As seen on Guardian web site today, though they were more interested in the neighbouring Shell beach.

Yep, that's the cleavage, need a 4wd to get to it and it's tide dependent, Hardy and I had it on a moderate easterly, loads of fun.

Wow, great photo.

It's a fantastic playground. One of my very favourites!

The speed course for southerly winds is about 2cm in from the right hand side of the picture. It is quite tide dependant, even critical, but the blasting across the bay is great anytime!

The beautiful spit in the middle is not lined up properly for sailing in the prevailing south winds, but there are great possibilities as Decrepit says on Westerlies or Easterlies! Almost all the light coloured shallows are knee to chest deep. Shallow enough to easily spot the Noahs!

There are myriad of other possible high class speed spots in Shark Bay, some of them already explored by Hardie, Crasher, Sammy and a few other intrepid hard men, but access is by serious 4WD or Boat for most of them (I heard some epic stories ). Access to the Boobays area is relatively easy. It is literally the 'Wild West' frontier of windsurfing!

The Nanga Bay Resort where we camped is on the coast on the other side of the peninsula in the top middle of the above picture. In keeping with the remoteness, there is no mobile phone coverage or internet at the campground.

I had great fun exploring that whole area, and more, on my trail bike on mornings before the wind got up. It really is spectacular, and very remote, country.

Here is another pic I found a while back:




And some holiday snaps:

Yep clocked a great stack there... as well as a 40

defiantly on the bucket list... this blowvember.
great area shark bay
I've heard big lagoon is good too.?

Speed slalom heaven.

Just make sure you take your small sails and extra long pegs

November/ December seems to be the preferred time to sail this spot. What about Mar/ April. Everytime I do shark bay around Easter the southerlies seem to be ripping through my campsites. Are the tides more favourable around Nov/ Dec?

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Piv said..
Just make sure you take your small sails and extra long pegs

Yay year ,we should have something in there ...this it last year shark bay collection ..used the 5.0 a lot .2x SUPS in there too.thank good for side mirrors. .15 sails .had 4 of us.two vans .

very impressive bit of van packing there.

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ratz said..
very impressive bit of van packing there.

But, what if you want the board on the bottom

tell me about
i use much the same method as that
and you sometimes have to unload half the van to get out what you need.

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ratz said..
tell me about
i use much the same method as that
and you sometimes have to unload half the van to get out what you need.

pack the regulars on top ...but ,,doesn't always work ..unpack has been done.

we head up to the bay ,and unpack ...and keep our sails rigged.. its magic.

we will have a base camp and take day trips...would love to try big lagoon.little lagoon is pretty good too.

WE had a west to wsw wind one day 30 knots using fully down hauled 5.0's .on a low tide .very flat and shallow ..we where sailing just inside the weed bank there .sail down toward the ocean aquarium .it took up about 20.my minute runs .from Denham .my mate clocked 28 knots .
it was a day that still burns in my brain...wish I had a 5.5 camed sail .that day .

How shallow?
How flat?

In places knee deep up to waist ,on a low tide ..
we had to walk our boards out about 100 metre .
fluked it never had it like it again .it was amazing having so much sand around you .

i sail in rocks

Tardy wheres your local sailing spot it looks real reefy (rocks).just interested after veiwing some of your photos.Denham must of been a good trip by the looks of it.number 1 on my wish list.

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Shark bays a top spot .
Long drive but worth it ,and Geraldton is on the way up .

Thanks Tardy. I guessed as much from what I saw up there. Not super flat but great fun.

Here is my track [at the clevage] from 12/12/2012 - there were about 8 of us out there on the day.
Peak just over 40 and 39 5x10. It was very broad at the end of the run and both Snides and I had big stacks - i think Snides broke a uni!

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25 said..
Here is my track [at the clevage] from 12/12/2012 - there were about 8 of us out there on the day.
Peak just over 40 and 39 5x10. It was very broad at the end of the run and both Snides and I had big stacks - i think Snides broke a uni!

Yep correct its was a mission to walk back as well.... 4 yrs ago! Hard to believe

HOW FLAT DO YOU NEED FOR SPEED .if you come close to the shore ..it's spot on .then head down wind .fin time .
SB.

It depends on how strong the wind is. When the wind is 30-35kt+, real speed sailing territory, the water gets very rough very quickly, even in 20cm deep, very close to the bank, especially at 130+ degrees off the wind. In 15 knots you can sail in very flat water 20-30m+ from the bank.

Is that the Denham Lagoon?

yes little lagoon.
the real fun happened later ,it got up to 30.
the chop stayed at a minimal close in .
the wind was extra strong this season up there.

I hope someone (Doddi?) is up there this week and next!

These are the strongest forecasts that I have seen for a while. Very Luderitz like.

Oh I wish I was there . Next year

I've been back for 4 weeks ...and I've got the blues ..I love shark bay.thank you for sharing that bit of info with us sailquick .

awesome spot. two november's ago sailed out the front of Monkey Mia in a good 28-32 knots directly west towards the far side of the bay. About 2 km's straight and chop barely above calf high. Then you can do a flat out lay down gybe coming back to MM in front of the boats. Just don't go down towards the dolphin beach area then you'll hit a big wind shadow. Being on the northern side of the peninsula, it needs to be really windy to get over the land bridge, but that's not really an issue in SB ! If it's windy enough, you can get to within 20m of the beach with no wind shadow, with the nearest southwesterly facing beach over 10km's away. Insane sailing.

best part is, you can walk your gear 100m from the campsite to the beach and same on the way back, with a hot shower and cold beer available within 2 minutes !

So for the Shark Bay area and a bit south (on way up from "down under' ... Perth) ....... what would be a good time of year for sailing please.

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ffifty5 said..
So for the Shark Bay area and a bit south (on way up from "down under' ... Perth) ....... what would be a good time of year for sailing please.

Gero about October, Shark Bay winds can start in Sept, Oct almost for sure