Forums > Kitesurfing Queensland

Port Douglas Holiday

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Created by Aspiremr > 9 months ago, 21 May 2018
Aspiremr
WA, 108 posts
21 May 2018 2:37PM
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Hi All,

I'm heading over to Port Douglas with a group of mates late July. We were hoping to head up to the Kite Surfari but left our run late and the week we had holidays the Surfari was already booked out. :( Our bad for leaving it so late.

So now we are going to base ourselves in the Town and rent a car, and hope to kite the week away.

Would really appreciate any suggestions as to how to maximise the kiting experience, places to go, what kites to bring, anything to consider (stingers, how to avoid floaty things that chomp etc)

We plan to rent a car, and if it helps get to the best spots can rent a 4wd.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Michael.

1728
QLD, 115 posts
21 May 2018 6:22PM
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If the wind dosnt come in at Port Douglas(which can happen) then its worth a drive to Cooktown. Point Archer is about 25 minutes drive south of Cooktown and a good spot in a se wind which is the likely direction for the time of year you'll be there. And you don't need a 4x4 to get there. You'll see the turn off to Point Archer as you head north and approach Cooktown. Fingers crossed you get wind in Port Douglas. Is a great spot to kite.

NorthernKitesAUS
QLD, 1061 posts
23 May 2018 2:22PM
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I think you will love the trip regardless of wind or not. But you will find windy areas no doubt. 4-mile beach on a good day is probably one of the best kite spots in the world - shallow waist high water, heaps of room and a kite shop right on the beach - WindSwell.
In terms of stingers, crocs, etc... you won't have to worry. Stinger season is mostly from late Sep/Oct to Apr/May at the most. Crocs, well they should be sleeping over winter anyway. Sharks, meh... far more your way in WA than up here.
Kites? I would take three for most winds - 9m, 12m and your biggest preferably over 15m. A wet-suit may also help as the waters up here do get cold, but then again not as cold as down south (4/3mm should be fine). Oh and don't forget a basic kite repair kit.
Enjoy

StKKiter
SA, 84 posts
23 May 2018 5:31PM
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One of the best kite spots in the world is a heck of a stretch, but it is not bad. Kite size recommendations are good, but a 4/3mm is over the top, a spring suit is fine, i usually split between a shorty and just a rashie.

Aspiremr
WA, 108 posts
23 May 2018 9:11PM
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Thanks Everyone, super excited now. 9 12 and 14 with extensions will be the quiver.

Re the drive to Point Archer, or anywhere else, is it worth renting a 4wd or is a 2wd sufficient.

Thanks
Michael

1728
QLD, 115 posts
24 May 2018 4:30PM
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You don't need a 4x4 to get to Point Archer. It's dirt road off the main bitumen and there's a bit of shallow water over the road sometimes but we went up and down the road many times in a 2wd hire car with no problems. There's another beach you can kite closer to town near the golf course but you need a 4x4 to get down there. Very sandy and definately not a 2wd track.

If you went across the river and north of town there's plenty of open beach to kite by the look of it. I'm not sure about accessing this area though. Have heard you need permission from the aboriginal local community to get access there??? Best to ask around about this one I think.

The wind meter to watch for Cooktown is the Cape Flaterry one. The meter in Cooktown must be behing the hill as it always shows less wind than on the water. We could've kited from sun up to sun down as it never stopped blowing.

FormulaNova
WA, 14042 posts
27 May 2018 6:07AM
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Last year I was up at kitesurfari, and it was blowing 25 to over 30 knots every day. I'm only a beginner, so for me it was too much.

The following week I went back to Cairns and ended up going to Port Douglas for a week. The location there is beautiful and certainly closer to civilisation, but the wind was completely different. Up at Kitesurfari I went from needing a 9m some days to needing more than a 17m in Port Douglas.

In Port Douglas it seemed almost everyone was on really big kites and only the lighter people were on 12m kites.

I was surprised about how different the wind was. It goes from blowing intensely all the time to a much lighter breeze. Make sure you take your larger kites.

I don't know if the weather conditions were that different that week, but the typical green arrows was still showing for Cairns, but it really didn't come in there at all. It was strange though as in Cairns it even rained during the week which seemed to keep the wind away.

Kit3kat
QLD, 139 posts
7 Jun 2018 8:38PM
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yeah its weird. Something to do with the thermals and the tablelands probably. The forecast is never accurate either. I.e. today the forecast was 10 knots but it was more like 20 which we havn't had in months. There is no stingers up here in July.
17m is probably overkill. I find my 16m never gives me an advantage over a 12.

FormulaNova
WA, 14042 posts
8 Jun 2018 5:13PM
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Select to expand quote
Kit3kat said..
yeah its weird. Something to do with the thermals and the tablelands probably. The forecast is never accurate either. I.e. today the forecast was 10 knots but it was more like 20 which we havn't had in months. There is no stingers up here in July.
17m is probably overkill. I find my 16m never gives me an advantage over a 12.


17m is overkill? How much do you weigh, 60kgs? When I was up there a lot of people were on the bigger kites and only the lightest people were getting away with a 12m.

Kit3kat
QLD, 139 posts
9 Jun 2018 8:47PM
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80kg and I definitely have the largest kite. You see the odd person on a 14m but most are on a 12m.

FormulaNova
WA, 14042 posts
11 Jun 2018 5:44AM
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Select to expand quote
Kit3kat said..
80kg and I definitely have the largest kite. You see the odd person on a 14m but most are on a 12m.


I must have been there for a bad week then. Which is good to hear. It was very cool and wet weather in Cairns as well, so maybe the weather pattern was an unusual one.

That said, it was still blowing a gale up at Cape Flattery.

fouad2000
2 posts
14 Dec 2018 11:15PM
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Kit3kat said.. vpnauth.vip/fmovies/ ovo.fyi/yesmovies/ ovo.fyi/solarmovie/
yeah its weird. Something to do with the thermals and the tablelands probably. The forecast is never accurate either. I.e. today the forecast was 10 knots but it was more like 20 which we havn't had in months. There is no stingers up here in July.
17m is probably overkill. I find my 16m never gives me an advantage over a 12.




Recently returned to the sport after a long break and loving it.
Been sailing the old flat water haunt {Ballina River) trying to hone my skills yet I haven't seen any windsurfers.
I use to enjoy the bump n jump off the pass Byron for the clean NE winds and blue waters and had a few sails at flat rock on my slalom gear.
So if you live in the area and enjoy windsurfing lets be mates!



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"Port Douglas Holiday" started by Aspiremr