Thinking of going for a paddle off Altona tomorrow morning in the outfitter. NNW winds expected 15-20 knots with a slack tide around 0900. Do you think there will be enough shelter to make it a protected enough trip? New to paddling in the bay

Cheers!

It's possible to get out at Altona in those winds but you need to be cautious. It can look very calm from the shore but go a few hundred metres out and the waves build up and the wind becomes a challenge. In the outfitter you may find it a struggle to make good progress if the wind catches the front, especially with gusts. If you're determined to get out, check the real-time wind before going and then stick close into the coast where you will get some shelter. There are usually squid in shallow along the rocks to the left so you don't need to venture far for a feed. If conditions look sketchy at all then best to wait for a better day.

Thanks Shane,

And do you think that Altona will be friendlier than Campbell’s Cove with these conditions?

What Shane said. Also if something goes wrong with the pedal drive, it is a hard paddle back to shore with the offshore wind.

If you are new dont go anywhere with winds more than 10 knots, onshore or offshore. Onshore will be too rough and if anything goes wrong with an offshore, you are being blown out into the bay. It will always be windier out there than standing on the beach, and it can always blow up worse, forecasts are just estimates not guarantees. Always think, if something goes wrong where am I going to end up.