The User's Guide to the Australian Coast

Book excerpt: Most Australians live near or on the coast, and sailing and fishing are national pastimes. This book aims to provide information on everything the reader needs to know about the wind, weather, tides and currents. In simple language the book describes: beaches and how to recognise rips and how to identify safe swimming areas; winds and how strong they will be in the exact area you are sailing; tides and how high the tide is likely to be at the spot you intend to fish; currents and where they will take you; waves and just how high they are going to reach; and storms and how to identify bad weather on its way and how to sail safely through it. The book uses photographs and colour-coded diagrams for ease of use.