Noosa Bar - Anyone have experience on it?

[dhess]

In my endless quest to try new offshore grounds in new areas I am very keen to have a crack in close off Noosa. Probably start off with North Reef and Sunshine Reef. If I am adventurous could head out to the Hards.

I am looking for any advice for safely crossing the bar. I have been up there a few times recently and with a small to moderate SE swell it looked easy. No white water in the main channel towards the southern rock wall. Watched a few boats go out with zero hesitation or dramas.

My plan of attack is to pick a swell under 1.3m day with swell direction from SE to S and head out on an incoming tide. Coming back ride back in on the back of the wave. I have heard the bar is very shallow and don't take it lightly as I have heard of a few charter and dive boats getting flipped on it.

I have crossed the Tweed Bar which I guess is a bit similar but deeper with a big swell 3m+ and was ok. Although I needed a change of underwear coming back in when the tide was running out and the whole bar was a line of big breakers.

Any advice appreciated.

[Sparksie]

Hi dhess

Remember going out thru the bar there well.

Having only gotten into fishing, last few years, took my 1st charter with one of the Noosa Charters Co. and we got "air" when going over the bar....there were a few seconds of screaming prop as it left the water....heheheeee.....then thudded back down....

Seriously, best of luck on it up there.

Your reports are always tops dhess.

[dhess]

Thanks mate.

How were the conditions the day you headed out on the charter? Was there much of a swell running?

[SJS]

Last time I crossed the Noosa bar it seemed like it was a fairly calm day.

Everything was going fine for the first half and then the next swell stood up and actually broke over top of the boat. No harm done - just a couple of bruises - but could have been worse. It was dead low tide though.

SjS:fishing:

[Bri The Pom]

Hey dhess,

If it,s not a one off thing maybe look at a bar crossing course,either there or at your nearest bar,im sure they would be available.

Good luck and don,t be silly.

Bri.

[dhess]

Hey Bri,

Have looked at doing one of the popular bar crossing courses done on South Passage, seems as it is a bit too focused on crossing South Passage. At least that is what I have heard from people who have done it.

I am sure it can offer valuable insights on navigating other bars but I am happy going down the road I am heading, carefully chooosing conditions and crossing when I feel safe.

In the past few years have crossed South Passage, The Jumpinpin, Tweed Bar, and Wide Bay Bar several times with zero problems. To be fair unless the conditions and forecast aren't absolutely spot on I won't go or will opt to fish out of a different port. i.e. Bribie or Mooloolaba.

Dom

[tugger]

very wise dom like you said pick the right conditions for crossing a new bar ie; incoming tide close to high water with a small swell running and take notice of where the deepest water is as that is the key. local knoledge is the most important and watch the bar for 10 minutes the first time out of it, at least 6 or more sets of waves to see when the big sets are and i have found the longest lull in waves are after a big set

[AZZA]

A few years ago I did the bar crossing course on the south passage bar, it did spend some time on the various ways to cross the south Passage bar. But I think more time and effort was put into boat handling in the bar. we crossed the bar at the three known crossings as well as driving the boat in and out through the surf along the beach. For me I found it invaulable as you can read all the books and maginizes but nothing beats driving the boat through the waves for real to get some first hand experiance. We must have crossed the bar more than 60 times I had so much fun I could just go and cross the bar for fun some days, thats just the old surfy in me

[silver_rex]

pretty easy bar to cross dom given the right circumstances of course. Launched from there heaps during warmer months when trolling for mackerel. Heading out we found the right centre of the bar to be the deepest and never had any dramas. Just watch out for jet ski lice and kite surfers during the day them to have no respect or care for boats crossing the bar, real pain in the a$$

[dog pound]

Hi dhess , i think you will be fine mate 1st you are already taking the common sense approach sit back and watch first,and watch other boats, keep an eye on weather and tides, you will be fine mate , good luck.

[hunter armytage]

Hi Dhess

I was just wondering what size of boat you have? the reason for this is I have often wondered about crossing Noosa bar in my tinnie and have spoken to a few locals who say they cross it in boats similar to mine (4.2m ). I am yet to do it as I just usually chicken out and fish in the river but would be interested on how you get on.

Good luck

Hunter

[batman]

Mate

I crossed the Noosa bar a few months back, my first (and only) bar crossing. One thing I will add of value is call or go and see the guys at the Coast Guard HQ, don't be ashamed to ask them their advice. I did and the help I received was sensational.

It was pretty straight forward in the end, pick your best tide times, stop at the mouth and watch the bar for a good ten minutes and on the way in do the same.

Look for the deep water and if you do find yourself in the middle of a set ride on the back of the white water.

You should be fine mate....

[jeff f]

watch the depth on lower tides, bottoming out is common with the charter boats up there

[dhess]

Thanks for all the replies. Plenty of good advice.

My boat is 5.6m so probably a good size as its plenty stable but doesn't draw to much water.

[daveylad]

Dpm

there are days when the VCG patrol the bar and have been known to stand by when its busy, I've been in the river when I've seen all sorts of boats smaller than yours and boats I thought shouldnt be attempting it go through I guess the conditions were really good that day I sat back and wondered and wished..one day. I'll make a call to the local VCG and ask them for some advice, recent picture in local rag

[daveylad]

Just spoke to VCG at Noosa Dom, they say at the monment its flat as but there is a new sand bar (Island) appeared recently and that the deep channel is now on the north side, they say that the trouble with Noosa is that it changes very frequently. If you are an associate member they will arrange for an escort out of the bar if you ring them the day before and arrange it if you are not a member a donation is accepted. There is a camera on the bar at http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=490&state=QLD#

[dhess]

Good detective work Dave.

What do you reckon, we make a donation and have a crack at the reefs out of Noosa?

[daveylad]

:woohoo: Thursday,friday sat sunday & Monday all looking good wind wise on Willys Tide times are a bit off but we could have a later start fish dont seem to be biting too early as it is or if the tides arnt right we could leave from Molloolaba and head north but its and hour ride, let me know what suits

[fishguru5]

the noosa bar is tame as. its probably 20 meters and your past it. i took my timber boat there in 10-15 knots and i plowed through it. though it is better to be safe than sorry

[Ben G]

Daveylad nailed it.

Constantly changing banks with very little water at low tide.

Also pop into the tackle store (was Davo's) next to Dan Murphy's in Noosaville, he had recent aerial photos.

Good luck.

[dhess]

daveylad wrote:

:woohoo: Thursday,friday sat sunday & Monday all looking good wind wise on Willys Tide times are a bit off but we could have a later start fish dont seem to be biting too early as it is or if the tides arnt right we could leave from Molloolaba and head north but its and hour ride, let me know what suits

Hey Dave,

If the forecast for monday on seabreeze holds the weather should be amazing. Swell around 1m and swell from SSE. So the only issue would be depth as the tides are all wrong. Otherwise a trip to the Barwon Banks might be on the cards. Probably best we do the bar first couple of times near the the top of the run in tide, that way we get to fish while the tide is running out and come back in on the next incoming tide.

Dom

[crazywalrus]

there is a big difference between willy and seabreeze for Friday and Saturday. Good Luck I hope Willy is right

[daveylad]

crazywalrus wrote:

there is a big difference between willy and seabreeze for Friday and Saturday. Good Luck I hope Willy is right

I reckon the Willy site is better Seabreeze tends to over estimate my feelings then again I look at a few of them and still check out on the day or night before.

[daveylad]

Monday is looking best keep an eye on the sites, pm me with your contact number and I'll call you

Davey

[crazywalrus]

I have only started to look at Willy. I have been watching both each day to get a feel for which one is more accurate. Anyway good luck boys and I look forward to the report.

[dhess]

My feeling is that Willy is a bit too optimistic. I prefer to err on the side of caution so I usually go with the most pessimistic forecast. Its true that I miss out on a lot of fishable days but on the flipside I am often rewarded with glass outs on the open ocean.

[AZZA]

I use oz-forecast as I find them the most reliable.
/>http://ozforecast.com.au/cgi-bin/weather.cgi?station=brisbane

[crazywalrus]

I reckon that is a good way to be Dhess. The last thing I want is to be out in the wind. I feel that the forecasts are pretty good. Sometimes the changes come in a bit early but overall not to bad.

[daveylad]

wind forecasts for Monday is great its the tide thats the problem.

Mon 18 LOW Tide 3:16 AM EST / 0.44 m HIGH Tide 9:46 AM EST / 1.91 m

also the new sandbar thats moved in over the last couple of days have alook at this video
/>http://www.fishingnoosa.com.au/noosabar.htm

[dhess]

Good to see the video. The last two times I was up there it was nothing like that. The main channel had zero white water. I think we'll just wait for a nice forecast with minimal swell and hit it nearing the top of the tide. Should be zero issues as we can watch a few boats go out before us.

Could always hire someone to put up a row of huge floodlights along the rock wall so we can see where we are going at 3am.

[dhess]

Here is another video of someone coming back in on the run out. Obviously very different sea conditions as no white water to be seen.

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0L14sOeJsI

[daveylad]

That video is coming into the river on a good day dont reckon its a good indication on Noosa bar, looked at the chartplotter to leave from Mooloolaba to go to barwon banks theres isnt much in it in distance as there is leaving from Noosa and you dont have to worry about the tides. The night Tugger kreel and myself did it it was about 20 to 30kilometres back to Moloolaba, Noosa is just a little closer depending whereabouts you are on the Banks. I reckon Mooloolaba would be better due to the tide so you could get more fishing in

[dhess]

Agreed. Wouldn't be worth it for me to tow the extra distance to Noosa for fishing the Banks. The Banks I usually fish 40-50km out of Mooloolaba so a saving a few km is hardly worth the extra 30km tow.

Sunshine Reef and North Reef on the other hand would be much easier out of Noosa, although still very doable from Mooloolaba. North Reef out of Mooloolaba is 45km vs. 15km from Noosa. Sunshine Reef is 30km out of Mooloolaba but only 7km out of Noosa.

[Gazza]

We pay ridiculous rego fee's for our boats and trailers and then expected to be put up with crap ramps and life threatening bars IMO they can dredge channel's for container ships why not us

we pay the fee's

[AZZA]

This is the sort of trouble you can get into on a bar crossing. One thing I rember of my stacer is that it would broach quite easyly, but I have never felt the sea legend start to broach at all
/>http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/07/15/boating-restrict-fishing-comp-lismore-evans/

/>http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/07/14/man-dies-after-boat-capsizes-richmond-river-mouth/

/>http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/07/14/two-more-swamped-at-evans-head/

[dhess]

I'm under no illusion that bars aren't dangerous and deserve plenty of respect, but all of the above incidents were a result of stupidity. Attempting to cross bars with a big swell or on an outgoing tide.