Merimbula Locals

Nice one mate!

I'd like to second that comment. Did a trip around Oz a year ago. One particular locum lead me to Merimbula. Great locals, great place, great waves. Of course they miss a bit of swell compared to certain places a bit further north but epic setups when they get surf. Special place. Bloke who runs the surf shop is a legend.

I'm sorry I know this is an old discussion that I stumbled across but boy have I had a very different experience in Merimbula. I've been holidaying there for twenty years and after some intimidating experiences surfing the bar in perfect waves I've given up trying to get a wave in those conditions. I wasn't disrespectful, I'm old 57 now, this was about 8 years ago. One guy went out of his way to fin chop my board which he did successfully. When I went to the local surf shop to find a repair guy (damage too extensive for my poor skills) I voiced my disappointment with the overall intimidation in the line up by locals to be told that I was a visitor and the locals had a priority. What BS, and when I pointed out the fact that we are all a local somewhere (for me it's the surfcoast in Vic)where crowds are a fact of life at Bells, Winki, etc. he was a little more understanding and sympathetic. I've never understood the locals only thing, the ocean is there to be shared all we have to do is be respectful of each other.

seemed like a fair lineup with a functioning pecking order when I surfed it.
beautiful wave

Never seen that Toppa, always laid back in and out of the water. It’s a happy place.

Yeah GuySmiley it is a happy place, just a bad couple of experiences at the bar otherwise I love it too.

Yeah bummer Toppa, I've also never had any issues, maybe just a bad one off. Gets busy when it's on especially during weekends, but if you can jag it at other times..

I think you're right Craig it was probably bad timing. Cheers.

You have to feel for them though, it's a fickle beast and it often turns on right in holiday time in eye site of everyone, must suck being a local waiting weeks to months to surf it and the bang it's packed with people from as far as Melbourne and Sydney all kinds of surfers of all ages and all abilities.

Surfed it a few times but best ive ever had it was about 25 years ago a day before New Years man it was perfect overhead on sets like a reverse Kirra for the first section then running off into playful but rippable long walls, was packed with anyone and everyone and a dozen locals who had the first section completely wired.

They did get almost all the sets, but every now and then you would snavel one or get those little smaller or wider ones so still came away stoked.

Last time I was at bar beach it reminded me of Home and Away except with more hotties[all respect to the ladies tho]. Eyes wide open.

Hey Toppa, sorry to hear about your misadventures at the bar. I have a lot of experience at that joint and it does sometimes get super heated out there. I've seen locals vs tourists and locals vs locals on numerous occasions. When that joint lights up they come out of the woodwork (much like an even better, though more fickle spot nearby, you wanna see the localism when that joint is on). In saying that, I've never seen anyone intentionally run over someone else out there. Witnessed one punch on in the carpark between two locals circa 95. I found the key to the bar was to sit down the line a little, let the heavies push each other too far inside (as they always do) and pick off the ones they can't make.