanish salutes! Hola otra vez...
Another question, and sorry if it is too frequent from foreigners... How's the shark-attack risk along the Perth coast? Any precautions to consider?
I can't wait to get my stuff shipped! it's been a month since my last windsurfing session and it feels like a year!
Hi, I just did a bit of research about the Dr.Fremantle (source: Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremantle_Doctor, 28/07/2011)
"During summer months it consistently blows from the South-West along the southern half of the west coast, starting between noon and 3 pm. It can penetrate as far inland as 100km, reaching York in the early evening.
In Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, the wind is named the Fremantle Doctor because it appears to come from the nearby coastal city of Fremantle, and it brings welcome relief from the summertime high temperatures. However, a possible interpretation of the term Fremantle Doctor has its origins in Fremantle's past. At Catherine Point, a short distance south of Fremantle, crematoria were established during the colony's early days to dispose of the corpses of those who had fallen to the illnesses which preyed upon the population in the city's early days. It is reported that the Doctor was named in honour of the wind which blew the stench of burning human flesh inland, as this was otherwise noticeable in both Fremantle and her environs.[citation needed]
The Fremantle Doctor often cools the Perth suburbs by several degrees, whilst nearer the coast the wind can be quite strong, often blowing between 15 and 20 knots and making afternoon beach visits unpleasant.
On days when the wind fails, the afternoon temperatures of Perth suburbs are considerably higher, often exceeding 40?C (104?F), although this is also attributable to the influence of a strong easterly wind blowing in hot desert air from the arid interior of the state.
[edit]Further analysis
The Fremantle Doctor is strongest in December and January, when the temperature differential between the land and ocean is greatest. In February and March the breeze is not as strong, because the ocean temperature is a bit warmer. Though October and November are not as warm, the ocean temperature is cooler resulting in the sea breeze in these months.
Other months have a weak or non-existent Fremantle Doctor. In the winter months, the land temperature is usually cooler than the ocean temperature, and this sometimes results in the weaker land breeze in the early morning.
When the Fremantle Doctor first arrives it is from the west-south-west (WSW) direction. Later when it is at maximum strength, the direction is usually from the SW or SSW. By the early evening, the direction is from the south. This change in wind direction is due to the Coriolis Effect. Other factors like the prevailing wind of a particular day can also have an effect on the direction."
So is just 15 to 20 knots? I heard from other sources is more 20-25 knots.... what's your experience??And.... what about winter, what percentage of days >20 knots do you have along the Perth coast??I will post more info as I research along the way, although comments from the personal experiences of the locals will be much appreciated!!
hermano you will love it here.
I moved over from Sydney ages ago just for the windsurfing (lots of guys here have done the same thing). In the first year I sailed more times than in 5 years in Sydney.
You will sail so much you won't believe it.
The wind is very consistent usually between 18 to 25 nearly every day. Winter is a bonus but it is very dependant on storm fronts which sometimes arrive every 2 weeks and other times none for a month at a time. The wait is worth it as winter sailing in Perth is great fun.
Having said that it is now 30 knots and there are waves breaking everywhere so I am out of here.
If you move to Rockingham area, you might want to consider joining the Safety Bay Windsurfing Club (SBWC). It is more of a social club rather than a competitive club. It is a good way to meet local windsurfers and find out more about local conditions (including sharks). To find out more about SBWC check out our website, you can navigate to it from the Seabreeze site via the Help menu (last item in the menu is Links).
Thanks ruth, I will definitely drop by SBWC if I happen to end up in Rockingham! I checked the website and it looks very friendly and cozy.... good vibes! 
if thats you in the avatar pic,,, then when u get to Perth, keep heading north, don't look back 
Yep, after 4 years trying and trying I finally learned the forward loop and now I can't stop doing it!! But I can only do it left-handed though... gotta keep practicing the right-handed one
So you reckon northern suburbs are more radical??
I was reading yesterday somewhere in internet northern beaches such as Scarborough (just 20km from Perth CBD) have awesome waves, whereas the southern beaches are flatter. I have to admit I am not too experienced with massive waves, as coming from the north mediterranean sea, although we can get really rough winds, waves barely get larger than 2m.
I am basically waiting to know on which side of the river will I end up working, then I will have to decide.
Ciao!
Weather is not consistent, its how chaos theory evolved, there are too many variables invloved. The seabreezes in summer vary from 8 to 13kts,10 to 15kts, 12 to 18 kts, 15 to 20kts, 18 to 25kts, 20 to 30 kts, and rarely maybe once or twice a year 25 to 33kts. Some days no wind. It depends on the strength of the high pressure cells as they pass, and ocean temps etc.
I have measured and recorded my sessions over the last 5 years. And all I can say is its been variable and different every year. Dont be foolled by the strong sea breeze every day in summer, its just not true. You should have heard the whingeing on this site earlier this year when the seabreezes switched off in Feb and match, everybody complaining where have the seabreezes gone. We got good easterlies to sail instead, but they are a morning wind, and no good for the ocean, you need an inland/estuary body of water to sail easterlies, such as swan river.
I found this plot in http://windsurfwa.com/General/weather (29/07/11), it basically depicts the:
PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WHEN WIND SPEED >20km/h (11 knots).
It would have been great to have this same plot but when wind speed >20 knots... but it's better than nothing!
Check wind roses, below is annual for perth, will try and post december only:
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/windrose_selector.cgi
Wind rose for perth airport at 3pm in December:
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/windrose_selector.cgi
Wind rose for perth airport at 3pm in January:
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/windrose_selector.cgi
At perth airport if you know how to read the graphic, the ochre/brown section which denotes winds from 20 to 30 km/h is from the SW direction and covers approximately 30% of the area. On the coast this would be stronger, and sometimes the wind at 4pm is stronger than the wind at 3pm. And sometimes the wind settles on the coast and does not move inland at all, so this does not represent the coast near perth (unavailable on wind roses) but gives you an idea.
Its only available for perth airport which is inland unfortunately and will be more windy on the coast, but ya get an idea, that its not as windy or consistent (daily) as people claim. You can check Canarvon, for your northern trips, it is probably most consistent from Geralton to Canarvon.
Good source hardie! I attach here the yearly plot for Perth Airport, it's a funny way of depicting the data but it's alright.
I use to keep a record of days sailed but it started to become a bit like work so I stopped. It may help you though:
Number Month Date Sail Size Wind
1 April 1/04/2009 4.7 S
2 April 2/04/2009 5.3 S
3 April 11/04/2009 5.3 E
4 April 14/04/2009 5.3 SW
5 April 15/04/2009 5.3 SW
6 April 22/04/2009 4.7 SSW
7 April 30/04/2009 5.3 SSW
1 May 11/05/2009 5.3 SSW
2 May 21/05/2009 4.2 W
3 May 22/05/2009 3.7 WSW
4 May 23/05/2009 4.7 S
1 June 3/06/2009 4.7 SW
2 June 17/06/2009 5.7 NW
3 June 19/06/2009 4.7 WSW
4 June 20/06/2009 4.7 WNW
5 June 24/06/2009 5.3 NW
6 June 27/06/2009 4.2 NW
7 June 28/06/2009 4.7 NW
8 June 29/06/2009 3.7 W
9 June 30/06/2009 5.3 SW
1 July 10/07/2009 5.7 SSW
2 July 16/07/2009 4.7 WNW
3 July 18/07/2009 5.3 WNW
4 July 20/07/2009 4.2 W
5 July 22/07/2009 5.7 NW
1 August 5/08/2009 5.9 NW
2 August 10/08/2009 5.3 WSW
3 August 13/08/2009 4.2 WNW
4 August 14/08/2009 4.2 WNW
5 August 15/08/2009 4.7 WSW
6 August 21/08/2009 5.9 WSW
7 August 22/08/2009 5.3 WSW
8 August 23/08/2009 5.3 SW
9 August 28/08/2009 5.9 S
1 September 1/09/2009 5.3 WSW
2 September 5/09/2009 4.7 SW
3 September 7/09/2009 4.7 NW
4 September 10/09/2009 3.7 WNW
5 September 11/09/2009 4.2 W
6 September 12/09/2009 5.3 WSW
7 September 17/09/2009 4.7 NW
8 September 20/09/2009 4.7 NW
9 September 21/09/2009 3.7 SW
10 September 24/09/2009 5.3 SW
11 September 29/09/2009 5.9 SW
12 September 30/09/2009 5.9 SW
1 October 4/10/2009 4.7 S
2 October 5/10/2009 5.9 SW
3 October 6/10/2009 5.9 SW
4 October 11/10/2009 4.7 SW
5 October 12/10/2009 4.7 SW
6 October 13/10/2009 5.3 SW
7 October 15/10/2009 5.9 SW
8 October 16/10/2009 5.9 SW
9 October 19/10/2009 5.9 SW
10 October 20/10/2009 4.7 SSW
11 October 21/10/2009 5.3 SW
12 October 22/10/2009 5.9 SW
13 October 23/10/2009 5.9 SE
14 October 24/10/2009 5.9 ESE
15 October 28/10/2009 4.2 WNW
16 October 30/10/2009 4.7 SSW
17 October 31/10/2009 4.2 SW
1 November 1/11/2009 5.9 SE
2 November 15/11/2009 5.9 SW
3 November 18/11/2009 4.7 W
4 November 19/11/2009 4.2 SW
5 November 20/11/2009 5.9 SW
6 November 21/11/2009 5.9 SW
7 November 22/11/2009 5.9 SW
8 November 25/11/2009 4.7 WSW
9 November 26/11/2009 4.7 SSW
10 November 27/11/2009 5.2 SW
11 November 29/11/2009 5.2 SW
12 November 30/11/2009 5.2 SW
1 December 2/12/2009 4.2 SW
2 December 3/12/2009 4.7 SW
3 December 5/12/2009 5.2 SW
4 December 6/12/2009 4.2 SW
5 December 7/12/2009 4.2 SW
6 December 8/12/2009 4.2 SW
7 December 9/12/2009 4.2 SW
8 December 10/12/2009 5.2 SW
9 December 11/12/2009 5.2 SW
10 December 13/12/2009 4.7 SW
11 December 15/12/2009 4.2 SW
12 December 16/12/2009 4.2 SW
13 December 17/12/2009 4.7 S
14 December 21/12/2009 4.7 SW
15 December 22/12/2009 4.7 SW
16 December 23/12/2009 4.2 SW
17 December 24/12/2009 5.2 SW
18 December 26/12/2009 5.2 SW
19 December 27/12/2009 5.9 SW
20 December 29/12/2009 5.2 SW
21 December 31/12/2009 4.7 SW
1 January 1/01/2010 4.2 SW
2 January 2/01/2010 4.7 SW
3 January 5/01/2010 5.9 SW
4 January 7/01/2010 5.2 SSW
5 January 9/01/2010 5.2 SW
6 January 10/01/2010 4.7 SW
7 January 11/01/2010 5.2 SW
8 January 12/01/2010 5.2 SW
9 January 13/01/2010 5.2 SW
10 January 14/01/2010 5.2 SW
11 January 15/01/2010 4.2 SW
12 January 20/01/2010 4.2 SW
13 January 21/01/2010 4.2 SW
14 January 22/01/2010 4.7 SW
15 January 23/01/2010 5.2 SW
16 January 24/01/2010 5.2 SE
17 January 28/01/2010 5.2 SW
18 January 29/01/2010 5.2 SW
19 January 30/01/2010 4.2 SW
20 January 31/01/2010 4.7 SW
1 February 1/02/2010 4.7 SW
2 February 2/02/2010 3.7 SW
3 February 3/02/2010 4.2 SW
4 February 8/02/2010 5.2 SW
5 February 12/02/2010 4.7 SW
6 February 13/02/2010 5.2 SW
7 February 15/02/2010 4.7 SW
8 February 16/02/2010 5.2 SW
9 February 19/02/2010 5.2 SW
10 February 20/02/2010 5.2 SW
11 February 21/02/2010 4.2 SW
12 February 22/02/2010 5.2 SW
13 February 23/02/2010 5.9 SW
14 February 25/02/2010 5.9 SW
1 March 3/03/2010 4.7 SW
2 March 4/03/2010 3.7 SW
3 March 5/03/2010 5.2 SW
4 March 6/03/2010 5.2 SW
5 March 15/03/2010 5.2 SW
6 March 16/03/2010 4.2 SW
7 March 17/03/2010 5.2 SW
8 March 18/03/2010 5.2 SW
9 March 20/03/2010 5.2 SW
10 March 25/03/2010 4.7 SW
11 March 27/03/2010 4.2 SW
12 March 28/03/2010 5.2 SW
1 April 3/04/2010 5.2 SW
2 April 4/04/2010 5.9 WSW
3 April 7/04/2010 5.2 SW
4 April 9/04/2010 5.2 SW
5 April 10/04/2010 5.9 WSW
6 April 13/04/2010 4.7 NW
7 April 14/04/2010 4.7 NW
8 April 23/04/2010 5.9 SSW
9 April 26/04/2010 5.9 SSW
1 May 3/05/2010 5.9 SSW
2 May 8/05/2010 5.9 SW
3 May 9/05/2010 5.2 S
4 May 13/05/2010 5.2 S
5 May 2/05/2010 5.2 WNW
6 May 23/05/2010 4.7 SSW
7 May 27/05/2010 4.2 SW
Gee! That's discipline mate, well done!
One question, the numbers (4.7, 5.2...) refer to sail size right?
and normal people can add half a metre to that
3.7 WTF does one of those look like? 
To Gonewindsurfing247:
To put those figures into context, can we know the location?... and as Mark pointed out, are you an ultra-weight windurfer? I have a friend that weights only 60kg and always sails wity almost 1m2 less.
By looking at your numbers, it really looks promising!
you make me sick
Yeha redthumb away, but seriously....who here is 85kg, uses a 85L waveboard, and used 4.2 for 3 days in a row in Dec 2010?
Average dudes on 5.2 for 3 days maybe
I was 100kg then, on a 100L FSW and my most used size in Perth was 5.6 and agood day I'd get on my 85L with 5.2.
Busted out the 4.7 twice all summer in 2010-11
I reckon GWS24/7 must be on a large-ish board to be using a 4.2 at all in a perth summer if he is 85kg.
gws rides a jp 98 freestyle down to a4.7 and then he is on his iQ 71 iam 90 kgs and was on 4.0 blade heaps during the sumer when until the cyclones stuffed it for a month saftey bay seems to be a bit windier then any where in the metro area
Well, in general terms, if Mark's parameters in Perth were 100kg on 100L FSW and the most used sail 5.6m2, that's not too bad is it?
Thanks Mark.
This forum is awesome, the response has been overwhelming.
Now that I am confident Perth is the place to be for me and my family, I just need to get my ass there ASAP!!
