Hi Guys,
I have some windsurfing mates who are planning a week trip to Gnarloo for some Gnarly waves. in about November
I've been kiting for 6 months now & going ok.
I don't expect to actually be able to get on waves at Gnarloo, but can I sail up there - out the back somewhere, or is getting out going to be the death of me?
I really just want to get away from the wife & sail with my mates. I know Gnarloo is a long drive but a week away with the boys....
Cheers.
Go. November is a long way away. You could get tonnes of practice in before then.
If you are really unsure about your ability wait till next year.
But if not, GO. I have never kited there
, but have spent a couple of weeks up there, and it BLOWS (not as in being crap, but as in being very very windy).
Its stuff like that you might regret later. Whats the worst thing that could possibly go wrong?
(Famous last words....)
No problem, that time of the year will be small and chockers with euro polers and kiters just launch at the bombie with the rest of them. Paradise lost unfortunately.
Try Gnaraloo when using a map may work better.
Hey General Dude,
Gnaraloo is ok if the wind is not too offshore for the bombie beach launch and the tide is high for the week you are there. The swell should be pretty small by Novemberish so getting out across the bombie shouldn't be too hard, it's getting across the reef infront of the bombie that is the trick, especially if the tide is low and the sun is in the late afternoon sky.
It's a pretty dodgy spot to ride if you're not pretty much on your game. November should see winds of 25-35 knts pretty much daily with little to no swell. If your mates are serious about getting some gnarly waves, they should go when the swell is up like early to mid September.
If you are good enough, go for it, if not, just go and fish instead and drink with your mates. If you get in the sh1t up there, no one can help you.
Good winds,
General Dude,
You may die there but when your wife reads your post you're gonna die anyway.
Slack
forget the naysayers
there are other spots apart from tombies
up at gnaraloo bay there is a great lagoon to kite on
need to walk around the point from the carpark (to the west)
or just through the gate walk over a couple of dunes (to the west)
wide sandy beach, good lagoon even a few small waves come through further out
Yeah good advise. Go kite at Gnaraloo Bay in between the reef and the point - otherwise known as Shark Alley. On the latest trip we caught 13 sharks off the beach at the Bay (heading east though) ranging from 1 to 4 foot. The day before I arrived, three of my mates saw a 7-8 foot shark in a couple of feet of water.
There is also a ripper current that kicks through Shark Alley so don't lose your board and don't crash your kite.
There is one place you could possibly kite...north of the lagoon, right in front of the sand dunes. Nice and flat but pretty shallow with nasty reef so wear a wetty.
You could also try upwind of tombies inside the break...be prepared to launch off a 5 m wide beach with your lines running over little rocks that like to catch lines. Again, wear a wetty because it can be shallow. There is a bit of current too especially when Tombies is pumping.
Either way, unless you're confident in self-rescue, can self lanch with ease and are prepared to ditch your kite should get in trouble, I wouldn't recommend it.
Sorry if it's being pessimistic but the place isn't exactly beginner friendly.
There is some private property north of Gnaraloo station before you hit Warrah that has some super flat water, white beaches etc but you need to get permission to get onto the station...or not get caught. Plus it's about 1 hours intense 4wding.
its not shark alley
i wouldnt advise newbies to a spot i didnt think was safe
further south than that, right round the point and down the beach
go for a walk and you will see
www.google.com.au:443/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode&q=gnaraloo+bay&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=17.703658,40.869141&ie=UTF8&ll=-23.768654,113.53529&spn=0.017556,0.039911&t=h&z=15&iwloc=A
have a look
can park at the last bend, over a fence walk thru that blow out (long sandy patch just in land) about 200m
no sharks, good beach to launch on, there is a rip further out
reefy bottom
THERE IS NO WAY ANY BEGINNER SHOULD KITE AT GNARALOO.
IT IS SIMPLY TOO DANGEROUS.
YOU CAN DIE VERY EASILY.
ITS AN EXPERTS ONLY SPOT.
YOU MUST CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, IT IS A CROWDED AREA AND VERY DANGEROUS WITHOUT THE CROWDS. A BEGINNER KITER AT GNARALOO COULD RESULT IN DISASTER.
DO NOT GO OUT UNLESS YOU ARE EXTREMELY CONFIDENT AND CAN SWIM VERY STRONGLY.
You can go , but you will have to stay away from the line up, find a spot where you are safe enough to swim in if things go wrong and there are not a lot of options up there, try the bay.
Kite with a mate.
If you have a boat then the bay is fine, without one, pray nothing goes wrong.
It's an offshore breeze and the next stop is beyond the 6 mile gate and the next station.
It's a huge bay and a very long walk back.
Awesome,
So that is a definite maybe then...
I'm an optimist though so I'm gonna go - I get away from the wife & kids so what the hey....
i don't reckon its as hard to kite there as some people here are saying. i went for the first time a few weeks back and i thought it was gonna be really intense but was alot easier to launch/land and kite than i thought it would be based on stories like in this thread.
just as long as you can self rescue then you'll be set (and as long as you're not only used to flat water)
i'm not that flash and i wasn't apprehensive at all and had a blast.
go for it.
Also bear in mind there could easily be 20 or more windsurfers in the line up and when its light, a bunch of surfers. Being able to navigate around people in the waves is essential. And several hours to the nearest hospital. Definately know what you are doing.
