Cross Off Barrels in Perth!!!!!!!!

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niall barrett
niall barrett
WA
248 posts
WA, 248 posts
2 Apr 2007 10:07pm
WA wave heads read this.

Last Monday Adam Preston and I were possibly the first to kite this spot just 25ks from Cottesloe where there is a consistent side to side off wind and there is a perfect A-Frame peak that barrels into a hollow 50 left breaking on an outside reef back into a deep water channel.

Super consistent and I would say it breaks ridable but unridden about 100 days per year.

Relatively accessible, you can launch on wide sandy beach just 300m cross wind from the break. The reef is shallow but not sharp.

Oh did I say hollow? Yes I reckon on big day you fit the kite in.Not only that it i the perfect direction for 'park and ride' in seabreeze with the kite holding up as you go down the line but not so offshore that the lines are dragging through the lip.

Did we get barrelled? Definitely not, but definitely is on the cards for the committed.

So where is it?? I am just daydreaming or just full of crap?

Well neither, now the only reason I'm putting this out for general consumption is because of that phrase 'relatively accessible'.

So where is it?

Well as it only relatively accessible Im going to tell all.

The spot is at Narrow neck, Rottnest, just out from the boat channel markers at the entrance to Stark and Rocky Bays. You can bus or ride to Stark bay and walk out along the beach to the launch. Alternatively, and ideally for safety, you can anchor a boat right inside the break.

The wind is quite disturbed after crossing narrow neck despite a 500m run up to the break with a 30kt seabreeze creating ridiculous gusts when we were there [although our Hypertypes have such a huge range the coped very well] but a lesser wind should be bit steadier.

The reef is a bit shallow in places [but we never touched it] and a spare set of FCS in the bag could save the day.

It probably breaks on swell from 1.5m up but probably gets pretty full on in a bigger swell. The wind blows straight out to sea from there so any equipment failure and you ditch your kite and swim in. Also a leash would [for a change] be a good idea as if you lose your board out there the chances with all the water moving around your not going to find it again. Adam had a bit of stack and twisted up his lines. Just got his kite up a few seconds before it was about to be annihilated by a big set. He had given up his board for lost and was body dragging ashore but after a few minutes looking I found it downwind trying to escape to the Cocos. A pretty nerve racking situation and one that highlights the dangers.

This is not a recommendation just information . If you get yourself in trouble have a plan prepared what you are going to do. If you cannot relaunch your kite abandon it before it drags you too far offshore to swim back, and if you go there alone you are certifiably crazy.

Salmon Bay is an excellent and safe albeit onshore and smooth option if you are by yourself or into freestyle and not waves.
See you out there and bring a camera if you like as I dont think its ever going to get crowded.

Has any one else kited it before or are we the first? I windsurfed it over a decade ago and It's always been on the hit list of local committed wave polers but it hadn't got on the kite map as wave kiting has along way to catch up.

Now you know. Wave Nirvana is out there within a short boat and bus ride of Perth, you just got to get the forecast right and hit it!


shmage
shmage
WA
318 posts
WA, 318 posts
2 Apr 2007 10:58pm
Yup, windsurfed it a few years ago and it was one of the best sessions iv had. 25 knots cross off, head to logo waves, 3 of us for 5 hours!!!!! I think we scored it pretty dam good coz iv been over a few times after and not nearly had it as good.

Would love to try transits in Thomspons Bay in a winter front
MikeN
MikeN
WA
368 posts
WA, 368 posts
2 Apr 2007 11:24pm
You just got lucky Nial , I don't think it works that often . That or I am just unlucky . Been over there 5 times to check it out , only managed to kite it twice . The swell has to have a lot of west in it to get around the island or it has to be massive .

The wind is sketchy at best , last time I had to swim the last 50m to shore despite it being about 20-25 out at the break .

The reef on the lefthander might not be sharp but it has some big holes in it and is too shallow to kite over . Took me 20mins to get my board back because it got washed over it and I had to bodydrag around it.

The times I have had it were good but not epic . It does have good potential though .

Personally I find it a lot of hard work kiting out there and a lot of risk . Offshore winds with a reef that is too shallow to kite over on the inside .
I have heard of some very good surfers getting hurt out there .

Like Nial said , make a plan and have back up .

Next time you go over Nial call me .
3 Apr 2007 11:02am
No kn waves at Salmon?
ADS
ADS
WA
365 posts
ADS ADS
WA, 365 posts
3 Apr 2007 12:18pm
Yep, definately not the place for beginners. The wind is shiite though the direction is fun. Thanks to Niall got my board back and avoided the mega body drag upwind to shore.
Like Mike I had to swim the last few meters in despite it being 30 knots plus.
Next time I'm defintely going to have a boat close by.
As for salmon Bay waves, the SW wind is too onshore for the reef break.
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Poida
Poida
WA
1922 posts
WA, 1922 posts
3 Apr 2007 2:51pm
from the times we've been there I think stark needs a min of 2m plus swell, to get the swell wrapping around the island. very good spot for poleys, although I had to do a swim in once, luckily it was a long weekend and was resqued by a dingy. I liked salmon bay for the kite. Salmon had flat water, side on, to onshore depending where you were in the bay and a right hander at the western end of the bay. Only thing with salmon is the beach is a bit narrow, but you cant have everything! see you there from 18 April 2007.
Garth
Garth
WA
67 posts
WA, 67 posts
4 Apr 2007 4:25pm
I have surfed that spot many years ago outside the boat markers. Its known as Dingyland. It can get good on the right wind and swell direction for surfing.
I have also kited Salmon Bay on a big swell day. We were riding across the waves at Fair bridge Bluff in a SW. Very shallow!!
jeremy
jeremy
WA
202 posts
WA, 202 posts
5 Apr 2007 7:34am
A friend was telling me about his windsurfing mate who loved to windsurf the north side of Rotto, sorry not sure exactly where. He would go out just after a front had passed on a nor westerly swell with the wind swinging westerly to south westerly. He claimed 15 foot smooth face waves with good breeze.SUrfing on the same swell for ages. Is he dreaming?
spot1
spot1
WA
1588 posts
WA, 1588 posts
5 Apr 2007 3:57pm
no
niall barrett
niall barrett
WA
248 posts
WA, 248 posts
5 Apr 2007 5:45pm
No spot 1 i'd say he was telling the truth, because even though on the day we kited the spot last week [it was about 2m swell] the peak was walling up but not beraking from a long way perhaps 200m further out and i'm sure it would be breaking there if the swell was 3m+.
Frontal winnd from WSW , would be pretty much cross shore as it is quite cross-offshore in Southerly Seabreeze.
spot1
spot1
WA
1588 posts
WA, 1588 posts
5 Apr 2007 7:50pm
ok the last time i was out there it was going off 3foot thick lips
i tell no more
dgl
dgl
WA
13 posts
dgl dgl
WA, 13 posts
8 Apr 2007 1:21pm
hi guys

re the 1st post - "you can anchor a boat right inside the break" - please be really carefull - i used to take a 38ft powerboat thru there & had a set come through that could've rolled us in the channel - i've seen surfers anchor a tinny near the break without a problem, but like any spot its worth watching for a while b4 picking your spot
t o b y
t o b y
WA
530 posts
WA, 530 posts
8 Apr 2007 2:30pm
start off with the spot is called spiders... second its not a great wave .... and third there are way better waves at rotto... the spot works a fair bit but are much better waves in the area and not sure locals would be happy about you telling every one about a nice " uncrowded " spot some things are nice kept as secrets
carbine
carbine
WA
1450 posts
WA, 1450 posts
8 Apr 2007 2:48pm
listen to this guy^

seen him backdoor rotto box right snap his board then paddle back out on a ****en bifin, on the heaviest ****en day of the year, with a ****en g-string on.
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