Destinations: WINDSURFING & KITESURFING

Windsurfing in Australia is a growing sport and on the rare occasion that the sun isn’t shining, the water is still full of enthusiastic windsurfers enjoying the coastal winds. With 90% of all Australians living within 50km of the coast, it’s easy to see why so many of them take up water sports, and windsurfing is no exception. Consistently good windsurfing conditions, including large swells and rugged coastline, create a beautiful training environment, whatever your level or previous experience.
Every state in Australia has many great locations that are perfectly suited to windsurfing. There are both inland (on lakes) and on ocean beaches Most windsurfing takes place during the Australian Summer. The main sailing season in the southern states runs from November to March, with the months of December and January providing exceptional conditions in most states. The best time for waves in Victoria is autumn. During summer they are smaller but there are still plenty of waves around.
Kite Surfing is perhaps the most radical and extreme water sport possible that doesn't require a big combustion engine in a fibreglass non-displacement hull. It is a combination of windsurfing, surfing, and paragliding. The sport involves standing on a wake board, which is designed shorter than a surfboard to make it highly manoeuvrable. The kite surfer holds onto a specially crafted bar which has 4 primary control lines all running up to a large 5-square metre kite. Think of it as controlling a small trick kite, only this is much larger and is capable of pulling you through, and over, the water at great speeds. By adjusting the angle of the kite in relation to the wind, kite surfers are able to propel themselves in many directions and with great haste.
People interested in learning how to Kite Surf should be warned that it takes many days, if not weeks of practice to grasp the basics. This is not an activity you can participate in just for afternoon leisure. You need to know how to swim and how to survive in the water with equipment hanging from you. You need to master being body-dragged through the water while flying the kite above your head. And you need to master standing on a surfboard while holding onto a large kite. Having a background in sailing or wind physics is a great help when learning this sport.

Australian Windsurfing Calendar Australian Kite surfing Australia website Western Australia General Information Major windsurfing beaches Windsurfing Western Australia website Windsurfing in WA West Australian Kite surfing Association South Australia General Information Major windsurfing beaches Major kite surfing locations Windsurfing SA website Northern Territory General Information Windsurfing beaches (Darwin & Gove)

Tasmania General Information New South Wales General Information Major windsurfing beaches Major kite surfing locations Windsurfing NSW website Queensland General Information Major windsurfing beaches Windsurfing Qld website Victoria General Information Major windsurfing beaches Major kite surfing locations Windsurfing Victoria website