Just moved to Melbourne!

Hi I just moved to Melbourne from montreal Canada until December and i'm looking forward to windsurf as much as possible.

I didn't bring my gear, but needed to buy new used gear anyway. If I was to buy one or two sails, what size would be the best? (I weight 63 kg) I guess a 100L board would be could!

How often do you guys go sailing (working 5 flexible days a week).

And a last thing, I don't have a car do you guys co-drive to the beach or is there a place there to leave my gear like a locker or something and bike to the beach or tram???

I brought my wetsuit so don't think it should be to cold ? (in canada we go down to 5°C)

(does anyone have old stuff to sail or lend/rent for three month especially a wishbone)

Thanks in advance

Hope to see you guys on the beachs

Cheers

Thomas

As Mr Ocean asks, where are you going to be staying?

FWIW, there were about a half-dozen guys out at Elwood on Saturday - which had an air + wind-chill temp of 5 degrees... so some of us are keen.

Lots of guys sail from places around the bay - St Kilda and Elwood are popular... so you should find other guys to sail with.

Elwood Yacht club has some lockers available for windsurfers - I think its about $50 per month or so. And if you are lucky, some guys head off to Sandy Point fairly often, so you might be able to get a ride with them.

Aside: if you are here are the start October or particularly the first weekend in November, quite a few guys from around Melbourne head to Sandy Point for that weekend.

Hmm... not sure of anyone that you could contact directly - except maybe me... There are quite a few guys around, but they tend to have their own lives...

The locker thing is a good idea until the seabreezes hit - at which point, Elwood is not so good to sail from. Until then, it is a good beach for the N/NW, W, SW winds that Melbourne gets in Spring; the seabreeze is S/SE, making Elwood offshore (aka not good for broken bits); the N/NE direction is a bit shadowed, but you can drag you gear up the beach 1km to a better spot (Port Ormond), but again is offshore.

If you can find someone/somewhere to store your gear, St Kilda beach is the place to go for the S/SE seabreeze. eg: I store a mate's gear in my van; I just ping him when I'm at the beach - its then up to him whether can make it down for a sail.

I'm 73kg, so use an 85l JP freewave with 4.5 (+25kn) to 7m (~12kn), with corresponding fins. My most common used sail is about 6m +/- 1m, although Spring-time in Melbourne can easily be 4.0 weather.

Depending on your skill level, you might find 100l is a little big for your weight -> the Bay gets a little choppy when the wind gets up (from about 17kn), the 100l may just be too flighty.

Thanks, I'll have a look for some sails and try to gear up board maybe around 85l then,

When those the seabreeze start ??

So St-Kilda seems the best to me I just need a co-windsurfer near by, cause I can get down to the beach in tram or on bike I guess ?

I got that BBQ date noted

For Mathew, if you've still got some spare room in that van, I cold make up for the trouble (a couple beers !!! and food or some cash or something) if not i'll look for someone (in my next topic)

Wow I'd really like to have this work out can't wait to windsurf, it's been almost 2 months !

Cheers

Thomas

I've just arrived and I'm looking at a place in Brighton East and another one in Elwood.

Why is Elwood not fun to sail in the sea breezes? Too crowded?

I'm not sure on lockers either. Ideally I'd like to get one so I can get out quicker after work - no need to go home.

elwood is a great place to sail in the summer seabreezes.. onshore

usually in summer is just boardies.
winter i use a 4/3 and on the really cold (around 10 degree ish) days i'll wear a thermal underneath. i have boots but rarely use them...