Heading west camping for a couple weeks in Nov/Dec. Is there much kiting to be had in coffin bay? Looks brilliant on google earth..
Obviously the surf side should be good, but what about flat water on the inside?
November/December isn't the best time to kite at little Douglas, due to the wind being cross off shore most of summer with the regular seabreeses. It does work well in winter if there is a breeze but it has to be just the right direction as there isn't much room there for error.
There are some things to look out for there, first is the oyster farmers. Most days the small beach is completely covered by oyster farmers tractors and trailers to the stage where there isn't much room to set up and run your lines. the main rigging area is across the access but if you get in the oyster farmers road they will run over your gear. The access to this little channel is very shallow and on low tide the oyster punts come in very fast and don't slow down for anything so you really need to keep out of there road or you will get hit.
As mentioned the beach is small and it can make launching difficult, a self launch would be almost impossible, normally the person launching the kite needs to be almost in the channel waste deep, if you try to launch the other way there is a lot of bushes and trees that will try to eat your kite. Beware of the cliff at the edge of the beach it can cause up drafts/wind shadows and generally is just in the road most of the time.
The amount of area that is there isn't much wider than a two lane highway maby 80m long getting up wind can be difficult as as soon as you get going you need to head the other way if you get stuck down wind you can end up behind the cliff which would end badly. At certain times the tide can move quickly and your board can be sucked out to sea so i wouldn't kite there alone.
I have been lucky to kite there and got the right conditions(in winter) but to be honest it isn,t any where near as good as the conditions and flat water you find in Whyalla. For the time of year you are heading to coffins i would hit up the west coast surf, Farm beach works(flat water most of summer, or head through the national park and find a good spot on the other side of the bay for it to work. If you have a 4wd your chances of finding a good spot in the national park is good. There are quite a few locals that kit that are, be on the lookout for kites as they know what works in different conditions, they could be anywhere from lincon to Elleston so be prepared for a bit of a drive.
If you are still on holidays early dec try to be in Whyalla for some great conditions.
Ahh Coffin Bay
I head over there all the time, we lived there for 10 years, awesome.
Coffin Bay is a great place for kitesurfing but Little Douglas is a bit more fickle.
Heres the gig:
You can launch and kite at a spot called long beach coffin bay, Head through coffin bay and go towards the start of the National park, before you get there you will see on the right a bay, there are 2 car parks there, you want the second one, if you go too far you will go to the entry of the National Park. turn and go back.
there is a track onto long beach here, easy for 4wd but if 2wd stop and park behind the gum trees, you are there. step over onto the beach and you will see an expanse of water witih a little island called Rabbit isld, (some call it goat isld, its not goat isld is the one in the little bay of the townshipand to the NW dutton heads.
You will notice on low tide its all sand, but the water will come in and cover it normally afternoon, you will need medium to hight tide, high tide depending on you preference as it can be kited flat flat - watch out for the stingerays they will be around, we used to windsurf it for yesrs and obviously now kite it.
its flat water heaven.
thing is this far down the coast the seabreeze is fickle and you really need a southerly pattern, but Novemenber is known over there as blowvember so its okay. it will take S- SW and W and NW if you have a building front, the NW are heaven as the wavelets build over the deep water and onto the shallow
SE is dodgy as its off shore - but give it time it might come around with the sea breeze. Its good to keep away from the channel as heaps of boats will be using it
You can do similar with little douglas but it needs more tide.
let me tell you about another flat water secret, head past little douglas down horse peninsula, on the left (east) you will see a track that leads to a small bay which is the southern estuary of Shelly Beach, there is a spit that takes the wind over from Little douglas / port douglas, and you can run up next to it in a SW or similar, it is total glass, and you can bear off on your starboard tack at mack10
the other little gem is Shelly beach - head towards Farm beach and go past the first turn off to dutton bay, the next one is to dutton bay west, tak that and then turn right before you get to dutton bay west and head to Shelly beach, you can drive onto the little dry sticky park right on the water almost and lauch, it will be easy to see, you can batten twirl here until your hearts content.
Note they all need tide - works well with the afternoon building wind.
if you want guaranteed sea breesze then head up the coast to Elliston or futher, the further north you go the more seabreeze and it will work this time of year.
I could tell you the wave spots but I can't as otherwise I will have to nuke the whole site and wipe all evidence away. If you go to Eliston or Streaky respect the locals, seriously respect them, and they will look after you, there are only a few kiters but you can upset the fishos and the surfers just by being on the bay.
As such Coffin bay itself does not offer much for kitesurfing waves, I have done it but Almonta and Golden island in the park are pretty dodgy as even the locals do not surf this area re the big salmon run, I have kited it and have photos but don't go out far, otherwise its mostly offshore this time of year and no where to launch. There is a secret spot but no chance I can let that go
its also the best place to catch fish
Have fun
Dazza
Cheers so much boys! That's brilliant advice, wasn't expecting anything like that. You've got me seriously phsyhed up now. Just one more semester of uni to go and its all over.
One last question, have you spent much time 4wd'ing in the national park?
Is the sand very deep?
(I half a half arsed 4wd- Forester GT)
p.s. will definately check out whyalla on the way through and stay away from the salmon and bigger fish which follow them..
Hey Muirs
Coffin Bay national park is pretty cool, trouble is that you really do need a higher clearance 4wd. There is a few spots that will cause trouble, one is commically called 'subaru drive' due to the fact that it looks okay but is quite soft and has heaps of sticks and subarus have been stuck there before, there is also 'axle hill' which is okay to get in but quite a steep climb back out and then there is 7 miles beach which is really soft and requires a lot of power and clearance.
its quite a reasonable ride for a clearnace 4wd and is not like some of the crazy tracks around robe but still pretty serious. Years ago we used to take our little Suzuki jimny out there, which was okay but a bit nerve racking, but it has higher clearance
all the other little areas I told you about required a bit of 4wd for comfort but you will do them easy, this one I would avoid. Some people have taken there lower clearance 4wds out and paid the price, some have made it, some people don't mind thrashing the absolute **** out of their wanabe 4wds and you can do it, but you might not make it too. Which will be a source of entertainment for the locals, but not so much for you.
we now take out our 100 series landcruizer and it really does not even need low range to make it, hopefully that gives you an idea of the rating
heres some photos www.southcentralkiteboarders.com/Eyre_Peninsula_Photos.html
There is absolutely no kitesurfing out there anyhow, and I am not trying to keep secrets, its just too rough, and faces the wrong way. you could kitesurf sensation beach but you might as well just do almonta as it is essentially the same.
Another spot you can look at is convention beach, named after a fishing convention, you head past coffin bay and its about 30 minutes past towards eliston - turn left past lake greenly down Kapunta lane there are a few farm fences and you can get through on your forester, there is a massive beach that takes mecca swell and seabreeze, risk is that conditions on the beach change and some times of the year its just rocks and unuseable, then the next year its a massive beach. its not for the faint hearted, its like probably some of the most powerful surf in SA, quite reasoable in that it breaks out away from the shore and can have great banks, or no banks at all?, but you don't want to estimate the size wrong or be afraid of rips etc
another spot you might like is a beach called Silly Bay just on the south side of Coles point, thats Greenly way, takes better sea breeze and is pretty flat with some waves that break close to shore but is ridable
Dazza
Dazza
Photos look unbelievably good dazza!
We're taking 2 cars, one is a 'proper' 4wd, so at least there's someone there for a tow if worst comes to worst. But i'll definately be printing all this advice and taking it with me, then can play it by ear as to which tracks will be doable.
Cheers again mate, really helpful!
Sam
