Where would be the best spot around the Perth coast to try sailing in the ocean for the first time? I can water start happily, gybing is a bit hit and miss but I'm keen to try the thrills and spills of the ocean.
Just south of cottesloe. Can,t miss it on a windy day, tons of dudes out.
It,s mild conditions no mean shore break big chop out the back and a bit of reef that gives you a steep ramp to jump
Wear your knee braces and kidney belt 
I know it as "the dutch inn" named after a shop that used to be there. It's a kilometer or so south of cottesloe. Good place to find a few friendly waves, with no shorebreak, but watch the rocks, you'll see where others enter and leave the water, follow them.
safety bay or woodmans point might be more friendly for first time ocean sailing, but they are pretty much the same as sailing in the river. If you sail dutchies just watch out for the rocks as u enter/exit the water. Leighton is probably also ok for a first time ocean sailor, if there are no waves.
or if you live further north, give Pinnaroo Point a go.
It has a sandy shoreline, no reef, a "friendly" beach downwind, consistent winds, no shorebreak in a seabreeze (frontal days can get a knee-high shorey), and has some gentle swell so you can get the feel for sailing in 3D.
Oh and there's a grassy rigging area, showers and plenty of parking.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
It was ok without weed fin earlier this week, but after today's frontal activity the weed might be back.
so aptly put, from one who has put up with the (I added a bit) 
hes gone, bump bump bump swerve bump bump bump"
I dunno why it is such a popular spot.
As far as ocean sailing goes, pinaroo surely don't seem like it! It is liek the river... Pelican point is more fun at least you can get some air off the waist hi wake of the Rotto ferry.
I Pinaroo is more bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn) bump (yawn)
What about Scarborough??????, that was the first place I ventured out in the ocean 20 odd years ago on my 12' one design windsurfer. It was challenging to say the least! (I should have put my "storm"sail up)
So not many of you like pinaroo! Are there any good points to it? Would Scarborough be safer than mettams in terms of rocks and reef etc?
Scarbs is OK but a bit of hollow shorebreak.... if you bust a mast in dumpy shorebreak on your first ever ocean outing then you won't be happy
Go to Dutchies it is only 15min south of Scarbs..... and no shorebrak to worry about. You have a slight chance of scraping a fin there and that's it
you can always give Woodies a try for a SW. Further South to travel but it it is a good starter area for a few ramps and as your confidence builds you can head out into deeper water and check out the larger wind swell (toward the boat ramp or further out to shore away from the sand bank.)
Mettems is good. Use to call Mettems my local. Waisted many hours there learning to gybe. I started going there with only 3 months of windsurfing learnt and all I could do was water start too. There are rocks on the shoreline, no more than Dutchies, but there is a channel directly infront of the stairs if your not too sure about going out or coming in through the key hole on the southern part of the beach. And there are hardly any waves at Mettems which is a good intro to the ocean. No nasty shore break and no nasty waves
That place still has a special place in my heart
I had the same question 3 years ago & this is what I did - it worked for me!
Start at Leightons on days where there is little swell - not crowed & gives you some experience of the rolling ocean (forget Pinaroo - too crowed & worse chop than the River)
When ready go to Medems pool - for me it was at the end of a season at Leightons - it can be rocky getting in & out if you don't exit at the pipe, but nicer swell.
Next season, full on beach-breaks at City Beach or Scarbs. Ready to give Dutch Inn a go - now jumping & hanlding swell etc.
Next season, Surf when no wind, learn kiting for the light winds, windsurfing for the strong winds.
Life's great!!!
