Rottnest currents
Submitted by Bodie on Fri, 2014-02-21 10:38
Hi All,
Am doing the rotto swim again tomorrow, just wondering if anyone has been out around rotto over the past few days and can tell me what the currents are doing out there, which direction they are going?
As its a stiff ENE wind tomorrow morning would be good to gauge which path to take over.
Thanks
ctan1968
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 12/04/13
currents
Hi Bodie,
Check out: oceancurrent.imos.org.au
Good luck for your swim
Chris
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
thanks mate, Interesting
thanks mate,
Interesting read on the expectations of the currents. Looks as though currents will be southward most of the race and may tend to the north at the end of the race, which is not whats happened in the past years
sunshine
Posts: 2611
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Will be from the North
Like it was a few years ago ..........don't get caught into setting for a south to North drift or you will be swimming into it the closer you get to Rotto ........I had this argument with Shelly Taylor-Smith when she was in a mixed team a few years ago .....set an almost direct line with a slight northerly inclination and you go great
I reckon we could see a record or two this year !
ctan1968
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 12/04/13
Rotto
Strong easterlies will still make it quite tough for all concerned. I'll aim for the GPS mark banged in the middle of Phillip Rock and 18Km bouy.
Yeeeeeee Harrrrrr!!!!!!!
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
I reckon your going to be
I reckon your going to be pushing into the current by the time you get to the 18km mark. I will line up north of the 18km bouy and start to curl in at 15km
sunshine
Posts: 2611
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Yup Bodie that is how I would call it
And I still think this year and conditions with the low swell will see some seriously good times, the easterly will allow the fast swimmers to almost body surf the wind waves
Swompa
Posts: 3891
Date Joined: 14/10/12
If it is anything like
If it is anything like today, you could start to body surf 150m off the beach
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Good luck
Wishing you good luck for tomorrow I hope you do well
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Hi Bodie
Having swum the race a few times, I would not be taking my eyes off the currents or Phillip rock. With a bit of north also forecast in the Easterly it should be interesting. You are going to have to read it as you go. Keep a good eye on the boats well in front of you if you are with a team. The angle of the drift amongst these boats is a give away. Not so easy if you are skipper for an indivual.
Nothing worse than having to come across transits into a current or the opposite.
Enjoy
Dave
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
Easterlies
Hopefully the easterlies aren't a pain in the arse, great for the swimmers but its gonna suck trying to keep the boat slow enough while being pushed along. 15-20 knots is gona suck a few Nm from the shore. Leaving in the first wave so will probably cop it most of the way before it drops off... if you see a boat facing the wrong way into the wind... say hi!
I'll be anticipating the same as most years. Every year see the swimmers bunched up on top of each other around at the phillip rock markers from the Northward current before Thomson. Currents always seem to run south to north over Pilot reef but die's out once in the bay. Usually aim for phillip rock a few k's out from Thompson and gives a clear straight run to the gates away from the mayhem. Always have to play it by ear though. best plan is a plan thats flexible.
Pretty sure i read boats can seperate now after the phillip rock markers... that will make life easier at the end for the skippers.
Dave J.
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
interesting... oops
Modelled ocean currents from the Oceans Institute of the University of Western Australia indicate that the recent and persistent shift to an easterly air stream over southern West Australia will produce anomalous ocean current conditions:- a weak (<0.2m/s) southward or southwestward flow (becoming weaker or slightly northward towards the end of the race) rather than the usual northward currents that are common at this time of the year.
Dave J.
sunshine
Posts: 2611
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Bodie - how did it go
And what were the currents ? Looked great conditions with not too stronger offshore breezes
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
ended up a slight northerly
ended up a slight northerly current all the way over.
Once within a couple k's of rotto current started to push north. quite a few people got pushed north but we were ok.
Solo did a 6:15 swim. pretty good conditions. We were within a hundred meters of so of the shark sighting.
sunshine
Posts: 2611
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Lovely little small hammer
Wouldn't hurt a fly - thanks for the feedback which was exactly as I expected - conditions however were even better than forecast
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
yeah us west aussies would
yeah us west aussies would know the little hammer was just getting a few rays, however the solo was from NSW, doesn't quite think the same :)