Does anybody know what Lake Corangamite in Victoria (near Colac) is like to windsurf on? I've been looking around at lakes that I can go to (because they don't get as much chop as the sea), but they all sound shallow and muddy, which puts me off.

AFAIK, Lake Corangamite is a natural lake, and it's 5m deep on average, so hopefully not too much need for wading around in thick deep mud. It's a huge lake... what's the best area to launch from and is there anything I should be aware of? Four times saltier than the sea sounds interesting/eye-stinging/vomit-inducing.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Corangamite

Lot's of mud and watch for submerged fence's, wind can get very strong and gusty. My wife's family had a property on the lake and they windsurfed and sailed cats on it. Can be very shallow for a long way out. Down the southern end are a few old fish traps and stone structures possibly duck shooting hut's. Give it a go!

Close to you and one or two people going today. Good spot to learn I have heard.

I learned mainly down Inverloch, and also St Kilda Harbour and Sandringham Harbour.... good enough spots to learn and usually plenty of others out to get advice off.

Recommend joining a club or two to sail with others and get tips. Or even just let people where you are going and when and someone on here might come along to give you some tips.

When looking for spots, go for shallow, no fences and rocks :P, sheltered, and never with an offshore wind to avoid being blown away :D

Sailed it a few times almost 10 years ago...thee wasn't a lot of water around at that stage and I remember access was a bit of a problem...winds were also a bit patchy but that's normal for inland lakes.
There's a few other options nearby... Try Lake Bookah near Camperdown, or for a bit of fun- Lake Bullen Merri. Further down the coast you have the lagoon at Port Fairy.
Lake Colac used to be ok but there's a fair bit of mud and not a lot of water at the moment.

Oh, Lake Bullen Merri looks worth a go, thanks! I was out visiting a few wineries around Avoca today. Stopped off to take a look at Lake Learmonth when the wind was howling. Looked very shallow and full of rocks, at least on the side we entered from. I always wonder about Lake Burrumbeet when I pass it on the Western Hwy too.

Sailed bullen merri once year ago. Nice water, clean, has trout. Gusty as everyone has said but nice beautiful spot. Needs a bit of wind. Managed to plane for 100m and that was it.... But very scenic in a rural sense.

I run the local sailability program and often go to Bullen Merri. It's very pretty but it's inside a big crator and the wind can be fairly unpredictable. It would be alright in a Northerly on a windsurfer but Port Fairy is better as long as it's high tide.

I went to Bullen Merri today and it seemed like it could be an ok spot if you're more experienced. I'm really just a beginner and on the south side of the lake where there's more of a beach, the wind was all over the place today, hitting me in the face one moment, then from behind the next. On the northern side it was really choppy, but the wind was a more consistent sideshore (still a bit unpredictable), however there was only a very small section of beach where I launched and I was concerned about being blown too far along and hitting the rocky shoreline. Considering how insanely deep the lake is (66 metres) and how quickly the lake bed drops beneath your feet, I didn't really have the guts to venture very far from the shoreline before turning back, so couldn't really appreciate it. I also stubbed my toes numerous times on rocks. I will go back here for sure once I have more experience to know I can get back safely.

I think your assessment that it would be best in a northerly (or something with a bit of N in it) is right. That south beach is the best place, both because of the width of the sandy beach and the fact there's a nice big grassy area to rig.

The water looks really clean and the lake bed is sandy too. It's brackish, so while it tastes salty, it doesn't leave you feeling quite as crusty as the sea once you dry off.

I knew Bullen Merri was deep, but wasn't quite prepared for the bed to fall off quite as steeply as it does! You walk in and 5-10m from the shore you just feel it plummet beneath your feet!

Is Port Fairy a surf beach, or is it relatively flat? Flat is the main thing I'm looking for at the moment. Think I'll stick to the Mornington Peninsula on anything with a some west and not too much south for now :)

I remember as a beginner doing the whole drive around for safe lake spots.
The first time I plucked up enough courage to go out at point danger I just kicked myself for all that previous waste of time.
So suck it up and hit Point Danger, introduce yourself to possibly the best most helpful local crew in the world, and go for it.

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d11wtq said..

Is Port Fairy a surf beach, or is it relatively flat? Flat is the main thing I'm looking for at the moment. Think I'll stick to the Mornington Peninsula on anything with a some west and not too much south for now :)

Sorry, I should have been more specific. Just to the east of Port Fairy is Belfast Lough. A very large tidal lake that is only waist deep (which is why high tide is required). The only access is from the south side so it's only worthwhile going in a northerly but the surrounding land is flat so the wind is generally consistent.

The wind at Bullen Merri as you found will seem to come from all directions as it gets broken up and funnelled in any way it can over the crater sides which makes for difficult sailing.