Windsurfing near Marmong Point
- Valentine (3 km)
- Green Point (6 km)
- Coal Point (8 km)
- Swansea North (10 km)
- Shingle Splitters (14 km)
- Brightwaters Baths (17 km)
Nearby Windguru Forecasts
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General Description
A good spot for windsurfing in moderate to strong wind, though quite difficult in low wind because it's more sheltered and hence less windy than Coal Point just to the south. The water is generally quite flat in all but strong wind. The shore incline is quite gentle, so it's quite good for beginners or for practising beach and water starts. Once out about 30-50m (depending on the tide) it drops off nicely, so you can get some good runs northeast towards Warners Bay or south towards Valentine. Good parking, amenities are available about 100m to the south and there is good grassy rigging area with some shelter from the hot sun in summer.
There is a windsurfing club based at Marmong Point that meets often on Saturdays. Google "Marmong Point Windsurfing Club" for information.
Wind
Reasonably good in the North Easterly or South Easterly sea breezes that often reach around 25kts during the spring and summer (from November to March).
Hazards
This spot is quite safe from most hazards, but there can be mildly sharp rocks or very sharp razor fish on the bottom so footwear is highly recommended.
The shore is long and straight so it's relatively easy to get back. Even if you come in a bit north or south, you can usually walk along or near the edge.
Blue ringed octopii are found in the lake, these have an extremely venemous bite that can be fatal. Fortunately they are very timid animals that only bite when provoked (just don't try to pick one up and you'll be fine).
There has been an increase in shark spottings in the lake since the ban of commercial fishing several years ago, however most are small and no attacks have ever been recorded.
Equipment
Limited spares are available nearby (10 min) in Toronto at Lifestyle Marine (lifestylemarine dot com dot au), however for most equipment you'll need to travel to Board Crazy (boardcrazy dot com dot au) at Belmont, about a 45-60 minute round trip. Sailboard hire on the lake is limited to longboards at Warners Bay (Try Bob Feussel's Marine & Sail Centre).
Other Information
Current and forecast wind conditions may be found on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (bom dot gov dot au) web site or at the Seabreeze dot com dot au / graphs / nsw4.asp site. Marmong Point is in the lower Hunter region and sits between Nobby's Head to the North and Norah Head to the south.