Catseye Bay – Hamilton Island

Catseye Bay is a beautiful turquoise blue bay with a part sandy bottom and part reef.

For clear wind, it works best in a N or ENE and anything in between. N is directly on-shore.

Unfortunately is this not the dominant wind direction here. ESE (22%) followed by SE (20%) and SSE (16%) are the dominant wind directions here.

I suspect that whilst the wind would be gusty, wing foiling would still be possible in these directions.

Tides are a bit of an issue here, with a 70cm foil mast I could only get out on the water from mid (with a bit of a walk) to high tide.

Some of the beach has broken coral / reef / rocks near the shore which is really tough on the feet so booties are highly recommended.

Equipment Rentals

If you are staying at any of the Hamilton Island Resort properties you have access to SUPs, Kayaks, Hobie Cats and a couple of basic windsurfers. It would be best to bring your own gear for a trip to Hamilton Island unless you are just happy to potter around on some basic gear.

Potential Hazards

There are a few turtles that live in the area so be careful not to hit one. The reef can pose a bit of a problem with fin/foil strikes especially as the tide goes out.

You can cut your feet on the reef/coral/rocks so booties are recommended.

If you were to sail a long way out into the channel, there is quite a tidal current so be aware of this if the wind is light.

The Whitsundays do have sharks however they are not regularly seen here but it doesn’t hurt to be shark aware and avoid dawn & dusk sailing sessions.

Where To Stay

There is a good variety of accommodation on Hamilton Island near the beach for varying budgets and group types such as families.

If you have the $$ and want to stay right in the beach (where you can safely store your gear in front of your room), the Beach Club is the ideal choice.