Is there any reason nobody sails at Stockton Beach (Newcastle)?

I drive past there on the way home from work and quite often see a number of kites out, but no one windsurfing. Given I'm going to be living around there soon, I wouldn't mind giving it a go. Nice quick easy drive to get there, perfect smooth wind, reasonably flt, great rigging locations, etc..

Macca, I've wave-sailed there in a S/SE and I guess in a big swell you could get waves forming off the breakwall although I think it's probably too deep for regular normal surfing. If it's NE people go elsewhere or to the Port Stephens area which can handle just about every direction.

I'm not interested in what kiters do!

wbailey said...

Sorry to turn you off but aren't there large grey-suited marine creatures breeding and feeding in that area? (like White Pointers etc.)

Yes it is a known Noah hot spot
The entire stretch from Nobbys right round to Hawks Nest is known for its big fish breeding

Statistically you have more chance being killed by:

car crash
lightning
bee sting


Macca I think you will find the onshore direction of the wind is way more of an issue than marine life.
Some prime spots pretty close by in either direction.
Enjoy the location... plenty to offer up in wind, waves and water

Thanks for the replies. I have heard of the abundance of snapping arm and leg removers around there, and as I'm fairly new to the sport, I tend to spend a fair amount of time in the water and not on it.

Is onshore a big problem for going out just past the waves for some flat water sailing?? I figured that I'd just get blown back onto the beach if I couldnt hack getting upwind.

I normally sail Lake Macquarie, but the lack of descent strong wind there is really getting to me. Hope to get into wave sailing when I get a bit better, but without being able to sail every weekend due to the poor wind on the lake, I think I'm getting worse...

Cheers

Macca 18,

I surf sailed around Newcastle during the late 80s and early 90s. I never once sailed off Stockton beach. It's onshore in a NE and Blacksmiths has a better wave in a SE.

Nobbies is best in a NE, better wave and almost side shore wind. The Cliff works in a NE and SE. The NE are a summer sea breeze (from August) but they get inconsistent after Christmas. The SE are associated with southerly changes, but the strong winds don't last very long - usually only an 1 to 3 hours after the change comes through.

I have also sailed a couple of times at Anna bay (the other end of Stockton Bight) in both a NE as well as a NW in winter.