I worked there for 4 weeks and yeah it's pretty windy, but if you're planning on w/surfing in the harbour I'd imagine it would be pretty gusty as it's coming off the and. You'd have to head for the coast.
Very windy, but also cold and wet, most the year. Spring (November) at Plimmerton (Katipi coast, 60 minutes? from Wellington) can be essentially weeks on end of 30+ knots NorthWesterly (I mostly used 3.1 and 3.5m sails) with good wave direction for jumping. Beaches in Wellington harbour (a volcanic crater, so nearly enclosed like a lake) offer more sedate flat water conditions for both NW and Southerly winds. Otherwise Queenstown/Lake Wakatipu has more wind (frequency and strength) than anyone could ask for.
Yep its bloody windy in Welli. This last year I don' think has been quite as consistent as previous years with wind but they still had plenty of nato days. It's definatly colder than WA aswell. plenty of info on deepfried.tv or even better is sessionlogs.com
Last time I was there it was spring time, Lake Wakatipu was so windy & so inviting (big open reaches), steady wind, easy access etc but was like stepping into an esky filled with ice
NW are the "normal" wind which funnels through the cook straight. Southerlies are the other common wind. They come straight from the Antarctica. Cold and very powerful.
I live in Eastbourne, Wellington which is on the harbours edge opposite the city (20+km) - sail 3-4 times a week. It is windy, harbour is choppy but usually 10 knots stronger than Plimmerton (wave sailing). The ditch (Evans Bay) is also windy and popular (general / freestyle) and Lyall Bay is premo wave sailing in the southerlies.
i saw news footage last year of a cement roller being pushed across the Wellington cricket pitch by wind. gobsmacked. how many knots do you need to push one of those??
That is funny and brings back memories. When I lived at Plimmerton i owned 3.2m, 3.7m and 4.1m. I now sail formula in 25+ knots on a 10m. Oh how things have changed!
Windy as bro, Spent many years sailing all over the Nth Is in the 80's before moving to WA for 15yrs to thaw out. My first couple of winters in WA were sailed in shorts and rashies, Wellington summers are colder than WA winters! But its a hoot sailing there, just make sure you get the best thermal protection including booties & head-gear, I reckon those new heated wetties would be joy in those nuke'n southern ocean blasts.
