After reading and seeing videos and pictures of the speed fortnight along with having a ton of annual leave of which some I have to use, I'm considering going down to Sandy Point for a week or so to go windsurfing. I've never been there so can someone tell me how the tides affect the sailing there. Is it better at a low tide that is rising or vice versa or something else completely? Flatter water the better but I don't go so fast that a bit of chop is that much of a concern, though that of course depends on the wind strength.

Thanks.

Outgoing tide as a incoming tide Can produce pressure waves going back up the course, but not always. Hardie,s down there for the next few weeks trying to improve his p,bs and Wed is looking pretty good.

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kato said...

Outgoing tide as a incoming tide Can produce pressure waves going back up the course, but not always. Hardie,s down there for the next few weeks trying to improve his p,bs and Wed is looking pretty good.

I think Kato meant to type: Incoming tide with an opposing West to SW wind can produce pressure waves coming back up the course, but not always.

I call them the whoopdedos!

Explanation: The whoopdedos are worse if the predicted tide range is greater. On days with a highish Low tide it may often not be a problem.

To answer the original question in a bit more detail. For SW to WSW winds the speed course is sailable as long and the tide is not too high to drive into the inlet without driving through water.

On the other really good speed wind, the Easterly, the speed bank is only optimum for about 3 hours on a typically low tide (Tides tend to be lower on Easterlies).

The other possible speed sailing wind is a North Westerly to NNW where very gusty and frustrating winds can be sailed on the low tide on the car park sandbar, or if the tide is low enough, and the wind is pushing 30 knots, there is a reasonably good possibility for 40 knot 10 second runs in the 'Yanakie Channel' (a couple of Kays NNE of the car park) for a short window right at low tide.

I plan to be at the Pit after work Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

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kato said...

Hardie,s down there for the next few weeks trying to improve his p,bs and Wed is looking pretty good.

What do you mean Hardie is "trying to improve his PB's"???....there's no "trying" involved there.
No pressure, but he told the camera he was going to nail his 2 second and 5 X 10!

Slightly different question, but how do you estimate the tides at the inlet??

Port phillip heads + how many hours???

Hey Mobydisc

Add about 2 hours to PP Heads and that's about right. The stronger the SW wind and the lower the air pressure then the higher the tide also, because of storm surge and air pressure action. Enjoy