Kitesurfing crosswinder tour Ricketts to Aspendale and return

Session 467. First day of the new year and a good seabreeze in the afternoon.  I have got a nasty chest cough and wasn't feeling too well but this was an opportunity to good to miss.

Got out from Ricketts then a few tacks to get around the reefs, following by a long haul to Aspendale, almost as far as Gnotuk Ave.   The bay surf was great all the way down to Mordialloc pier.

A great way to start the new year!

This video shows some of the action - but its not motion stabilised, next time I will use my Quark stabliser!

Having a rest tomorrow, the chest cough has got a hold of me.

Kitesurfing crosswinder to the channel and back from Hampton

Session 405. I returned from a camping holiday at Cape Paterson to find a welcome sea breeze on the bay.   The "windsports beach" at Hampton was crowded with sunbather so I launched just south of the groyne and ended up stepping over it as I was having difficulty getting around it on the water.

The wind strengthened so I did a solo crosswinder out to the shipping channel enjoying the solitude and the wide expanse of the bay.  I was heading directly towards a ship that was outside the channel heading south.  It slowed and stopped.  I crossed the channel then turned well before I got near it and headed back.

There are some really big bay rollers off Brighton a fair way out.  My return tack took me upwind past the Sandringham Yacht Club to Sandy beach, then I scored some nice swell downwind back along and past the breakwater.

Some adventure beats "mowing the lawn" (going backwards and forwards) at one spot.

Back on the beach, Anthony said he had kited right over a dolphin and her calf right inside the breakwater!  He was riding toeside then glanced down to see them underneath him.

GPS log

Kitesurfing Beachport South Australia - surf and a tour to Penguin Island

Session 366.  Four amigos (Stu Styles, Stuart Webb, Tarren Peters and myself) set off for a kitesurfing weekend to SE South Australia.  Departing at 5am we headed west past Geelong onto to Hamilton for a great breakfast, then through Coleraine, Casterton and Penola and across towards Robe.  Wide open roads with very few cars.

We stopped at Beachport for our first session, a fantastic location.  A local kiter was out having a good time when we arrived.

There was good solid wind and nice fun small surf on the beach.  After kiting the waves for a while we took of for a tour past the very long pier (750m) out to Penguin Island.

There were some buoys above cray pots set on reefs that we had to dodge.  Then we went out past the island to look up the coast towards Robe.  Lots of rock platforms and headlands - quite intimidating. We returned downwind and had some nice runs in close to shore.

Then I headed across the bay to the distant surf beach and picked sections where some really nice waves for breaking clearly and work my way back to the departure point.

This session rated 10 out of 10.  Great wind, location and scenery and some nice waves.

More to follow . . .

GPS Log

Mentone to Aspendale return kitesurfing tour

Session 271.  An epic session - 34km of fun. We were considering doing a downwinder from Frankston to Mentone. However, when we arrived at Mentone there was plenty of wind onshore so we decided to do a return tour up Aspendale.

The wind was solid onshore 20+ knots so I took my Lithium 9.  Getting off the beach though the bay surf at Mentone was a bit of a challenge, but once behind the waves the going got easier.  The wind was stronger too - there is a bit of a wind hole at Mentone.

Stuart was ahead in the distance.  I got around the pier about 50m out, we continued on up to Gnotuk Ave Aspendale.  There were about 10+ kiters out there and the waves were good.  We kited and surfed the waves there for a while then headed back.

I had some myotherapy in the morning, including some dry needles in my back and glutes so I was feeling a bit sore and tired after cranking upwind to Aspendale.

Downwind was great.  There was the good occasional wave and downloop turns kept me motoring along.  I did one big boost off a wave heading out and had a big crash, happy to be wearing my shorty, vest and helmet!

There is a big rolling swell on the West side of the pier which is nice to surf, then I cruised back along the surf line to Mentone.

An epic session.  I am a spent force now, and very happy!

GPS log