Maddlad said..
Cant drive that far sorry Mark, i have an anxiety disorder that stops me travelling. Lanno is as far as i can go north at present. Cheers for the suggestion though. :)

Not being rude but seriously if you suffer from anxiety, as curac has said, don't sail Boaties!

Greenroom said..

Maddlad said..
Cant drive that far sorry Mark, i have an anxiety disorder that stops me travelling. Lanno is as far as i can go north at present. Cheers for the suggestion though. :)

Not being rude but seriously if you suffer from anxiety, as curac has said, don't sail Boaties!

I dont intend to. ;)

If you don't want to / can't drive far i'd say the following spots would be a good start:

- Lanceline South Passage on a small day. Just shoulder hop and stay on the inside.
- Lanceline Mainbreak (on a small day)
- Mettams when it's not too big. Just ask a local for advice on areas to avoid / you'll be most likely to hit reef
- Dutch Inn (Cottesloe), needs a big swell or a lot of wind to have waves but they are generally not going to destroy your gear.
- Crazy Waves / aka South Fremantle, this is a spot for NW winds and usually needs at least 30knts to get any waves. Not usually that good for riding but certainly great for jumping, plus while they can get to about 1 meter in height the waves generally don't destroy your gear

My top tips for getting into waves:
- if you wouldn't swim in it, don't go sailing in it
- have quick water starts sorted
- have jibing and/ or tacking in both directions sorted
- always ask a local for things to watch out for (submerged rocks, wind shadows, ocean wild life)
- have an exit strategy... ie if you loose your rig and/or board know how you are going to get back to the beach
- generally use a bigger volume board then you would on flat water in the same conditons
- watch the ocean before you go out. how many waves to a set, how often do they come, how big is the biggest wave in the set, can you sail around them

Try and find a copy of Peter Hart's Serious about Waves DVD or do a clinic with Guy Cribb next time he is in OZ. Nothing like professional tuition to get you started.

Thanks for the tips guys. I have no issues water starting, gybing, bump n jump etc, just preferred a break that wasnt as messy as Lanno was the day i tried it. I'm sure with more practice ill get the hang of it. Cheers :)