Watch: Bells and Winki from the air

Ben Matson picture
Ben Matson (thermalben)
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Last week's big Southern Ocean swell produced a plethora of amazing photos and videos from the Surf Coast, but this is the first drone clip we've come across. Tracking surfers at both Bells and Winki, it allows a little more insight into the quality of those ruler-edge lines, that wasn't quite visible from the shore. Just wind the volume knob down a little... ain't the best choice of tunes.

Video by Marcos Oscherov. 

Comments

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 12:04pm

... aint the best choice of tunes is an understatement.

Lovely waves though. Cool the booger got a bomb.

Was that Viclocal?

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 1:09pm

Ha

geek's picture
geek's picture
geek Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 12:18pm

Some of those shots showed it was actually quite busy in the water. The land shots made it look like there was only a few out

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 1:21pm

Looks so good to me. Lucky fellas.

Wide variety of boards, aye. 7ft to 9ft?

pigdog's picture
pigdog's picture
pigdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 1:28pm

1.25 huge

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 1:30pm

How's the guy at 4:25, not sure if having an off day or maybe old but looked like he could hardly surf? Solid effort having a crack in that size and getting amongst it looking at the ability.

pigdog's picture
pigdog's picture
pigdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:03pm

It looks like Gerard Healys board. He can surf. I don't know him but he is always out there when its on. Anyone who can paddle out and actually get out at bells when its 6-8 let alone what was comming in on Friday deserves a trophy. And try it with a 4/3 on and a sweep when you actually get out there heart rate is about 200bpm.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:12pm

Yeah totally agree, I wouldn't be out there with those bombs coming through, just caught my attention.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:14pm

Just had a quick Google, Gerard's a goofy so it's not him.

pigdog's picture
pigdog's picture
pigdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:17pm

Happy to be corrected. Cheers Brock.

lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:21pm

Maybe it is him and he was trying his hand at switch foot for the first time ;)

Kind of looks like that's what's happening haha

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:27pm

Yep!

For all the talk of Southern Ocean Power, big balls etc. etc. Bells is an accessible wave. If you're of reasonable fitness you'll make it out (provided you get lucky and time your paddle out) and if you're lucky to take off on one of the fat sections (as opposed to when it throws a lip, which does happen) you're laughing.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:40pm

I don’t get it?
What’s not an accessible wave?

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:51pm

Fair call...accessible at size I mean, compared to other spots. Sticking to well known, names spots....say compared to somewhere like Kirra, when it's over 3ft.

It's not easy to consistently get good waves, or surf it well, but if you're a fairly average Joe/Jan surfer, you'll get waves even when it's bigger.

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:00pm

" but if you're a fairly average Joe/Jan surfer, you'll get waves even when it's bigger."
You've just described me to a T hahaha

Yeah I know what you mean re accessible, when I read it though I just thought but you can paddle out to Pipe, Mavericks, Sunset, Waimea too and take off on one if you want.

pigdog's picture
pigdog's picture
pigdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:07pm

How many glass bbq have you smoked this morning. Know fkn idea.

Hatty65's picture
Hatty65's picture
Hatty65 Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 12:02am

53 and paddle from point adios with a local legend. Didn’t see u out there Craig . If u can paddle on to one of those u can surf .

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 9:12am

Nice, as I said, I wouldn't be out there in that size.

billythekid's picture
billythekid's picture
billythekid Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 8:56am

If you can paddle over from Addis and then paddle onto one of those waves, you can surf.

sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 2:45pm

At 4 min 10 second mark I was looking at the guy getting shacked way out behind Bells, not the guys on the fat walls in the foreground. What's that break called?

Jono's picture
Jono's picture
Jono Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:14pm

I think that is Bells out the back, and the wave in foreground is Winki

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:19pm

Yep correct i think i spied Nixons nose

sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:37pm

Aaaah thanks for that. I surfed Bells once in my life(am 59 now)in the Vic schoolboys comp in 77... early Balin legrope came off in my heat - long swim in a thick steamer in those days!

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:04pm

Imagine getting mowed down by set way out there ..fark

sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden's picture
sorrentoden Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:07pm

Yeah a broken leggie would be fun

pigdog's picture
pigdog's picture
pigdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:13pm

You would be booking in funeral parlour if that happened.

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 3:25pm

Love that first track...not sure the Drone does Bells any favours though. No slowmo big tick from me.

hangingtomatoes's picture
hangingtomatoes's picture
hangingtomatoes Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 4:00pm

funky burger bombs!

Lewdog's picture
Lewdog's picture
Lewdog Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 6:46pm

how shit r victorian waves barr a couple of special spots.bells most overated wave in the world.

Bungan33's picture
Bungan33's picture
Bungan33 Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 7:58pm

Thats pretty funny. Said like someone who has never seen or tasted true smoking Bells. I struggle to see how picking off a 6-8 foot wall and putting your foot to the floor and hammering as fast as you have ever gone, wailing along for 400m + is over rated. Having grown up fighting for peaks on Sydney beach breaks, there are mid week days out there with literally 8-10 guys, when you are literally sitting in one of this Rip Curl photos of Bells wondering "Where the hell is everyone?" Me thinks you need to spend some cold water time Lewdog.....Then again - the fewer the better so maybe not!

Stok's picture
Stok's picture
Stok Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 8:52pm

Sounds like you've never surfed Westernport my friend.

Lukas_Z's picture
Lukas_Z's picture
Lukas_Z Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 9:44pm

yep lets pull into a shitney shorebreak barrel throw a 360 and put it on insta and call that surfing

tango's picture
tango's picture
tango Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 10:27pm

Yep it's shithouse. Always packed, and firkin freezing. Big white pointers. Don't bother making the trip down, total waste of time.

Patrick0710's picture
Patrick0710's picture
Patrick0710 Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 10:28am

By 'special spots' you're no doubt referring to the 3182 Pier. Now RUINED with crowds thanks to the Swellnet cam.

dangerouskook2000's picture
dangerouskook2000's picture
dangerouskook2000 Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 6:50pm

You're taking the piss right? Thats in the bay, swell wouldn't get in there would it? Unless there's another 3182 pier that I can't find on google. Just had a look. nice with all the lights, but completely flat

hamishbro's picture
hamishbro's picture
hamishbro Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 10:19pm

You have to surf it, not watch it.

adam12's picture
adam12's picture
adam12 Monday, 26 Apr 2021 at 6:49pm

Most SurfCoast reefs you can dry hair the paddle out usually. Their accessability is a blessing and a curse.
Some big faces and drops in that footage but not too much hardcore ripping, lots of straight lines being drawn. Not bagging anyone, drew similar lines myself that day a few k's up the road.(short aside-Pyzel Padillac is the fastest fucken surfboard I have ever ridden!) Monday was better IMO, not as big but perfectly lined up and straight. This one had those warble sections down the line which are hard to get around at that size. Still, better than anything in the last year or so and fuck me it got VicLocal back on the forums so it did something.

OHV500's picture
OHV500's picture
OHV500 Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 10:09am

Try paddling out at Bells when its that big and low tide and the sweep is running - accessible - kinda.
A mate paddled out over at Jarrasit and then came around on the big day, too hard to get out before the button.

Gary G's picture
Gary G's picture
Gary G Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 10:17am

Do you ride a blue Padillac, Adam12?

Fella out on one Friday for the early sesh a few clicks down the GOR was having quite the day out.

dave's picture
dave's picture
dave Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 8:00pm


A couple more waves here.

adam12's picture
adam12's picture
adam12 Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021 at 11:52pm

Gary G, nah, mines orange 7'6''. I was north of Bells, didn't last long, only got a few, the sets were freaking me a bit so I made a safe exit before I maybe drowned. Love that board though, never gone faster.

billythekid's picture
billythekid's picture
billythekid Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 7:03am

personally I love the contrast between the relaxed happy tunes and the huge conditions

dangerouskook2000's picture
dangerouskook2000's picture
dangerouskook2000 Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 6:44pm

Pumping. Wish I was there. I surfed it pretty big a few years ago. Maybe not as big as in the vid, cant' remember but I thought it was about 8ft. It might get bigger as the years go by.
I had a longboard back then and from memory it was pretty easy to get out. And I was pretty kooky then. I still am but not as much. Just had to dodge the shorey and the next bit out and then paddle wide. Correct me if I'm wrong. Like I said it was a while ago and there's been a few beers under the bridge.....

Finntim's picture
Finntim's picture
Finntim Thursday, 29 Apr 2021 at 7:10pm

The thing I enjoyed most about it was that there wasnt one drop in. That shows respect for everyone out there regardless of ability. Well done all for having a crack.