Sandy Point is a quiet little cul-der-sac located in the South Gippsland region in Eastern Victoria, Australia approximately 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne.
In years gone-by, the inlet was the host to many world speed record attempts due to its high winds and glassy flat water in the inlet.
These days it is still well visited when the wind is blowing and there is the option of flat water blasting and when the wind direction and strength is right, speed sailing on glassy water is still possible.
The best wind directions for the inlet are from SW around to East. It is also possible to sail further up-stream in a NW in the inlet.
If the wind is W or N, head over to the village of Shallow Inlet on the NE end of the inlet.
The inlet is suited to all levels of sailors. When the wind is on in the right direction this place will make even the most avid sailors smile.
The season typically runs through the warmer months from October through to March when the thermal sea breezes occur however winter can also be great if you can brave the cold during those arctic southerly storms.
Access & Launching
Drive along Sandy Point Road to the east and you will hit the inlet.
Turn right and drive along the beach until you reach the “no entry” sign and park there on the beach.
Be sure to park you vehicle as close to the sand dunes as possible or it might get swamped as the tide rises. For super high tides there is a car park at the end of the bitumen road next to the BBQ area.
Windsurfers can rig right there at your car on the sand and if the wind is strong enough you can generally launch from the “no entry” point. Otherwise just walk a couple of hundred metres up the beach.
For kitesurfers, you will need to walk about 500m along the beach to rig & launch.
Potential Hazards
Be aware of sandbars lurking below. The water is generally very clear so you can see the bottom but when travelling at speed it can come up quickly on you.
There can be a bit of weed further up-stream and the current near the entrance can be quite strong in the peak of tide changes.
Overall this is a pretty safe place to sail.
Sandy Point Town
The town of Sandy Point is very quaint however it doesn’t have a lot of services.
There is a general store and a cafe/restaurant (which seems to only be open on weekends); so be prepared to eat and party at home.
The town has is a good variety of Air BnB accommodation as well as a small camping ground in the middle of town.
If the wind isn’t blowing there are some tennis courts in town and the surfing and fishing here can also be great.
1 Review on “Sandy Point - Shallow Inlet (Victoria, Australia)”
When I talk to people about Sandy Point, many of the long-time sailors reminisce about how good it was in the 80s and 90s. Since then the sand dunes have grown due to a plant that was released on the dunes to reduce erosion which in turn has increased the size of the dunes making the wind more gusty as it comes from the ocean across the inlet.
Whilst the gusty wind is noticeable, I had an absolute blast windsurfing here!
The wind was blowing from the SSW at about 15 – 18 knots. With a 125 litre board and 7.5m sail I could easily sail through the lulls.
I sailed a little away from the shore to get a more consistent breeze so the water was not glassy but it was still very flat.
The kitesurfers kites are above the sand dunes so they could easily hug the shore-line.
The only thing that is a bit of a pain is dogs are not allowed at this spot even on a lead during the summer months so we had to leave our dogs in the car.
We camped at the Sandy Point camping park which was very simple but adequate (although expensive for what they offer). Unfortunately it appears the camping area is being sold off as residential blocks 🙁
Don’t be shy, if you haven’t been to this spot for some time get back to it and I think you will be surprised at how good it is if you love flat-water-sailing.