Continent |
Australia |
Country |
Australia |
Next Big City |
Melbourne |
Next Town |
Aspendale |
|
Type: |
Ocean |
Rider Ability: |
Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Shop, Toilet, Parking |
Water
Type: |
Shallow, Chop, Small wave |
Hazards: |
No information |
Quality: |
Clean |
Best Tide: |
Tide independent |
Flater on the low tide because of a sandbar about 30m from
the shorline, occasionally get some 3" bay wind swell working
on the bar and get deeper straight after the bar. Kiteable all tides but bet on the higher tide.
Beach
Type: |
Sand |
Size: |
Small |
Hazards: |
None |
Beach Users: |
No information |
The beach is fairly narrow, with a small area of grass and scrub separating the beach from houses. The sand is pretty clean, with few shells. Launching is relatively easy, however there is not much room for error with the houses being so close to the beach. While the beach is very long (several kilometers) with almost no rocks, Gnotuk Ave is popular as it has a large car park and a designated area for windsurfers so there are fewer swimmers than other parts of the beach (although still plenty).
Weather
Spring:
|
Normal |
Summer:
|
Shorts, Shorty |
Fall:
|
Normal |
Winter:
|
Thick |
Melbourne's weather ranges from highs of 10-15°C in winter (sometimes colder and often rainy) to highs near or above 30°C in summer (occasionally 40°C or more). Winter: air 8°C, water about 9°C. No wetsuit is required in summer, although some will wear spring suits, while in winter most wear full steamers and often gloves and booties.
Wind
Best Months: |
January, February, March, December |
Wind Type: |
Thermal |
Best Direction: |
SW, NW |
Main Direction: |
SW |
The wind in arvo sea breezes here is really consistent and the Southwesterlies that come in for a few days at a time tend too rock! Winds from the SW or NW are preferred, while onshore westerlies are okay. Northerlies are just slightly offshore. Sideshore: NNW and SSE.
How to get there
Transport |
Car |
Access
|
Short walk |
Aspendale is located on the East side of the bay, about a 30-45 minute drive from Melbourne. A further 5 minutes drive to the South is Frankston. Tullamarine airport is located to the North of Melbourne, and is a 15 minute taxi ride into the city. Straight down the highway through Mordialloc or Frankston from the other way and look for a huge sign that says "Beach Parking", it's blue and white and has a big picture of the toilet door people on it. This stretch of beach goes all the way down to Keast Park in Seaford.
Extra information
Kite to the left of the big sign that says "windsurfing" and stay on that side and there will be other kiters to help you launch and land but don't go on the other side of the sign that just makes the locals angry who don't kite and occasional you will get coastal police on 4 wheelers come and check that everyone is doing the right thing!
Nightlife