Guys,

Can't believe how much you all miss out. I used to live at Dee Why and spent the early years of kiting on the Northern Beaches. I still love to get back there, but the reality is the wind does not favour the Northern Beaches any more and hasn't done for the last 3 years. Even Palm Beach is not as predictable as is has been and suffers like Narra from what I call the 'no-wind twighlight zone'.

I live now at Waterloo and it takes me 20 minutes outside of traffic to get to Fishermans. Each time I do I kick myself for doing so - because 90% of the time its sits at 12 knots with gusts of around 15.

With traffic, taking the back Warringah Rd way it takes me 35-40 minutes. I get pissed off even more when there's no wind after seeing North Head sitting at 16-20knots.

Every time I go, I see you guys waiting for the wind too...

It takes me 20 minutes to get to Dolls / brigtton if I leave before 4pm to get there. It would take you guys no more than 45 minutes to get to dolls if you left around 3pm - which you all do. :-)

So - Why **** around at Fishermans waiting for a **** wind when you all know its blowing 20-25knots 45 minutes away???

Don't give me the flat water excuse either - because there's sheit all waves at Fishermans...And North Narra dumps 90% of the time.

Towra (the island opposite Dolls) has insanely flat water to practise all the stuff you want.

Wanda - 20 minutes further - has insane waves that are ideal for wave riding. Dead cross shore to slightly cross off. We've all got bows - gusts are no issue.

If you're like me - and take an arvo off to go kiting on the northern beaches, and there's no wind - you're likely to get sodded off for the rest of the day/evening.

Take the drive to Dolls/wanda, have an insanely powered kite session and you'll not be sodded off for the rest of the evening, and you'll forget about the extra 20-30 minutes it took to get there. You can pop in to my place after and enjoy a beer at the pub across the road, or the pool, sauna spa.

Come over to the windy side? Be great to see more Northern Beaches crew there.


Tom

Yeah - that's why I mentioned Towra - most of the Dolls crew hang out at Dolls impressing the peanut gallery on the shore....

The beach stretching to the left around the corner is mostly empty also, as are the stretches a little further north but before Brighton.

Towra's great though...Ive had speed runs there where you really get to push your board kite and leg strength to the limit...

Tom that's enough of those sorts of lies. You now as well as I do that it's always 10 knots stronger at Fisherman's and at least 15 knots stronger than Kurrnel. That's why I moved from Cremorne to Avalon. And towra's full of seaweeds, sea urchins, and lots of bitey fish, not a good place to kite. In my opinion every one from the south side should do the 45 minuets drive up to glorious Fishermeans, Butterbox, and MAKAYHA {Sorry if this is miss spell but it just of the the end of long reef on the north side} to rip the massive waves.

Hi Tom,

we all know that fact, I believe. Yes, there is **** all up here!

I have been doing the drive south at least twice a week for the past 18 months (I think I know more locals down there by now than I do on the northern beaches!), I know it's worth it and I don't mind coping with the traffic. I just think a lot of people living up here can't be bothered, that's all...
And it is also true that crowded flat water (and ugly landscape...) gets boring some days, and even if it rarely gets good on the northern beaches, when it does, it's bloody awesome (we all remember that great downwinder we did from palmy to fisherman, on a sunday couple of months ago: how magnificient was that day??? I reckon kitesurfing in Sydney doesn't get any better than this! Yes, its dodgy most of the time, but when its good, its spreadable happiness, thats may be why people are ready to take the gamble....).
I also think the lack of motivation's partly due to the fact most of kitesurfers up here are surfers to start with, and if the wind is crap, they don't care: they go for a surf!
There are a few of us going down on a regular basic (may be just not where you're looking! ;-) ), and I also know a few other people dedicated to their local spot up here who wouldn't go ride at Botany Bay even if you paid them!!!

Conclusion: we all know the fact, the charts are saying it all.
People who want wind know where to chase it... At the end of the day, it's a personal choice to spend 1h30 in your car to get a decent session (to me, it's worth it, to others, its a waste of time)...

Gavin, Peter, Caela and I are going down south quite often. PM us if you need buddies! :-)

I take it that if I don't see you sitting on the beach at fisherman, I will pop into you on the water at botany!

...or move to Perth?

Great to see some input from you guys!


Conclusion i've drawn is pretty much like EM's - if you want wind, everyone knows where to get it - it's just a matter of being motivated enough to go.

Anyone that likes waves - be on the alert for a south swell on a strong NEster - Wanda is perfect then.

tom

One less indeed! - except on Southerlies.

But - unless you spend more time 'in' the water, chemicals and ** are not really so much of an issue. I tend to spend my time ontop of it...

Plus - don't be so sure of the water quality on the Northern Beaches! Fishermans goes by the name 'brownwater' for many reasons. Ever smelt Long Reef after a good southerly storm? There'd be a good bit of ** there for sure! Maybe even a few *@!#'s too! ;-)

and there are ghosts from the historical man hunt too, wind always drops to nothing in the middle of the tack back to Dolls....

Mr noise
don't you worry, I don't think the northern beaches kitesurfers are considering adding up to the suffocated crowd....
40 kites up in the air, thanks but no.
There are heaps of other spots than "the carnage" at Botany Bay, and "down south" in general …
No need to argue over the water either: it's dirty everywhere, due to the fact that this is certainly the only developed country in the world that doesn't make a priority of recycling its water or at least filtering it before dumping it all in the ocean... Sad but true... :-(
Maxim, I've noticed the wind hole in the middle of the bay too... I tried to find an explanation for it but couldn't come up with anything (the same way I tried to find a rational explanation on WHY it kicks in everywhere but on the northern beaches!).
I like the idea of a "wind ghost" tho.... :-)
So, does anyone have a (sensible) theory on why the NE doesn't build up here?
Does the wind get "boosted" by the heat of the airport and the city? Is it the pollution getting stuck up here that stops the sea breeze from building?
I accept the fact it doesn't kick in on the northern beaches... And deal with it....
But I still would like to UNDERSTAND tho!!!!

thanks for the "sensible" theory.... :-)
Any other illuminating explanation???

Hot air from the beaches!

Hot air from the supposedly friendly bay crew ripping into each other on the forums every other day more like it...

Hi Tom,

I took your advice yesterday and headed to Botany for a session. I stayed near Presidents Ave as I was trying a new kite, but will make the run to Towra next time. The wind was going up and down a bit and the chop was annoying, so I'm looking forward to trying the really flat water.

Book me in for a spa on thursday

Gav

bugger all wind on northern beaches yesterday late pm.
any luck on the other side?

Yeah - I got out from Dolls at 3pm. Wind was solid 18-22 knots. Sailed straight over to Towra and found a new spot deep east of the Island there - flatest water ever. Could be tidal - might not always be there. It's a smallish spot littered by sandbanks you can jump. It's not going to be a spot for everyone because most people don't go that far, and stay close to shore. I don't think it will ever crowd up.

Actually - i'm just reviewing Seabreeze airport yesterday, and the 2 yellow arrow dips probably show the dips I experienced - you see thy are still above 15. At Towra there were gusts of close to 30knots.

The wind definately did die a bit at 5pm, but not below 15knots, and it went up and down a bit there - but not an issue for me on a 12.

The M5 got closed at around 3pm yesterday and I just missed the carnage that would have ensued on the way to Brighton. Must have been an accident or something. Don't let that put u off - stay in the right lane on the lead up to Brighton - always quickest.

Wanda could be good today! Bit of swell forcast - anyone keen to go fire me a message.

T

hahah

cheers noise

ive kited the bay many times - mostly in a S - SW though

peace

yeah - i have experienced that

during winter though there are few options for a SW in syd...