has anyone ever had the chance to sail garden island.... i did a delivery there on the last winter storm and had a quick sneaky peek, some nice spots, even under the bridge was koping some swell
Reminds of a funny (not at the time) incident from many years ago when I sailed from Woodies on a North wester with a 5m swell. It was about the third front in two days so it was cranking and the swell was big big. Often I couldn't see my mate a couple of hundred metres in front of me as when we both dropped into a trough between swells I couldn't see his sail.
Anyway couple km's out, I come over a swell flat out, maxed on 4.5m and my 72L board (I'm 90kg) so was flat out barely under control... and what do I see? The conning tower of a submarine surfacing about 30m in front of me. I stood on the tail and sheeted out, and promptly spunout big time. As the huge hull went past me only about 2m from me it was awesome, really interesting and certainly different. I was loving it.. until after about half a second I thought "propellors!!!" so I swum like blazes away from it... luckily that was downwind / with the swell so I covered a good 5m before the ass end of it went past. Scary scary moment.
Anyway I reckon you'd be right to sail Garden Is, as long as you don't wear a turban
hey mark, next time a sub pops up in font of you..just think super X...chop hop it, do a duck gybe, forward, chop hop it on the way back in and you'll be wright mate.
hopefully the captain's got his periscope up and see's all the fun he his missing out on!!!
gday windy, i worked on GI for a couple of years and through the summer months I often thought it would be a good place to sail. Fair bit of reef on the western side but has a lot of sand to the east. Probably one of the few places that would work in any kind of easterly.
Need a pass to get there by car and never saw anyone sailing there in 2 years of wind watchin. Not to say it cant be done. I still have a pass which will get me on there and dont worry about getting shot. The ony thing to watch out for is the fat ass coxswain (pretend policeman) riding around on his 4 wheeler thinking he's from baywtach. Not much of a threat believe me.
You need to see if there is a point break at the northern end that would work on a seabreeze (cross to cross-off) and also OK on an easterly.....then organise a summer wave comp there: if the seabreeze is not playing the game then it can be 0600 - 1000 in the easterly.
I work on the island and have sailed it once, on the eastern side right up the northern end near the ammo wharf.It was allright, cross shore in the seabreeze. Safety bay is better though. I've heard there is a nice reef break down the other end near the airstrip that some guys surf, but have never wandered over to the western side myself as it is a pain in the arse getting the keys to get through the relevent gates and get over there.
CW's or Woodies in AM hopefully all being well then cott in Pm........ hope its all not too off its face, if so will take camera to cott instead and take photos of windy and windsurfer changing into their wetsuits..
sat in woodies carpark for 4 hours....waiting until that squall passed. It didnt Went home, drank a couple of guinness and bathed in dust. What a crap day
Maybe double sesh cott in the pm...
