Sundays swell

Hi all, just looking for a bit of safety advise. With Sundays winds looking mint just a bit concerned about the swell size going out around rotto for a fish. What's people max swell they go out in?


RobertMc's picture

Posts: 326

Date Joined: 19/01/09

 Mate a big rolling swell is

Wed, 2015-06-03 10:12

 Mate a big rolling swell is no issue, it's the wind that makes it dangerous, Sunday will be a good day if the wind stays away.

Swompa's picture

Posts: 3757

Date Joined: 14/10/12

 Just need to remember the

Wed, 2015-06-03 10:30

 Just need to remember the old rule that "waves may break where they normally don't break"

give yourself a little extra room and keep your eyes open when in sub 10m water

Simon C's picture

Posts: 801

Date Joined: 01/05/07

I'd make that under 20m

Wed, 2015-06-03 11:29

 To be honest I've been out back of rotto in 4-5m swell,never again , shit was standing up in 20-25m depths.

Posts: 563

Date Joined: 27/08/09

A little bit cautious is a

Wed, 2015-06-03 12:15

A little bit cautious is a good thing!

Wind, sea, swell, tide, and currents can all bring you unstuck out there. I've seen some of the passages into the Northern bays of rotto break in 2m, so keep an eye out.

Keep clear of the shallows, give any breaks a wide berth, and allow for larger swell sets that will come through periodically.

If you are using a sea anchor, they can, in certain conditions, hold your stern down, allowing a swell to roll over your transom.

Posts: 5981

Date Joined: 17/06/10

Garden Island causeway

Wed, 2015-06-03 13:22

I have seen a large swell close out the entire gap under the Garden Island causeway. Very very frightening, no strong wind just all of a sudden there was this white wall of water from one side of the causeway opening to the other.
The catch word I think is keep your eyes wide open.

Paul_86's picture

Posts: 1449

Date Joined: 27/03/09

 I agree with rob. It's only

Wed, 2015-06-03 14:19

 I agree with rob. 

It's only a 2m swell. So avoid anything under 10m's and you will be fine. If the wind comes up anything over 15knots then it will get a bit Uncomfy and can become dangerous for someone without experience. And if navigating through shallower waters under 10m's, then just have your whitts about you and stick to as deeper water as you can. 

Personally I think it's when the swell is 2.5m plus that it can become quite dangerous with waves breaking where they don't usually break etc. 

 

A good example, the gap in the reef straight out from hillaries marina, anything under a 2m swell and your pretty safe going through there, even the rotto fairy cuts through it sometimes. But on a 2.5m swell waves start standing up, and on a 3m plus they will be breaking through there.

 

my personal rule of thumb is: under 2m's I fish, over 2m's I surf :)

good luck if you end up heading out!

merdel12's picture

Posts: 306

Date Joined: 19/07/12

Hows the passage between

Wed, 2015-06-03 15:29

Hows the passage between garden and carnac with swell? At what point does that become dangerous?

Paul_86's picture

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Date Joined: 27/03/09

 Sorry mate but I'm not

Wed, 2015-06-03 16:57

 Sorry mate but I'm not familiar with that area, I only ever fish From NOR marinas. Hopefully someone else can give you some helpfull info tho!

Posts: 423

Date Joined: 30/09/05

 I haven't been out there

Wed, 2015-06-03 17:43

 I haven't been out there when it was massive, but i've been out there in around 15 knot easterly and 2-2.5m swell and its not very nice. Starts to stand up a fair bit pretty much the whole way accross.

 

Swompa's picture

Posts: 3757

Date Joined: 14/10/12

 I got white water over my

Thu, 2015-06-04 19:14

 I got white water over my bow in 8m of water in Challenger Passage, in a 3m swell. Just putting along minding my own business and a wave got bigger and bigger.

Plenty of bombies through there that encourage white water, but not where I was

 

jng's picture

Posts: 488

Date Joined: 03/08/07

have been through there with

Thu, 2015-06-04 21:16

have been through there with 2.5-3m swells, just have to sit back and watch the breakers and take the safe route. Have been through there with a 5.5m swell i can tell you i wont be doing that again in a hurry

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 16/01/13

 thanks for the feedback

Wed, 2015-06-03 17:03

 thanks for the feedback guys 

 

Posts: 14

Date Joined: 14/02/15

 Don't forget about the swell

Thu, 2015-06-04 23:10

 Don't forget about the swell period, 2m@12 secs will have little effect on the outer reefs but 2m@15+ secs will be breaking out there all over the place.  As a rule of thumb, the higher the period the more energy the swell carries and "feels" the ocean floor at much deeper depths causing breaking waves.