Lake George Windsurfing

Lake George in South Australia is located approximately 300 km SE of Adelaide.

The most prominent town near Lake George is Beachport which is a small coastal town around 510 km from Melbourne (or around 5.5 – 6 hours drive).

Lake George is well known for its consistently cold-dense strong winds and glassy clear flat water so if you want a break from chop and waves and you just want to go fast, this is a great place to visit! Sailing speeds in excess of 40 knots are commonly achieved here with the record in the high 40s!!!

Each year high tides and fresh water run-off fill the lake and encourage weed growth. The benefit of this is that as summer heats up, the lake gradually recedes and leaves huge areas of the lake with weed close to the surface (about 20-30 cm). At this time the sailing is fabulous, the water is like a mirror, barely a ripple and with the wind blowing at an average 20-25 knots, the conditions don’t get much better.

The fine weed in the lake breaks easily with fin contact (unlike ribbon weed) so cutting through the weed with a raked fin works well.

Be aware that the weed is quite abrasive, and if you fall in whilst it is only just below the surface it can be knee to waist deep and if you have bare skin be prepared for some exfoliation. It is recommended you wear a full length wetsuit unless you never fall in.

Whilst the lake can work in most directions, the most consistent breeze comes from the SSE to SE. SW to SSW can be work but be more gusty. If you are there to go fast a Westerly doesn’t really work but if you are happy to sail in some chop any direction can work.

You can sail the lake any time of the year however the most consistent winds for speed sailing are from late December to early March.

The lake levels also need to be considered and the best times are generally from December to March however this can change depending on the winter rainfalls a amount of evaporation over summer.

Outside of these times you can get a lucky session with the right lake levels, wind direction or sail in some great storm conditions.

Access & Launching

There are four main spots for launching around the lake however the best spot depends on the water level at the time and the wind direction.

Sometimes when the water is high, sections of the track around the lake can be swamped and boggy and driving can get rough and challenging in parts.

No matter where you launch from, be prepared to walk through some sticky black mud and weeds before being deep enough to launch.

Packin Point (3-Mile) is the closest launch spot to Beachport and can be a good place to put-in if the lake level is high enough. Otherwise proceed to 5-Mile.

To access, drive along the Lake George road out of Beachport and turn right into the 3-mile camping park track (approximately 1.6 km past the end of the bitumen road). When you reach the T-intersection at the lake, turn right and head to the point (approx 400m). This spot can be reached by 2wd.

There is a bush campsite located at 3-mile bend if simple camping is your style however the only facilities are drop-toilets and there are only 7 sites.

5-Mile is also a popular spot for launching and can easily be reached by 2wd provided the road isn’t flooded. The launching area can be a bit more muddy underfoot compared to The Spit and Packing Point. There are a few grassy spots at 5-Mile and a dirt parking area. The best spot to put-in here is about 150 m before 5-Mile where there is an old picnic area which has a grassy area for rigging. There is also a drop-toilet at this spot.

The dirt road to 5-Mile is in good condition and can be accessed easily by 2wd vehicles.

5-Mile is about 4.6km from the end of the bitumen on Lake George Road.

Cockies is a popular spot for launching when the lake drops to a low enough level to be able to drive across the lake bed. This spot can also be accessed by 2wd vehicles.

To access there is a dirt track to the right (approximately 1.6km from the centre of Beachport) that runs on to the lake bed. When you get to the lake bed you will see a well-worn track created by others travelling to/from this spot. Don’t deviate from this track as you can get bogged even just a couple of metres from the track. Follow the track across the lake for approx. 4.5km where you will arrive at the point.

Foster Point (The Spit) is a popular spot (if you can get to it as it can be swamped and muddy) however it is generally only accessible by 4wd and the track has a lot of scrub that can scratch your vehicle. It has a weed reef on either side about 400 metres from the shore which is under water when the lake is full. As the lake drops part of this weed reef becomes exposed and white salt foam forms on it, normally from whichever way the wind is blowing. No matter which way the wind blows either one side of the spit or the other is always smooth where you can get perfectly flat water for 200 – 300 metres. This spot also works better than others on the lake when the water level is high.

Whilst the big lake to the north is sailable, apart from the speed strip next to the spit it can get a bit choppy and you should consider a full length fin. Most windsurfers stick to the southern lake only as this has the best all round speed sailing.

Be aware there are two islands on the northern side of the southern lake which you need to keep at least 100 metres from due to sharp rocks. When coming into shore you need to slow down or get off early as the water is shallow in close.

Foster Point also has a small camping area which is free but it has no facilities apart from a drop toilet. Also be aware of snakes out on the spit.

The map below shows the various launching spots. The red line is the rough directions across the lake to Cockies. The orange lines signify the general sailing directions in the predominant SSE breeze (which is the best direction).

Dogs

Dogs (and any pets) are not allowed into the reserve to protect the incredibly diverse wildlife in the area. There is lots of baiting in the area plus lots of tiger snakes so it is not the safest environment for a dog anyway.

Gear to Use

As the weed lurks not too far below the surface you will need a weed fin. The degree of rake may vary from 30 degrees to 50 degrees depending on the depth of the water over the weed. Obviously the shallower the water, the more angle. If you only have one weed fin, 40 – 45 degrees and around 27 cm long will work in most conditions.

As the lake gets really low towards the end of the season many sailors go to a Delta Fin which is even shorter at around 15 – 25 cm.

Speed, Freeride & Slalom boards are the go and typical sail sizes from 4.0 – 5.5m on the stronger winds and 6.0 – 7.5 m in lighter winds. Or for those slalom guys that are happy to sail in 15 knots (which is awesome on this glassy flat water) bring your big race sails.

Check some awesome videos here>>

Other Things To Do

Apart from the obvious water activities including swimming, surfing and fishing, the Limestone Coast has lots of great things to see and do.

The area is probably most well know for its fabulous wineries in the Coonawara.

Other activities include visiting the Pool of Siloan which is 7 times saltier than the sea where you can float on the top of the water and absorb the therapeutic benefits of the water, take a walk out on the Beachport jetty which is one of the best in SA, visit the Blue Lake and the Umpherston Sinkhole at Mt Gambier, visit the Naracoorte and/or Tantanoola caves, visit the Old Wool & Gran Store in Beachport, take a trip to historic Robe (which also has beautiful beaches), visit the Beachport Conservation Park and more.

Other Spots Nearby

If you are into wave sailing, this area has some of the best in South Australia. Rivoli Bay at Beachport has a lot of options depending on the wind direction and Robe is also a great spot and Robe’s third ramp on Long Beach is one of SA’s premier wave sailing spots.