Where did you surf today?

Ditto that...
Here in Byron the usual direct S swell tango goes on...finding the right beach, tide and wind combo for maximum refraction. Some gold, some frustration. All in the midst of packing up house and family after 24 years off and on in the far north to a less crowded and economically viable mid north coast. Hoping for that swell to bend more to the E and score a few with the boys before we go.
Heal up Blowy...

I totally missed the solstice, asleep in a van at the Big4 in Busselton where every day feels short of light and warmth. The last week was spent camping at Fitzgerald River NP, a backtrack to Cape Arid, then near Albany, a last minute trip that I didn't realise straddled the solstice. No wonder those evenings around the fire felt so long. We got a few waves at places best left unsaid and as soon as I can rouse the family we're heading down south where the conditions look fine. Driving home tomorrow.

Watching Shark Island replays about 8.30am saw someone speeding around the 6ft surf on some sort of powered surfboard? ? - any info or pics of this guy - only one other out and he wasnt getting into any.

Good pick up. The 8.34am replay he's there the whole time getting heaps of waves.
The other guy was on a SUP. Saw him get at least one.

Where are all the surfers?!? I'd be all over that like a bad rash.

Today I’m set for 24 hours of mind and body numbing travel taking care of family stuff but yesterday .....yesterday was gold.

Two of us out for a period with a max crowd of 4 people as pretty tubes rolled down the reef during Midday on a Sunday .

I’m not saying where I was but I’m calling it was the best session that went down in Australia yesterday. Other spots might have been better - they’d have to have been pretty fucking good , other spots might have been less crowded . But overall it was this dog’s day.

If it sounds to you like I’m bragging then you’re on the money. Fuck it . It’s not everyday that your number comes up on the chocolate wheel of the surfing life.

Well done, Blowin.

I felt like that Saturday morning, and I truly wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. This is Wellington, though, so I'm sure you had better.

Scoring your local at 9/10, though. How fugn good is that.

You’ve picked the exacta there a IslandBay. Congratulations !

Revel in that shit .

I’ve got an unfortunate tendency to drift towards the contemptuous with my opinion on beach breaks. Too fickle , too limited in their scope for providing surf that falls in the excellent range. Great for consistently surfable waves but consistently sub standard.

So it’s always a pleasant surprise to score a true quality session at a sand dependent break as I’ve done a couple of times lately and every time I do I think to myself - jeez you’re a moron Blowin . Beachies go off !

Good chance it’ll be shit tomorrow though and I’ll be off them again....

I'm with you on beach breaks Blowin not helped by the fact the local rarely has a 1/2 good bank.

"Too fickle , too limited in their scope for providing surf that falls in the excellent range. Great for consistently surfable waves but consistently sub standard."

Blowin you've just described my local perfectly

I reckon you're selling the beachie short a little. Sure they're not as reliable or certain as the point/reef/slab setup but all those static set ups have a guarantee of crowds too. With a little homework, random banks form up on alternate tides, swells etc and provide temporary uncrowded perfection usually requiring less swell than the point to turn on. Nothing more rewarding than driving past the local point with 50 guys battling it out up to your secret bank for an epic solo session.

If you live in Sydney beach breaks are your bread and butter. It's all about knowing how the swell and wind influence all those different beaches and keeping an eye on the sand. It's surprising how often you can get good uncrowded sessions if you work at it, even at places you think it would never happen.

Have you been to WA yet , Goofy ? Just asking because I surfed with a goofy foot from the Mornington Peninsula up North a few weeks ago and I suspected it might have been yourself.

I suppose there’s a few Goofies from over that way , but he was a decent fella without two heads and so knowing what Victorians are like , I started to think that there couldn’t be more than a couple of them kicking around*. Had to be you .

* jokes. Obviously.

Hey Blowin yes a few years ago a mate and I hired a car from Perth and drove up to Kalbarri and then Gnaraloo for a couple of weeks.
Amazing place and I’d love to get back over one day with the proper camping set-up and enjoy a month or two there.
I can see why you’re so passionate about protecting it, keep up the good work.

A wave pool. A one hour session 11am - noon received as a gift last Christmas, had the option to pass through Snowdonia on the way to some real waves so called in.

Went like this. Got lost en route arrive at 10 to 11 still plenty if time. Go to reception, collect locker key, directed to board room. Queue in board room, drop board off directed to changing room. Suit up, back to board room. 10 minute health and safety video, now late. Directed to the far side of the pool, collect board and head around. Stopped on the way and told to go back for a black rashie, head back collect vest now quite late. Arrive at the pool side with a vague idea of where I should be in the 3 man line up taking lefts and rights from alternate ends of the pool, told mine is the next wave. Wade in, go arse over tit on the algae coated pool liner. Paddle over to take off spot. Follow instructions, stay within inches of the chicken wire and try not to think about the consequences of face planting into it. Ready for a wave which will push me away from the wire, pop up, fade, take a high line early, ride wave towards the wire, kick out before kiddy corner. First wave ridden, second kooked, third miss a section, fourth alright, a few waves later the pool attendant/umpire signals one more and that's it.

I wouldn't rush back. The wave itself is alright, there's shoulder high sections to hit and watched a bloke getting airs off the end section. There's no barrel on offer as at KS wavepool and apart from the first wave of each hour session its never glassy, 90 seconds between waves not being enough for everything to settle down. If you were there for a morning with some mates and you weren't paying it'd be fun.

Glad I've tried a wave pool, been intrigued as wave making technology has been developed. It was totally alien as a surfing experience though. The whole thing feels artificial and the fact that I was in a manufactured surfing experience from the wave to the shop felt weird. Later that day we arrived at Newgale to find it 2ft and onshore but surfable and I was all over it. The taste of salt water instead of fresh, the space, the lack of changing rooms and chicken wire felt really good. I can see the benefits, good to see kids with limited access to the sea having a ball but I think for anyone who surfs who isn't against wave pools on principle it would be a one hit novelty.

That’d be right you clown.

Talking absolute fiction about the state of the Northwest WA from your shitful surfing life in freezing cold , close out England just so you can distract yourself from your fucked existence for a few hours with a WSL broadcast.

Fuck off and don’t ever come back to Australia you seditious prick.

And before you get self righteous just realise that you MADE SHIT UP about the condition of the environment in the NthWst to bolster your bullshit opinion.

Congratulations , you now embody the concept of the forlorn fuck of a surfer that has minimal surfing options himself and who resentfully and jealously wishes misery on other surfers to compensate for your own garbage surfing experience.

You should be forced to surf that shitful wavepool for eternity as atonement for your sins.

Fuckwit.

Haha your a funny bloke blower, at least you posted in public this time instead of deleted threats. Big man behind that key board aren't you? There's only one bloke on here with a rep for making shit up dick head, caught up with your special forces mates recently? I can never remember, what was your iq, zero or fuck all?

Wait , so you think that just because you’re a proven liar that I am too ? Yeah mate , the problem is you can’t remember....so you talk shit instead.

Come back to Australia and catch up . It’d be enlightening for yourself.

And you never know who you’ll run into or what they do for a living.

I so wish that you could be the face of the WSL . That you could represent the computer bound personage that feels they have a entitlement to the unwanted WSL circus invading SOME ONE ELSE’S backyard for your viewing privilege.....yet the WSL can’t even find the numbers to stump up to actually PAY for this entitlement.

So you want to fuck up some one else’s good thing so bad that you’re willing to lie about it but , like everyone else .......you won’t even pay for it. Back in your brown water , close out , freezing cold , onshore box you fuckwit.

Apart from that I found your story about the trip to the wavepool interesting.

When you mentioned the mandatory Health and safety video before you could go for a paddle the stark reality of surfing in a privately owned pool dawned on me and made my skin crawl.

Better the ocean.

Sorry you live in England.

Come on blower you can do better than that, maintain the rage. Its entertaining.

Incidentally didn't you go to a WSL event this year? Must've been a wrong turn eh, surely you wouldn't be so hypocritical. Never been myself. I am going to France in a couple of weeks though, give me your address I'll send a postcard, promise not to shit in your plant pots.

I know your a liar mate, you've been made a mug of on here so many times its laughable. And I'm pretty sure I know what you do for a living - cry, wank, cry, wank, drunken racist rant, cry, wank. Its a tough gig but you make it look easy fella.

FWIW I said in terms of waves the bluff is a special place, I didn't suggest its a good idea for the WSL to pitch up there just that I can think of places more deserving of protection. You twist it how you want to though old fruit, you need to get that anger out and you sure as fuck haven't got the balls to actually DO something for the cause. Much easier to rant online over fuck all. Legend.

Ha ha! Some 'interesting' regulars on here indeed!

Whoah! what's going on here?

Peace out brothers, i thought both of you guys were pretty cool and usually civil. This serves neither of you well

Yeah Zen, old mate is saying that the southern end of the Ningaloo world heritage area is a “ shit strewn landscape “ that’s not worth protecting and he believes that the people that live there or love going there should just stop whining so that people such as himself can watch it getting ruined live on TV.

Then he describes the reality of where he surfs and it all makes sense. He surfs in a shithole so why should anyone else attempt to slow down the destruction of where they surf.

As I’ve said too many times , anywhere left in the world that still retains some natural beauty should be defended but this fella doesn’t want to be denied his spectacle and he’ll lie to make the area sound fucked already to get his way. I would have thought that someone who surfs in a developed shithole would be even more dedicated to preserving anything good left in the world.

That’s why I was so angry.

Now I’m just back to being disappointed that surfers don’t band together to protect the things we all love.

Fair enough, but if you want to see a shit strewn landscape come to Japan. God i hate reading about how beautiful and clean everything is. The ocean seems to be one big toilet to the Japanese soon to be completely cemented off.

Anyway, i haven't seen much of coastal England but what i have seen is beautiful. Good waves too.

Yeah , beats me why anyone would argue against trying to slow the development that’s fucked so many places.

I’m may go to England to surf one day. I like surfing with Pommies . They’re usually polite and funny.

Wetsuit companies should market a 5mm hood that looks like a hanky with knotted corners for keeping the noggins of English surfers warm. Theyd make a killing.

I love it!

Miss Wilko's French wetties, they were always funny.

Waiting for UpNorth's response. Should be a ripper going by his/her other funny retorts.

I'm sure the 'truth' is out there...somewhere.

...and England has waves! The whole UK has waves. And not just "freezing cold, close out, brown water, onshore" ones either! You'd know that if you'd ever been there.

Gary took a couple of hours off his 'shredding for summer' fitness regime yesterday morning for a dawn surf.

Blessed the waters of what is regularly claimed to be the 'best wave' in this particular area (sometimes known as 'Gary's') but not one that Gary generally enjoys surfing: Gary likes to zig while others zag, and this spot is a guaranteed place to find oneself lost amongst the hordes of zaggers; but Gary digresses.

It was a smooth & manscaped 1-to-1-and-a-bit Garys, a little inconsistent, but what made it special was the absolute lack of hassle in the water

Instead of getting irked by the crowd and all the usual behaviours (such as people spinning for waves down the reef immediately after kicking off from a wave they caught up the reef, thereby snaking everyone below them), Gary was able to enjoy the place for what it is - an iconic poitbreak.

If only it was like that more often...

Gary, you sound like a real comedy connoisseur, so I assume "iconic poitbreak" is a deliberate reference, and not just sloppiness on your part.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Poit

Take your pick here?!

Yeah, weird eh. In keeping with the thread I write an innocuous post about a surf in a Welsh wave pool and some bell end decides its a good time to unload his hate.

I accepted 'shit strewn landscape' went too far, 'maybe I over egged it' was my next post. But the words are irrelevant, truth is blowers reaction reeks of jingoism. If it was about preserving what he thinks is a pristine environment he'd be using his huge iq (0) to tackle the issue head on instead of picking fights with random punters online. He'd be unloading on those WA locals who no doubt want to see WSL wild cards in town, like ry this is living craike. Easy to track down those who have put the place on the map for personal gain but nooo its not really about that, besides he's true blue maaate.

Answer me this blower - if the sniveling little cretin blower appraised my favourite spot in less than favourable terms how many fucks do you think I'd give? Clue, its the same as your iq.

You've no idea what I think about the circus pulling into the bluff other than the fact I think there are other spots more deserving of protection. But in an attempt to pick a fight you've shown yourself to be a hate filled, lying, jingoistic, hypocrite. And all in a few short posts.

So you’re asking why I’m calling you out and not Ry Craike ?

Here’s a hint - He goes utterly bezerk at these waves , with jaw dropping skills and familiarity bred from growing up in these waves. He’s also in Kalbarri Boardriders trying to stop the comp.

Whilst you are a Pom living 15000 kms away who lies about the state of the joint in order to convince people that the locals don’t care enough to look after the joint and that it doesn’t matter if the comp goes ahead cause the place is already a toilet.

If it makes you feel better I’ve had pointed conversations with some of the crew working towards making the comp happen whilst we were surfing the very spots in question. Exchanges of viewpoints . Sorry you’re not in the loop.

So in future you should continue to feel free to throw your irrelevant and unhelpful 2 cents in anytime .....and I’ll feel free to tell you to get fucked.

How’s that sound ?

But right now I’m over this discussion.

And......relax.

Aw Blower come back, I haven't finished with you little piss ant.

Can we play that game you like where we all guess about you?

a - you're the only genius with an iq of 0
b- you 're a racist
c- you're the child star of gary glitters home movie collection
d- you're a homophobe
e - you talk utter bollocks
f - all of the above

I'm going with f.

Craike charges so in your eyes he's beyond reproach for selling the joint out for personal gain? Who do you think has done more damage to the place - me 'convincing people some shit' (you should see someone mate, that's called paranoia) or Craike fronting a show using the sensitive areas you claim to care about and broadcast around the world?

Remind me which part of WA are you from? Didn't think so. I'm an aussie citizen as well so does that make my opinion more or less relevant than yours?

And well done having your 'pointed conversations' must've had your big boy pants on that day. Throw any threats around or do you just save that for people who you think are 15000kms away? 'The loop' you are fucking hilarious.

Incidentally, have you ever done a Narcissistic Personality Disorder Test? Might be worth giving it a whirl, right after you've played that game about yourself.

Ha ha! Yowch!

Surf was terrible so I borrowed my mates SUP and went for a paddle on the river.

Carrying that ridiculously oversized board to the water made me feel grotesque.

I am not an animal.

Fun though. Good way to explore the waterway.

The love / hate relationship with beachies continues.

Nice to get wet. Dolphins, crystal clear water and 1/2 dozen people spread over a few hundred metres. Head high peaks.

High tide rollers morphed into dropping tide smack fest.

What's what... aye but!!! It must be real awesome!!! Real attention grabbing shit!!! You only posted and deleted... again 20 mins ago!!! And about an hour before that aye but!!!

HAHAHAHAHAH!!! Klan boyz is thick headed, red neck, fuckerz aye but!!!

Imagine the fuckin' stress!!! Now ya gotta make out you didn't read my post, while ya making out ya just paddled out!!!! Again!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! F... FFS... Again!!!! In a nutshell!!!

Small and weak but lots of it.

Must have caught 30 waves in 1 1/2 hours. Now I’m rooted and straight into Wednesday’s with Bob by Derek Reilly after the first couple of pages hooked me.

How good is a fine read after a paddle as the North Easter starts to cool the day down .

Had a dreamy little beachie session this morning. A bit over head high .Cooking in an inappropriate steamer with just a couple out initially. Then 2 cars of young crew pulled up .....Brazilians from the Goldy.

Very friendly gentlemen to surf with , mostly sticking to a different peak . They loved the spot and told me that it’s their secret spot they return to this time each year. Couldn’t fault them...till they brought out the drone.

Also saw a large shark that absolutely shit itself when it saw me . Reminded me of the “ Pathetic Sharks” in Viz comics.

8/10 ( For a fun session )

Nice blowin, sounds great.

I had a surf at a 4ft right hand reef that was light onshore but it was chunky, bowly and plenty of push and only two guys out.
Sunny arvo and the waters pleasant.
Happy days

How warm is the water, Blowin/goofy?

2ft onshore wind swell shite here yesterday. Lots of seaweed and bluebottles, too. 4/3, booties, hood. Not the best :-/

Comfortable in boardies.

Guessing 21 or 22 degrees.

Pleasant in a 3/2.
Relative to the winter we’ve just come out of :-(

Kimberly coast invited to aboriginal community and surfed a river mouth. Amazing scenery a real privlage. Saw magical brolga dance too. It does turn on with cyclone swells up there.

Strange session this morning.

The winds finally played nice, the swell was even and the direction was accomodating . Pretty day . Cloudless with only a handful of people sharing a few head high left wedges in the ( finally ) warm , clear water .

Too bad I’m suffering from a terminal dose of sciatica due to a dodgy mattress I’ve had to endure the past few nights. Pain levels were around the 7 / 10 level and my entire pelvis was basically frozen.

Consequently, I put in the worst surfing performance for the past twenty years. Literally. Misreading takeoffs , Gronking down the line , bogging rails wherever possible.

I found it impossible to focus during a wave , every section I was groaning with pain and all too distracted to become present in the moment as surfing requires.

Still , sunny with nice people to share it with.

After a couple of hours it was just four of us out. The large new moon tide was flooding in and rather than swamp the bank , it jacked the swell in size and power and the waves had a resurgence. Then old mate saw a fin surface fifty metres away .

We started discussing just how sharky this particular break feels. It’s by far the wildest beach break I’ve ridden on the East coast for sea life. I’ve sat on the headland and seen two white pointers in five minutes. I’ve had huge tuna leap out of waves in front of me , I’ve seen mackerel slaying bait balls a few metres from the beach. It’s like a little slice of WA over East sometimes.

So we are chatting about sharks when we hear this loud slapping noise coming from the rocks , look over and there’s a huge fish stranded just above the surge of the waves going nuts . I assumed it was a dolphin as I’ve seen them beach themselves escaping sharks previously.

The sound stopped, then started again . Now I could see what looked like a marlin flinging itself on the barnacle covered boulders. Myself and another bloke decided to go check it out . I was keen to get my hands on some fresh fish for dinner.

We paddled to the rocks , clambered up and the fish was gone . The bloke I was with pointed it out floating on its side back in the water , in the channel next to the rocks. We jumped in and I realised it was a sailfish perhaps 6 feet long , maybe 60 kgs weight. I cradled it in my arms , it was still alive but very fucked up from battering itself on the barnacles.

The poor thing was trashed . Broken beak , ripped sail , pec fins destroyed and it’s flanks looked like they’d been hit with a cheese grater. All of the amazing colours that a sailfish is capable of generating through its skin was replaced with a decidedly unhealthy shade of slate grey . It wasn’t looking very appetising at all.

I started second guessing the plan to eat it. Maybe it had been sick and a shark had run it up on the rocks ?

Then I realised I was sitting in the sharkiest line up on the east coast holding two metres of pulsing live bait and I decided to give it a miss. We got back to the line up ,the onshore hit , I went in and limped up the beach feeling like it’d been me flailing around on the barnacles, drove to where I’m staying, cracked a coopers red for medicinal purposes and here we are .

Cheers

I love these posts Blowin, thanks for sharing.

I went up the beaches Friday evening in a crazy storm with torrential rain, heavy lightning and a swing to gusty offshore winds. Arrived to meet my mate for a break in the rain to see dark 2ft+ lefts reeling off with lightning cracking off into the distance. It was already sunset, dark and moody and 1/3rd into a long neck of Coopers green.

Me and my mate made the decision to paddle our for 5/10 minutes to get a couple of the lefts but the next wave of the storm moved in and it got too crazy. Right before the light faded the storm cleared enough and the lightning settled for me to paddle out for maybe one or two. It didn't feel safe and I ducked low while running across the sand to the ocean, being the tallest point in a large open space. Paddling out into the darkness one huge crack of lightning lit up the sky out in front of me in the ocean, and with little visibility of the incoming sets I didn't catch a wave, conceding defeat and paddling in a few minutes later. It was insane being out in such an environment, sharky, dark, lightning a real threat but the shelter of my mates van was calling.

We woke the next day to tiny seas but a great sunrise. The swell started to pulse and our other mates arrived and we played in glassy 2ft waves until the novelty wore off. Not pumping surf but a rewarding trip.

When I first rocked up..

When the weather 'cleared'.. out there :/

The next morning

The exhilarating frisson of exposing yourself to greater forces .....just another day in the water.

Sure beats 6 hours on deep square leg, watching seagulls , hoping a ball drifts your way.

Exposing yourself to greater forces - you been hanging out with Gary G?