Onshore shallow water spot to sail big westerlies on Lake Macquarie

5 years ago
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sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
21 Jul 2021 10:45am
I'm thinking Squids or the area south of Swansea caravan park.
I want to be able to sit out lulls and strong stuff and be washed ashore if anything breaks.
Anyone sailed these and any hazards?
Probably be using a 24 weedy or a 20 if on the waveboard.
Cluffy
Cluffy
NSW
422 posts
NSW, 422 posts
21 Jul 2021 12:47pm
Hi Sue, The area south of the channel is literally 2 inches deep in places and the depth fluctuates a lot due to proximity to the channel. It's to dangerous for windsurfing in my opinion. Squids ink area might be ok. I thought budgie was sailable at the moment?
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
21 Jul 2021 1:10pm
Cluffy said..
Hi Sue, The area south of the channel is literally 2 inches deep in places and the depth fluctuates a lot due to proximity to the channel. It's to dangerous for windsurfing in my opinion. Squids ink area might be ok. I thought budgie was sailable at the moment?


Illegal. Covid lockdown for Budgy.
I'm talking about the weedy area between caravan park and the islands near the boat channel going into Swansea..? What about if you aimed to stay parallel to the shore and started at waist deep?
I wonder how many kiters would be at Squids.
I used to sail there back in 2010 pre deltas and gps..
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
21 Jul 2021 2:20pm
These areas..or part of them..
Squids


Swansea area
So this is the area you are talking about?




Cluffy
Cluffy
NSW
422 posts
NSW, 422 posts
22 Jul 2021 12:41pm
The top picture is the spot sue. It might not be that flat but the wind funnels down all the way from Fennel Bay so it will be windy if there is any wind around.

Give the second spot a big miss. It's to dangerous.
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
22 Jul 2021 1:37pm
Thanks. Pity about Swansea as it looks so inviting. I won't be using speed gear.. I remember the chop used to be ginormous down the yacht club end..It will be interesting to see if I still think that. I've improved a lot but...
At least if it's too hard to gybe I can either stop and turn the board around or float into the shallows..
Rus13b
Rus13b
NSW
271 posts
NSW, 271 posts
23 Jul 2021 1:09pm
budgie is sailable, the water, wind & car park are still there.
powersloshin
powersloshin
NSW
1863 posts
NSW, 1863 posts
24 Jul 2021 7:55am
if you live in greater Sydney there is a 10 kms limit to where you can go for exercise. Not sure about the other way around, if you live outside can you travel inside greater sydney to exercise?
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
24 Jul 2021 8:36am
Rus13b said..
budgie is sailable, the water, wind & car park are still there.


If you want to get fined and told to self isolate for 14 days , don't care about breaking the law or health guidelines it's sailable. Lets hope people from hotspots don't have that outlook.
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
24 Jul 2021 8:36am
powersloshin said..
if you live in greater Sydney there is a 10 kms limit to where you can go for exercise. Not sure about the other way around, if you live outside can you travel inside greater sydney to exercise?


No
wendell
wendell
NSW
157 posts
NSW, 157 posts
24 Jul 2021 10:31am
I don't want to disagree with anyone about dangers because maybe there's something I don't know about, but for information, I've sailed Swansea a few times in a westerly and haven't felt in danger from shallows (just razor clams). I've sailed for about 1 km to both the north and south. Yes lots of shallow areas, and walking if you go north (but worthwhile, you'll get to that sand island you see on all the advertisements). Otherwise the best area was within a few hundred metres north and south of the carpark launch, with a bank just to the north that cuts out the chop, depending on the tide height.

But lake wallying is a poor second choice today - I'm off to Birubi!
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
24 Jul 2021 4:35pm
I'm in love.. I've found my nice whoosy spot for LM big westerlies..
Sailed Squids today and loved it. Yep I rigged too small at first but that was good to suss out depths etc and I finally had the right combo for a few quick bearaways at the end.. I love the shallow water , small chop ( 6 inches to 1ft triangular chop) and onshore breeze.
I got a LM PB and board PB ..but they don't count as it wasn't out in the middle..
Keen for some more..
Thanks Wendall. I might suss out Swansea South too one day. Squids is pretty patchy when it turns WNW..
aussieboats
aussieboats
NSW
342 posts
NSW, 342 posts
28 Jul 2021 7:50am
We will be there Saturday for a week , staying at the swansea caravan park looks like nice nw on sunday so will chase you around the pond
Madge
Madge
NSW
471 posts
NSW, 471 posts
28 Jul 2021 10:04am
The next lake south has Canton beach ( which is at the north end ), which is side shore, pretty weedy but sandy in patches and as it's near a corner so its pretty safe, can have some good chop to jump too.
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
29 Jul 2021 4:02pm
Madge said..
The next lake south has Canton beach ( which is at the north end ), which is side shore, pretty weedy but sandy in patches and as it's near a corner so its pretty safe, can have some good chop to jump too.


Out of bounds for non central coast residents atm..
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
29 Jul 2021 4:04pm
aussieboats said..
We will be there Saturday for a week , staying at the swansea caravan park looks like nice nw on sunday so will chase you around the pond


Can get pretty busy with kites at the weekend although it's ok if you stay out further . If it blows early get out . Most of the kiters wait for it to warm up a bit..
P.C_simpson
P.C_simpson
WA
1492 posts
WA, 1492 posts
12 Aug 2021 9:26am
I have sailed at squids a few times years ago, not to bad, but you will have to dodge kiteboarders and carry your gear from the carpark up to the point to launch.
sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
12 Aug 2021 4:15pm
P.C_simpson said..
I have sailed at squids a few times years ago, not to bad, but you will have to dodge kiteboarders and carry your gear from the carpark up to the point to launch.




Back in 2011 I used to walk my gear up to the point. This time I managed to sail out from near the carpark each time.
It's tidal and varies a lot.
Level - c 1m?? The first few sails it was high tide and I could go anywhere with a 28cm fin I even used a 32cm although it did touch bottom near the launch . With the 32cm touch I was only going slow at the time so it didn't matter. Not much "flat" water for speed runs c 10 inch - 1ft triangular chop.
The next week it was low tide and there were much flatter areas and you had to watch where you sailed with a 16cm fin. level 0.023
( Lake Macquarie yacht club has a lake level measuring site.)
Good idea to go midweek early in the day ( if it's cold) or when it's really windy as there are less kites. One Sunday there were about a dozen kites all going back and forth where I wanted to bearaway so I gave up on the idea of speed runs.
It's a good safe spot for strong NW ( best) - WNW. You can rig bigger as it's shallow and onshore with small chop.
aussieboats
aussieboats
NSW
342 posts
NSW, 342 posts
13 Aug 2021 3:18pm
Thank sue for finding the spot , has some good potential
















Donk
Donk
NSW
390 posts
NSW, 390 posts
7 Sep 2021 7:06pm
Due to covid, I've been sailing Bonnells Bay at the south western end of the lake near Morisset. Great in SW to NW and from the NE.






sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
8 Sep 2021 2:25pm
You'd probably run into Byron there.. I wish there was water in my LGA..
aus201
aus201
63 posts
63 posts
12 Oct 2021 2:15pm
Westerly hazard for those wanting to be "powered" up at Belmont South.


sboardcrazy
sboardcrazy
NSW
8385 posts
NSW, 8385 posts
14 Oct 2021 10:38am
I was told when by a kiter that there is usually someone carted away in an ambulance every weekend!
Donk
Donk
NSW
390 posts
NSW, 390 posts
18 Oct 2021 11:17pm
sboardcrazy said..
You'd probably run into Byron there.. I wish there was water in my LGA..


Yes I caught up with him on Bonnells Bay on Saturday. It was nuking. Just need to get some new gear although my 15 year old Fanatic 100lt freestyle board and wavesails still go ok.
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