Forums > Kitesurfing General

Northern Territory kitesurfing?

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Created by drx007 > 9 months ago, 9 Jul 2010
drx007
WA, 3 posts
9 Jul 2010 11:16AM
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Hello all,

I am having thoughts about moving from Perth to NT. From seabreeze NT looks like best wind compared to WA or QLD in winter.

Is this real in practise?

Wats the story with the salt water crocs, all year round?

Jellyfish are only around in summer and the water is a no go during this time or is that just bs?

r there sweet ks spots around darwin? if not where r the best spots, flatwater any wavreriding spots?

Be awesome to get some info.

T one
NT, 321 posts
9 Jul 2010 4:31PM
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most of this has been answered in the last 6 months, but hey... it's a forum, and i',m bored at work...

the wind is basically ****!
yes we get S/E trades in the dry (your winter). however they are fairly inconsistent, cross to cross off, and very gusty. typically 12-18 knts, and occasionally up to 25.
we also get N afternoon seabreezes, although these are usually around 10-15, with the occasional 17 or 18. very steady tho. this year has been truly crap for these, as we had our first one yesterday. it's been very lean on...
The best time is the Wet. we get monsoon events that last from 1 to 3 weeks each. typically 4 to 6 per year, although again this year was particularly crap, we even had a cyclone that only gave us 2 days wind - go figure????
when the monsoons kick in good we get 15-25knots all day all night, up to double overhead overhead wind waves and big smiles and kiter burnout all round...
this is what we wait for all year....(dec, jan, feb)
having said all that... in a good year we get to kite a lot, probably would average out to 3 or 4 days a week, maybe even more? but mostly on 14/16M kites.

crocs are around all year but are worst in the wet season, Stingers only in the wet, and generally only when its flattish...

dont worry too much about the stingers - you will get stung occasionally, but it probably wont kill you... the crocs on the other hand.....havnt got a kiter yet??

btw, keep in mind that 15 knots in Perth=about 17 or 18knots up here. the wind is gutless... i have heard a number of explanations for this, none of which i am convinced about, but the fact is, that it is a reality!

having said all that, we have a great kite crew, plenty of space, kite a lot (usually), and jetstar are always having cheap flights to Vietnam....
Wouldn't live anywhere else ok - maybe Geraldton[}:)]

gotta go - Northerly just came in....
Avagoodweekend!

laurie
WA, 3848 posts
9 Jul 2010 3:38PM
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Howdy,

Welcome to the forum..

Funny NT video / topic worth looking at here:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=66923

myusernam
QLD, 6120 posts
9 Jul 2010 7:01PM
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dont move to the nt if you love your windsports

Tone probably has to talk it up a bit because he still lives there but seriously

no wind.

and if you windsurf, no water at low tide if their is wind.

I loved the place, but not for the wind.


T one
NT, 321 posts
9 Jul 2010 9:12PM
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just got back from 3 hours of 15-16knots N
didnt think i was talkin it up user...
to summarise.... we kite all year, but its mostly light winds...
and why the fark would you windsurf here anyway???
plenty other good **** to do as well...

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
9 Jul 2010 11:52PM
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drx007 said...



r there sweet ks spots around darwin? if not where r the best spots, flatwater any wavreriding spots?



There are exactly 3.05 spots in darwin.
Buff creek, Casuarina, Nightcliff and .05 is the total of the rest of the kiting spots that may exist.

Darwin is an excellent place to live and sometimes you can kite surf there too.

Puetz
NT, 2177 posts
12 Jul 2010 3:32PM
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... stingers are bad, crocs are bad and we have massive tides so you might walk for miles just to get to the water only to get attacked by the wildlife, completely dehydrated, thats why we drink so much beer, I don't know why to we live here, no idea!!! Myusername is right, don't worry about coming here 'cause its sh!t! I'm sick of the warm tropical water and constant sun, no wonder all the kite crew here drink too much piss!!



Yeah, don't worry about, stay at home!!



Puetz
NT, 2177 posts
12 Jul 2010 3:33PM
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colinwill78 said...

drx007 said...



r there sweet ks spots around darwin? if not where r the best spots, flatwater any wavreriding spots?



There are exactly 3.05 spots in darwin.
Buff creek, Casuarina, Nightcliff and .05 is the total of the rest of the kiting spots that may exist.

Darwin is an excellent place to live and sometimes you can kite surf there too.



.05 is increased by 100 if you got a boat!!

T one
NT, 321 posts
12 Jul 2010 8:54PM
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an we all got boats

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
12 Jul 2010 10:36PM
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Puetz said...



.05 is increased by 100 if you got a boat!!



I'll Pay that.

myusernam
QLD, 6120 posts
13 Jul 2010 9:18AM
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hey where do you guys go in the boat? I cant think of too many places I'd be keen to dip the pinkies of darwin by boat - at least without someone in the boat to pick me up, and a backup engine if it broke down (springs anyway)!

Bare sandy would probably be good on the neaps?
The sailing club sandbar?
That's about all I can think of

Sorry If I always bag darwin wind. I do love the place and now that I kite I might feel a little differently...Think you would agree no good for windsurfing when your biggest sail was a 5.8 wave though!!

Puetz
NT, 2177 posts
13 Jul 2010 11:36AM
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myusernam said...

hey where do you guys go in the boat? I cant think of too many places I'd be keen to dip the pinkies of darwin by boat - at least without someone in the boat to pick me up, and a backup engine if it broke down (springs anyway)!

Bare sandy would probably be good on the neaps?
The sailing club sandbar?
That's about all I can think of

Sorry If I always bag darwin wind. I do love the place and now that I kite I might feel a little differently...Think you would agree no good for windsurfing when your biggest sail was a 5.8 wave though!!



... thats why windsurfing lost its popularity in Darwin due to the wind ... and besides, kiting is way more kick-arse anyway!!!

We usually have a good enough time at the 'big 3 spots' so we rarely venture away from them, and with the big tides, its like your at different spots anyway, one minute you have a massive low tide with flatwater, then later you have hightide with some swell or waves, it can be so different its as if your at a different spot!

myusername, have we met??? I'm the big dude whose usually got the 16m out or a Heinie in my hand, come and say hello ... !!

cheers for now,

Robbie

ps myusername have you been to Bare Sand?

myusernam
QLD, 6120 posts
13 Jul 2010 7:14PM
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Puetz said...

myusernam said...

hey where do you guys go in the boat? I cant think of too many places I'd be keen to dip the pinkies of darwin by boat - at least without someone in the boat to pick me up, and a backup engine if it broke down (springs anyway)!

Bare sandy would probably be good on the neaps?
The sailing club sandbar?
That's about all I can think of

Sorry If I always bag darwin wind. I do love the place and now that I kite I might feel a little differently...Think you would agree no good for windsurfing when your biggest sail was a 5.8 wave though!!



... thats why windsurfing lost its popularity in Darwin due to the wind ... and besides, kiting is way more kick-arse anyway!!!

We usually have a good enough time at the 'big 3 spots' so we rarely venture away from them, and with the big tides, its like your at different spots anyway, one minute you have a massive low tide with flatwater, then later you have hightide with some swell or waves, it can be so different its as if your at a different spot!

myusername, have we met??? I'm the big dude whose usually got the 16m out or a Heinie in my hand, come and say hello ... !!

cheers for now,

Robbie

ps myusername have you been to Bare Sand

not in the nt anymore.....only windusrfed a few times in my first wet season and then gave up.

Have been to bare sand fishing/ overnight camping. I would say you could kite there on or just after the neaps on a high tide if you were out there fishing.... But then again, if you were out there fishing you wouldn't really want windy weather...
Was just trying to get my head around kiting anywhere other than the three places you mentioned....Did a lot of boating and wouldn't be game anywhere else. There are a few spots on Tiwi Island but the wildlife would deter me

T one
NT, 321 posts
13 Jul 2010 7:16PM
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bare sand rocks, great on a S/E or a N/W, also gets some reasonable clean waves on the bar (Surfable -2-3ft). middle reef sandbar, the harbour sandbar, and the king of them all... seagull island - north of the tiwis... nasty bities but miles of glass lovelyness... (looks like one of those FNQ kite trip adds i keep seein!)

there are of course plenty other places, but at least with these ones you can see the nasties coming...

TurtleHunter
WA, 1675 posts
13 Jul 2010 6:44PM
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no nasties down here Tone The sharks ate them all
You would wan't a wetsuit down here over winter though
We have the odd keen ones who are braving the cold morning winds but
I just luv those sw seabreezes.
See you in October

myusernam
QLD, 6120 posts
13 Jul 2010 11:25PM
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T one said...

bare sand rocks, great on a S/E or a N/W, also gets some reasonable clean waves on the bar (Surfable -2-3ft). middle reef sandbar, the harbour sandbar, and the king of them all... seagull island - north of the tiwis... nasty bities but miles of glass lovelyness... (looks like one of those FNQ kite trip adds i keep seein!)

there are of course plenty other places, but at least with these ones you can see the nasties coming...


I thought about the middle reef sandbar also, but only on the neaps eh? Ill have to check out seagull island but it must be a fair way away?!!
(edit just looked on map..do you mean the sandspit on the edge of the top of the aspley strait off melville? because next stop is indo?...)

I'm sure bare sandy would be good. Pity I didnt go there more often.
I'd love to go on the variety bash piss up there....

Puetz
NT, 2177 posts
14 Jul 2010 11:48AM
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Bare Sandy rocks alright!

While at Bare Sand Island, my kite started going down, lost a valve (the old chest nut, valves peeling off again) and the thought of nasties cross my mind once while I nursed it back to the beach, lucky I was well upwind at the time. Oh, and not only is there crocs but sharks as well!! Only for the hard core ey Tone!!

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
14 Jul 2010 2:04PM
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Too hardcore for me, Although i miss it.
I'm confining myself to freshwater puddles surrounded by trees. might get the occasional Yabbie. But alot further from hospital. It's almost like the put that hospital there for kiters, so close to all three spots.

T one
NT, 321 posts
14 Jul 2010 2:10PM
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TH - should be just about spot on by Oct eh? we're frothin...

Col, to date you are the only kiter that has used the RDH facilities as far as i know??? that was you with the finger wasnt it?? and yeah, it certainly is well positioned!

User, middle reef is better on the springs, as it empties out into a horseshoe bay about 3 foot deep on a spring low. s/e cranks thru there as it is 3 or 4 NM offshore.

and yep, thats the one. about 7NM off cape van dieman North of Melville. approx 180NM to the Tanimbar group in Indo. Awesome spot, amazing fishing...

colinwill78
VIC, 1395 posts
14 Jul 2010 3:37PM
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Nah there was definately a back/neck injury in the same week as my finger.
And pre 2006 there was a broken leg too i think.

Beersy
TAS, 753 posts
14 Jul 2010 5:00PM
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And didn't someone break an arm?

myusernam
QLD, 6120 posts
14 Jul 2010 9:45PM
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T one said...

TH - should be just about spot on by Oct eh? we're frothin...

Col, to date you are the only kiter that has used the RDH facilities as far as i know??? that was you with the finger wasnt it?? and yeah, it certainly is well positioned!

User, middle reef is better on the springs, as it empties out into a horseshoe bay about 3 foot deep on a spring low. s/e cranks thru there as it is 3 or 4 NM offshore.

and yep, thats the one. about 7NM off cape van dieman North of Melville. approx 180NM to the Tanimbar group in Indo. Awesome spot, amazing fishing...


ok i think i know middle ree******oesn't come out at low tide unless it's the springs.
was thinking of more over towards mica beach/ west arm reef area

seagull island/ tiwis...been there (all round bathurst and melv)LOVE the tiwis.
would want BALLS OF STEEL to kite there though (or bare sandy or middle reef etc etc. respect)

If you are nuts enough to kite at any of those places then you could always give the big blue lagoon at north vernon a go at low tide? plenty of flat water!

Lived on the harbour at larrakeah for two years and caught the ferry to mandorah for work most days so saw plenty of wind in the harbour but thought it would be death on a stick without a support boat.

ahh memory lane. freaken nutbag northern territorians!

Beersy
TAS, 753 posts
14 Jul 2010 10:27PM
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There was about 25 knots blowing onshore at numbulwar today. Only wish i'd bought the kites down here with me

T one
NT, 321 posts
15 Jul 2010 8:38PM
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User, middle reef is the sandbar halfway across Bynoe harbour, between charles point and Bare sandy.

didnt think of the blue hole tho.... that would be farkin awesome!

watch this space!!

Hedges
NT, 54 posts
15 Jul 2010 10:30PM
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Im excited......sounding like some exploratary trips might be on the cards !



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"Northern Territory kitesurfing?" started by drx007