I'm doing the Sydney to Hobart this year and I'm wondering what the kiteboarding conditions are like around Tasmania at the beginning of January (and also the water temp, yeah I know I'm soft but I'll harden up if it's worth it).
My girlfriend and I haven't been to Tassie since we moved to Aus and this would be a good time to explore the island except for the fact that we both want to go kiting.
I'm wondering if it's worth sticking around after the race or if I should just run back up to NSW. Any info on kiting in Tassie would be great, I thought there was an address for a Tassie kiteboarding web site posted in the forum but I couldn't find it.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Chris
Tassie has some epic spots and some of the strongest winds and gnarliest swells.
Shipsterns is off south tassie and by all reports is similar in its fame to Teahoupo
Big fast and heavy.
Not too sure about down Hobart way as I've not kited there but Sam (kitedevil) up on the northwest coast can tell you all about it
Stanley is an awesome spot with an eastern and western inlet so kting is on for huge range of wind directions.
Portsorell and hawley miles of dead flat water like at inverloch but much better
or sam's site is http://www.kitesurftasmania.com.au.tt/
If I stay to kite I'll be there for a week or so (depending on the race), so I can travel to any where around tassie to kite. Looking for small waves or flat water.
check out the kitesurftasmania site listed a few posts back.
NW Tas - can be great, but a bit hit and miss wind-wise. When it's good, it's fan-bloody-tastic. Stanley is the pick of the spots definitely - can kite in ANY wind direction, places with butter smooth water, also in an easterly there can be a nice swell running.
East coast around Bicheno has the most reliable sea-breezes (20+ most days), and apparently some pretty nice swells, without being too large. Can kite in any direction apart from NW
West coast - BIG swells, bloody cold water, no-one can hear you if you scream. Marrawah in the NW can be really good when it's working
Aroud Hobart - never kited there, but I'm told there's plenty of good spots.
The best thing about tassie kiting is you'll almost definitely be the only ones out on the water.
Temperature wise, some people kite in shorts and T-shirts, but their testicles must be bigger than mine. At that time of year, I usually wear a short wettie. If you are used to warm water, have a long one just in case, but you probably won't need it.
