Posted this already but it either didn't attract any replies or got deleted, which seems a bit odd.
Anyway, I'm writing a story for a UK windsurfing magazine about the surf reef being built over here at Boscombe. It's a geo-textile sandbag reef much like the one at Narrowneck, and built by the same people. It's being put into a location that gets some, but not that much, swell, and it's nearly completed. I'm trying to find out if the reef in Narrowneck is regularly, or ever windsurfed. And if so what's it's like, and if not why not... It's just so I can get an idea if there's any precedent of these things working well for windsurfing.
If anyone on here could either reply and let me know it would be most appreciated. Or contact me direct if you prefer (gregg(at)freenet.co.uk - replace the (at) with the @ symbol).
Cheers guys
HI Gregg,
I have windsurfed and surfed narrowneck and the reef a couple of times.
And spearfished it as well!
Basically the reef has been a bit of a flop as far as waves are concerned. The sandbags seem almost random in their layout. It can throw up a bit of a peak every now and then but the natural pattern of sand on the gold coast beaches with a bank outside and a gutter between that and the beach hasn't really been altered in my opinion. There isn't any sort of defined good reef break.
Basically its no better than the other 50km of beach up and down.
Plus it doesn't get sailed that often because if there is good wind and swell there are much better places (for the small wavesailing community) to go.
Its probably worth posting on the kiters forum as well as there are a few of those guys on it all the time but that might be because the rigging is easy for them there.
Martin
I'm still keen to sail it over summer instead of trekking down to the border. By myself if I have to. Damn it.
Here is a live cam for the reef at Narrowneck:http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=1200&state=QLD&t=9:14:14%20AM&camName=Artificial%20Reef
I agree with bastonem. I've never seen anything special at Narrowneck. Indistinguishable from the rest of the beach breaks.
maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Surfers+Paradise+QLD&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=44.018459,72.597656&ie=UTF8&ll=-27.986197,153.432087&spn=0.005353,0.008862&t=k&z=17
Come to marina mirage with me!
The parkings better, the riggings on grass and there are no kites because of all the trees.
Good in a northerly and a southerly before the sweep gets too strong.
Batstonem,
will join you at the Mirage next time- I used to sail there on my own a couple of seasons ago but am willing to head there again if there is a crew interested!
BTW the reef at Narrowneck is starting to fire for surfing, with some fairly heavy waves breaking on the inside similar to Straddie.
I think you will find most of the surfing at Narrowneck isn't on the reef but a bit to the north of it. I SUPed it a few weeks ago and was certainly nothing special, however up the beach about 100m the shortboards were firing in some great surf.
Martin, I am up for Mirage this year. In the process of buying a house on the Goldy, so no more flat water days for me!!!
To Gregg's question, I concur with the other comments here. The reef has not really offered anything special in the way of surf since being built. It initially offered some protection to the beach, in the early years there was a decent amount of sand on the beach up there which was the main purpose of the reef. However in recent years it has become less effective at this and beach goers still have to walk down a wall of sand left by erosion to make it to the waters edge. Intially the wave looked to have a good shape from the reef, but always lacked a great deal of power. Now days it is just like any other Gold Coast beachie, except with about 400 sand bags to look at while you are waiting for a wave.
because the bags move in the shifting sand the break is never consistent.
great for diving though!
www.divingthegoldcoast.com.au
^ great link!
Mirage it is! How's parking there though, it is usually full while just down the road Sea World (beach side) is 10x as big and empty? About the same distance to beach.
Mind you there's a wet-bar at Mirage.
evl- parking is generally not a problem, the wind tends to send the beach goers home early.
eggs is right on a windy day there's no problem parking.
Plus there are gym hotties.
I'm sure the surf conditions are the same - i usually try to find a good bank up or down the beach a bit and stick to that.
Jamie - I am trying to find the mailing address for the SEQ wavesailing subs - where do we post the form?
if there's a bunch of us and not too dumpy on the day, i'll certainly be in it. I think chairman and a couple of others would be keen too
We are hoping to see a few of you boys at some of the events this year Justin... Will put in the order for a few tame days to get you guys out there.
