Tannum Sands – Boyne River Mouth
The Boyne river mouth at Tannum Sands is a great spot for wing foiling, wind foiling, kitesurfing and windsurfing.
It works best in a E to NE breeze but would also work in a NNW.
The predominant wind directions here are NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE windiest season is from Sept to March however it tends to blow consistently throughout winter as well.
As the tide goes out the water is protected by the large sand bank to the eastern side of the channel providing super smooth water.
Further out to sea there can be a slight swell which is nice for riding on with a foil.
Whilst the tide rises and falls a lot here, even at low tide there appears to be adequate depth for foiling at any tide level in the middle of the channel.
The water is slightly brackish in the river and gets clear & bluer the further you go out. Typical water temps are 22 deg C to 27 deg C with air temps averaging 25 – 30 deg C.
If you are looking for bump n jump action, check out the main beach at Tannum Sands.
Rigging & Launching
You can park right next to the water’s edge on the western side of the river mouth channel. There you will find a nice grassy area for rigging. Then it’s just a 30 metre walk to the water. The sand drops off steeply so you can literally jump on with a foil a metre from the edge.
Potential Hazards
Like all waterways in northern Queensland, they are subject to some nasty creatures like crocodiles, sharks & poisonous jelly fish.
However in the region, the crocs are fairly rare and are mostly found further up-stream in the muddy creeks & swamps. Bull sharks are know to visit this area but to this date no one has been bitten by one and the locals say they have never seen one nor have they ever seen a croc in the area.
The most common poisonous jellyfish here are the Box Jellies but they are few and far between and mostly appear from Nov to Apr. If you are sailing here during this time or close to these times it is a good idea to wear a thin wetsuit or stinger suit just to be safe.
Evidently there are also turtles in this area so be aware and stay clear of them.
It is a good idea to avoid sailing at sunset & sunrise when the large predators are feeding.
Ah and always be aware of the current as it can be quite strong during mid tidal changes.
