Local Tidal Race - Skirmish Point

Living in Brisbane doesn't offer much in the way of tidal races for the Sea Kayaker.  Once a month we get the opportunity to play on an outgoing spring tide, only if we have wind and swell against tide - and don't get too excited because you need the swell pushing in to make the race start working well.

Today we headed out to Skirmish Point, on the bottom end of Bribie Island for a play in some rough water.  The wind and swell were out of the East and around 10-15 knots.  The tidal race fluctuated across the tide cycle and would have been better if the wind was more from the north (to push the swell down into Moreton Bay - we have Moreton Island in the way so most of the swell hits the coast further north, towards the top end of Bribie Island)

We took off from Bongaree just before the tide had started to turn so that we were at the tidal race just after the tide had turned.  The waves were larger earlier in the tide cycle.  Once the tide got up to peak flow, the conditions got rougher, but the overall swell size decreased and may have needed more wind to push up the swell.

The best position in the race was near the starting point which was on the western side of Skirmish Point - the waves cleaned up and gave some great rides.  Whilst the waves weren't large, they were big enough for me to endo, riding over the top of the first wave in a set.

We had a great day out and all ended up fairly exhausted by the time we got back to the carpark.  I think most of the paddlers were heading home for a snooze rather than the work we had all committed to do post paddle ;-)

I felt we had paddled a lot more than the 21.5 kms showing on the GPS with all the surfing we did in the race as well paddling against the tide on the way back.  Thanks to Silvio, Jonathan and Gil for keeping me company on a rainy Saturday.