double ups when crossing bars.

[JEWIENEWIE]

I am slowly getting my confidence in crossing bars but will definately benefit from Billies bar crossing course in the near future but i have one question. I am familiar with sitting on the back of the wave when coming in over the bar but just curious. A mate who is very experienced in crossinfg bars said never to look back at the waves behind you, is it possible for a wave to come from behind or catch up with the one you are trying to sit behind? and if so what ae my options?Thanks guys
Jewie

[Mr__Bean]

Some good reading here: #http://www.clubmarine.com.au/interne...17-6+Technical

An exert from it that deals with your question:

IF THERE ARE NO CALMER LULLS WITH ENOUGH TIME TO CROSS, PICK THE LAST WAVE OF A BIG SET. I tend to do this anyway. Let the chosen swell slide underneath the boat and then power on and catch up to it again. Sitting on the back of the last big one means following waves are going to be smaller than the ones in front and it decreases the chances of a wave behind you catching the one in front. This is an unlikely event, which does happen sometimes. It's far less likely if the wave behind you is smaller than the one in front. A set of big waves across a shallow area also means that extra water has been deposited across the bar for you.

- Darren

[snapperm8]

hey mate just outa curiosatie what bar are you near and how big is ur boat?

cheers dave

[JEWIENEWIE]

Dave, i live just outside of byron bay and have been over the ballina bar a few times but only when conditions have been very good as i am in a 4.2 stacer seahawk runabout with a 30 light weight merc.
I go up to 1770 every year for a 4wk stint so i have been over that bar numerous times with no dramas at all.
The boat is band new and a very experienced skipper took me out in some pretty hairy stuff to show me her capabilities and i was pleasantly suprised on how well she handled it but doent worry readers i have been a surfer all my life and know what the ocean can do, i am not about to become a stastic by doing something stupid is such a small rig, just wanna make sure that when conditions allow me to go out i, i klnow as much as possible to lessen the danger factor.
Thanks for ya help
Jewie

[suzygs1000]

You can get jammed in between two big waves if you don't know the bar thoroughly. This happens if the roller you are riding in on happens to run up on to a sandbar. This causes it to basically stop and stand up. The one following does the same thing! You will then find yourselves jammed in between the two. The result is usually a broach in any repeat any single hulled vessel. This happened to me on the Jumpinpin bar in a 20 foot plate. > > I ended up on a bank called the "Green Bank", and we were both chucked from the boat, which then turned thru 180 degrees, and headed SE at about 10 knots with quarter tank of fuel.. VMR Beenleigh told me that the only way to get out of the situation is to give the boat full throttle and try to crash thru the roller in front of you. They also told me that on the day of the event, the only vessel that would have survived would have been Shark Cat (I guess they meant any cat), as they have the lift to get the nose up and over the wave. They also told me that they lose many windscreens in their 28 foot Cat doing just this.

I now live in North Qld. NO coastal bars.

Dave.

[griz066]

Hey Suzygs1000, Did you find your boat?

[suzygs1000]

Yes I did. We were tipped out about 1pm Sunday. The boat was picked up about 4am on the Tuesday morning by an Evans Head trawler. Talk about luck. It was the only trawler out of Evans Head that morning due to bad weather. My boat floated under their boom.

Was on NSW tv, as the boat still had fish in it plus mobile phone and all the fishing gear. GPS still going. NSW water police had no record of any overdue boats, so there was a bit of concern down there until rego check done, and I was contacted.

No damage to boat, just horrible stink from rotten fish and bait.

Dave.

[JEWIENEWIE]

Thanks for all your replies, it has helped me alot.
Jewie

[Heath]

Your mates a nut. Always keep a good lookout in all directions when crossing a bar.

[Camo]

Your mates a nut. Always keep a good lookout in all directions when crossing a bar.

Exactly, that's what I've been taught. # It's called situational awareness. #You can't prepare for something if you don't see it. #You've got to have eyes in the back of your head. I've also been taught that waves travel at the same speed. A wave will not catch the one in front.

Camo

[JEWIENEWIE]

Heath, my thoughts were the same but being new to this area in crossing bars, i didnt know any better, hence me making this post as the information you can gain from this site is invaluable. Thanks to all who contributed.
Camo, I have been a surfer for over 20 yrs and i can assure you, waves can and will catch up with each other at times, but may be different at bar crossings.
Jewie

[Hagar]

Agree with the last few posts . Be a rubberneck - it does not take long to have a glance behind you . I have had waves catch the one in front on the Tweed on an outgoing tide and also occasionally on Currumbin bar in the surf zone . Can test your confidence in your boat's ability if you have no option but to run over the broken one in front # . Picking the last one in a big set is a good plan but sometimes difficult to time exactly . Would be interested to see you post what Billy C. reckons although all bars are different and he uses South Passage I think .

Chris

[Al_Macka]

JEWIENEWIE.......

Spend some time sitting on NTH Wall 2 watch conditions
as they change so much during the stages off the tides... ESPECIALLY
btm halve out going ... MAN they stand & close up.....
Watch local boats go in & out .. When theres a ROLL on sit & watch
the TRAWLERS ,THEY LOOK SLOW BUT THEY KNOW THIER STUFF...
As 4 ur EXPERIENCED MATE telling u dont look behind , give him da
flick ..As u need total AWARENESS CROSSING ANY BAR....
Boat ur size will limit u 2 conditions

HOPE this & other posts help
Been useing Lennox beach & Ballina bar about 20 years,still used 2
sit on Nth Wall wif beer & watch 4 the CHANNEL & SAND MOVEMENT

NIGHT crossing in & out .. thats a nother story

Safe boating.... VMR is alway on tap

CHEERS MACKA

[Duyz72]

Definitely get in touch with the VMR or CoastGuard tower on the bar (if you have one) and find out what is happening, they will always be happy to give you the most up to date information and help.

[Getout]

I know one thing: The worst enemy on any bar is the bottom! Runnng out of water in waves will cause major dramas. Horsepower and brains can get you out of trouble in most cases if you have water under the prop.