First time offshore

[LittleNipper]

Hi guys 

as of September I unfortunately will be working full time lol (coming from a 9 day fortnight) and this coming Monday will be my last Monday off before going back to full time. As such I’ve checked the weather and so far the swell seems very low (0.4-08) over the weekend at port Kembla and up the coast around lion island / barrenjoey

im thinking of finally taking the maiden voyage offshore after 1.5 years of having my first boat 

I own a 2019 5m Stacer bow rider with a 90hp Yamaha. I’ve only ever fished around the Hawkesbury, patonga, lion island south side on a really good day, and port Kembla inside the harbour 

I am thinking of chilling just outside port Kembla break wall if I go down the coast or fishing around the heads of barranjoey / Northside of lion island. 
 

can anyone recommends any tips or anything to be weary off out there (or other places which produce decent fish) and even its even possible for my boat to go out there with a novice captain. I was also thinking of maybe paying for one of those custom lessons (about. $300-$400 for half day) to show me how to handle the boat offshore, I’ve watched plenty of videos on watching the swell and how to drive a boat in it wether it be a head on or following sea  however obviously it’s different actually doing it. I’ve practiced a little bit where the end of Hawkesbury means patonga area cause you get a lot of swell and waves there 

any tips would be greatly appreciated. Slightly nervous but figured I’ve got to face it one day and 1.5years is quite a long time to not properly try 

 

cheers 

[zmk1962]

Hey mate. Not sure where you are checking swell but Seabreeze is showing the following 2m swell

I have lots of offshore experience and Not going Monday  

cheers Zoran 

 

[LittleNipper]

1 hour ago, zmk1962 said:

Hey mate. Not sure where you are checking swell but Seabreeze is showing the following 2m swell

I have lots of offshore experience and Not going Monday  

cheers Zoran 

 

Hi Zoran, 

apologies

i meant not this Monday the following

i can see the swell up till next Saturday (I’ll be checking closer to the day) but so far looks good 

[zmk1962]

Hey mate... no need to apologise!  Just didn't want you heading out on Monday for your first offshore sesh with 2m seas !!! 

Just as a rule of thumb, around 1m seas with 10kts winds is pleasant, also check the wave period, less then 8sec between waves can be bumpy and of course if the wind and sea directions are running into each other the waves will be more vertical and choppy.  Each 10kts of wind will add about 1m to the wave height and remember as per BOM/Marine rescue wave heights can be 100% higher than forecast.

BTW, I presume you have all your safety gear sorted for open waters - radio, flares, jackets etc etc.  Will you be fishing solo ?

Also don't over think this or panic ! Everyone has a first trip offshore. As captain it can be more exciting for sure. It sounds like you have put some hours on your rig so know how it behaves underway, in turns, how much power you have in reserve at a given speed etc so trust what you have learnt about it so far and build on that. eg. don't put your boat side on to waves that are breaking !!!!

I haven't fished Port Kembla, but have done many, many sessions off Barrenjoey, Broken Bay. In general, directly east of Barrenjoey has pretty good flathead areas - check some of my past posts for rigs and techniques - you may need to move around (drift) to find them. 

Cheers and best of luck -  Zoran

 

[steeevooo]

Not familiar with Port Kembla area but Pittwater/Broken Bay is my main go-to and where I gradually built up confidence going out past the heads.

My rig is smaller than yours (4.5m with 60hp), and after taking it out past Barrenjoey Headland a half a dozen times it feels like second nature now, no dramas. 

Your boat is more than capable, as long as conditions are decent of course. 
Haha you'll be surprised how many very small very questionable boats you see out there sometimes. 

But yeah weather is absolute key. 

What Zoran said above is about right. 
Under 1m swell and 10kt winds is absolute primo conditions for heading out. 
I generally try to aim for days where the wind is under 15kts and swell under 2m.
Anything above that, more likely to stick in protected waters.
You'll learn over time what feels comfortable in your boat. 

I reckon almost everyone would be nervous heading out the first time.
And if you're nervous it's probably a good thing, because it means you'll take safety seriously. 
I still get nervous when heading to waters I'm not familiar with. 

Something I find handy is having a look at navionics charts of the area before heading out. Zooming in on areas you may plan to fish and explore. Most hazards are shown on charts, helps to avoid them.
 
On the reefs just outside broken bay to the north for example (West Reef), it can develop dangerous swell in S.E. winds.
Good to know this stuff in advance. 

And yep, make sure you have all your safety gear.
Always a good idea to log your trip with Marine Rescue if you're heading outside also, either via their app or radio.
Just an added backup.