Intermediate KS'er from Cambridge, UK -> Manly.

Hey guys

I’m 30 and from Cambridge, England; with a visa in my pocket for Australia and plans to head to Manly, Sydney in January 2017, with my girlfriend. I went to university in Plymouth, South-West England, which is our top surfing university... a relative term, in England! I learnt to skate there and love skating every day still, plus many snowboard trips. Surfing I did try numerous times and was riding one way, but there are very limited waves on the East Coast, where I’m nearer now.

Aged 30, pretty much the most important thing in my life right now is my fitness and developing my board-sports while I’m still relatively young and without kids. I focused quite a lot on my career and stopped doing sports for a couple of years, but have changed my priorities earlier this year, lost a lot of weight and am much happier for doing so – and Sydney looks a good place to push myself more. There is unfinished business with me and surfing and Manly’s been in my sights for some time, since a bunch of my friends from university headed out there five-six years ago (a few are still there and aren’t coming home!).

I was lucky to be sent on a business trip to Perth in March, so booked some internal flights, called some friends up to book sofas/spare beds and managed to have some great adventures in Western Australia, Melbourne and Sydney.

I really enjoyed Perth, but think Sydney’s the place to head to, for the combination of job opportunities (I work in software sales) and sports. Surfing after work was awesome. I’m posting really, to ask if I should ship my kitesurf quiver out too?I picked up a two-kite Crazyfly setup a couple of years ago and had some lessons, plus have been out riding quite a few times; I’m riding both ways plus starting to go upwind. However, it’s around 90 minutes to the sea from here and half the year requires not just a winter wetsuit, but boots and gloves too. I can do that, but having been surfing in Manly in just boardshorts, it’s harder to get excited about a 3 hour return journey, to put a winter wetsuit, boots and gloves on in a muddy car-park in South-East England!I also enjoy wakeboarding too and can hit jumps, trying to land a 360 at the moment.

I figured Manly beach probably isn’t the spot for learning to kitesurf, at least if I want to make any friends! Are there good spots and groups of people doing it, nearby? It’s been a great sport for making friends in England.

Shallow lagoons would be ideal... I’m really not too happy about the idea of body-dragging in deep water with your wildlife!

Any tips appreciated, cheers Alex

OH NO just want we DONT NEED is another "pro" euro kiter clog'n up our northern beaches with the don't tell me I know everything attitude showing no respect for the local krew, the local beach goers charge'n straight through the red n yellows get'n kite'n banned for the rest of us
FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO KITE try kurnell, dolls or botany bay with all the other "pro" euros

I was from suffolk and went to plymouth uni and did surf science.
Just thought i'd say..

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upsidedowner said..
Hey Alex
If you want a nice gentle dam to try a great spot that's not far from bondi especially in a uber or cab is Warragamba Dam great for learning another popular spot for beginner euro kiters is Woronora Dam both spots really easy to get to from all backpecker hostels in both bondi and the city and if they don't work for you any of the southern beaches from bondi to maroubra especially in a kick ass westerly is a definate go have fun go get em tiger

Chill! I don't think I've said anything that implies I think I'm a 'pro', or that I have any intention of showing disrespect!

On the contrary, I said I'm 'intermediate' and that I know Manly isn't a spot for kitesurfing - and I'm here in advance, to make sure I pick the right spots

Cheers for the tips though. Botany sounds good, although it's 90 minutes away, so I'm keen to find some closer spots too.

Fisherman's Beach, Collaroy, has been mentioned; as has Narra?

Those two spots you mention look good; especially as there's no sharks! But it'd be cool to find some spots just North of Manly too.. there must be a few?

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timmybuddhadude said..
I was from suffolk and went to plymouth uni and did surf science.
Just thought i'd say..

Hey! How are you enjoying living in Aus? Looks like you're West Coast eh? When did you do surf science? My housemates were mainly surf scientists - 2006-2009!

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AJHolland said...



Don't worry, I have no intention of kiting Fishermans Beach, Collaroy; and Narra,

Must be some spots within 40 minutes of Manly that mite be decent?

You said it geeza, "you have no intentions of kiting the northern beaches", that good guvna cause there's no wind and the local kiters up north are real grumpy and sharks they have lots n lots of real grumpy huge angry sharks that haven't been fed in years up on them beaches
So geeza the northern beaches is the worst place in sydney to learn to kitesurf apart from it being highly frowned upon.
Remember geeza when you flew into Sydney you saw that long beach south of the airport? It's called wanda and kurnell
Somewhere up north around the big white hotel up where the sail boarders are on Botany Bay even the east side of Botany Bay along forshore drive in a westerly is really good and if that fails defiantly up on the central coast or anywhere in Newcastle geeza is the place to go for sure
GO KITE THERE

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AJHolland said...

timmybuddhadude said..
I was from suffolk and went to plymouth uni and did surf science.
Just thought i'd say..

Hey! How are you enjoying living in Aus? Looks like you're West Coast eh? When did you do surf science? My housemates were mainly surf scientists - 2006-2009!

I worked in a pub in cambridge once it was a beef pub and I had just been a vege hare krishna and practically a buddhist monk in nepal and india for two years so that was a change..never kited the mersea though it sucked when u had seen cyprus nigeria morocco...sth america...obviously sumatra and everything
There are better job opps in sydney.i checked out manly once. perth is quite ritzy and snobby in some areas (but not in the kiter zone) with millionaire yachts sitting in a mucky smelly thames like river doing bugger all..as tax write offs..and unless yr allready a millionaire quite hard to get ahead.Other than fam&friends I dont miss the polzeath cornwall temperature but the music industry in uk..aphex twin(!from cornwall)&prodigy(!from near home town sfk) and europe is waaaY more 'fabber' methinks.its pretty crap on the west coast.pendulum were from west coast they went to UK.Empire of the the sun south east aus geniuses methinks.Kiting became more of a big thing on the west coast as due to the great white shark factor and regular clockwork wind I took that up after surf science'and diving as u can escape quicker
Originally came to gold.coast and byron but love of life surfer chick I came here with opted for WA...due to an ex fistral beach lifeguard brother opting for 'the mines'..(and a big loophole in her market in natural health where she ended up getting 4000net a week..thats three thousand pounds!!..(massaging miners etc)..((and needless to say when that happened she forgot all about europe/my fam.got together with my mate when we were paying for& doing exams for aussie boat tickets aussies got age 16(which mean nothing now as all the miners have got laid off)&buggered up my business options so I got shafted)).....not.my choice(wa) BUT the kiting in WA(and remote islands and waves and nature)does rock.the brainwashing of miners in wa does do yr head in a bit and the mining boom'is kind of over for now.and by the way..the price in WA is pretty mentle(cheaper yachts in sunshine coast etc)
Sydney melbs much more culture.probably a bit like hossegor biarritz st sebastian which has it all..culture..vibes and waves.thats defo the fave place in europe.i hope europe stays europe.
Good.luck
P.s when u get here plaster yrself with zinc on the face u will notice it in a few years
I remember a guy called Tom on surf science we shaped our first boards together&listened to linkin park and learnt magic seaweed web designs.the water in byron is crystal compared...and I cant remember any dolphins going under me in Sumatra...but I was mainly a stoner then.
Let us know how u get on
Good luck.. (!geeeZa??!lol..)

Theres a story for u

If you want to surf a lot Manly is ok, but if you want to kite it sucks. Seriously. If you are in software you will most likely be in the CBD, so to kite after work you will need to drive into the city, park somewhere, drive to Botany (40 mins usually in traffic) and then drive all the way back to Manly.

Apart from getting flamed as a Euro I am surprised no one here has offered any useful advice! I am a pole dancer but same thing. If you want to get on the water heaps I would recommend somewhere south of the harbour to live, it just means you can't hang out in Manly with all the other poms!