Awesome forum, and tons of info on sailing near Perth, thank you! I am just planning a relocation to Perth, and my job may be taking me to Jindalee. I couldn't find much info on windsurfing off the Northern suburbs of Perth, can someone help? Can you get thru the shore break or are waves too big? I am in Florida now and on easterly winds really can't get thru unless you know how to jump...? I am not that good with the waves, keen to learn though if there were good launch sites to get out. What's the weedy thing? are there weeds all along the coast line except Swan river? Thank you in advance!!!!![]()
The waves here are only small and shorebreak is rarely a problem unless you are used to flat water.
The Swan River is weedy over the shallows at the moment, but that is unusual. It's a really fine matted weed that will stop you dead if you run into a clump. A weedfin may or may not save you.
Safety Bay always needs a weedy but that is for seagrass which will stop you planing if you get a piece folded over the leading edge of your fin. Other coastal areas can benefit from a weedy for the same reason but it is less necessary. A weedy can also protect you from catapulting over unseen craypot lines around Lancelin.
Mandurah estuary usually needs a weedy over summer but not at the moment.
Most of us have a quiver of pointers and one or two weedfins.
http://www.windsurfingperth.com.au/index.php/guides/travel/44-locations
Locations 8-12 on this page are Perth northern suburb spots. Weed is not usually a problem unless you're in safety bay. Best intro to waves is to head to Lancelin or Geraldton. Head to Scarborough if you wanna go to shore break school. Expect a few painful lessons but remember all the local sailors have experienced their share of being 'vacuum bagged'.
The coast around there is relatively flat on a summer seabreeze, its just bump and jump type sailing. A few sailors sail quinns area. Other than that the most northern metro spots that get sailed regularly are pinneroo and mullaloo. Pinneroo is flat to chop, and mullaloo similiar with a slight beach break. Then going further north the windsurf population gets very sparce until you get to lancelin. There you have it all. Flat water, great jumping, and when there is swell, pretty good wave sailing. Most people in WA/Perth do tend to drive a fair bit around to go sailing, so your nearest regular bunch of sailors would be the pinneroo bunch, or the few that sail quinns area sometimes. As muppet said, scarbs is the best beach break in Perth. But from Jindalee, it would almost be the same time to go to lancelin.
In winter, when westerly fronts come through, all bets are off. It is very different. The ocean flat spots will be very choppy, and many of the beach breaks will be unsailable in a dead on shore. Then you just head to where ever can handle the wind direction and swell.
North of Hillaries, weed can be a problem at certain times of the year. Odd strands out to sea but enough to notice and spoil your day if you haven't got a weed fin. Best to always have one just in case.
If you into speed/slalom/super flat, then there is a regular bunch that sail in the swan river, but it would be a bit of a drive from Jindalee and quicker to get up to lano or just put up with some chop at pinneroo. But if you just want to sail, and don't mind it alone, then all that part of coast is very similiar and sailable.
I live in Yanchep, 10km north of Jindalee, best sailing for me is Lancelin or Pinaroo point; I work in town so I take my gear with me and go to Pelican point if the wind is good after work. I do a fair bit of yacht racing as well at Ocean Reef.
Welcome to the best windsurfing/sailing town in the world!![]()
Thank you all so much!!! good info, will just have to make notes and store all the info. It's been a while I have been sailing so probably prefer to have a sight of few other windsurfers out there. It has been blowing here 15-20 mph for straight two weeks but all gear packed already, plus the shore break is too tough here on the easterlies. Can't wait to get back to it!!! ![]()