Got lucky and scored a nice downwinder from Hampton to Port Melbourne at last. The water is definitely better at Hampton and Brighton compared to the top of the bay.
www.peterskiteboarding.com/2011/12/downwinder-from-hampton-to-port.html
If you're into ski touring then get into upwinders. It's the equivalent of starting off at the base station, shuffling to the summit, playing around on the summit, then taking the long down trail back.
On a TT you can make easily 6kph distance going upwind. Get the right surfboard or raceboard and you can more than double that pace. Saves all the dicking around with car shuffles or public transport.
The second half of an upwinder is a downwinder. I get to do a downwinder on almost every session I do.
Try it. The more you ride upwind the better you get at it and the faster you can ride. Once it's easy and fun to blast upwind you can have a downwind session any time you want.
cool vid mate thanks for sharing.
looks like fun.
You could try Rye to your neck of the woods st kilda??
on a southerly.
not sure how long that one would take 
Is there such a thing as kite touring? like they do on jetskis and sail boats?
eg
go from one place to another have lunch and a drink and head back??
cheers cam
Ahh right'o
thats a fair haul.
Looks like it would be a good trip if a few did it 
What do you mean by wind shadow??
Where the wind is offshore and trees/hills/buildings block the wind from the surface of the water making conditions ultra-gusty and launching difficult/impossible.
Some guys did a downwinder from Rosebud a few years ago. They drifted out until they could launch then off they went.
I have ridden upwind to Brighton-St Kilda and back in a due N and the wind is not too bad 800m off the beach at St Kilda. Others have ridden Brighton-Port Melbourne return in a NW.
For a pure downwinder in S-SW wind Frankston to St Kilda would be the go. You could stay within 500m of the shore the whole way. Lots of beach activity to look at and self rescue is easy. You generally want to go fast downwind (out to sea) then carve crosswind back towards the beach, or slightly upwind. You get to ride faster, hit the waves at a better angle, rest your back leg, and get a closer look at the beach and the reef waves.
My plan is to do Hampton-Frankston and return in a S anything. My longest trip is Hampton-Mentone-Brighton-Hampton for a 20km circuit. I got a bit chicken/sensible as I passed Ricketts and found myself having to ride far from shore or cut back a couple km into the coast. The Brighton-Hampton leg was a blast because there was no risk or urgency and I could hit the waves upwind the whole way.
BTW For kite touring, we've done Hampton-Ricketts return numerous times. We often stop at Ricketts for a chat and a drink. I usually get toey and want to keep riding. It feels wrong to be wasting time sitting on the beach when there's wind and waves to be bashed. On a recent trip I stopped several times and changed knots on the kite when the wind lulled a couple of times.
To Kite from Torquay to St Kilda must have been amazing.
If any of you are looking to get a few people togeather for a downwinder let me know, moved from WA a couple of months ago and whilst im loving kiting on the bay im missing the epic downwinders. Confident with longer trips (30km+) too if theres the opportunity.
The upwind then downwind option is a good one - we have done this at Brighton in northerlies, and from Hampton up the Half Moon Bay and back.
The Torquay to St Kilda trip was epic, especially negotiating the rip. Big eddies and currents there. It was an incoming tide presumably, which would effectively have reduced the apparent wind speed.
If you are interested in doing some long downwinders in and around Port Phillip Bay - and possibly the 90 mile beach - PM me and advise your email & mobile. Or you can contact me via here: www.peterskiteboarding.com/
Peter
I've done the downwinder from Brighton to Rye and its very sketchy.
I did it with a couple of mates on a solid northerly and we were tacking down the bay in the shipping channel. The wind dropped in and out a number of times and its not a good spot to get stuck. We made it but I wouldn't do it again as i dont trust northerlies! With no waves to hit its better to wait for the strong southerliy winds like last Wednesday!
started to watch the video but after 5 seconds the poo stance, helmet, purple wetsuit and unstable yawn-pro footage made me hit stop .
the robocop comment made me laugh . Unsure why you would need to dress up in combat gear to handle the conditions in the video but whatever floats your boat in vic
JW, thanks for the info on the downwinder from Brighton to Rye you did. Its not surprising the northerlies get patchy out in the middle of the bay.
Sound like southerlies from the other direction is the better option - as long as you can get a launch - and some sort of boat backup to be on the safe side.
Hey Dusta, I don't normally feed trolls, but for the benefit of other readers:
I wear the 1mm suit mainly for sun protection, but its handy when there are jelly fish about too.
I like wearing a helmet. I figure my brain is worth a fraction more than $140. I sometime mount a camera on it too.
The NPX vest is great for reducing impacts from jumps gone wrong.
And sunglasses are nice for reducing spray and glare.
And yes, my tongue is sticking out. 
