Howdy, moving to Brisbane! Looking forward to sailing more than 8 times a year!
Time to update the quiver. If you guys could pick any two boards to sail the Brisbane area, what would you choose? Can't sail waves yet and find my 77JP fsw a tad small unless really cooking, even then I don't get the majority of my jibes if the water is rough and I make that sucker spin out all the time even with a larger fin - I know, my technique is poor.
I was thinking a 100ish L freeride board and an 84 L wave board of sorts. I'm 83 Kg and find the JP small. Your thoughts?
I'm a touch over 70 kgs, and I find that my 92L JP FSW and a 5.9m wavesail gets me out 90% of the time, and i sail easily more then 50times a year. There are a few other guys who use this kinda combo as their primary kit, haircut is generally always on a 5.9m wavesail and a 100L freestyle board, he's a freak and planes even when the wind isn't blowing thou haha. My second board is a 75L wave board, and at my weight, i use that very rarely, gonna get a 85L waveboard instead.
I would say your probably close to the money with the 100L freeride and a 84L waveboard, thou i'd estimate at your weight, you probably want something closer to 110L for your bigger board. The smaller board I would suggest something you can still slog when the wind drops would be my suggestion, so probably something closer to 90L? Depends how comfortable u are slogging knee deep, I know some guys go out on sinkers when I'm struggling on my big FSW.
If you want to be out as often as possible, then you probably definately want some big slalom gear (120L+ board, 8m sail) as well cause there are a lot of 10-15kt days around. But big gears not for everyone.
Pop into any of the shops,goodtime,surf fx, board crazy,caloundra, talk to them of what you "need" conditions, your size, ability and they will sell you something thats been on the shelf a few years.................sorry i mean they will cater for your needs, cant beat the expirenced guys in the shops!
The average wind here tends to be 15-20, with the occasional SE gale at 25+.
Most people around your weight have 110-120 litre freeride with 6-7.5m sails, or a 90-100 litre wave board with 5-6.5 m sails. Approximately, commonly.
I'd maybe think about two FreeStyleWave boards that you can use across all the conditions Brisbane can throw at you. 110 & 90 Just change foot straps and fins to suit the conditions. Although that said you may want/need something around 120 litres for those all-too-common 15 knots days. Watching kites sucks.
We're coming into seabreeze season now so you picked a very nice time to arrive!
You guys are awesome! Thanks for the advice. Nice to see an active forum as well. I had the 77 litre for the gorge in the US, but I always felt out of control as it was so fast (for a small board) yet too small to slog at all. I like the idea of a 95 wave and a 120 freeride.
You guys ever end up on sub 4.5m sails around Brisbane or is that quite rare?
Rudy,
I'm a bit heavier than you and have the following Board ranges,
105L Freeride Slalom
90L Slalom
80L Freeride Slalom
68 L Speed
Sail Range from 4.7 to 7.0.
Most Used Sails are on the 6.0 to 7.0 range, Most used board - 105l, 90 Litre.
I would probably use the 4.7 1-2 times per year. If it is too windy for me on the 4.7 I call it pack up and go home time as the sea is very choppy and the predominant issue is not the sail bt keeping a board on the water.
So 4.5 would probably get used 2-5 times p.a. with someone your weight. I would be recommending 100-110 litre board with 6-7.5 M sail range.
- Cheers and Welcome to Qld
- J
Hey guys this is great information as im moving to Bris in the next few weeks. By the sound of things though im going to be missing the sydney 20-25 nor easters however i do recall a few manic sessions at coloundra over the years. 10-15 knt days eh, looks like im going to have to buy more gear; my missus is going to go mad for sure
Hi Lee,
yeah caloundra was one of the all time great spots in qld. unfortunately it's definitely a case of was. 
most of the caloundra crew have moved into the surf.
I had one of the best sessions of my life there, my missus parents live near so i always pop down when i can. Really looking forward to moving there as the windsurf/social scene seems way ahead of sydney too, however 10-15 knots doesnt seem that exciting it is an excuse to buy more gear. Been past shorncliff,Redcliff are they good for windsurfing? all i saw was mud for miles and then a few kite surfers, also went somewhere that had a pier, that looked pretty good. Anyway i guess i will find out for myself in a few weeks. Just got to find a job now so if you know anyone that needs an electrician please let me know
redcliffe is a great spot. in the NE winds queens beach north is popular. it's also not affected by tides. suttons beach is my favourite for SE winds. no tide issues either.
I usually take 5-8 knots off the wind meter readings from the bom for redcliffe.
what suburb are you moving to?
Not sure yet, porb be staying in the city for a while until i find work and then im really hoping to move nearer the water. Going to spend my first week in bris sailing new areas, just hope there are more 15 knot days then 10 knot. Cant wait to get up there
Don't be put off, we do get some really good days, well over 15kts. Just that they are few and far between, but worth the wait!!! Welcome to the sunshine state
my two favourite dream broads for brisbane would be, Meagan Fox and Christina Aguilera......Well, this week anyway...
nice inverse double concaves on them ones, and would feel pretty good once in the straps
Hey Gestalt,
What has changed to make Caloundra (Golden Beach I assume) a spot of the past? I have to say on the majority of times I have been there it seems really fickle wind-wise but I wouldn't have thought that would have changed over time.
Thanks
there's so much sand in the mouth it's hard to get a run up at anything on a southerly
might be ok in a northerly, but i've never managed to score a northerly at caloundra
the guys above are on the money.
to reminisce,
you used to be able to turn up at golden beach in summer, rig a 5.7-6.5 and just wait for the seabreeze to kick in. then in easterlies the run along the speed bank was awesome. 1km of dead flat water with a mill pond to gybe in.
SE's meant waves. you could sail from the light house striaght out into the bar with the waves getting bigger and bigger as you went.
wind forward 20 years and it's nearly all silted up, the trees and buildings have killed all of the wind and the bar is only really good between mid and high tide and you launch straight from bulcock into the super current.
we used to do races from the sailing club all the way up to bulcock and back. you'd have no chance these days of doing it.
last couple of times in summer i've gone to golden beach it's been marginal. after driving to mooloolaba have found 5-10 knots more breeze.
my fingers are crossed that we get a super storm that breaks bribie up near the sailing club.
but it still does have some good days they are just a whole lot less than they used to be and i'd rather go to wello.
