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To get the most out of your surf follow this check list to take you to the best surf spot on the day:
Swell:
In Victoria we can receive a large variety of swell size. Seasons play a large role in what is happening at any given time. Predominantly autumn and winter delivers the most consistent groundswells and offshore winds. In the summer the swell is generally smaller and more inconsistent, favouring the open beaches. Summer can also see seabreeze patterns that are great for kiting and windsurfing but not great for surfing.
Swell forecasting and reports:
http://www.swellnet.com/reports/australia/victoria
Wind/ Weather:
The wind is what makes or breaks perfect surf, offshore winds are almost always the most desirable direction and once winds start to exceed 10 knots the waves can begin to become affected.
To find the wind/weather: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml
To find Current Observations: http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/vic.asp
Tides:
You can maximise your surfing experience by understanding how each break works on different tides. Certain breaks will work better on high or low tides so pay attention to this.
To find the tides: http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/tides/MAPS/vic.shtml
The weather in Victoria changes all the time so it is important to be comfortable with your equipment – the right wetsuit and board will allow you to make the most of the conditions.
Suitable Wetsuit:
Most people in Melbourne have at least two wetsuits, a summer suit and winter suit. In winter a 4/3 (mm thickness) is required and even on colder days in summer they can be ideal. On the warmer summer days a 3/2 is good – though some will opt for 2mm spring suit (short sleeves) or similar. It is not often that the water and weather is warm enough to be comfortable in board shorts in Victoria.
May-November: 4/3 wetsuit is a must!
Often you can score uncrowded days with great surf during winter - having a warm wetsuit is really important to make the most of these chances!
With wetsuits you do get what you pay for – the premium suits like the Ripcurl Flashbomb and O’Neill Pyrofreak will be warmer, stretchier and more comfortable than a cheapie.
The mid range suits like the O’Neill Epic and Ripcurl Dawn Patrol will still be really warm but at the sacrifice of a bit of stretch – perfect options for those on a budget.
Boards:
Having the right board for your ability and the conditions is crucial. Understanding board design and the impact it has on how your board performs is quite complex but basically a longer board should paddle easier and a thicker board (has more volume) will also paddle well. Width provides stability and will make it easier to stand up.
Rocker is also critical - a board with a flatter rocker will glide across the water rather than push water inefficiently. So basically for the beginner to intermediate surfer you want something with decent length, width, volume and a flattish rocker.
For more detail on board design see http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-design/
Some great beginner to intermediate boards that SHQ recommends are the NSP Funboard & Surf Betty, NSP Fish and the Modern Blackbird. From there the next step is something a bit smaller, like the 7S Superfish which is probably the most popular intermediate to advanced surfboard in Victoria. Keep in mind though that you can get boards like the Superfish in larger sizes which can possibly be ideal for learning, provided you have some of the basics already.
There are a lot of factors in choosing the right board – different locations, wave size, ability, height, weight and fitness are all very important. To get the best advice pop down into the shop and chat to our staff about what will work for you.
Victoria’s coastline is full of great surf breaks for all levels – within a 1.5 hour drive East or West there are heaps of options to choose from.
East of Melbourne:
Location:
Pt Leo
Swell: 4-6ft on open Beaches will be 2-3ft at Pt Leo
Tide: Mid to High – swell is more consistent on incoming.
Wind: Ideal W-NW
On larger swell days when the back beach beaches are 4-6ft+, there are great options for beginner to intermediate surfers inside Westernport Bay between Pt Leo and Flinders. Crunchy point at Point Leo is the best option.
The Breaks here can have exposed reef on low tides, so caution is required. On the higher tides this is generally not a problem. Booties are recommended.
Location:
Mornington Peninsula - Gunnamatta to Portsea
Swell: Up to 4ft
Tide: Mid to High above 3ft, Low tide can be okay if swell is under 3ft.
Wind: Ideal is N-NE
The Mornington Peninsula generally is more suited towards experienced surfers, the back beaches which stretch from Cape Schanck to Portsea is one of the most exposed coast lines in Victoria, holding large waves with dangerous rips. Unless the swell is below 3ft it is not recommended for beginner surfers. On a small summer’s day though it can be perfect.
Location:
Philip Island - Cat Bay - Shelly’s
Swell: 5ft+ on the open beaches will be 2ft at Shelly’s
Tide: Swell is more consistent on an incoming tide
Wind: SW-SE ideal because most other spots are onshore at this time
Shelly’s is great place to get some waves in when everywhere else is wild and out of control. It is protected inside Western Port and receives much smaller swells. It is also protected from Southerly winds that are onshore nearly everywhere else in Victoria. This spot is perfect for beginners.
West of Melbourne:
Location: Jan Juc
Swell: 2-5ft
Tide: All tides
Wind: N-W
Jan Juc can offer fun waves for beginner riders and also more experienced surfers. It has a series of sand banks along the beach with plenty of options. Be warned it can get busy in the summer months.
Location: Ocean Grove
Swell: 1-5ft
Tide: Mid – High
Wind: NE-NW
Ocean Grove is a fun beach break on the west coast, sandy bottom with no rocks. It’s near Barwon Heads, and a good place for catching your first few waves. Just around the corner is 13th Beach which picks up a bit more swell for advanced surfers or can be a good option when Ocean Grove is tiny.
Location: Point Impossible
Swell: 3-6ft
Tide: Low
Wind: W-NW
Point Impossible or ‘Possos’ is a reef and point break just outside of Torquay. The wave is generally soft and crumbly so suitable for intermediates. When it is good it can be a little crowded with guys on longboards so is probably not 100% suitable for beginners. It will be a little smaller than 13th Beach here. High tide pushes the waves up over the rocks and can make things a bit tricky. Low tide is definitely better
The Australian Kiteboarding Nationals for 2014 were held at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club on March 17th for a week long event of action packed racing and freestyle. "Dog Beach" delivered top freestyle conditions throughout the week and the racers battled it out in variable conditions outside of the clubs harbour.
Top Australian and International Kiteboarders went head to head to then finally crown the winners.
Big congratulations to Dan Sweeney (SHQ,Cabrinha-GBR) for winning the event in the Open Mens and Youths Freestyle - Hudson Godfrey-Smith (SHQ,Cabrinha) for placing 2nd in the Open Mens Racing and Declan McCarthy (SHQ,LF) for winning 2nd in the Youths and 3rd Open Mens & WINNING THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS!
A massive thank you to Rob Pignolet for his fantastic filming and support during the event.
Australian Kiteboarding Nationals 2014 Highlights from SHQ Boardsports on Vimeo.
The Australian Wavesailing Titles for 2014, were held as part of the Phillip Island Wind & Surf Festival.
SHQ was stoked to support this event and see the return of the Aussie Titles to our local Victorian waters for the first time in around 15 years. Phillip Island turned it on and the competition was completed in some of best conditions seen at an Australian Titles for years.
Check out the highlight video below to see the best of what our coastline can offer!
2014 Phillip Island Wind & Surf Festival - Highlights from Alastair McLeod on Vimeo.
Cruise to Cerberus SUP race!
Due to extremely poor weather conditions on the 16th Feb we had no choice but to postpone the event! We are exited to announce that the new event date is Labour Day Monday 10th March 2014! Keep you're fingers cross for sunny blue skies!
SHQ’s 7th, yes 7th, annual Cruise to the Cerberus SUP event on the 10th March. If past years are anything to go by, it’s a great day for family and social paddlers. Yes, elite level paddlers battle it out for the top positions on the race course but the real winner is the person with the biggest smile! Regardless of equipment and experience, come down for a fun day at Sandringham, including Kids’ Racing, Social Paddle (The Cruise), a Teams Relay Race, loads of demos, great prizes and the classic SHQ BBQ on the lawn.
Details are below.
Purchase any new Kite, Windsurf or SUP setup to be eligible to receive a complimentary pair of Dragon's H2O Double Dos Floatable Sunglasses! *Valued at $209.95. Conditions apply.
From the 1st to 9th of March, Australia’s top wavesailors and local stand up paddle surfers will descend on Phillip Island for the 2014 Wind & Surf Festival. This event hosts the 2014 Australian Wavesailing Titles, as well as the first Phillip Island SUP Classic surfing competition, and will be held at some of Victoria’s best beaches.
The Phillip Island Wind and Surf Festival will see the return of the Australian Wavesailing Titles to Victorian waters for the first time in nearly 15 years. The event is a great opportunity for the Victorian wavesailing community to show off in national level competition, with other competitors travelling from around the country to test themselves against Australia's best.
Phillip Island is one of Australia’s premiere destinations for all water sports – be it surfing, windsurfing or stand up paddle surfing. The event is lucky to have access to Phillip Island’s best beaches, including Woolamai, Surfies Point, Right Point and Flynn’s Reef. The event is mobile between these locations, ensuring that competition is run in the best possible conditions and likely to give competitors a variety of reef and beach breaks.
We are excited to announce that aerial photographer Col Leonhardt (windsurfaustralia.com) and local sports photographer Jodi Stevenson (whitecapsphotography.com) will providing media coverage of the event. Col will be capturing stunning aerial images of windsurfing at Phillip Island for the first time. Together with Col, we will be producing an online movie of the event to showcase all of the great action at Phillip Island. Stay tuned for more!
The wavesailing will include divisions for all levels of competitors, including Open, Womens, Juniors, Masters and Amateur. The Open Division will feature the country’s best riders competing for the Australian Championship Title in epic conditions. Womens, Juniors and Masters divisions will offer Australia’s best talents a great opportunity to show off their wavesailing skills. The Amateur division will concentrate on getting everyone involved in a friendly competition.
On the weekend of 8th and 9th March, the event will also host the Phillip Island SUP Classic. The SUP surfing event will also take advantage of the opportunity to find the best possible conditions around Phillip Island and give competitors in Open, Womens, Juniors and Masters divisions great waves and action packed heats.
The event is presented by Windsurfing Victoria, and is running thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, SHQ Boardsports, NeilPryde, JP-Australia, Severne Sails,Core Boardsports, Hot Sails Maui, Island Surfboards, Shoreham Solar, Flymount, K4 Fins and Goya Sails.
Don't miss this opportunity to ride away with top-brand 2014 kites and boards at amazing sale prices! Sale starts 1st March while stocks last!
The SHQ Team
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