Hi all, I'm new to the forum after having found it now I have started looking at windsurfing again, last time on a board was 7 years ago sailing in Christchurch NZ where I sailed for 20+ years, sold all my gear when we moved to Brisbane AU as I didn't think there was much wind here (there wasn't when I was on holidays).
I have sailed since 1984 when I was 16 when I had a go of my mates old Hifly board, have sailed the N Wales coast including the iconic Rosniger on Anglsey most of my early years, a bit of wave sailing back then which was fun on the old school gear, my first board was a F2 Lightning , then moved on to custom made short-boards which was all the rage back in the 80/90s and also a John Hall 295 which was a weapon back in the late 80s
Sailed mostly flat water blasting on the Christchurch estuary and a bit of bump and jump in Lyttlton Harbour and the high country lakes, winds ranged from anywhere from 15- 30 knots on the estuary with up to 40 knots on the high country lakes, sails ranged from 6.5m - 3m, my main board was a 2013 Fanatic Hawk LTD. So some advice is needed, sailing in Brisbane, I'm on the N side in Petrie, where to go and what conditions are there, also whats the ideal gear to get for the conditions here, I weigh 92kg and would be looking to own 2 boards eventually to cover the conditions here (if needed) and happy to own the sails needed, im way out of touch with whats good and whats not, would ideally like a board that handles chop and is freestyle.
We also visit Noosa a lot and camp at the Noosa Habitat on Lake Cootharaba, I have seen quite a few windsurfers on there but mainly they seem to sailing from Booreen point ??, id like to sail up there too.
Thanks for any advice you can offer, and happy to have found this place.
Cheers Stephen
Hi Steven welcome
on northside we mainly sail bribie passage. Plus odd trip up to golden beach
most of us post at times on the sandstone Seabreesers thread in the forum
also a group of us go to the lake and camp. Mainly at school holidays. Usually we put up a roll call thread ahead of time
i suggest you get some gear real quick and join us at Burrum Windfest in 2 weeks time as this will be a great opportunity to meet lots of local windsurfers - I will even loan you some gear if your keen 
see you on the water
cheers jeff
Thanks for the reply Jeff and the info, ill come out to Bribie passage if im free this weekend for a look, unfortunately Burrum Windfest is out for me as I'm Noosa Habitat camping with friends.
Im currently scoping out gear now on the for sale section and Gumtree
Sandstone point is a great place to windsurf.
there is also wellington point and victoria point. Wello is mud and VP sand
Also Golden Beach. Tidal but sandy n safe n flatwater. Was out there 0550 this morning. Big run in tide, so nice long runs from Gemini to Bulcock bch.
If your at Petrie then Redcliffe will be your local spot and Queens beach is where most go. Judging by your history you will get up to speed very quickly and be able to manage all the spots mentioned. Redcliffe, Bribie channel and Woorim are deep water and get small swell with the rest of the places mentioned relatively flat. Sandstone is tidal but safe and will let you go for long rides a get you back into it. Other spots on the north side are Depression Bay and Shorncliffe.
Im from you era stating in the early 80s and have now done kiting for a number of years but have gone back to a Windsurfer LT and have een enjoying that but just can't get my head around the huge size of boards, fins and sails now.
Select to expand quoteHotdognz said..
Thanks that had heaps of info
that location guide is not quite right in a few spots. hope this helps a bit.
redcliffe
queens beach is where most people sail. it's epic in a NE and SE wind. flat on the inside and big rolling swells out the back.
suttons is epic in a S wind. in a SE suttons can have a weird wind shadow unless it's pumping.
wind stats read 5-8 knots higher than on the water.
shornclffe
try sandgate. it's cross onshore bump and jump in a SE wind. Patrick at surfconnect is on the beach with windsurfing and kiting.
wellington point.
in northerly wind wello is very hit and miss. great in a NE wind and a north west wind. it is also the best place in a winter SW and W wind.
in an easterly it's also very good blasting along the bank. local speed sailing spot here or at lota creek.
waves can be found in a SE wind on the reef near the outer leads.
victoria point.
point halloran on the northern side is very good in a NW and N wind. pick spot in a N wind, waves can be found on the edge of the coochie channel.
thompson beach on the southern side is popular in a SE and is a pick spot in a southerly. when it;s pumping the eastern end has plenty of waist high waves on the sand bank. has a speed bank half way to coochie which has fallen out of favour.
fun and flat in an easterly .
noosa heads
not many people sail noosa. the river mouth is hard to get to. most use 4wd and head to Double island point or go
wavesailing at stumers creek , castaways, mudjimba or anywhere the banks and the wind are working.
lake cootharaba
boreen point in front of sailing club is great but you need to be careful of rocks so walk out a bit in a SE . kinda cross shore in a NE,
in a SE wind some launch from urunga parade where its more cross shore.
the other end of the lake is elanda point now called habitat noosa. super shallow and great for learners. cross shore kinda in a NE wind.
mooloolaba.
mooloolaba is very windy in a northerly,
anne street is closer to caloundra and not as popular as it once was. most people sail neil street about 1 km south. i think the reef being referenced is actually the reef out from neil street. it's also possible to sail upwind to moffats reef. the launch at neil street is light and picks up once past the shore break.
kings beach.
it is very rare to sail at kings beach. most people sail from happy valley (caloundra bar) and only really in a SW or S wind. it is a standout spot in a SW wind for cross off wavesailing. especially if the swell is from the NE. it is good for bump and jump in a SE wind and used to be popular but is mainly used by kites these days as the wave crew have moved to neil st. people have drowned sailing the bar in an outgoing tide. probably best to only sail there on an incoming tide in a SE wind.
caloundra. aka golden beach
in a ne wind mooloolaba is 5 knots windier. a lot of people sail there though and it's great flat water blasting with safety.
great in a SE and S wind and loads of fun in an E wind with very long runs. plenty of speed sailing at golden beach.
lots of currents can be 7 knots or so.
bribie island.
works in any wind.
(southern end) bongaree on the southern end is pretty full on when it's pumping from the SE and so too is woorim on the surf side.
bongare is also workable in a SW wind. lots of currents around bongaree so just be mindful of outgoing tides. spped sailing in a SW wind up the passage from bongaree.
Sandstone point is where most people sail in a SE wind. one of the best flat water blasting spots around but needs a solid wind as it can be lighter close to shore.
turners camp road gets sailed in a NE wind or over at woorim,
beachmere
gets some love in a SE wind for bump and jump. the word epic gets used.
broadwater (northern gold coast)
2 spots most sailed on the broadwater are the train at southport (flat water speed) in a NE and shearwater esplanade at runaway bay. (bump and jump) in a SE. shearwater is current effected and is mainly sailed when wind is against tide.
jennifer ave is a good beginner spot and very good in an E wind.
paradise point is worth a look. very long runs in consistent breeze. be careful at low tide.
wind stats read 5-7 knots higher at the seaway than on the water and boat traffic can be an issue.
main beach. (i think they mean southern gold coast)
it's pretty rare to sail main beach. in a northerly some guys sail narrow neck.
also very rare for anyone to sail duranbah because in a SE most people sail currumbin. if you want to sail southern end just go to currumbin. it;s a right hand point break that works in winds from the E to SE. bump and jump in a NE but i've not sailed there in that direction.
north kirra gets some love in a NW wind.
in southerly the wave guys head to flat rock south of the border.
for gold coast stuff contact surf fx and for sunny Coast contact wind and surf.
I should have also said.
some of the golden beach locals are sailing up near military jetty these days.
^^Comprehensive report there Gesty. At the risk of people shoutin out ATTITUDE. If the tidal current here at GB is 7kts i will eat my 51cm Select S1. Youd also better check your gps settings dude. Think its set on KM not KTS.?? Current here is more like walking pace 4-5kmh. Max (3kts) Ive been on this waterway since my teens. Canoeing, fishing,swimming n sailing. Just sayin. Great sailing location advice otherwise...
^ Bahaha! I think advice for beginners at GB is AVOID THE RUN OUT TIDE. Death corner near Bulcock is aptly named for a good reason. Done a few LONG swims there dragging the broken kit in the current myself. Both in the 80s n a few years ago.
It may only be a few hundred metres wide. But when the s#*? goes down its at least a 40min body floggin stint.
Select to expand quoteGestalt said..Hotdognz said..
Thanks that had heaps of info
that location guide is not quite right in a few spots. hope this helps a bit.
redcliffe
queens beach is where most people sail. it's epic in a NE and SE wind. flat on the inside and big rolling swells out the back.
suttons is epic in a S wind. in a SE suttons can have a weird wind shadow unless it's pumping.
wind stats read 5-8 knots higher than on the water.
shornclffe
try sandgate. it's cross onshore bump and jump in a SE wind. Patrick at surfconnect is on the beach with windsurfing and kiting.
wellington point.
in northerly wind wello is very hit and miss. great in a NE wind and a north west wind. it is also the best place in a winter SW and W wind.
in an easterly it's also very good blasting along the bank. local speed sailing spot here or at lota creek.
waves can be found in a SE wind on the reef near the outer leads.
victoria point.
point halloran on the northern side is very good in a NW and N wind. pick spot in a N wind, waves can be found on the edge of the coochie channel.
thompson beach on the southern side is popular in a SE and is a pick spot in a southerly. when it;s pumping the eastern end has plenty of waist high waves on the sand bank. has a speed bank half way to coochie which has fallen out of favour.
fun and flat in an easterly .
noosa heads
not many people sail noosa. the river mouth is hard to get to. most use 4wd and head to Double island point or go
wavesailing at stumers creek , castaways, mudjimba or anywhere the banks and the wind are working.
lake cootharaba
boreen point in front of sailing club is great but you need to be careful of rocks so walk out a bit in a SE . kinda cross shore in a NE,
in a SE wind some launch from urunga parade where its more cross shore.
the other end of the lake is elanda point now called habitat noosa. super shallow and great for learners. cross shore kinda in a NE wind.
mooloolaba.
mooloolaba is very windy in a northerly,
anne street is closer to caloundra and not as popular as it once was. most people sail neil street about 1 km south. i think the reef being referenced is actually the reef out from neil street. it's also possible to sail upwind to moffats reef. the launch at neil street is light and picks up once past the shore break.
kings beach.
it is very rare to sail at kings beach. most people sail from happy valley (caloundra bar) and only really in a SW or S wind. it is a standout spot in a SW wind for cross off wavesailing. especially if the swell is from the NE. it is good for bump and jump in a SE wind and used to be popular but is mainly used by kites these days as the wave crew have moved to neil st. people have drowned sailing the bar in an outgoing tide. probably best to only sail there on an incoming tide in a SE wind.
caloundra. aka golden beach
in a ne wind mooloolaba is 5 knots windier. a lot of people sail there though and it's great flat water blasting with safety.
great in a SE and S wind and loads of fun in an E wind with very long runs. plenty of speed sailing at golden beach.
lots of currents can be 7 knots or so.
bribie island.
works in any wind.
(southern end) bongaree on the southern end is pretty full on when it's pumping from the SE and so too is woorim on the surf side.
bongare is also workable in a SW wind. lots of currents around bongaree so just be mindful of outgoing tides. spped sailing in a SW wind up the passage from bongaree.
Sandstone point is where most people sail in a SE wind. one of the best flat water blasting spots around but needs a solid wind as it can be lighter close to shore.
turners camp road gets sailed in a NE wind or over at woorim,
beachmere
gets some love in a SE wind for bump and jump. the word epic gets used.
broadwater (northern gold coast)
2 spots most sailed on the broadwater are the train at southport (flat water speed) in a NE and shearwater esplanade at runaway bay. (bump and jump) in a SE. shearwater is current effected and is mainly sailed when wind is against tide.
jennifer ave is a good beginner spot and very good in an E wind.
paradise point is worth a look. very long runs in consistent breeze. be careful at low tide.
wind stats read 5-7 knots higher at the seaway than on the water and boat traffic can be an issue.
main beach. (i think they mean southern gold coast)
it's pretty rare to sail main beach. in a northerly some guys sail narrow neck.
also very rare for anyone to sail duranbah because in a SE most people sail currumbin. if you want to sail southern end just go to currumbin. it;s a right hand point break that works in winds from the E to SE. bump and jump in a NE but i've not sailed there in that direction.
north kirra gets some love in a NW wind.
in southerly the wave guys head to flat rock south of the border.
for gold coast stuff contact surf fx and for sunny Coast contact wind and surf.
Thank you Justin , some of the info was a bit out of date. Fix a few things up and added
RQYS(KITE BEACH)Clear wind in south easter to south and also anything from the north. Rqys has built the windsurfing school of excellence here so a lot of kids learning here. A bit of a walk out on low tide, but mid time up just sail off beach. Probably the most popular spot in brisbane now (often seen 30 plus sailors out). Bayside club runs their slalom races from here. More and more sailors are joining Rqys as crew members to have access to the great facilities on offer
We've had this discussion before, but I think it's worth repeating the Redcliffe anemometer does not read 5-8 kts over. It 's 3 or 4 over knots in light winds and progressively more accurate as the wind gets stronger.
In any case Redcliffe normally gets the best wind in the bay, you just have to like rough water.
Thanks all for the information its great, I know most of the spotsAs for gear I can get I have been cleared by the accounts manger for 1 board for now and 1 sail at the moment, at 92kg I guess im looking at some thing around 112L, looking in the used section I have seen the following
Naish GT 115L
Fanatic Hawk 112L
Fanatic Hawk 120L
Are any of these any good for the areas mentioned and what size sail would you guys recommend??, also what size fin are people running now, I also see there are some new fins called weed fins.
Cheers Stephen
For SEQ it is best to have three sets of gear - big, medium, small. By far most sailing is done on big and medium gear. Strong wind here (25-30+) is pretty rare. Starting with 112 seems like a good way to go, partnered with a 7.5 - 8m sail, especially if you are going to sail the flat water spots where you can get more range out of the equipment. If you are going to sail the open water rougher spots you will likely need to get some medium gear sooner as the wind is better in those spots.
Weed fins are not required here.
Select to expand quoteolskool said..
Stephen, forget the 120 Hawk its gone.
U just couldn't wait , could you.
Enjoy , maybe we make a 110 ?
Im with Shifu with the gear selection. Im 100kg. Sail at GB every chance i get.Sometimes 5 days a week. Im no guru. My most rigged gear is 9.5m sail n 150 litre board. i can hang onto this gear from 10-20kts. The lighter people are usually on 7-7.5m n 100-120litre boards.
Select to expand quoteImax1 said..olskool said..
Stephen, forget the 120 Hawk its gone.
U just couldn't wait , could you.
Enjoy , maybe we make a 110 ?
Imax1, new job is feeding my addiction to progress at this sport.
I Know a bloke who has a 92l Goya fsw going cheap, might be ok for a small to medium board for you. (its not mine)
pm me for his number
Select to expand quoteolskool said..
Im with Shifu with the gear selection. Im 100kg. Sail at GB every chance i get.Sometimes 5 days a week. Im no guru. My most rigged gear is 9.5m sail n 150 litre board. i can hang onto this gear from 10-20kts. The lighter people are usually on 7-7.5m n 100-120litre boards.
Thanks for the info, interesting your most used gear is a 150 litre board and 9.5 sail, im happy to sail 1020 knots as longs as I can get going, I may start looking at more volume based board for my first board here.
Select to expand quotelungs said..
I Know a bloke who has a 92l Goya fsw going cheap, might be ok for a small to medium board for you. (its not mine)
pm me for his number
Thanks Lungs, as my first board for QLD conditions I think 92L will be too little volume
Hotdognz, i probably should sail smaller gear. Guess im lazy. But swingin off big gear isnt a walk in the park either.
My 150 is so easy to get planing. Also quite fast at 27-30kts. Sailed late yesterday arvo at GB. Using 8.5 n 150. Wind 18-24kts SE. Lighter guys on 130n7.5 n 112n 6.5. Was a cracker fully powered sesh into the darkness. Right on upper limit of 8.5 n 51cm fin. Board constantly wanting to lift n riding on the fin. Had a few big catapults, when chasin the smooth water in the shallows. Sandbar! What sandbar? Ooopps But thats the way i dig it. On the edge...I like to use every ounce of my 100kg to hold it all together.
Select to expand quoteHotdognz said..olskool said..
Im with Shifu with the gear selection. Im 100kg. Sail at GB every chance i get.Sometimes 5 days a week. Im no guru. My most rigged gear is 9.5m sail n 150 litre board. i can hang onto this gear from 10-20kts. The lighter people are usually on 7-7.5m n 100-120litre boards.
Thanks for the info, interesting your most used gear is a 150 litre board and 9.5 sail, im happy to sail 1020 knots as longs as I can get going, I may start looking at more volume based board for my first board here.
body weight +25-30 is a good size for your everyday board.
^^ +1. 120 Hawk on its way.
But theres nothing wrong with riggin big if youve got the ability to handle it. Sure gets ya goin early whilst the others dredge around whinging.
