Hey guys, Iam after some advice on sandy point as I need to head down from adelaide for speed practice during this year sometime . I have plans of going to this years Luderitz speed challenge and need strong winds in the range of 40 to 60 knots on the same tack as sandy point. Iam not sure how the spot works or anything so Iam after any advice the locals can give me.
cheers Tim
Hey Tim,
We would only get 40 - 60 kn at the right direction probably once on 4 years so you'd be lucky to crack it on a planned interstate trip. Keep an eye on wind guru and have a wad of cash on hand for a last minute flight. If it does happen, youll have plenty of company!!!! You'd be much more likely to get 25-30 kn days and the can be fairly regular.
hopefully see you soon
cheers Tony
hey flipper,
The prom reading are about 20-25 knots higher than the actual readings at the pit. Sorry to dissapoint....
Usually when we are sailing 30 knots at the pit, The prom can be reading 50-60. windguru.com.cz is the most reliable wind forecaster you will find for Sandy Point. If anything, it under estimates it slightly on west/ west southwest directions. You can click on Matthew Robinson's adjustment to get it more realistic. That is the direction needed. We sailed west last tues and I'm guessing it was 140 off the wind. W/sw will give you about 120-130. It always swings around a bit in the gusts...
The bottom end of the out going tide is definately the quickest but once again on Tues I sailed The second half of the incoming and it was ok. Tends to get some rolling chop if it's windy and broad on the incoming.
Hope this helps
cheers tony
Tim ,another thing to take into account is with that much wind we some times get a storm surge which will hold the tide longer and has held it in so much we didn,t get a low tide at all 
I hope you manage a trip down. So far the wind hasn,t been that great
well most of my sails i have had there have been in 4.0 conditions, so i think it has wind to match Luderitz. another thing too i once googled the most windy place in a australia and the pit got second, for the most windy days each year.
www.seabreeze.com.au/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=41521
maps.bonzle.com/c/a?a=f&sc=wind
For kiting, then you might want the water a bit flatter than low tide at SP. High tide at SP is probably your closest thing to Luderitz strange as it sounds. The bank at SP is quite flat then drops off aggressively. Windsurfers want the low tide where the water is lapping up against the flattened part, but not over it. This still creates some following chop deep downwind but we need the depth for our fins. At high tide you have the option of running in the 10cm deep water that spills over the edge of the bank. Much much flatter and much closer to luderitz conditions.
SP blows hard when it goes, as does luderitz. But Luderitz is a lot more consistent in direction and regularity. Make sure you are used to cold water though! Its bloody freezing over there. Sandy Pt is like a sauna by comparison.
Tony's pretty much on the money for SW winds, but I'd say there's several 30-35knot days a year and quite a lot of 20-30 knot days, with the odd 40+ day every few years. Trouble is, recently all the best winds have blown at night! Last year we had two 40+ days. One was too west and tide was too high in April, the other in September is quite infamous.
As a kitesurfer, you can sail in the shallows even in West or NW directions further up the channel if you know what you're doing, and there are a few very windy W-NW days every year also.
Thanks guys for your help, I will for sure come down and give the spot a shot.
Would any of you local guys be able to give me the heads up when its going to be around the 40knot range and suitable tide?
hey Genetrix,
You'll know when its's 40 -50 and the right direction and tide, Windguru will show 35's and I'll be buyin a tatts ticket if its this year. It would be like lightning striking twice but here's hopin!!! I and most of the Sandy Insane Weather Sailing Crew really hope it happens again this year. Most of us have been sailing the pit 20+ years and only seen it like that 3 or 4 times. Mind you last time it did, only 3 or 4 guys managed a 5 x 10.
Always the optomist though. And by the way when it 25-35 at the pit, heaps of guys are on 4.4's and its one of the best places in world to be!!!
Cheers Tony
and i,m 30mins away,does that make me more righter about wind
Give us a 40 knot forecast or even 30 knots for a few days and Sam and me will be packed and on our way over within hours from SA. In 2008 it blew 3 days in a row 30 knots with 3 stars on wind guru and i haven't seen it like that since. Like i said bring it on i am hanging for another road trip.
Tim, Sandy is a great place but timing it right is the key - hope you get to try it
.
By the way good speeds on the kite....
Hmmmm, I seem to remember being at the PiT tha last time you were Flipper. It was 15-20 most of the day and came up to maybe 25 knots late in the day.
30 knots, your dreamin!!!
..
Not sure why I am bothering taking the bait? but I don't think I imagined this session
gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2010-03-07&team=16
Don't see anyone mentioning 30 knots winds!!!
