Bar Crossing

[ChristianGoneFishing]

Hi guys,

Firstly, I have a 5.3mtr Haines Signature half cab with a 130hp etech.

I have only been a boat owner around 2 years, so i'm inexperienced and cautious about anything i'm not familiar with. As such I have avoided bar crossing to date.

With recent reports of Tuna outside of Barwon Heads and the RIP, as well as kingies in the rip, I have been considering the idea of heading out. I have watched countless videos and reports on bar crossing as preparation, but I have a few questions.

There is no learning like experience. Which bar, PPB or Barwon heads is safer to cross as a beginner?
I use fishranger, is there a maximum wind/wave/swell I should consider, again as a beginner to then work my way up?
I will certainly aim my first trip out on high tide, but to wait out til next high is probably not going to possible time wise, is mid/low tide ok to come back in provided i obviously follow a wave in by controlling my speed?

Anyone have any other suggestions? Anyone feel like coming out some day to tutor me on a crossing?

[denis barden]

Get a good weather and surf report and look at the camera -Coast Watch -for conditions in the area of Ocean Grove
About 4 years ago i was driving a mates 6m plate hull boat thru the entrance at Barwon Heads-It stood straight up -lucky it went forward not back.

[Sinsemilla]

Hey mate, It's not as scary as everyone makes it out to be.

It's very easily done, I usually try to go through on slack tide and when the wind is below 15 knots.

Just stay in the middle of the heads and cruise along slow and steady.

Anth

[ChristianGoneFishing]

Hey mate, It's not as scary as everyone makes it out to be.

It's very easily done, I usually try to go through on slack tide and when the wind is below 15 knots.

Just stay in the middle of the heads and cruise along slow and steady.

Anth

Thanks

I assume your talking barwon heads?

Have you exited the Rip? Is that similar?

Bloody windy forecast the coming weekend so looks like I wont be heading out any time soon

[frozenpod]

Check out videos on youtube and do a bar crossing course.

There are heaps of videos on youtube that will teach you what not to do.

[ogsurffisher]

never go when the tide is going out and the swell is coming in best to wait in the river and follow someone

[frozenpod]

OG, swell is always coming in.

[Yota]

Hi Christian,
Barwon bar and PP Heads/The Rip are quite different in that Barwon has a surf break out the front, whereas The Rip is a HUGE volume of water passing through a deep skinny channel that can have all sorts of influences.
Tide, wind, swell, big ships, underwater terrain - causing whirlpools and boil ups etc etc. Many things are out to trip you up.
I can't help much with Barwon, I only tried it once with my old boat(1/2 cab) and I pulled the pin sitting in front on the channel markers because the surf would not let up.
Now I've got a CC with a T Top - it won't fit under the bridge,,, but from the heads it's a quick cruise over to the front of Barwon.
I've been out the heads a quite a few times now and only on a good day.
Try to time your Rip exit/entry around slack tide.
Just like any other bar , sit and watch it and look for standing waves and areas that surf up.
It's always going to have a swell - except for the 10ish minutes of slack tide on a good day.
I've gone out with swell in the Rip easily 6m+, but that was again on a not so bad day, just at full flow ebb tide.
Again on a good day - you will go through no worries, from my experience it's the standing waves that pop up out of nowhere and the holes ( literally a hole your boat drops into) that can catch you out.
Try to find someone experienced to go with you, and always wear a life jacket. Follow the leading light marks as a reference to get your bearings or directions. If you've got a MFD with charts you can follow the marks.

Last year coming back into the Heads I went straight over some swell into a hole. The boat dropped and my feet lifted. When the hull bottomed out and my feet hit the deck I did the splits and tore the groin muscle - found myself flat out on the deck and nobody steering, still powering along. The engine kill switch line was still attached to me at full stretch to the throttle. That was a very ordinary experience, had to motor back to Sorrento, solo retrieve then a 2 hour drive home, before I went to hospital. There's more to that story believe me, but it's weird things like that that catch people/me out.
All the other times I've crossed without any drama.

Even if you don't get anyone in your boat to help you with experience see if you can tag along with a boat club or fishing club, don't just blindly follow old mate out.

[4liters]

If you're not airborne at least 60% of the time are you really crossing a bar?

[frozenpod]

If you're not airborne at least 60% of the time are you really crossing a bar?