A good place to sail in the Westerly! Had a blast today! Was keen to have a go at wave sailing but there was no waves!
Select to expand quotebowsa said..Scotf said..
Sounds good Bowsa. That board sounds like just the ticket. What is it?
100L Stoney Keel Quad - 230x59
Just put in some small rear fins (14cm K4's - quite small for such a big board). Goes so well with them!
Looked on the bulcock cam today and it looks like it's blowing it's tits off but is flat as a pancake so i'm giving it a miss
Magic, I saw one of those down in Perth. Looks pretty radical.
Select to expand quotegoldcoastmoz said..
A good place to sail in the Westerly! Had a blast today! Was keen to have a go at wave sailing but there was no waves!
good to catch up jas!
Like wise! Glad I went and sailed with you guys there. Good recommendation Justin! I'll be back!
Yeah like wise. Any future w or sw and I'm there. If the tides aren't working I'll head to wello.
I stopped at beefy's on the way home to try out their pies.
mmm..... beefy's..... (said with homer voice)
What day was this Justin? Looks amazing.
Seems like the wind was much better south than north, Sat was don't even bother conditions, Sunday lunchtime was best at Mool's but still not consistent or strong enough for it to really work in the bay, was quite difficult making it back in past the river mouth...
I'm thinking with the lay of the land (so much flat land around West and south Caloundra) that perhaps the Westerly gets a longer cleaner run out to sea than having to come off the back of the hinterland, even Buderim mountain, Bli Bli etc probably all impact it a bit?
Is a incoming tide the better time for Westerly at the Bar? I'll have to make the effort to travel more than 10 min form home for westerly sail next time!
the photos above were sunday. everytime i go there it looks that good.
I think the wind will always be a touch stronger in Brisbane when it's a westerly because the east coast lows usually associated with them are a fair way south. the further north the less wind.
growing up on the sunny coast this is where we sailed when there was a westerly around so it's the only place I know of up there that works. except we would launch at bulcock and not happy's.
I've read/heard noosa bar when the wind is more SW is worth a look as well.
sat we had a lot of fun in the light winds. sunday it blew really nicely but the swell had gone which is usually the case with a westerly wind there. it's cross shore at the launch and was warm. i reckon it hit 20-25 at times. kellie thought more like 10-20. either way like the guys down south were saying it was fairly consistent considering.
from past experience i won't sail the bar on an outgoing tide unless I'm on big gear.
it's flattest on the outgoing tide.
incoming tide with a good westerly blowing is a little bumpy until you get near bribie where the winds a little lighter and it flattens right out because the tides are not as strong. when i say bumpy i mean like 20-30cm. :-)
if the wind swings SW then you are sailing head on into the waves if there are any.
for waves you want to hit it on the first day of the change coming through. surf will only be 1-2ft and only break in one spot but they are lots of fun. everywhere else is flat.
by day 2 or 3 there is no swell left and it's flat
I'm going to sail the full season of W-SW winds there myself. if the tides no good or i'm pushed for time then i'll hit wello but i really don't want to miss the bar when it's working so well. it changes all of the time. a few years back it was chocked up and not as good. a few years before that it was really open.
I had a look on google earth and the airport and low lying land is due west of the bar. the streets near the passage are facing east west as well. this may help?Select to expand quoteJonesySail said..
What day was this Justin? Looks amazing.
Seems like the wind was much better south than north, Sat was don't even bother conditions, Sunday lunchtime was best at Mool's but still not consistent or strong enough for it to really work in the bay, was quite difficult making it back in past the river mouth...
I'm thinking with the lay of the land (so much flat land around West and south Caloundra) that perhaps the Westerly gets a longer cleaner run out to sea than having to come off the back of the hinterland, even Buderim mountain, Bli Bli etc probably all impact it a bit?
Is a incoming tide the better time for Westerly at the Bar? I'll have to make the effort to travel more than 10 min form home for westerly sail next time!
Great pics. I didn't think saturday would be enough wind but from the pics you can have a great time in 10 knots? I've got a 101 litre FSW and a 5.7 sail, 83kg so that should be good for a small day? Very newbie to wave sailing...Have only ever sailed flat water but have surfed quite a bit. I think a light day when it is is small would be the best way to get into it?
Apologies in advance for the vague questions..
cheers Gav,
hi oryx,
most of the guys are 90kg and under and carry an extra 15-20lt on their boards for buoyancy. a lot of them are 70kg. in the light stuff they dredge out and tack then catch a wave back in. by the time they're on the wave they're planing and getting airs. so they'll go out if the surfs good.
I think the best way to get into wave sailing is on a floaty board, 100-109lt or a windsup. the advantage in the light wind is the waves are nice and clean and the faces smooth so it's more fun.
I don't consider myself a wave sailor. I sail mostly flat water locations and these days I don't sail regular enough to feel overly confident. I went there because I knew it would be perfect for me. It's also where I learnt to take my first steps into the surf as a teenager. in a SE wind it's a completely different place and can get real wild.
the biggest issue we have in qld when learning to windsurf in the surf are.
onshore winds. - they suck and make it real hard. try and find somewhere where the wind is cross shore.
hi gav,
nice photos. are you gav from the Vikings that I spoke with?
hi sbc,
I always find a road trip good for spirits. hint hint.....
I've heard of some horror stories sailing there on an outgoing tide however that looked great. In light conditions though if you miss a gybe on the Bribie side and there isn't enough wind to water start is there a sand bar to gybe over or should one have enough volume to uphall?
Don't get too excited slalom boys. Ive sailed it mast high in a WSW before... some SICK Down the line wavesailing. Don't be fooled knto thinking it's always flat. Last weekend was the flattest ive personally ever seen it. There's normally at least a foot in the middle...
I'd say if you're not comfortable waterstarting then Bongaree on an incoming tide would be better or wello as they are both onshore locations.
in the photos where the light area is you can pretty much stand up. at mid tide you can definitely stand up. I dropped a few gybes in areas I thought were shallow and couldn't touch. the water was crystal clear.
even in the holes the wind usually comes back in again so you can water start. if not then the tide will drag you into the channel. on an incoming tide with small swell its as safe as any open ocean sailing spot.
you need to be able to comfortably sail upwind to sail there. outgoing tide and offshore wind at any location is a recipe for trouble. I don't take the chance anymore myself.
the bar can be dangerous on an outgoing tide and especially with a big swell. people have died there. the problem is the tide drags you out and the waves pound you until you are out of energy. there is also a rip that pulls you up to kings beach and by the time you're at the end of happys it's the dead zone for wind. at that point don't fight it and enjoy the ride to kings. I guess everyone just need to sail to their limits.Select to expand quoteMistral Nick said..
I've heard of some horror stories sailing there on an outgoing tide however that looked great. In light conditions though if you miss a gybe on the Bribie side and there isn't enough wind to water start is there a sand bar to gybe over or should one have enough volume to uphall?
Select to expand quotebowsa said..
Don't get too excited slalom boys. Ive sailed it mast high in a WSW before... some SICK Down the line wavesailing. Don't be fooled knto thinking it's always flat. Last weekend was the flattest ive personally ever seen it. There's normally at least a foot in the middle...
have seen it pumping in a SW wind before. I'm trying to dig up some photos of a few weeks back with a big SE swell running and a NW offshore breeze.
the not so flat, only a month or so back!!
happy's
(this is the bank we sailed on Saturday, it was 1 foot high though)
the bar on a big day.
the groyne pumping
that big day was insane. i surfed the groyne and kings point. was insane. wind was up and northern tip of bribie would have worked but it was a solid 6+ft so mast breaking territory, even if you could get out. was just making the point that even on the sunny coast, it's rarely flat (as in actually zero swell) like it was last weekend
yeah no arguments there. many times I've driven to the bar only to head back to the pond. 
most of the westerly session I've had there it was more like 1-2 foot with lots of flat water inbetween. SW starts to get a bit more full on.
models are forecasting another pulse around the 16th. I can't sail if that comes true but will be able to take some pics. (on daddy day care duties) fingers crossed for 3-4ft swell and SW winds.
