Hey guys, my dad is working up in Bowen for a few months and he's been showing me some pics of the beaches up there.
I'm thinking to head up for a short while for a windsurfing trip. Looks like some great slalom/formula sailing to be had in the SE'ers at Horseshoe Bay.
Anyone who's sailed up there, what's the G.O. with the stingers? I realise we're getting out of season for them now nearing the end of summer, but do you really need a stinger suit? I'm working on the basis I wasn't planning to fall off that much, but is it worth wearing a lycra sock to cover the feet if one was to wash over my board or should I just tempt fate and go without?
Cheers.
hi sean,
i haven't sailed in nth qld for over 10 years and probably over 15 years since sailed at bowen, from memory the signs at the beech say stinger season between october and may for the box jelly, don't know about the other one as it was not known when i was up there. best to play it safe and wear a suit or full wetsuit(might be hot though) you can't do much about head hands and feet.speaking from experience they fing hurt, hard to describe, the severity usually depends on the amount of tentacles on the body, eg i spent a few hours in hospital under observation after swimming back to the board with t-shirt and boardies on and got hit on the back of my leg and under my bicep. if i wasn't wearing a shirt and got a lot of tentacles accross my chest,back etc may not have made it to hospital (packed up and drove my self btw) i went out and bought another stinger suit, to replace the one left below high tide level the day before
haven't sailed any of the bays, but sailed a few times at/near the harbour
hope this convinces you to buy a stinger suit,cheers
Hi Sean,I travel down to Bowen as often as I can,the wind there is the best on the coast between Mackay and Townsville.There are 3 good locations for S/E Front beach E Kings beach and NE Queens beach/mouth of Don.There is a great bunch of guys who sail there and we usually drop everything when a blow appears.I wear a long sleave rashie/lycra leggings and a pair of socks,which only last 3/4 sails as the nonslip wears them out.I have sailed WA,NZ and Vietnam and I always love getting back to Bowen.I will be traveling down tomorrow as it looks like we will be in for a few days of good wind.Please pm me if you need any more info.Cheers
Oh I forgot,the Bom wind reading for Bowen is worse than useless its better to go off Hamilton Island and drop a couple of knots off it.But Bowen has its very own wind guru,many of my trips are made after consulting Wormy,who is more often than not spot on with his local knowledge and knack of acurate forecasting.Bowen rocks.
nbr said..... bowen has the best wind on the coast between mackay and townsville
to put a cat among the pidgeons, i would have to say that alva beach is way better location than bowen
at least it was many many years ago and only 50 mins from tsv not 2 hrs[}:)]
Due to sand bars and shallow water Alva is better these days for kiting.I have had a few very disapointing trips to Alva,but my son gets down thetre a bit with the kite.So bowen it is sorry.
Alva if definatley crap, there is a local legend there, Dave I think it is. He has been travelling down to Bowen as well due to the sand bars.
As far as stingers, Suit up. I have been stung twice, once in Nov and again in Jan on the foot, just walking into the water, as this time I was wearing a full suit, Now its a full suit and booties for me, Don't think it was a Box jelly but it friggin hurt and certainly put the wind up me.
Looks like very little work is going to happen here this friday. Drop us a line if your around. Horeshoe bay is not the spot to be, much better locations for B&J, some guys use slalom gear but it can get a bit bumpy. We used to have a flat water stretch but the sand banks have killed it.
Its lookin good Nigel.
I will have to eat humble pie, especially if dave has deserted the place (he was a sugar chemist in one of the mills i think) I knew the sands moved around alot but never thought it would get that bad, how does bowen stack up against alva of the 90s era.
we used to rig up in front of the life savers club and launch there as well, however it was quite a long hike to the water, longer at low tide
I went sailing on the weekend (32ft trimaran) and saw two giant box jellyfish a mile or two offshore. The same day, most of the Mackay beaches were closed and this has occured several times this year (several caught each time - the surf lifesavers drag the beaches every hour and close the beach if they find any).
The best haul was 50 odd off harbour beach in one week - that is box jellyfish, the ones that if you get more than a meter or two of tenticle on you, you have about 2-3mins before wanting to have someone standing by to do CPR. Several people have also been taken to hospital with irikanji syndrome as well (the little buggers that make you sick for a few days).
This year has been very bad with the hot calm weather and rain. Strong winds should see them up the creeks and move away from the beaches but I would definitely wear a stinger suit and enter the water slowly.
Odds of being stung are low but consequence is not cool!
Don't worry about the crocs, I've only seen one this year at the harbour, they are rare along the beaches and are only interested in kiters.
It is this worst year for stingers I can remember in the last 20 that I have been here. Without protection you are a bloody idiot. And even with it you are a bit of a wally.
It is killing me at the moment, brand new isonic 121l, mast, boom and sail and I haven't used it yet because of concerns about the jellyfish..........can't wait to get to the Burrum windfest.
Ok, looks like a stinger suit is a necessity; will add that to the shopping list today.
Heading up to Bowen tomorrow it looks like, if I leave early enough might get a late Friday arvo blast in with the SE'er.
Maybe I got the beaches mixed up, it wasn't Horseshoe Bay I was thinking of. Looking at the map I thought just going out on the frontside (where Point Darymple Rd is) as that would be side-onshore in a SE'er.
Looking for the bumpiest place possible with the shortest walk to the beach...Trying to get my slalom gear tuned up for the PWA Ulsan event in May, so the bumpier the better! Looks like a dirt road goes down the beach on Google Street view, or maybe Point Darymple Rd is the dirt road?
Tide is crap for arvo but awsome for morning, huge tide around 9am means no walking, A bunch of us will be at the sailing club sat morning from about 7am, best time is usually between 8am and 11am although this forcast looks good for allday jobs. We will be out friday, sat and sundy morning. give me a ring for directions. 0434 718 751, If I don't answer send a text and I will call you back when I turn my phone on.
Alva still has its days but more for waves or b&j but you need the tides to be right or go else its out on the kite. I was doing a few trips to Bowen for a fang on the slalom gear, its great blasting in the bay or tacking up to Stone Island and doing the deep off the wind fang back to the yacht club. There is a potential speed strip on the west side of stone island but it is not as good as it appears from the top of Flagstaff Hill. Currently working on Pluto in Karratha but managed a couple of ok sesssions at Currumbin on the last R & R.
goldcoastmoz, if you wear your socks under your crocs, they wont hurt.
Plenty of crocs at Burrum, they have taken over from the thongs.
Hi Sean, say hello to John for me.
Here's a nice pic from slalom sailing at Bowen yesterday. Took the ENTIRE day to get a 2 minute window where the sun came out so the water looked its usual deep green.
Wind has been howling 25-35 knots most afternoons. The pic doesn't show it but I'm barely able to sheet in with 6.7m! Have some really awesome video footage shot from the top of the hill too. Wind should increase by Wednesday when TC Ului comes closer to us...
I've only been able to get out in the afternoons the past few days so I've been sailing around the front beach where this island is (for the locals who know it). Not sure what to call that beach, but even at low tide I can go straight out. I saw a bunch of locals in the morning out sailing in the harbour side, but it was more onshore there and by the time I'd arrived the tide was out a good 600m!
Anyhow, if anyone makes a trip up to Bowen to sail in your lifetime its DEFINITELY worth it. So far 3 days down and no stings too ;)
There will be at least 4 of us tuesday morning at front beach while the tide is up, from 8am to midday, feel free to join us. We have all been on 5.2 or less and its a great ride to the other side of the bay with some good ramps, clear blue water 100m west of the sailing club.
@hooray - so far 2 crashes but I was up pretty quick.
@wormy - I'll try to get down there about 8am tomorrow. Where exactly do you launch from? Up at the sailing club or towards the jetty end?
jeez, qld has so many awesome spots with no crowds!
that is a great photo. am very jealous
