Photos: Surf Coast Plus
Recently, Craig posted an article describing the lack of deep Southen Ocean fronts that's marked winter thus far in Victoria.
The smaller swells and settled weather - including many northerly days - have been kind to the coastline east of Melbourne, and even the coastline west of Cape Otway, yet the Surf Coast has been missing out.
On the last weekend in June, the pattern took a turn for the better with a mid-range swell breaking under a few hours of morning offshores, while the weekend just gone continued the trend, this time throwing in an all day nor'wester on Saturday.
It wasn't huge, but at times it was close to perfect, and it was also pretty damn cold with Aireys Inlet registering an apparent temp of -4.1° in the morning. Yep, that's a negative sign before the four.
So spare a thought for Steve Arklay, traipsing the cliffs and carparks in his fashionable fingerless gloves, pulling focus with frozen digits to bring you these pics.
Llew Callahan
Darren Wilcock
Comments
Those photos should have a little asterix above them:
" *Photos do not include evidence of 20 minute lulls with 0 Degree offshore winds...and that weird arse point where the waves dropped from well overhead to waist high..."
Still fun though!
yea very average winter swell really nothing to talk about
what a sad guy!
Saturday was great fun, got heaps of waves, awesome photo's too, Yew!
Saturday delivered. But gee whiz it was cold in the morning.
If it's not all over the internet it never happened...............
Great shots. Very fun day in what's been a pretty average last couple of months.
Froze my Arse Off.
Raw footage from Bells, same day:
The raw vids seem to have a natural ASMR vibe to them, which is a nice change. But geez it looks like the Vicco's don't mind a bit of wave sharing.
It was nice to see a swell just big enough to keep the serial pests on mid-lengths, mals, and SUPs out of the lineup.
Not sure if it's the same up on the East Coast of Australia but anyone under 50 using enormous amounts of foam to catch way more than their fair share of waves deserves to be run out of the water.
I'm getting pretty sick of beginner / intermediate surfers catching waves before advanced surfers on shortboards are even starting to paddle. These clowns think they are killing it by dropping into every 3 foot set that comes near them, but they a basically clueless greedy idiots.
Good to see you back to your old cheery, bubbly self Vic.
Thanks Zen, you have a tippy tip top day too my good man.
Handy size VL, not sharing the love? Hey you and me both, see that goat boat in stu’s video?
If the waves are over 1 foot in height it should be illegal to ride a mal if you're younger than Mick Fanning (40).
VL couldn't agree more
Geez, lucky I'm 51, VL.
Got to agree, though - there's a lot of people on a lot of foam that can't quite understand that just because you can catch every wave it doesn't;t mean you should.
And that goat boater early in the vid is in the top 5 Bells pests of all time. He was absolutely terrible until about 2 years ago when half a dozen of us had a full go at him for being a total caarnt in the water. Now he's settled a bit and is just a caarnt. Someone toasted him the other day and he had a full whinge, much to the amusement of those within earshot.
Must be the same goat boater that I saw blow up at CS a month or two ago.
A grade pest.
Had a peek @ Winki this morning. I don't do go there much anymore but I've had a few paddles there in the last few months. Probably around 40 - 50 in the water today in "OK" conditions. In 10 minutes there were multiple drop ins and quite a few mid lengths making long sections, but the clincher was when 3 mini mal soft toppers walked down together and paddled around the button. If I was a clown, I'd join the circus but the best option was to turn tail and run. Re: Goat boat. There used to be an amputee who'd hop down the stairs @ Bells with his surf ski. I remember him as a pretty mellow guy. Probably a different person, but wouldn't know - I tend to avoid Bells most of the time for the same reasons as above.
To be fair on the mini mal soft toppers, they could actually surf and had some situational awareness. Sure they could have paddled into every inconsistent set, but they didn't because they actually had a clue. They could have been on hot-pink inflatable surf-o-planes and been OK with me.
There's two types of serial pests at Winki. Hipsters on minimals / longboards who catch a set wave, paddle out beyond the pack and then catch the very next set wave. Repeat repeat repeat. The second type of serial pest are surfers who see a set coming, sprint paddle from uppers down to lowers and think they have right of way over all the surfers who are patiently waiting their turn.
Fuck it's funny when they start yelling at you to get off "their" wave!!!
Anyone who's surfing at Winki when there's 50 out is part of the problem regardless of what they ride. I honestly can't understand how anyone could be fucked........
FFS. do you just sit by your car at Bells, Winki, Juc.. and judge me by by board size and age. I must keep and eye out. Who do you think you are. Im getting sick of being judged by people who have no right what so ever stare me down as I walk down the stairs for a surf. Back off man. You are obviously an over 50 local legend, never made mistakes. If you did it was 45 years ago, alone, when no one was out. No one quietly judged you, disgusted at your unskillfulness. Fine - Im a 35 yr old loser who has no place in the ocean, Thats fine, I accept that.. Ive been at it for 15 years. Im having a go. I Just want to go for a surf, catch few waves. But Im not 'shredding' on 5'9 Pyzel with what ever the latest bullshit fin set up im supposed to have. Coooool - Im a clown because I'm intermediate, a pest who like boards with foam, oh im also a hipster as well, as most my boards are retro, or retro inspired. My boards are clearly hipster. The white HPSB is not for me, Im not dropping 700 bucks on one to fit in. But for that, your going to stare me down as I walk from my car to the beach, you and your local legend mates. Over 50s Boys club, sorry, Mens club. Real Men, seen it all hard men on the right boards, club. Fine. I reckon you get moooore than your fair share. You got a house 5 Mins from the beach. You made it, you have it all. You got in before everyone, your core, Hard core local, shredding on the correct appropriate volume white HPSB and black wetsuit. You can surf when ever you want... To the point you guys can actually section/close off part of the beach every second weekend under the guise of a 'comp" (what are you actually competing for??) and tell us pests to 'rack off' from a jet ski.. WTF. You can actually ask people to move off a certain part of the ocean. Amazing. and yet still not enough for you and your buddies. You want more, you want a bigger slice. You still shit on anyone who isn't that, who isn't 'respecting you. because you obliviously deserve and are entitled to respect, because your core, local and over 50. A legend who was there and has done it all before all of us fakes and posers bother driving 2 hours to ruin your surf.
Hard to argue with that,mate!
So long as you're not being a fuckwit in the water I don't care what you're riding. Waiting longest has priority, regardless of equipment or (to a point) ability. Unfortunately there are intermediate surfers that are completely clueless and paddle for anything that comes their way, regardless of who's turn it actually is. These people need to get tuned up a bit. Unfortunately a lot of them are so clueless that they think the guy having words with them is the bad guy, when in fact they're the one being a greedy inconsiderate fuckwit.
Of course there are plenty of expert level surfers who behave badly as well. These people deserve the same treatment. They can't plead ignorance. They should know better. It's up to the senior locals to set the tone and keep these guys in line.
The only exception I make to the waiting longest has priority rule is at a world class surf spot on a pumping day. These days are exceedingly rare and the guys that have put in the time and have the ability to make the most of the conditions deserve to be on the best waves. 99.9% of surfing is not done in these circumstances so I reckon give the locals some respect. Let them have their waves.
In my opinion, the other exception would be that you cannot sit on the shoulder and expect to have any form of priority. I see that at a lot of places. If you're in line for the takeoff it's rare that anyone will hassle you, but you can't blame others for "snaking" you when they're paddling 5-10 yards further inside to where the takeoff is and still making the wave.
!! 5yards? 2&a half boardlengths !!? Come on mate. 20 yards yes. 10 yards maybe. ;) I guess it all depends on each particular break, but also on how many waves the "snake" has already had,(made) and For fucks sake How much longer the cunt is gonna be out for,doesn't it ever get boring to you after 3 hours of jagging all the best waves,go in and let us have a go you selfish prick...Sorry... got caught up in the moment
Yeah, righto 5 yards is a bit short, fair enough, though I often surf reef points with quite clearly defined take off spots.
And I've got no time for the prat who keeps paddling inside without knowing they're #4 in line. Or the bloke who paddles deep, calls you off and never makes them. Or the one who paddles extra deep and then bolts back towards the patiently waiting pack for the wave.
My point was more to do with the shoulder-hoppers - if you line up for your turn on the actual takeoff you'll rarely get snaked, but I don't think you can expect to get set waves if you're sitting off the peak no matter how long you wait. I've found this to be the case in most places around the country or the word where I've surfed. Paddle out, wait your turn and you're up.
Sounds like you've been dealing with a few pricks in recent times.
Yep, that's a fair call. You have to be sitting on the takeoff spot to claim priority. Wait your turn then claim pole position and sit in the right place. If you don't have the skill level to take off on the main takeoff spot then you need to find another wave that suits your ability level or just be content to feed off the scraps.
Classic lines at bells and winki. Love that second last shot of the bowl from the stairs.
Hi VL, I reckon it's a manifestation of the 'foam wars' I'm hearing about going on to our north. Young guys in metro Sydney rock up to their packs with 3+" thick boards and begin to clean up.
I don't bother with Winki/Bells unless it's few out and generally under-loved but I'd use my version of a shortboard for it tbh. It seems from the footage you're getting an amount of alternate craft* on it.
That will mean, if you surf a board with very little foam and are restricted to taking off late, near or behind the curl - these guys will be able to outpaddle you in. What I'm hearing from places north is eventually those without foam get some more, so as to be able to compete on near level terms, or outcompete, the newcomers with big boards. Long foam.
(the big board foam approach probably wouldn't work at North Point or the Box, but we're not at North Point or the Box.)
*go back and have a look at some WL footage at Bells on mals when he was a teenager: they are the first boards used out there! And I did warn you all about the spreading alternate craft, from epicentre of the Pass
Hi VJ,
Alternative craft is fine in certain circumstances. If it's 1 ft a mal is about the only thing that's enjoyable to ride. People are now using alternative craft in good 3-5ft surf for only one reason, paddling power and that's it. SUPs, mid-lengths, or big wave guns have literally no advantages over a shortboard when you're up and riding in medium sized waves, and they are bloody dangers to others in the water.
I have literally no respect for young people riding this type of equipment with the exception of one well known local shaper who is happy to sit wide for ages after getting a wave.
A mid-length board in 3-4 ft surf sends a very clear message that this surfer is an intermediate at best, but will ride a non-turning board to get more waves at the expense of much better surfers.
It's a shit way to go through your surfing life.
Are they using big wave guns? I'm picturing 9 footers, not 7 footers btw
I reckon the trend isn't going away though, right or wrong. The question is how to adapt. I'm seeing a flood of intermediates/newbies on the other reefs around here - on big foam - how to adapt?
Not big wave guns. Big boards of all varieties and all different skill levels and ages. I remember some of the old guard (sub 50y/o) at winki maybe as long as 10 years ago, paddling out on bigger volume thicker longer boards - not step ups or guns. These were boards with enough foam purely designed to catch waves earlier. How to adapt? My response was to look further afield. On occasion I've managed to get it with lower crowds but I'd rather surf a closeout than become a part of the shit show.
.**double post
I'm not sure looking further afield is a viable long term option. I've been surfing all over Vic this winter and the hipsters on 8 footers are pretty much all over the place. And don't get me started on SUPs. I told one to chill the fuck out the other week after he'd done 5 laps of the pack catching the only wave in the sets. He looked at me like I had two heads and said "I'm catching them over there". "no shit mate are you going to let any through to the pack". His response was a confused look.
I'm going with the burning option. If an average surfer on a mid length is happy to wait his or her turn, that's cool, buy why should decent surfers on shortboards take a cut in their wave count because some chump on 60 litres of foam is up and riding before short board surfers even start to paddle?
Nothing wrong with letting greedy fucks have a bit of what for. Old school pecking order etiquette education - let them know what's up. I've been lucky enough to have the option to look elsewhere over the last couple of months and scored good uncrowded waves pretty often (even the last week). I've been fortunate to have the time and patience to skip the crowds.
Agree on the further afield.
Really!!! A 'flood' Do you happen to work for The Age. Are numbers of Intermediate numbers 'Swelling, ballooning' Horrifying scenes Of intermediates on 6inch thick surfboards only going straight - putting all you genuine local rippers at risk. How to adapt? Instead of quietly judging in your car, or on the railings at bells and Juc with Vic Local, and your other local legend rippers. How about lead by example, or heaven forbid, offers some friendly, constructive advice verbally. But sounds like, you'd rather hold a club contest, block all the roads, bash anyone who makes a error, so you can have it all to your selves, and ride your ideal approved shortboard and pat each other on the back at pub..
Yeah a flood. Have you checked the Impossos carpark on any decent day in the year before corona? It was overflowing with vans and cars - 'flooded', so to speak. Far more cars than those who can fluently cross-step (I'll get into trouble for that!).
I've already adapted, as I've always surfed higher volume boards from my teenage years (and generally am not a huge fan of a hi-po thruster, I mean, I'll surf it if I'm forced to). This afternoon I took a design detour to the late 1960s and I'll need more time on this board to suss it out to a higher level, these delightful vicissitudes keep things interesting to me. Major 'litre-age' btw. So I'm already out there on a more floaty board, just as I did in my youth. And jeez I have some nice 1970s classics at home.
When I asked the question "How to adapt?", I was hoping people would put 2 and 2 together (and copy what I'd heard has happened in Sydney) and realise that increasing the foam themselves increases the wave catching ability - it's mostly a gentle dig at the hi-po thruster fraternity. I saw so much struggling on undervolumed boards between 1990 and late 2000s. Most surfers are mortals and will benefit from upfoaming; and yes I do encourage newbies and also give technique tips if I judge they may be open and welcoming to it. Not all are, but most are actually really friendly and love recognition for something done well. Further, a time will come when the young in their 20s learning now come into their prime (I'd say 35-45) and I will be old; is it not better to have been kind and nurturing all those years at the local spot for the time when physicality begins to wane and another group enters their prime?
How else to adapt? There's also room for finding diamonds in the rough at other locations. Club comps - ha, you can keep them.
Lastly, your second sentence needs a question mark. See - friendly, constructive advice :)
If you've been surfing for 15 years, surely you've noticed a massive increase in crowds. You're anger is misdirected. Nobody is 'judging' your ability or board size. Merely commenting on a perception that people will paddle out without the 'situational awareness' that VL alluded to. The ocean is not owned by anybody but there are accepted standards of behaviour which have been developed over time. If anyone paddles out to winkipop or anywhere else and is a greedy, clueless fuck they need to be called out. You endanger yourself and others if you put yourself in a situation beyond your ability. My advice...just don't be an asshole and you'll probably be right. The sheer number of surfers at these places which can include clueless individuals generally means I'd prefer to go somewhere else.
And that's the key point - the accepted standards of behaviour. Problem is there are so many learner/lower-end-of-intermediate surfers now having a crack at good waves in crowded situations which they don't have the ability to surf competently or safely.
I completely agree, of course crowds have Increased. I blame better wetsuits, the fucking cancer that is pro surfing, on top of the general look at me nature of the word we are in. VL comments are a direct 'judging' of my ability, before I even hit the water. Not the intermediate part.. More I'm a pest, a fuckwit... Im 37, from Melbourne. I surf more volume/retro inspired shapes, even self shaped boards on days over 1ft. I know my capabilities, Im no John John.
I respect, and completely agree and follow the standards as well. I'm not paddling out at Winki, or at places over my ability. But when Juc, or some beach is 2-4ft I feel comfortable, over that, ill find a spot more suited to my meadiocerness. When I rock up to Poss, and a club comp is on, sure seems like someone owns it, as they seem to be able to section it off and tell people to piss off. It's not the club thing im against, its the closing part of a beach that I am against. Yes I may be a lame intermediate for choosing that spot. but when bells is big, Im not comfortable going out there, Poss it a great alternative. But apparently you can book it out? In general, I've learned to keep my head down, find a spot, and keep out of the way as much a possible. My anger is directed at being judged right away based of age and board, which is what VL is specifically stating.
Hey Loui. Don't worry about V.L. Like nearly everyone who's over 30 around here, he moved here from somewhere far away a fair while ago.
Anybody who 'judges' you before you hit the water is most likely an insecure twat and wouldn't have the guts to actually say something to your face anyway.
It's only if you behave like a cunt in the water (whether that be trying to steal waves that aren't yours or just general kookiness getting in the way cause you're out of your depth) that you'd get any backlash from crew that are playing by the rules and know what they're doing. That would apply to all breaks around here on the Surfcoast.
Hope that helps you in your future surfing endeavors!
Loui, you don't get judged at all in the carpark. You get judged in the water dependent on your behaviour. If you take a set on the head giving a surfer a free face to ride on (rather than paddling for the shoulder) that gets noticed. If you paddle to the inside past a bunch of surfers who have been waiting for the sets, that gets noticed too.
About the only time people get judged before getting wet is if it's obvious they are going to be a pain in the arse in the surf. eg absolute beginners going out in big surf who are an obvious danger to themselves and others. Geez mate, when I see a guy wearing his wetsuit on backwards heading out to decent sized Bells I'm making the judgement call he made need rescuing and he could be a danger to others in the lineup.
Be cool, smile, take your turn, and you get waves. Snake, bail out, drop in, paddle for every set, and you get told to fuck off. It's not rocket science.
I think more than anything the crowds have increased due to increased population of the surf coast and Geelong/Bellarine areas, that increased population all giving surfing a go (and why wouldn't you if you lived there), then add to that the super-charged crowd element of covid. Nearly all social sports cancelled, pubs, shops, restaurants, cafe's closed, people look to what they can do now with more time on their hands = surfing, which is allowed and safe from covid.
I'm kind of similar to you Loui, I don't rip but I love getting out there, I do everything I can to not fuck up anyone else's wave or take more than my fair share, I smile when I get out in the lineup and say g'day then I don't proceed to paddle for every lump that comes towards me, I surf waves within my ability, I don't bother surfing winki as it's a shitfight on any day my ability allows, and I really don't give a shit what anyone thinks of what board I'm riding as I'm just trying to do what I love doing, which could be a 5'11 hybrid, 7'0 mid or an 8'0 mini-mal, depending on what I feel like riding that day. Each board gives a different experience, and I choose my board for the day based on that and the break i'm surfing, not what I think will earn me 'respect' in or out of the water.
I think you might be making the assumption that everyone wants to surf like a short-boarder, VL. Having ridden a range of alternative craft in good 3-5ft waves I reckon there's much more to it than paddle power, although yes that's an obvious benefit. The lines are different, the whole approach to the wave is different. They do turn, they just turn differently. Perhaps you should have a try.
As far as dangers in the water go, I'd agree that in the hands of inexperienced surfers the big boards can be bloody dangerous. But I've seen so many accidents and collisions involving sub-7' boards that I know they can be pretty dangerous in the wrong hands too.
As long as people don't make pigs of themselves on the bigger boards and let waves through, I have no issue with them. Case in point, SUP out at Bells last night. Waited his turn, got a bomb, nice bloke, sat at the end of the line for the next one, no problems. Another mate was having fun but struggling to paddle in on his 6'0", which was by far the smallest board in the water.
I think the real issue is the challenge of sharing waves, not the craft people are on, and that requires everyone to understand the etiquette in the water, including the shortboard riders.
Tango,
Don't get me wrong mate. There's a place for all types of equipment out in the water, but there are exceptions dependent on age, skill, and greed.
SUPs are really dangerous, I saw a teenage girl get her teeth smashed out by a SUP at a crowded family beach. the rider was a being a dick catching waves through the crowd.
My other big bugbear is people using foam purely to catch more waves. There's a big difference between a patient 60 year old (with a bung shoulder) on a mid length who takes his or her turn, and a greedy 30 year old who never lets a set go through to the pack. Young people on mid-lengths may get away with it the first time, but not the second, and that's the way it has to be.
They're three good criteria, VL.
Agreed SUPs are dangerous, but so is everything under the feet or belly of the inexperienced/stupid. Had a bloke fanging past me semi-slotted at a name break not too long ago when a muppet on a shortboard did a between-the-legs "duck dive" and took him out with a tail to the face. Kooks be kooks.
Agree with all of this. Say 4-5ft ***** up next to the cliff takeoff, 2 boards of 6'5 - so not midlengths. On the modern 3 fin board turning frantically to keep up with the fall line, on a board with a flatter tail rocker, long length of rail with a wing and swallow tail, full complex concaves and a broad based single you get this massive drive from each bottom turn that's like being on afterburner, and make the sections with time to spare. But each to their own.
last week around mid arvo few hours after the devil wind came up only 2 guys having a crack and it was 3 ft, some half decent ones from lowers into the valley but super quick. Was going to have a paddle for the novelty of it being empty as the two blokes out there weren't doing it justice but was a bit surfed out.