so it's looking grim if you need to plane to enjoy windsurfing.

??? What u mean? El Ni?o coming and that equals no wind?

I had an awesome sail yesterday in 5-8kts on my raceboard and 9.5. Just buy some light wind kit and enjoy the light stuff.

I've got a 9'8" sup and a 5.8m for the 0-8 knot days so more than covered for the light stuff.

the el nino thing has me wondering.

I used to think we would get more wind during la nina years but I've been taking some notice the last 5-6 years and it seams the neutral years tend to get the good winds.

bom has recently released a forecast for a strong el nino so the sub tropical ridge will sit further north than normal. ie. what we are getting now. lots and lots of highs, no rainfall and fine conditions. they are predicting possibility of strong droughts.

looking at the models there seems to be no let off in the lack of wind for the next few weeks at least. I wonder whether the STR pushing north means we will get more westerlies this year as the lows can venture further north.

time will tell I guess.

I'm ordering a 12.5m2 sail for my formula. Got to be ready for the light wind El Ni?o.

12.5m is a serious piece of cloth.

unless you are on the race course i think it's overkill. i found anything bigger than 10.5m overkill on the formula gear for general sailing. going bigger won't get you planing earlier. changing fins will.

actually even an 8.5m and the right fin will plane as early as the 10.5m, just won't go to windward as well or as deep off the wind.

try some different fins.

food for thought more than anything.

El nino here means better NE and plenty of them .. it also means more drought and bushfires so when I go down to sail I'll be worried the place will be toast when I get home..

yeah seems to be the thought for you guys,

not so sure for us.

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Steve1001 said..

I'm ordering a 12.5m2 sail for my formula. Got to be ready for the light wind El Ni?o.

I think you will find that's called yachting.
0-5 - SUP
6-13 - Bimble (SUP sail)
Above that Windsurf :)

0-10 look after the kids
10-15 try to plan a head for a sail
15+ lie to the wife and go for a sail

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lee1972 said..

0-10 look after the kids
10-15 try to plan a head for a sail
15+ lie to the wife and go for a sail

Lee is the "Jason Bourne" of the Combat Sail Session

I've always associated el nino with good NE seabreezes.

I had a blast yesterday on the formula in 8-12kts SE at manly. Planing 100%. 22kts on every downwind run, going upwind 30', reaching. If you have formula kit 10kts is the new '15kts' minimum to go windsurfing.

I want to build one of these for my light wind setup:

There's always upsides,great dive visibility, long distance glassy groundswell.and possibility of higher latitude lows..we went supping of woody pt on Sunday, visibility was good enough to follow turtles 4 ft down. Kids loved it. Time to diversify" everythings more of a buzz after a break anyway........wouldn't. Mind some wind though

I'm with you togalog,

I'm really enjoying the light winds and perfect weather at the moment.

mountain biking with the kids, windsurf lessons with the kids, surfing, suping, supsailing with the family....... every weekend is an adventure. the surf is better in light winds so it is all more fun. all of those slalom heads with the old 5.8m sail in the garage you don't use.... buy a sup and go wave sailing.

lately I'm scanning the forecasts for 2-3ft 5-10knot SW winds. yeah!!!!

a few months back I was at Peregian Beach catching waves with my 5.8m sail long after the kiters kites had fallen from the sky.

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westozwind said..

Steve1001 said..

I'm ordering a 12.5m2 sail for my formula. Got to be ready for the light wind El Ni?o.

I think you will find that's called yachting.
0-5 - SUP
6-13 - Bimble (SUP sail)
Above that Windsurf :)

No that's c 65 - 72 square metres..

Yeah same Tagalog we went supping at Currumbin Gold Coast Saturday and Sunday. The lagoon was crystal clear Saturday, loads of bait fish and over a hundred chopper tailor just lolling around in the lagoon. Was spectacular, never seen anything like it there before (so many fish that is ) plenty of suppers though great to see so many out enjoying the sport.

Hi Gestalt, so thats the magic formula for windsup 10 knot offshores and small groundswell., do you just need a break with a bit of distance from shore. Like Ann st?can you still go in side onshores too?so many questions.Can you name 3 spots southern sunny coast and best conditions for a rookie wind supper, I will be eternally gratefull" I still haven't sailed in Crystal clear water so that will be a bonus too"cheers" togalog.

everywhere on the sunny cost at this time of year is one shade away from green island so it's beautiful.

cross offshore is more fun because the sail is powered up the whole ride and the power increases as the apparent wind does. it's a faster ride with real top turns. on the way out cross off is a broad reach for jumping.

cross onshore is slower and the sail losses power during the transitions especially the top turns which are more carved because the sail is kind of in the way.

when the wind is onshore it makes the waves mushy and when the wind is offshore it makes the waves stand up longer. so an offshore light breeze is perfect for the waves. onshore breeze also makes the waves bigger and closer together which for us occasional wavesailers is harder to deal with. plus getting out in an onshore breeze is way more difficult so you spend a lot of time getting messed in the shorebreak.

you can go anywhere. beach breaks can produce quality waves. I've had many many postcard perfect session along in beach breaks. the difference between the reef and the beach break is the length of ride usually. depends on the wave and the swell direction.

Caloundra bar with an incoming tide from a SW-W is cross offshore
Pincushion with an incoming tide from SW-NW is cross offshore
Mudjimba during a southerly is cross offshore-crossshore
Neil St in a SE is cross shore.

they are the pick locations for the southern end of the sunny coast. you can go anywhere when the wind is 5-10knots because you are catching waves the surfers are chasing.

the points can be a problem due to swirling winds. even in light 5 knot winds if it's swirling around from a point you're better off ditching your sail for a paddle. very occasionally you can find a point that gets a natural cross offshore effect in a SE wind.

on the gold coast. there are a few very good options as well.

Head over to NZ , if I remember right from the 80's El Nino meant an epic windsurfing summer in Auckland

Many thanks Gestalt" I'm sure you've just saved me many hours of driving and frustration..You should knock up an atlas. I'd buy one" cheers togalog"

I've got one I'm slowly working on which is a guide to eastcoast qld/ northern nsw.

still experiencing the joys of exploring..... hehe.

maybe one day. but I can say I've got every spot thoroughly covered from Byron to cairns.

p.s. I corrected a typo for Mudjimba.