I was just wondering if someone could tell me where you normally rig up at Mortimer Bay?

I've never been there, but from google maps it looks like the angle of the beach might be a bit better for me. I keep getting frustrated at Dorans as the crosswind runs don't contour across the shallow water nicely (and my waterstarts are still dismal), so I spend most of my time at the Northern end where the angle is better and then waste a lot of time tacking back upwind to the carpark.

Thanks!

Coming from someone that has only been windsurfing for about 17 months this is what I found while learning(well still learning):

I found that Dorans is the best place to learn and is the safest place to sail in W/WNW/NW/WSW, followed closely by Cremorne lagoon in a Northerly or Southerly. On a NE it is def worth the effort to make the trip to Marion Bay on a high'ish tide, I think this is a great spot to learn, very safe and mostly shallow.

But recently we have been getting quiet a few SSW winds which don't come into Dorans (especially where its shallow) and even SW winds don't usually come right into the shallow water, only the far side as you said. Usually a SW comes in around the jetty in the top car park so you end up sailing towards the police academy, so when you see a SW direction you won't see to many people in the bottom car park sailing where it is shallow.

Mortimer bay is the spot to go in a SSW or SW (when not coming into Dorans at all) when the tide is high, you can still sail there on a low tide but it's a bit of a walk out and you wont be sailing in the shallow water, because its to shallow. Also if it's been raining and you don't have a 4WD it can be a bit hairy getting in as the track gets so muddy.
On a high tide and a SW wind Mortimer isn't a bad place to sail when you're learning as you can pretty much stay in the shallow water if you don't sail out to far, but I found it gets quiet choppy.

Once we start getting some good W/WNW winds you will love sailing at Dorans, because you just sail back and forth all in shallow water :) or seabreezes at the lagoon :) No one has been getting any good flat water sailing in recently, because the winds been bad! But fingers crossed this changes soon

Mortimer Bay:

Thanks a lot for all that information, Jeremy! That's very helpful!

Explains why I was all on my own at Doran's yesterday and why I struggled a bit! So much to learn!

At the moment it feels like I should be able to spend most of the time on the board instead of in the water if the conditions are right and I pick the right location. I'm getting impatient for that to happen :-)

No worries at all! I noticed the other day you said you had a 7.6 sail up, in my opinion I'd stay away from that size sail for the moment while you're still learning to water start and get into the footstraps. A sail this size will make everything much much harder to learn, especially water starting, gybing and even basic sail control and if it has cambers this will just make everything even harder again to learn. I learnt with two sails a 5.2 and a 6.1 which I think is perfect to start with and you look a similar size to me.

But if you see guys around and you have any questions just ask, everyone is more than happy to help and this is the best way to learn about the equipment and tunning it. I asked sooooo many questions and learnt so much very quickly, everyone was so helpful

It's been incredible how helpful everyone has been. I shudder to think how much steeper the learning curve would have been without everyone's assistance!

I've used the 7.5 twice and think I've learnt my lesson.... Both times I rigged up in mirror flat conditions and was hoping there might be just enough wind to slowly cruise around. And both times just as I got to the other side of Dorans the wind kicked up and belted me. It's a long way back to the car to rig a different sail when you're struggling....

Xarvia, get hold of Jez's mobile and ring him before you go for a sail, he's nearly always out in any wind and has sus'd out all the best spots to learn.
Good to have a buddy with you, makes it more fun and you'll stay safe.
My number is 0417577884 ring me any time and get the numbers of the others when you see them.
Usually we ring each other when the wind is up so we know everyone is going.
It would be great to meet you....certainly a change from Jez...we're totally over him, we all did our best to lose him at Sandpits yesterday

Xarvia, you should also try going out at Pittwater in a high tide. Its a great place to sail, clean water, fairly shallow and not very choppy. Normally good in W,NW,N, you sail on the Southern side. You can launch from 2 spots. The 5 mile beach end where they ride horses or the Sorell end of the causeway

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houston said...

Xarvia, get hold of Jez's mobile and ring him before you go for a sail, he's nearly always out in any wind and has sus'd out all the best spots to learn.
Good to have a buddy with you, makes it more fun and you'll stay safe.
My number is 0417577884 ring me any time and get the numbers of the others when you see them.
Usually we ring each other when the wind is up so we know everyone is going.
It would be great to meet you....certainly a change from Jez...we're totally over him, we all did our best to lose him at Sandpits yesterday

Yer ring me or sms me on: 0437 678 970