Esperance Beaches Guide

Wind, Wind, Wind

A SUPER QUICK LESSON ON HOW WIND AFFECTS A BEACH VISIT...

An offshore wind is where the wind blows from (or ‘off’) the shore to the ocean, and an onshore wind is where the wind blows from the ocean ‘on’ to the land. Cross shore wind is a wind perpendicular to the shore.

LAND

OCEAN

Onshore Wind

IT GETS WINDY IN ESPERANCE.

Cross shore Wind

Offshore Wind

Offshore winds create the best conditions for a beach visit. The wind slows the waves down, having a grooming effect (they don’t create any chop). It’s offshore winds that can create those beautiful glassy conditions. In contrast, onshore winds cause choppy, rough conditions by creating their own waves (wind chop) disrupting the swell. Without diving too deep into the science of sea-breezes - offshore winds are more likely in the mornings and onshore winds in the afternoons (due to the temperature difference and rate in which the land heats relative to the ocean). PUTTING THIS INTO CONTEXT FOR ESPERANCE... As Esperance is located on the South Coast, most (but not all) of the beaches face to the south - meaning a northerly component wind (blowing from the north) will generally provide an offshore wind, and the southerly (or south-easterly) will be an onshore wind. Best conditions for the beach are therefore on winds with a northerly component. These are more likely to occur in the mornings, and are much more common in the Winter months. Esperance wind data from the last 15 years shows that 66% of the time, the wind is blowing from a southerly direction (S, SE or SW) at 3pm, which as above will likely be an onshore wind. In the summer months, this figure is a consistent 90%. And of that figure, 91% of the time its blowing over 20km/hour. SO WHAT? If visiting between September and May (as most people do), you will experience a south easterly or easterly while in Esperance. On arrival, check the wind forecast and if you see any days where the south-easterly isn’t blowing, or it’s calm – then these days should be locked in as beach days. And select the beaches that are usually susceptible to those southerlies or south-easterlies like Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Twilight Bay, West Beach etc. Then on the days you do have that south-easterly blowing – you can use the quick guide below to visit the beaches that are least susceptible to those winds. You can always find a beach - it doesn’t matter which way the wind is blowing - because of the kepa kurl with the granite outcrops jutting out into the ocean. They create wind breaks where you can get tucked in and still enjoy the beach, even though the conditions on other beaches might not be so good. So, you don’t have a favourite beach, you just look for the beach that suits the conditions in which you are. AS DOC REYNOLDS PUTS IT...

BUT UNDERSTANDING A FEW KEY ELEMENTS ABOUT THE WIND CAN ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE TENFOLD. ON ANY DAY, THERE’S ALWAYS A NOOK OR CRANNY THAT WILL PROVIDE A WIND BREAK - YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.

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A GUIDE TO ESPERANCE BEACHES

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