Looks like i may be moving the family up thier so my question is this
Is thier surf within 100k s or do you have to go out over the reef ?
or do i start windsurfing or kite surfing along with sups ?
I reckon from there you'd have to head out past the reef or take a big drive down the coast. You could take up Kitesurfing, but you've got to drive a bit out of Airlie to get decent wind and water access... Still, plenty of good diving not far away...
No there is'nt any surf at Airlie beach- it is the WHitsundays . Its blocked by Islands. Sailing is massive up there. There are a couple of good yhat clubs.
We occasionally get a small swell in Mackay, which is about 100km south of Airlie. It's fun on a SUP. I don't know if it makes it up there.
When the southeasters get up the chop can get overhead and a lot of people surf on the north side of the harbour which is protected from wind by the breakwater. It's slow mushy waves though. There would be places to surf that sort of stuff closer to Airlie.
Mackay is about it, and if you think it might resemble anything you will get down south you will be horribly dissapointed. You will not get a surf once a week, and stinger season is rampant around the whitsundays this year.
If you are desperate surfer, do not move to airlie, if you want to Wind/kite, do not move to airlie, unless you have a boat to get to offshore. Most of the airlie guys drive up to Bowen(45mins north) for their wind fix.
conway beach looked unreal for side onshore wind swell when i was there a few years ago.
blows koalas out of trees in winter! 
We used to call the lagoon the sperm bank cause of all the backpacker sex happening in there every night!! I lived there for a couple of years and its a great place for fishing and drinking but as far as surf and kite options your out of luck. townsville has some good kiting but thats a fair few hours north.
You guys don't know what you are talking about, there is lots of surf in Airlie......... during a category 5 cyclone. Best spots are the center of town and around the Cannonvale shopping center.
What no transfer fatsurf , does the ad not say there's a store near you or is that another stores ad campaign
So your in retail is it always slow feb and when does it start picking up.
Buy near Noosa so I have a second home
Grab a boat out to Long Island (just off airlie) and have a chat with Adds from the Watersports shed. He and some of local Fantasea crew have a kitesurf crew going on up around Conway Beach. He set me up with a kite and board for about $400 second hand.
I missed your interview post re-good luck,your the man for the job,btw what did you pick up and did you tell the new boss to expect either a late start or no show on day's when the surfs on.
Did I see a white people mover with a sticker on the back window on the weekend
mac
