From Wanneroo you'll probably sail Pinaroo Pt initially... pretty close, about a 15-20min drive. Lucky too, as you will be on the road to Lancelin which is sh!thot and only about 40min from there. Poor southern suburbs people have a 1.5hr drive.

All the shops carry second hand but that will be a bit of a drive, 30min - 45min ish.
There will be tons on seabreeze about Oct all the gear starts moving. I have a few Simmer wavesails, an EVO80 and a OES 80 (waveboard) for sale

Wettie for summer, coming from the UK you probably won't use one. I use a 2mm springsuit in summer unless up north i ma wear boardies and a thermal rashie.
a 3 x 2 steamer for winter is plenty

Wetties are not too hard: any surf shop which you will find one in every shopping centre. The WS shops will hook you up when you get here.

Lancelin is a large bay flat on the inside and an outer reef break about 500m out. It is famous as it can have learners 10m out, then when the afternoon seabreeze come sin the intermediates are out halfway, and wavesailors out the back .... something for everyone

Excellent, can't wait to arrive!

WA is great but make sure you bring your 5/4 for the winter unless you are equipped with personal thermal layer. I am not and use steamer in winter. The wind chill can still be pretty damn cold here!

Where abouts did you use to sail in the UK?

Mark is right. You would head to pinneroo for your everyday freeride stuff. Scarbs is about 20-30 minutes heading into town which is a good place for small onshore wind waves. Although sometimes it can also be hard work. A lot of good guys down there. And then lano is probably about 60minutes in an old van heading up north,about 100kms which is great for just crusing around on the inside or waves on the outside. There are a few other beaches nearby. Your nearest is probably mullaloo. Thats about 10-15 minutes. That beach is absolutely pristine and a few sail there. Its part of the same beach as pinneroo.

You will need a 3x2 for winter, plus maybe thermal vest and or neo vest for the coldest fronts. In summer, boardies + neo top is good, or if you like just rashie will do. A shorty is also handy for spring or cold summer days if you been sailing all day.

Some very good shops around. All in the city though. There are windshack, second wind, sos, surf and sail, Regs shop, windforce and a few others. Its pretty easy to get anything you want and you will end up just going to which ever one sells the brand you like, or has the shops guys that you get on best with.

Mark, you should try our estuary, when you have 3 rivers running into it, straight from the freezing valleys in the hills.
This stuff is cold! Nothing like the ocean.

I remember in the old days surfing halls head during a winter storm, big swell from the NW with SW wind, waist high waves peeling all the way down the beach. But the water was straight out of the mouth.
After a half hour session I had to use both hands to unlock my car, neither hand by itself had enough strength in it.
Mind you, don't think we had any sort of wetsuits then, old footy was about the best we could do.
Big beach fire afterwards, the old man's great coat and a bottle of rum, used to help.

lano....dribble.

dont buy ezy... sails for nebs.

smp,

heaps of second gear available either here onn seabreeze or at a variety of local shops... here are some links for Perth shops:

http://windforce.com.au
www.2ndwind.com.au
www.windsurfingperth.com.au
www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/WindHardware/Windsurfing
www.windsurfing.net.au
sossurf.com.au
www.windshack.com

Hope I didn't leave anyone out

You might also want to consider joining Windsurfing WA (website seems to be down for renovations... www.windsurfingwa.org.au ...they organise some fun events for all standards and you get insurance thrown in. Good way to meet a few crew.

more poms?