Beginner spot over christmas

Hi all.
I am willing to do some windsurfing over the christmas break with my partner. We are relatively beginners and being new to Victoria, I don't know where to look for. We need a wave-less spot (can be a lake) where we can rent the gears. We hope to do 2hrs per day over 3 days or something like that. Any suggestions? Many thanks,
Oh, and we are in Melbourne but happy to drive and stay somewhere else over the break.
Thierry

Where can you rent gear In vic?

Hello, Thierry,

You might care to contact Sailboard Headquarters (SHQ, www.shq.com.au) on 9598 2867 to see if they could rent some of their demo gear to you or see if there is some second-hand gear you can buy at a low price. Alternatively, you might care to buy one of their learner board/rig packages, with a view to selling it on consignment later, if you move on. You might also look on the second-hand section of Seabreeze (www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds) as there might be something there.

You might consider a 150-200 litre board with a centre dagger board and rear fin, a 4.5m sail and mast to suit, a mast base, a mast extension and a quick-connect boom to suit the mast/sail combo. To transport the gear, you'll need a car (or van) with roof racks and tie-down straps.

There is a great waveless learner spot near SHQ at the Sandringham yacht harbour, but the parking fees are $6/hr or $18 per day and parking can be a problem if the day will be hot (it's a popular family spot). A bit further north, there is a good spot near the Hampton Life Saving Club, but you need to be clear of any swimmers if you sail there. You might ask the lifesavers on duty for guidance on where to sail. Parking is on Beach Road and the same parking fees apply as in the harbour. Scout the area to see tracks down to the beach from the road

If the wind forecast is for 10 to 15 knots, this would be ideal for learning.

Hope this helps.