most of this has been answered in the last 6 months, but hey... it's a forum, and i',m bored at work...

the wind is basically ****!
yes we get S/E trades in the dry (your winter). however they are fairly inconsistent, cross to cross off, and very gusty. typically 12-18 knts, and occasionally up to 25.
we also get N afternoon seabreezes, although these are usually around 10-15, with the occasional 17 or 18. very steady tho. this year has been truly crap for these, as we had our first one yesterday. it's been very lean on...
The best time is the Wet. we get monsoon events that last from 1 to 3 weeks each. typically 4 to 6 per year, although again this year was particularly crap, we even had a cyclone that only gave us 2 days wind - go figure????
when the monsoons kick in good we get 15-25knots all day all night, up to double overhead overhead wind waves and big smiles and kiter burnout all round...
this is what we wait for all year....(dec, jan, feb)
having said all that... in a good year we get to kite a lot, probably would average out to 3 or 4 days a week, maybe even more? but mostly on 14/16M kites.

crocs are around all year but are worst in the wet season, Stingers only in the wet, and generally only when its flattish...

dont worry too much about the stingers - you will get stung occasionally, but it probably wont kill you... the crocs on the other hand.....havnt got a kiter yet??

btw, keep in mind that 15 knots in Perth=about 17 or 18knots up here. the wind is gutless... i have heard a number of explanations for this, none of which i am convinced about, but the fact is, that it is a reality!

having said all that, we have a great kite crew, plenty of space, kite a lot (usually), and jetstar are always having cheap flights to Vietnam....
Wouldn't live anywhere else ok - maybe Geraldton[}:)]

gotta go - Northerly just came in....
Avagoodweekend!

dont move to the nt if you love your windsports

Tone probably has to talk it up a bit because he still lives there but seriously

no wind.

and if you windsurf, no water at low tide if their is wind.

I loved the place, but not for the wind.

drx007 said...



r there sweet ks spots around darwin? if not where r the best spots, flatwater any wavreriding spots?

There are exactly 3.05 spots in darwin.
Buff creek, Casuarina, Nightcliff and .05 is the total of the rest of the kiting spots that may exist.

Darwin is an excellent place to live and sometimes you can kite surf there too.

colinwill78 said...

drx007 said...



r there sweet ks spots around darwin? if not where r the best spots, flatwater any wavreriding spots?

There are exactly 3.05 spots in darwin.
Buff creek, Casuarina, Nightcliff and .05 is the total of the rest of the kiting spots that may exist.

Darwin is an excellent place to live and sometimes you can kite surf there too.

.05 is increased by 100 if you got a boat!!

Puetz said...



.05 is increased by 100 if you got a boat!!

I'll Pay that.

myusernam said...

hey where do you guys go in the boat? I cant think of too many places I'd be keen to dip the pinkies of darwin by boat - at least without someone in the boat to pick me up, and a backup engine if it broke down (springs anyway)!

Bare sandy would probably be good on the neaps?
The sailing club sandbar?
That's about all I can think of

Sorry If I always bag darwin wind. I do love the place and now that I kite I might feel a little differently...Think you would agree no good for windsurfing when your biggest sail was a 5.8 wave though!!

... thats why windsurfing lost its popularity in Darwin due to the wind ... and besides, kiting is way more kick-arse anyway!!!

We usually have a good enough time at the 'big 3 spots' so we rarely venture away from them, and with the big tides, its like your at different spots anyway, one minute you have a massive low tide with flatwater, then later you have hightide with some swell or waves, it can be so different its as if your at a different spot!

myusername, have we met??? I'm the big dude whose usually got the 16m out or a Heinie in my hand, come and say hello ... !!

cheers for now,

Robbie

ps myusername have you been to Bare Sand?

bare sand rocks, great on a S/E or a N/W, also gets some reasonable clean waves on the bar (Surfable -2-3ft). middle reef sandbar, the harbour sandbar, and the king of them all... seagull island - north of the tiwis... nasty bities but miles of glass lovelyness... (looks like one of those FNQ kite trip adds i keep seein!)

there are of course plenty other places, but at least with these ones you can see the nasties coming...

T one said...

bare sand rocks, great on a S/E or a N/W, also gets some reasonable clean waves on the bar (Surfable -2-3ft). middle reef sandbar, the harbour sandbar, and the king of them all... seagull island - north of the tiwis... nasty bities but miles of glass lovelyness... (looks like one of those FNQ kite trip adds i keep seein!)

there are of course plenty other places, but at least with these ones you can see the nasties coming...

I thought about the middle reef sandbar also, but only on the neaps eh? Ill have to check out seagull island but it must be a fair way away?!!
(edit just looked on map..do you mean the sandspit on the edge of the top of the aspley strait off melville? because next stop is indo?...)

I'm sure bare sandy would be good. Pity I didnt go there more often.
I'd love to go on the variety bash piss up there....

Too hardcore for me, Although i miss it.
I'm confining myself to freshwater puddles surrounded by trees. might get the occasional Yabbie. But alot further from hospital. It's almost like the put that hospital there for kiters, so close to all three spots.

Nah there was definately a back/neck injury in the same week as my finger.
And pre 2006 there was a broken leg too i think.

T one said...

TH - should be just about spot on by Oct eh? we're frothin...

Col, to date you are the only kiter that has used the RDH facilities as far as i know??? that was you with the finger wasnt it?? and yeah, it certainly is well positioned!

User, middle reef is better on the springs, as it empties out into a horseshoe bay about 3 foot deep on a spring low. s/e cranks thru there as it is 3 or 4 NM offshore.

and yep, thats the one. about 7NM off cape van dieman North of Melville. approx 180NM to the Tanimbar group in Indo. Awesome spot, amazing fishing...

ok i think i know middle ree******oesn't come out at low tide unless it's the springs.
was thinking of more over towards mica beach/ west arm reef area

seagull island/ tiwis...been there (all round bathurst and melv)LOVE the tiwis.
would want BALLS OF STEEL to kite there though (or bare sandy or middle reef etc etc. respect)

If you are nuts enough to kite at any of those places then you could always give the big blue lagoon at north vernon a go at low tide? plenty of flat water!

Lived on the harbour at larrakeah for two years and caught the ferry to mandorah for work most days so saw plenty of wind in the harbour but thought it would be death on a stick without a support boat.

ahh memory lane. freaken nutbag northern territorians!

User, middle reef is the sandbar halfway across Bynoe harbour, between charles point and Bare sandy.

didnt think of the blue hole tho.... that would be farkin awesome!

watch this space!!