Northerlies have been described many times as the hot looking girl across the bar who is looking in your general direction, you are not sure if she is looking at you, or straight over your shoulder, its enough to think you have a chance, but you know its possibly too good to be true.....

Now some people will argue, they would rather the sure hard and fast southerly girl who walks up to you with a cab charge in hand ready to go, but when do you know when the northerly wind is a goer? What do you look for? What warning signs do you read? Too much cloud? Rain bands? Bom's description not convincing enough? In my quest to understand her, the northerly wind, I have checked BOM, Seabreeze, Windguru, and the BOM wind map... and its getting to the point I'm thinking of putting together a spreadsheet of forecast data verse historical data from the different sites to build up a sensible chance of knowing when it is worth getting out of bed for......

Like women, the northerlies are a bit of a mystery. What causes a strong northerly wind? What are the drivers? Why do some winds from the north fill in, while others puff out in a few hours....?

Temperature and location feature as considerations.


Rye:

Can be a lot of fun in the north wind, but, in summer the land mass is too hot and the rising thermals push back any chance of the north wind making it close enough to the shore to enjoy.
So in winter, when the temperatures have been low enough consistently, there is more chance of the north wind making it down, with the chance to clean up on the way down, but is the wind any stronger down there?
The wind map on the BOM site seems to hint that it comes down stronger?.
What are the indicators you look for, for Rye?


Green Point:

Some hate it, some love it, I'm the later. I find it more consistent there, but perhaps I have been lucky. Has often been described as the latte crowd...
Temperature doesn't factor for me in considerations here, just a north forecast, but is there more too it? And is it stronger here than down Bonbeach way?


Bonbeach:

Can be particularly good when it's a howling northerly, but is it shadowed too much by Ricketts, or does it get time to clean up?


Keast Park

Apparently good because the wind has had time to clean up with less obstructions than Bonbeach?..
Good rigging up area.
Look out for the horses.


If you have any tips, things you look out for, let us know!

Next time listen to me you dim wit! If we ended up at Rye we would have all had practically 20Kts all day.

Did anyone make it to Rye on Sat or Sunday? We were tossing up if to go, St Kilda winds poor northerly, Frankston picking up to 15 knots northly, we thought Rye would be ok but after being burnt last weekend at Bonbeach we went surfing instead...

Select to expand quote

jermaldan said..
Next time listen to me you dim wit! If we ended up at Rye we would have all had practically 20Kts all day.

We shall see:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Victoria/Rosebud-today/?page=-2#lastpost

If your shed had an engine you could have left without me!

I was down at Dromana on Sunday arvo- not sailing, but pulling weeds out of the garden of my Dad's unit.
Did get 5 mins to walk to the beach to see a borderline 15kts coming through. You know, one of the northerlies where you decide to get wet mid-winter, but spend most of your time pumping or shlogging barely on the plane, and after an exhausting and unsatisfying session, you decide that it wasn't worth it.
So I went back to pulling weeds, glad I hadn't brought any kit down.

Looks like it was better up here.

Select to expand quote

Gorgo said..
It was pretty solid 15-20 knots at Brighton for most of Sunday. It didn't look windy because it was mostly overcast but when the sun came out you could see the whitecaps. I had a fairly big 2.5 hour session riding between Brighton, Pt Ormond and Green Point.

Select to expand quote

K Dog said..
Looks like it was better up here.

Gorgo said..

It was pretty solid 15-20 knots at Brighton for most of Sunday. It didn't look windy because it was mostly overcast but when the sun came out you could see the whitecaps. I had a fairly big 2.5 hour session riding between Brighton, Pt Ormond and Green Point.

Which is why I find it hard to not go to G Point...... Maybe absolutely howling Northerlies.... Bottom of the bay will have some fun wind waves to jump....

For Green Point:

Look at Fawkner Beacon (which is in a known wind channel), then look at Sandringham Yacht Club, to see what?s happening at GP. There can often be 15 knots difference between FB and GP.

http://www.baywx.com/fbeacon.html

www.syc.com.au/weather/

For Rye:

Look at South Channel Island, then look at Blairgowrie Yacht Club. There?s often an 8 knot difference between SCI and BYC.

www.baywx.com/schan.html

www.bys.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=91

To predict what MIGHT happen at either (or elsewhere in the Bay), go to www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtml

Select Victoria, Port Phillip Bay, then use the date blocks and time arrows to see what MIGHT happen.

After it?s all over, review the graphs of ACTUAL vs Predicted, to find out which was the most accurate

Over the years I have noticed a few things about GP.
First there is always more wind a few hundred meters upwind of the carpark. First run out get as much height as possible. For some strange reason the wind starts to shut off downwind of the point. I can't think how many times I have had a great sail 500 meters upwind watching others wallowing downwind of the launch.
When there is quite a bit of West in it there is always more wind out to sea. Again work hard to get upwind and you will have a much better sail.
In summer get there around 9.00, the wind peaks about 12 and after 2.00 unless it is a super strong gradient breeze forget it.
Winter is much better as the northerly is not fighting the seabreeze effect.

Golden rule at GP and in fact anywhere on the Bay in a Northerly " At some stage you will swim in"!!!!

I think I have only ever had 2 decent sessions at Rye. Maybe I am unlucky but for me it is pretty hard to justify an hours drive as opposed to 5 minutes to GP. I sailed at Rye Sunday as I was down that way and it was pretty average. What I don't like is the fact that you either have to thread the sandbars in the flattish water which can be fun but dangerous or go out the back into the messy washing machine chop which I frankly find bloody awful.
Sorry Rye lovers but you have not won me over.

Mr. Love, you are not alone when saying the experiences you have had are poor and it?s hardly worth going back there. I, on the other hand, have had times when it?s classic at Rye and those memories drive me back there to have another go.

I distrust the sandbanks when the tide is within about an hour each side of low tide and the best board for those conditions is a wave board with a small fin, ASSUMING the wind is up and will drive the board. For slalom gear, sometimes you have to sit and wait until the tide fills. I?ve noted others trying out weed fins on their slalom gear, trying to defeat the sandbanks.

For those of us who have explored the place, the run from the yacht club down to the pier is great and the run from the carpark towards Rosebud, between the first and second sand banks, can be really rewarding.

At high tide on a big northerly, the swell sometimes drives across the outer sandbanks and sets up a really bad chop. There have been times when I?ve cracked the irrits in these conditions and packed up and gone home (and sometimes when I?ve waited 45 mins, the water has calmed down). Most times, the water is almost flat and it?s a joy to sail.

When the wind is from the NE or NW, going out over the outer sandbanks invites jumping.

Like all windsurfing venues, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Agree Martin, wind is definitely better further up wind at the top of the cark park....

Not last winter, but the winter before Rye was a cracking spot, clear and clean water, fun wind waves, the last winter put me off it.... hopefully we get some stupid northerly fronts to get back down there.....

But I think I might adopt a rule, do go down unless its 25-30 knots at SC......

Select to expand quote

mr love said..

Over the years I have noticed a few things about GP.
First there is always more wind a few hundred meters upwind of the carpark.

DON'T give the secret away!!

Select to expand quote

jermaldan said..

Next time listen to me you dim wit! If we ended up at Rye we would have all had practically 20Kts all day.

ha ha.

You guys must really love each other to talk like this in public.

Everyone else - What is wrong with Rye in a Northerly anyway?

BDI, see the comment in my post dated 12/6.

In short:

Sandbanks

Winter Northerlies are best, being more consistent in strength.

Summer Northerlies turn off at about 10am, regularly.

Like all windsurfing venues, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Try Swan Bay
Great on anything with a north in it.
byo weedie

Select to expand quote

nazsail said..

Try Swan Bay
Great on anything with a north in it.
byo weedie

AND Booties for the spinney things

Select to expand quote

kato said..

nazsail said..

Try Swan Bay
Great on anything with a north in it.
byo weedie

AND Booties for the spinney things

Sounds like a great spot!