Forums > Kitesurfing General

Sydney wind sucks, where to stay in Cairns?

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Created by Splaat > 9 months ago, 2 Aug 2008
Splaat
NSW, 131 posts
2 Aug 2008 9:49PM
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After 3 months with about 3 days of usable wind a few mates and I want to go to Cairns for a week, The seabreeze graphs looks awesome and its under $250 return to get there.

Anyone know a house with internet we can rent in cairns and a good beach to be near? or who to talk to about it?

Any one in Sydney keen to get some wind for a week and go to Cairns?

Caesar
QLD, 109 posts
2 Aug 2008 10:31PM
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Splaat said...

After 3 months with about 3 days of usable wind a few mates and I want to go to Cairns for a week, The seabreeze graphs looks awesome and its under $250 return to get there.

Anyone know a house with internet we can rent in cairns and a good beach to be near? or who to talk to about it?

Any one in Sydney keen to get some wind for a week and go to Cairns?



www.palmcove.net/

Jimmyz
NSW, 446 posts
2 Aug 2008 11:35PM
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Splaat said...

After 3 months with about 3 days of usable wind a few mates and I want to go to Cairns for a week, The seabreeze graphs looks awesome and its under $250 return to get there.

Anyone know a house with internet we can rent in cairns and a good beach to be near? or who to talk to about it?

Any one in Sydney keen to get some wind for a week and go to Cairns?




Man, I must have had around 12 or so sessions in the last three months... It sucks, but as if you couldn't find ONE good day!

Cairns looks nice tho

Nickoff
NSW, 106 posts
3 Aug 2008 7:52PM
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I was up at bowen last month, wind was pretty ordaniry, sea breeze was saying a solid 20 knots constenly up at cains so headed up there (540km), it wasnt much better and it wasnt constent, and aparently it hadnt been for the last week or so? so i wouldnt just trust Seabreeze.

Splaat
NSW, 131 posts
3 Aug 2008 9:37PM
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On Saturday seabreeze said 20 gusting to 23 at Kurnell, I drove down the hour and 40 minutes and it was 7 to 12 knots, 4 kites came in and said it was crap.

Living on the Northern Beaches (Latte Side) is getting me down.

So where to go to get wind? WA in winter it not that great,

takoonhoschi
NSW, 5 posts
3 Aug 2008 10:14PM
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Splaat said...
So where to go to get wind? WA in winter it not that great,


hmm europe?

Jimmyz
NSW, 446 posts
3 Aug 2008 11:22PM
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Splaat said...

On Saturday seabreeze said 20 gusting to 23 at Kurnell, I drove down the hour and 40 minutes and it was 7 to 12 knots, 4 kites came in and said it was crap.

Living on the Northern Beaches (Latte Side) is getting me down.

So where to go to get wind? WA in winter it not that great,


Yeh so do I. A mate went upto canton the day b4 yesterday and had a mad sesh. I went out to dolls on tuesday and had an epic sesh, the week before that we were at kurnell TWICE and only one session was a bit too gusty. We also went up to an awesome spot just north of the central coast.... something bay, I forgot the name, but that was epic too. That was just in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

I think you're just unlucky .

hvyprq
10 posts
4 Aug 2008 2:26AM
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Splaat, Unfortunately that Cairns wind metre is a bit misleading. You would probably find on a good portion of those yellow and green days it was too light to kite unless you went out to Green Island or on the reef.

That metre needs to be pushing 30-35 before you'll get 15-20 on the coast.

Was up Cairns for two weeks and got 1 good day and 2 ordinary ones despite that metre looking very similar to what you have there...

The place to stay is Yorkey's Knob. There's a web site with all the accomodation there if you google it. Anything near the beach is fine - further south down the beach is better (south east winds so further upwind). It's a great spot if you get decent conditions.

Agree that Sydney winter weather sucks. Even if you do get wind its too bloody gusty. I might be getting too old but prefer to keep my kiting for more predictable seabreezes... Oh well makes you appreciate summer more when it rolls in !

Capt.Gumby
QLD, 354 posts
4 Aug 2008 12:03PM
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hvyprq said...

That metre needs to be pushing 30-35 before you'll get 15-20 on the coast.

Was up Cairns for two weeks and got 1 good day and 2 ordinary ones despite that metre looking very similar to what you have there...




Sorry you missed out on wind when you were up. As a local with 18 years sailboarding now kiting the Cairns area I can tell you that there is no doubt that some years Cairns can be very inconsistent. The last couple of years have been just that. However, it really depends on the time of year and forecast wind. The SE trades generally start around late March and go right through to late September and every now and then we get wind as late as November. Often when the high pressure systems come across early in the season there is often rain and can be slight offshore. As the forecast is often 25 to 30 knots due to a large high pressure system this seems to bring in the rain in the early part of our season. As the season progresses, the drier the conditions and the better chance of clear strong winds. July, August and September are our best months for dry clear conditions with good wind.

The best chance of good consistent wind for Yorkies is actually a 20 knot forecast rather than the typical strong wind warning of 25 to 30 knots. The 20 knot forecast does not gather as much moisture as the 30 knot forecast and therefore drier and we get the wind. As soon as showers are forecasted the wind can often be inconsistent at the beach. Out on the reef is another story, what is forecasted is what you get.

Green Island would have to be one of the most consistently windier places in the country. What you see on Seabreeze graphs for Green Island is accurate. When sailboarding a few years back, the local tourist operators used to give us a season pass at a very discounted price so we could travel to green for less than $10 a trip. Needless to say we spent quite a few years sailing Green Island nearly every weekend throughout the season in winds from 20 to 35 knots. In fact, a few of us ended only sailing out at Green and stopped sailing the local Cairns beaches. It can be extremely frustrating knowing that only a few Kms out from Cairns it is blowing its mind out yet the beach can have very little if no wind. It costs locals around $45 to go to Green now so we very rarely get out there any more.

In the end, Yorkies is a great place to kite and does get some great wind for most of the season. However, the last couple of years have not been as good as previous years.

Cheers

NJPornstar
WA, 790 posts
4 Aug 2008 10:42AM
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Yep Yorkeys is the better place to kite in Cairns. It kind of sticks out there and the suburb doesnt get as much rain as in town or Smithfield.
Its all good if you have a big kite 14m + and time to spare. Watch and wait for the cloud bank to move off the hill, sometimes the southerly is deceptive on the water.

If you crave strong wind go camping up the cape, Cooktown, silver plains, Portland roads chilli beach side, Lochart river, Captain billies landing, Somewhere in Torres strait or Lizard island. Or dont stuff around praying for wind in winter and go to Geraldton during spring, summer and Autunm.

cammck
QLD, 108 posts
4 Aug 2008 2:16PM
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What Capt Gumby is saying is "Cairns sucks go somewhere else."

Camo

Capt.Gumby
QLD, 354 posts
4 Aug 2008 3:39PM
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cammck said...

What Capt Gumby is saying is "Cairns sucks go somewhere else."

Camo


Yeah, basically that its.

It can be a absolute brilliant place to kite and then it can be the good old, incredibly frustrating, can't believe it's blowing a gale in town yet nothing at the beach, can't believe I am sitting here waiting for wind yet again, Green Island is blowing a gale yet nothing here at Yorkies, sick of waiting for the wind to then go home to find it later came in.

Hows that for a frustrated rant

In all seriousness, if you are going to spend money kiting I would spend a bit more a get out onto Green Island for guaranteed wind or head further north up near Cooktown. Ant from Kitesurfari runs guided kite tours up near Cooktown and they have yet to have a dud trip. In fact, make sure you have small enough kites.

I seriously would not spend money to chance Yorkies.

HUNI
QLD, 1 posts
4 Aug 2008 8:01PM
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few long faces around at 4 mile beach of late
the only day kiting i had the last 3 weeks was @ green island with
20 knots+ winds.
return trip cost $48
be aware of the coral and know your gear
(the life guards getting pissed off with rescuing kiters)

Scotty99
NSW, 144 posts
4 Aug 2008 8:15PM
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cammck said...

What Capt Gumby is saying is "Cairns sucks go somewhere else."

Camo



What Capt Gumby actually said was "if I had the time to write a post this long then the kiting is obviously crap".
And he'd be right!

Have a nice day,
Scott

Splaat
NSW, 131 posts
4 Aug 2008 8:30PM
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Dam, sounds depressing.

Sounds like the best option is to put on the speedos and go to euro...

Splaat
NSW, 131 posts
4 Aug 2008 8:56PM
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Dam, sounds depressing.

Sounds like the best option is to put on the speedos and go to euro...

Capt.Gumby
QLD, 354 posts
4 Aug 2008 9:03PM
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Actually Splaat

"Cairns wind sucks, where to stay in Sydney"

Yeah Daisy, on holidays, no wind and too much time on my hands to write posts like this. Seems the only time I get on here is when looking at the charts praying for wind, I have been posting too much of late

Next couple of days better produce the goods. Due back at work Saturday, so guaranteed to blow then for sure.




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"Sydney wind sucks, where to stay in Cairns?" started by Splaat