Photos: The feast after the famine
The autumn surf season came late to the Surf Coast.
Summer passed but small swell continued through March, as it had through February and January also. However, last Sunday week, the door slammed shut on that pattern when a very large but windy southwest swell engulfed the coast. It was far from classic, but it served to signify the changing season.
Then, yesterday, the Surf Coast woke to the day it'd been waiting months for when a majestic long-period southwest swell broke headlong into light northwest winds.
Everywhere was too good, but Steve Arklay hung the Winki/Bells headland photographing an autumn feast.
All photos by Steve.
Comments
How nice are the pics sensational line up ..
Nice pics!! From anyone out there how was it? Looks amazing in the pics and 'reasonably' manageable, but always surprised by how much power bells has (I could just be a wimp).
Amazing...long period...some super solid sets...might of been a shade over the 3-4 foot they reported it being in the morning hahahahahahahahahaha
I was looking at the photos earlier and trying to call the size on some of the bigger ones.
I would call the bottom two photos 4 maybe 5 foot?
The first two maybe 6-8?
Pretty epic - with some punchy clean ups.
Yeah it's pretty heavy. Unless you have big wave training I wouldn't risk surfing it over 5ft.
lol
beautiful waves
Just a "shade over" 3-4 foot? Not sure who does the SN report for the Bells area but I have now learnt....3-4 foot with "occasional bigger one at swell magnets" stands for double over head with occasional clean up bomb. Hard core Vicco wave size scale.....Definitely wasn't a good out to try out my newly scrubbed up 40 year old twin fin. Fast and straight man....fast and straight....
I surfed it last week was really good fun but power wise for the size of the wave
I didnt rate it.
finally, finally, finally....been waiting since June for this
The wall ahead of Oldmate in the fourth shot...
If you zoom in, you get to see the joy that the lovely manicured photos dont show> the pack copping it on the head!
I was quite happy to wear a few on the head yesterday.
For those in the know, there were spots/areas handling it better......not giving too much away but it starts with a Western and ends with a Port.
Lol - that place is for mal riders to run and hide and practice their best barrel avoidance.
STFU Stok, Stop telling everyone how good Western Port is. The last thing we need is a bunch of Torquay / Melbourne flogs discovering that Winki is D grade compared to WP.
Sorry, too obvious I know right.
The good news is though, there's so many great set ups there that it can handle the blow ins and crowds, you almost always score uncrowded waves if you know where to look.
Seek and you shall find!
Geez, Stok, all I can see in all those photos is "handling it". That secret spot you mentioned must have been breaking like Rifles in the ments to be much better!
pissweak... shoulda been at Middleton
Pretty much the best day of the year on the SC I thought. Mid to late morning when the offshore picked up really groomed the swell. More please.
Westernport
There is a series of offshore reefs accessible only by boat, known for big sharks and passing ships, whitehorses visible from high ground on both sides of the bay, a mate (RIP) who charged Margs claimed to have surfed it the once, claimed it was insane .... perhaps stok is talking about this place or maybe upstream on Somers creek??
Don't give away all the secrets!
Although, I will say Tankerton and surrounds has a few options for the intrepid. Fair trek to get to, but worth it.
Tankerton jetty from where all the local chargers depart a stok, man that Phillip Island ferry must see some action
Somers Creek, ha, ha, ha,....I nearly choked on that one, as for the porkies on WP I think pinocchio’s nose would stretch across bass strait.
Corduroy...back in style!! How long I’ve been waiting for those lines! Most welcome. A bit of respect in the water, a bit of share and share alike and you have all you can ask, and fun for everyone. It IS doable.
crowd looks reasonable.
big enough to thin the numbers or is trick photography?
The first 8 ft set that hit for the morning cleaned up the whole lineup at winki except for about 5 blokes. 3 leggies and one snapped board later
it sent a few people in. Some real power in that set.
Was pretty busy at Winki. I saw six on a wave at one point.
Sick day regardless
What a groundswell - freight training right through to the lefts breaking off of the button.
Wasnt sure how some of the crew on it got out tbh.
Had to be 8 feet on them set waves yeah?!
Not the nicest feeling duck diving that inside close out section on the sets at all lol i still can't hear from all of the water trapped in my head
Good luck to you vicco lads firing winki has got to be world class for sure.
I also hope your swell lasts more than one day like ours do on the east coast
Do many people surf Bells on twin fish? Never see it much in pics but it's always looked like the kind of wave where that sort of board would go a dream.
I'm sure they do now as they seem to be everywhere. MR won the event there on a regular twinny
Surfed there on Sunday for the first time in ages and there were a couple out.