Get a VW van, and sleep in that

Thanks Batteredfish

and eerrr I think I've already got a VW van Bob but at the moment I'm in Cairns and it's in Syd

TelecomGreg

Heya Greg - i'm going to go down to sandy point tomorrow (tuesday) and i might head down again or inverloch before the end of the week (both about a 50 minute drive from here). When are you coming down? I'm going to QLD again on 8th. I'm amazed at the amount of great sailing options here in vic between phillip island and wilsons prom, plus the wind to go with it. If only they could move them up north for the year round temperatures of QLD

cheers H

no probs, will see you at gc on your way back up

the water temp here is fine at moment. I have been sailing in a 3ml wetsuit top only (plus shorts of course)

It was great at sandy p today with easily over 25 knots most of the day. Again there were over 20 windsurfers out throughout the day. I sailed in the pond during the morning and the main channel in the arvo as it got flatter at about 3pm - it was like a washing machine up till then. personally i think inverloch is a better spot for most folk as it has a few more options and water you can sail in all day regardless of wind direction. today i walked over the sand dunes (half way along the speed run in the main channel) to take a look at the surf as it was cross-off and it was like watching the gnaraloo footage in the dunkerbeck search dvd with totally perfect long waves with the wind blowing the spray off the top. seems like such a wasted perfectly formed wave spot with no one out in it - but a long hike with your gear to get there. I was sinking in soft sand almost up to my knees getting there. does anyone know if there is an easy way to get to that spot? nature is evil for creating such great spots that are so bloody cold for 9 months of the year

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Originally posted by Haircut
It was great at sandy p today with easily over 25 knots most of the day. Again there were over 20 windsurfers out throughout the day. I sailed in the pond during the morning and the main channel in the arvo as it got flatter at about 3pm - it was like a washing machine up till then. personally i think inverloch is a better spot for most folk as it has a few more options and water you can sail in all day regardless of wind direction. today i walked over the sand dunes (half way along the speed run in the main channel) to take a look at the surf as it was cross-off and it was like watching the gnaraloo footage in the dunkerbeck search dvd with totally perfect long waves with the wind blowing the spray off the top. seems like such a wasted perfectly formed wave spot with no one out in it - but a long hike with your gear to get there. I was sinking in soft sand almost up to my knees getting there. does anyone know if there is an easy way to get to that spot? nature is evil for creating such great spots that are so bloody cold for 9 months of the year

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Inverloch is good, but its no where near as good as Sandy Point for just about any type of sailing conditions; Inverloch is just about always choppy (in the flat water), the sand banks pop up when you least expect them, and the surf dumps pretty heavy on the shore.

Where as Sandy Point has the best speed sailing venue in the world, and super clean surf sailing up to about 6 feet with cross/cross-off in N/NW and E directions (and no rocks). The only time SP isn't better is high-tide in an Easterly wind.

To access the surf sailing at Sandy Point, go out along the walking track which is directly across the road from the main-street cafe (its about a 40m walk) - you can rig on the grassed area just near the car parking area.

Agree, wavesailing can be great @ SP, but I reckon better more often at Inverloch; the bar area is the best playground ! Always is better out there than it looks from shore. SE / E unbelievably PERFECT cross off long long fast peeling lefts at the spit on the shore side of the channel / outer bar, and can be even better (but not quite as fast) if plenty of swell on the inner bar Point Smythe side of the channel as it breaks into the channel. So many other cross off banks all across to Pt Smythe / Venus Bay; best downwinders from Pt Smythe. Only problem is the swell drops quickly over days of easterlies so often left with pretty small swell; still fun though. Also, perfect speed runs (tide dependent)in heaps of spots on all directions; esp as coming off the L hander into the channel continuing into the inlet against the main exposed bar mid-low tide running in on an easterly (confused as me yet?). Speed runs not as long or consistent as SP, but so perfect and no crowds. Great cross - off spots on Westerly, Southwesterly gives cross / on waves, but incredibly clean peeling waves with so many ramps and perfectly flat water between the swells / inside the outer bar. Great backside riding with such long rides, sections everywhere and ramps; so much fun . Can get really big. The whole coast from Phillip Is to SP has plenty of great options to cover all wind / swells .

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Originally posted by Haircut
how far down from 1/2 way along the back of the South Westerly speed strip would this access be? It just seemed that this was the only spot the waves were perfectly formed, probably because the sand dunes are lowest there and wind can rip over the top?

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As you said, the cleanest surf is nearest to the spit, but dragging gear across the spit is just to hard... but may be worth it in an Easterly, less so if it is N/NW.

Surf sailing access to is done from the main street of town across the road from the shops - right in front of the surf-lifesaving club. As a bonus there is a toilet block and open-air showers to rinse yourself off.

For those reading, the spit that separates the speedsailing from the surf, is about 500m wide or so and can sink up to you knee's since the sand is not very dense; there are also some small sand dunes to traverse in some sections. And this excludes the 100m walk from the car park to the spit. However in a easterly, with two blokes and cars parked at the shop and the inlet, it is a few km's of downwind surf sailing.