Just wondering if any one has down winded on either lake Weyba or Cootharaba, near noosa?
For those unfamiliar with them weyba is 3km long x about 1.5km wide and cootharaba about 10km x 4.5km.
Being new to downwinding I am looking for easy places to learn the skills. I did my first ocean DW'er on the weekend, and really struggled.
Does it work in lakes generally speaking?

Thanks,
Ken.

Cootharaba would be fun in a northerly for sure, but not sure the access to each end would be suitable..

skebstebamal said..

Cootharaba would be fun in a northerly for sure, but not sure the access to each end would be suitable..

Hi Mate, I have seen the cats there on a sou easter, they get going across there. But whether or not that will suit a 14' board catching runners or not I don't know? May just go there one day and try anyhow?

Cheers,
Ken.

KennyK said..

What do mean by "fetch"?

Ken

The fetch is the distance the wind travels over the surface of the water before reaching a certain location. The longer the fetch, the more contact the wind has with the water surface, the bigger the bumps you get to ride.

So if you went to the upwind end of the lake, even when its super windy, the water surface would be almost flat, whilst at the downwind end there would probably be plenty of white caps and small wind waves breaking on the shoreline.

You also need to consider how much protection the upwind end of the lake has from the wind. If the ground surface upwind of the lake is low-lying and flat, then the fetch will start at the start of the lake. If the upwind end of the lake is on the leeward side of a mountain, hill or even dense tree cover, this will protect it from the wind - so depending on the height of the obstruction, the wind may not actually be blowing across the lake surface at its upstream end, and effectively, the fetch might not start until anywhere from 100m up to a few km (or more) downwind.

If there's not a lot of wind protection around the lake, then 10km should be plenty of distance to create some fun downwind conditions in the second half of the run (or sooner), and downwinding without any ground swell (which usually doesn't exactly line up with the wind) can actually be a lot better than big winds and big swells combined.

Depending on the strength of the wind, you might start getting little runs that will push you along a bit within 100-200m (of where the fetch starts) and gradually improve the further downwind you get. I'd say it would take at least a km or two past his point for it to get good enough to start linking the runs together.

You'll also find that shallower water will produce organised rideable waves sooner than deep water.

Ali Cat said..

KennyK said..

What do mean by "fetch"?

Ken

The fetch is the distance the wind travels over the surface of the water before reaching a certain location. The longer the fetch, the more contact the wind has with the water surface, the bigger the bumps you get to ride.

So if you went to the upwind end of the lake, even when its super windy, the water surface would be almost flat, whilst at the downwind end there would probably be plenty of white caps and small wind waves breaking on the shoreline.

You also need to consider how much protection the upwind end of the lake has from the wind. If the ground surface upwind of the lake is low-lying and flat, then the fetch will start at the start of the lake. If the upwind end of the lake is on the leeward side of a mountain, hill or even dense tree cover, this will protect it from the wind - so depending on the height of the obstruction, the wind may not actually be blowing across the lake surface at its upstream end, and effectively, the fetch might not start until anywhere from 100m up to a few km (or more) downwind.

If there's not a lot of wind protection around the lake, then 10km should be plenty of distance to create some fun downwind conditions in the second half of the run (or sooner), and downwinding without any ground swell (which usually doesn't exactly line up with the wind) can actually be a lot better than big winds and big swells combined.

Depending on the strength of the wind, you might start getting little runs that will push you along a bit within 100-200m (of where the fetch starts) and gradually improve the further downwind you get. I'd say it would take at least a km or two past his point for it to get good enough to start linking the runs together.

You'll also find that shallower water will produce organised rideable waves sooner than deep water.

Thanks Ali Cat, that was very informative, great stuff!
Ken.

Kenny,
There is a group of people, with various board types, who downwind from the souhern end of Weyba rD back to Quamby Place,
They genearlly take a car down to near the airstrip and leave one at Quamby.
I havent seen them all winter but see them regulalrly in summer.
Re Lake Cootharaba, I often paddle with my wife and two friends up to Harrys Hut from Elanda Point. They are in Sea Kayaks and I am on a 12'6" Fanatic.
We mostly do this in summer so that we get the North Easter on the way back. They have small sails on the kayaks and I generally get back before them. I am no guru at it at all but it is fun. i am buying a 14' er soon and think this will be much better.
Cheers.
ET.

KennyK said..

Just wondering if any one has down winded on either lake Weyba or Cootharaba, near noosa?
For those unfamiliar with them weyba is 3km long x about 1.5km wide and cootharaba about 10km x 4.5km.
Being new to downwinding I am looking for easy places to learn the skills. I did my first ocean DW'er on the weekend, and really struggled.
Does it work in lakes generally speaking?

Thanks,
Ken.

Kenny, dont be worried about your first being a struggle. It was fairly challenging. I would suggest you start with easier ones, like the bay crossing mooloolaba to Maroochy river, 11.5km straight up is a baptism of fire : )

skebstebamal said..

KennyK said..

Just wondering if any one has down winded on either lake Weyba or Cootharaba, near noosa?
For those unfamiliar with them weyba is 3km long x about 1.5km wide and cootharaba about 10km x 4.5km.
Being new to downwinding I am looking for easy places to learn the skills. I did my first ocean DW'er on the weekend, and really struggled.
Does it work in lakes generally speaking?

Thanks,
Ken.

Kenny, dont be worried about your first being a struggle. It was fairly challenging. I would suggest you start with easier ones, like the bay crossing mooloolaba to Maroochy river, 11.5km straight up is a baptism of fire : )

Yeah, Marcel I will, I will also try the lakes and river, just work on the skills and fitness and work up to the more challenging runs.
At the same time will also try and work out whether I need a better board? Time will tell?
Any time you want to do mooloolaba to maroochy and want another person to go with I'd be keen!
Just contact me, I will PM you my contact details.
Cheers,
Ken.

Great vid wadeo.. This was our Fathers day downwinder.

DJ

KennyK said..


Thanks Wadeo,
I'll try that when conditions suit. Always interesting to see DW video's. One thing I noticed though and am wondering about, is you seem to pretty much always be paddling. My imagination of DW'ing was maybe paddling 25 to 50% of the time, and surfing the bumps the rest of the time. Do I have the wrong idea? Does it ever happen like I imagined, or am I just dreaming? I know my first DW'er was 99.9% paddling, disappointingly.
BTW: What do you think of the bullet?
Cheers,

Ken.

The no paddling thing will come in time.. It's not just about the conditions.. Even on my downwinders most of my friends are constantly paddling.. I sometimes yell out "stop paddling.. You've got it" and sometimes people are so focused on the nose of their board and the water just in front and once they catch a runner they just keep paddling to try and get over and onto the one in front.. Maybe that's just what some people like to do... I like to paddle as little as possible.. Not being lazy I just think that's where it's at.. Our Port Phillip Bay is like a big lake.. I'd love to see more of your vids when the wind gets a little stronger.. I found to catch long no paddling runners you need to line them up from a fair way away.. I'm used to doing it windsurfing and looking for jumps.. You don't just sail in a straight line and hope to get something.. When I'm DW'ing I'm looking about half way between the nose of my board and the horizon.. Always.. When I see waves ahead they are usually moving left or right so I line myself up so we meet.. Sometimes when we meet they have faded.. Sometimes they are bigger.. They are often in a group (or set) of about three.. Don't catch the first one.. Let them move ahead and the idea is to get behind the last (and usually the biggest) and it's the hole left behind the wave that you're surfing into.. Most people find it hard to understand that you actually catch up to the waves ahead like they are a standing wave in a river and you are drifting down the river towards them.. They don't come up from behind like in the surf.... Anyway.. I'm rambling on.

DJ

DavidJohn said..

KennyK said..


Thanks Wadeo,
I'll try that when conditions suit. Always interesting to see DW video's. One thing I noticed though and am wondering about, is you seem to pretty much always be paddling. My imagination of DW'ing was maybe paddling 25 to 50% of the time, and surfing the bumps the rest of the time. Do I have the wrong idea? Does it ever happen like I imagined, or am I just dreaming? I know my first DW'er was 99.9% paddling, disappointingly.
BTW: What do you think of the bullet?
Cheers,

Ken.

The no paddling thing will come in time.. It's not just about the conditions.. Even on my downwinders most of my friends are constantly paddling.. I sometimes yell out "stop paddling.. You've got it" and sometimes people are so focused on the nose of their board and the water just in front and once they catch a runner they just keep paddling to try and get over and onto the one in front.. Maybe that's just what some people like to do... I like to paddle as little as possible.. Not being lazy I just think that's where it's at.. Our Port Phillip Bay is like a big lake.. I'd love to see more of your vids when the wind gets a little stronger.. I found to catch long no paddling runners you need to line them up from a fair way away.. I'm used to doing it windsurfing and looking for jumps.. You don't just sail in a straight line and hope to get something.. When I'm DW'ing I'm looking about half way between the nose of my board and the horizon.. Always.. When I see waves ahead they are usually moving left or right so I line myself up so we meet.. Sometimes when we meet they have faded.. Sometimes they are bigger.. They are often in a group (or set) of about three.. Don't catch the first one.. Let them move ahead and the idea is to get behind the last (and usually the biggest) and it's the hole left behind the wave that you're surfing into.. Most people find it hard to understand that you actually catch up to the waves ahead like they are a standing wave in a river and you are drifting down the river towards them.. They don't come up from behind like in the surf.... Anyway.. I'm rambling on.

DJ

Thanks DJ, That's exactly the main thing that I was doing wrong! I was looking behind as per surfing, looking for the bigger swells to catch and ride, however they simply passed beneath me. I was told afterwards by Ryan, that I need to be looking forward. I also watched an instructional video on you tube which the dude said everything happens in front of you, you see the swell in front and look to be in the trough. It just all seems a bit topsy turvy to what I am used to with surfing. I believe I am beginning to understand it though. Just a matter of application hopefully?
Ken.

DavidJohn said..

Great vid wadeo.. This was our Fathers day downwinder.

DJ

Yeah Baby, that's more like what I imagined it to be, not a lot of paddling going on there, I like it!
You look to be standing way back on your board DJ is that always the best position? or do you need to be much further forward to catch some of the runners or does it all happen from back there?
Ken.

Yeah, ok DJ that's good to know, I think I was probably staying too far back last weekend.
But the nose on my board doesn't have lift like the naish glide or the new falcon does, so it just seem a bit daunting.
Cheers,
Ken.