Saturday 6th August and I head off early to go down the West Coast - I leave at about 7.00 am as I need to be back in Melbourne at midday for the football. It's a nice day in Melbourne, blue skies and a very light north wind. I get a great run and I'm heading down aroundAnglesea a little after 8.15 am. Its looks pretty flat but I pass a few people out at Hutt Gully and that gives me some hope for fairhaven.
I arrive at Fairhaven and it's very inconsistent to look at with sets a fair way apart and the waves only about 2 ft. I get changed and head out. I wait for a set to roll through and then paddle straight out the back and sit. The sun is out and like last week you can see right up the coast and it's fantastic out in the water. After what seems like ages a set comes through and I pass on the first wave and then paddle onto the second wave - I get up, go right and then the wave pretty well dumps and I get some whitewater before it reforms for a very small ride. I drop off the back and into the water - yes, it's very cold.
I paddle around for the next twenty minutes and there are two further rides I get and they are very small and after the seond I decide to call it quits. I have got to 45 breaks and with two days to go I'm not overly optimistic on my target of 50. I stop for coffee in Angelsea at the general store/cafe and the coffee was pretty ordinary. I then drive home and stop in at Torquay - Patagonia has a sale on and I will have to come back as they have such great gear.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Break 44 - Spout Creek
Sunday 31st July and today is a fantastic Melbourne Winter day - Sun is out, blue skies, light northerly wind and 19 degrees. There is however hardly any surf anywhere - flat or 1 to 2 ft is the forecast. I head west coast and hope to snag a wave down Fairhaven way, with perhaps a surf at Southside or Winki to get my no.s up. I leave home about 8.00 and I'm down @ Fairhaven at 9.30 and it's as flat as a tack.
I keep going past Fairhaven and come across a longboard event happening at Spout Creek about 1km further west from Fairhaven surf club - its very small and crowded there and so I go about a further 200 meters down the road and decide to give it a go. I head out about 9.45 am or so and god it's flat and I feel like a super optimist. I paddle around to keep the interest and warmth up and then about 10 minutes in a tiny swell arrives and I get onto a 1 ft wave and go right, getting down very low to make the most of the wave and then step off. Today really is all about being out on the ocean. After 15 minutes I'm really quite warm with the sun on my face and I can see all the way down the coast both ways - to the west in the distance is Lorne and in the East is the Airey's Inlet Light house. It is just beautiful out in the water and I would not be anywhere else.
I stay out in the water for about one and a quarter and hours and get probably five or 6 little waves. After about 45 minutes I'm joined by an older long boarder and on the hour by a surf school. The tide is coming in, high tide is about midday and the waves pick up the longer I'm out. I get one quite good, albeit very small, wave in to the shore and hop out to get changed. Today with the sun out and my car parked in the sun, getting changed is a breeze and this not something you normally say about getting changed in the open in July. I have really enjoyed the surf and head into Angelsea for Breakfast. I have breakfast at a very groovy little place down from the hardware store and in the car park opposite the main beach - I have a BLT and Coffee and it's very, very good. I spend the hour after brunch checking out possible surf spots without any luck - Bells flat, Steps no good and so I head home.
44 waves and one week and one day to go - 6 breaks in a week. Anything is possible I guess.
I keep going past Fairhaven and come across a longboard event happening at Spout Creek about 1km further west from Fairhaven surf club - its very small and crowded there and so I go about a further 200 meters down the road and decide to give it a go. I head out about 9.45 am or so and god it's flat and I feel like a super optimist. I paddle around to keep the interest and warmth up and then about 10 minutes in a tiny swell arrives and I get onto a 1 ft wave and go right, getting down very low to make the most of the wave and then step off. Today really is all about being out on the ocean. After 15 minutes I'm really quite warm with the sun on my face and I can see all the way down the coast both ways - to the west in the distance is Lorne and in the East is the Airey's Inlet Light house. It is just beautiful out in the water and I would not be anywhere else.
I stay out in the water for about one and a quarter and hours and get probably five or 6 little waves. After about 45 minutes I'm joined by an older long boarder and on the hour by a surf school. The tide is coming in, high tide is about midday and the waves pick up the longer I'm out. I get one quite good, albeit very small, wave in to the shore and hop out to get changed. Today with the sun out and my car parked in the sun, getting changed is a breeze and this not something you normally say about getting changed in the open in July. I have really enjoyed the surf and head into Angelsea for Breakfast. I have breakfast at a very groovy little place down from the hardware store and in the car park opposite the main beach - I have a BLT and Coffee and it's very, very good. I spend the hour after brunch checking out possible surf spots without any luck - Bells flat, Steps no good and so I head home.
44 waves and one week and one day to go - 6 breaks in a week. Anything is possible I guess.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Break 43 - Rye Back Beach
Sunday 24th July and its a very bleak, cold, rainy 9 degrees when I leave home at about 8.00 and decide I might try the East Coast and Rye back beach. I get a good run down the highway and it's about 9.10 when I pull into a car park at Rye back beach. The car park has quite a few cars in it and there are at least 8 blokes out in 1/2 to 1 metre surf. Its pretty cleab with very little wind but the waves are dumping and you need to pick the right wave. I know all this early because I sit in the car waiting for a break in the rain and the inner motivation to get changed on a freezing, wet day.
I get changed in the rain, get my board down - the McTavish 9'1'' today and head out. I wait for a set to break and then it goes flat and I head out with no worries and sit out the back. A set comes through and its breaking just before where most of the crew are sitting and the result is the need for me to go under the set. My head suffers what can only be called a brain freeze as I go under three waves, one after the other. I then sit and paddle a while to get my act together. A nice set comes through and I leave the first two and then paddle into the third, and it forms up beautifully and I'm away. I get up shakily and head left, get my balance and find myself going down the face of the wave in a slight free fall and get that great feeling of fear as your stomach sort of drops down on the inside. I land at the bottom and still have some face on my left and take it before the wave crashes down and I ride the whitewater - what a great wave and feel good about that.
I'm now in at the shore, more or less, and wait while some waves break and then head back out quickly. The next 15 minutes involves me getting a couple of classic wipeouts and one dinky little wave of about 2 seconds. I've been in a bout 40 minutes when I decide I have had enough and I'm getting out. As luck would have it as I start getting changed the rain comes down and I retreat to the car, once out of my wetsuit, to get into my clothes.
Not a bad way to start the morning but I do feel as if it will take me the next 2-3 hours to warm up again. I head to Merricks for some breakfast and it doesn't dissapoint - Merricks general store and then it's off home to watch Sam's footy. 7 breaks to go - touch and go I reckon.
I get changed in the rain, get my board down - the McTavish 9'1'' today and head out. I wait for a set to break and then it goes flat and I head out with no worries and sit out the back. A set comes through and its breaking just before where most of the crew are sitting and the result is the need for me to go under the set. My head suffers what can only be called a brain freeze as I go under three waves, one after the other. I then sit and paddle a while to get my act together. A nice set comes through and I leave the first two and then paddle into the third, and it forms up beautifully and I'm away. I get up shakily and head left, get my balance and find myself going down the face of the wave in a slight free fall and get that great feeling of fear as your stomach sort of drops down on the inside. I land at the bottom and still have some face on my left and take it before the wave crashes down and I ride the whitewater - what a great wave and feel good about that.
I'm now in at the shore, more or less, and wait while some waves break and then head back out quickly. The next 15 minutes involves me getting a couple of classic wipeouts and one dinky little wave of about 2 seconds. I've been in a bout 40 minutes when I decide I have had enough and I'm getting out. As luck would have it as I start getting changed the rain comes down and I retreat to the car, once out of my wetsuit, to get into my clothes.
Not a bad way to start the morning but I do feel as if it will take me the next 2-3 hours to warm up again. I head to Merricks for some breakfast and it doesn't dissapoint - Merricks general store and then it's off home to watch Sam's footy. 7 breaks to go - touch and go I reckon.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Break 42 - Bancoora
Saturday 17th 2011 and after having brekky and a look aroud the shops Sam and I drive to Bancoora which is past Point Impossible and heading towards 13th Beach. After the majesty of Bell's we drive off the Breamlea Rd into a very drab car park and park next to the red brick Bancoora Surf club and check out the waves. Bancoora is a pretty plain looking beach with a point on the right with big breaking waves out past the rocks ( a good 250+M paddle) and a beach break straight out from the car park. Today there are some inconsistent but occassional nice waves out there and we decide to head out.
The air has a bit of odour as I paddle out and I find out later Bancoora is also known as turd rock because of the proximity of the sewerage treatment plant down the road. From Bell's to Turd rock all in a morning - you could only do that in Victoria! I am out the back about two minutes, when a nice little 2 foot wave comes through and I get up quickly, go right, keep low and turn off the back - its a short ride but real fun. In the next 10 minutes I get about five rides all shortish but I am having a great time. I reckon I'm on the fifth when Sam finally hits the water, having taken an age to get into his wetty. Things have started brilliantly but its soon changes as the wind moves to be across the break and the tide gets higher. There a few more waves come through and I do manage one more quite good wave. Sam on the other hand has a shocker, gets up a couple of times and wipes out and gets only a shorebreak ride. The one wave he claims he could have got is naturally spoiled by me being on the inside and he says he had to give way - personally I don't remember seeing him and he never gives way, anyway!
We get out after about 40 minutes in the surf and then it's back to Torquay for some hot chips and more coffee for me. All up, after lunch and a bit more shop browsing it's now about 3.30 when we decide to head home and it's been a good day with two breaks down. I've got to 42 and there are about 3 weekends left - it's touch and go and I'm not sure I'll make 50 but I'll give it my best shot.
The air has a bit of odour as I paddle out and I find out later Bancoora is also known as turd rock because of the proximity of the sewerage treatment plant down the road. From Bell's to Turd rock all in a morning - you could only do that in Victoria! I am out the back about two minutes, when a nice little 2 foot wave comes through and I get up quickly, go right, keep low and turn off the back - its a short ride but real fun. In the next 10 minutes I get about five rides all shortish but I am having a great time. I reckon I'm on the fifth when Sam finally hits the water, having taken an age to get into his wetty. Things have started brilliantly but its soon changes as the wind moves to be across the break and the tide gets higher. There a few more waves come through and I do manage one more quite good wave. Sam on the other hand has a shocker, gets up a couple of times and wipes out and gets only a shorebreak ride. The one wave he claims he could have got is naturally spoiled by me being on the inside and he says he had to give way - personally I don't remember seeing him and he never gives way, anyway!
We get out after about 40 minutes in the surf and then it's back to Torquay for some hot chips and more coffee for me. All up, after lunch and a bit more shop browsing it's now about 3.30 when we decide to head home and it's been a good day with two breaks down. I've got to 42 and there are about 3 weekends left - it's touch and go and I'm not sure I'll make 50 but I'll give it my best shot.
Break 41 - Bell's Beach
Saturday 16th July and it's a rather cold 5 degrees Celsius as Sam and I head off down the West Coast about 7.40 am. Today we are going to Bell's Beach - the home of surfing in Victoria. We get to Bell's a little after 9.00 am and its bloody freezing as we get into our wetsuits. The surf is average - about 2 ft with occasional 3ft and the sets are a fair wait. There are two blokes out in the bowl section of Bells (Rincon) and that is where Sam and I head out to catch a few.
Sitting out at bell's is magnificent with the natural amphitheatre of the cliffs surrounding the beach and the water and today the sun is out, although a coastal fog makes it hard to see past Winki Pop on the left of Bells. The water is dark and very cold - must be close to only 10-12 degrees and Sam let's me know he can hardly feel his toes after we have been out about 10 minutes. There are even at this hour probably 30 tourists around the car park with their cameras, although if they were looking at the two of us there are no highlights to photograph.
We are probably out about 30 minutes before a decent wave comes through and I paddle hard and get on. I get up to me knees and then I find myself on the wave and going right kneeboard style. I get up as the wave breaks and get a ride into shore - I enjoy it but I have to do better than that at Bells. Sam gets on a wave and is dumped as he takes off too far into the wave. He then finds himself trapped as perhaps the best set of the day rolls through and he is pushed back for about 10 minutes waiting for things to die down and they do and he paddles back out.
After about another 10 minutes I get onto a nice wave, with great shape and head down and right and the wave seems to have great shape on the right as I turn up and try to go down the line - the wave dies however and I just turn out the top. I have caught a good wave at bell's though and I feel really good. Sam is still battling though and I suggest to him we head in and he is very happy to do so. We get back to shore and walk up the steps to the car park and you can't help thinking when you go up the stairs at Bells about all the great surfers who have walked up the same steps - MP, MR, Parko with his great win this year, Slater and Fanning etc.
Getting changed in the car park it is freezing and you have to be hardy surfing in Victoria in winter. We head into Torqay for breakfast and its a ripper - Bombora Cafe opposite the surf shops. Sam has french toast and a couple of hash browns and I have an egg and bacon roll with great coffee - fantastic and it's a great end to a good morning.
Sitting out at bell's is magnificent with the natural amphitheatre of the cliffs surrounding the beach and the water and today the sun is out, although a coastal fog makes it hard to see past Winki Pop on the left of Bells. The water is dark and very cold - must be close to only 10-12 degrees and Sam let's me know he can hardly feel his toes after we have been out about 10 minutes. There are even at this hour probably 30 tourists around the car park with their cameras, although if they were looking at the two of us there are no highlights to photograph.
We are probably out about 30 minutes before a decent wave comes through and I paddle hard and get on. I get up to me knees and then I find myself on the wave and going right kneeboard style. I get up as the wave breaks and get a ride into shore - I enjoy it but I have to do better than that at Bells. Sam gets on a wave and is dumped as he takes off too far into the wave. He then finds himself trapped as perhaps the best set of the day rolls through and he is pushed back for about 10 minutes waiting for things to die down and they do and he paddles back out.
After about another 10 minutes I get onto a nice wave, with great shape and head down and right and the wave seems to have great shape on the right as I turn up and try to go down the line - the wave dies however and I just turn out the top. I have caught a good wave at bell's though and I feel really good. Sam is still battling though and I suggest to him we head in and he is very happy to do so. We get back to shore and walk up the steps to the car park and you can't help thinking when you go up the stairs at Bells about all the great surfers who have walked up the same steps - MP, MR, Parko with his great win this year, Slater and Fanning etc.
Getting changed in the car park it is freezing and you have to be hardy surfing in Victoria in winter. We head into Torqay for breakfast and its a ripper - Bombora Cafe opposite the surf shops. Sam has french toast and a couple of hash browns and I have an egg and bacon roll with great coffee - fantastic and it's a great end to a good morning.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Break No. 40 - Guvvos
Sunday 26th June and I'm up reasonably early for a Sunday and out of house about 7.45 am. The wind is northerly and I'm thinking I'll try the West Coast and head towards Fairhaven. The sky is pretty clear and although the wind seems pretty strong I'm thinking it looks like a ripper day. I'm going by myself today and am thinking about whether I can double up, but that may be tough as I've got to be back for Sam's footy in the afternoon.
I make pretty good time and am heading past Bell's Beach about 9.00 am. I keep going and as I head through Anglesea I think I will stop at Guvvos and check that out. Guvvos is about 4 kms out of Anglesea, and is I think the third beach car park on Point Roadknight. Guvvos is a beach break and as I look out from the beach lookout there are around 6 or 7 blokes in the water and whilst it looks small, it's very clean with a strong off-shore wind blowing. I get changed quickly and I reckon it's only about 7 or 8 degrees with the wind chill biting a bit too.
I'm quickly in the water and out the back in no time. The waves are probably mostly 1/2 a meter with the odd 1 meter rolling through. The waves are holding up in the strong off shore and this is a bit frustrating. After about 10 mins I get onto a great little wave but I probably take off a bit straight and deep as when I look to go left and back up the bank the wave has already broken - I just turn out, but it was a nice little ride. I paddle around for the next 15 mins keeping warm and actually with the sun out it's really pretty nice, it's just the wind on your face that bites a bit. A set comes through and I let two others I'm out with get the first wave and then I get onto the second. It's a nice wave, about 2 foot or so and I'm up quickly and go right down the face and then turn right again to coast down the line very briefly before it breaks and dribbles out. Another nice ride.
I get onto a couple of other rides over the next twenty minutes or so and also make a clown of myself on another couple of waves by either getting under one or falling off another. After being out about 50 mins. I head in and must say I've enjoyed Guvvos and would come back again, the banks look good and one of the guys out tells me he reckons it's one of the most reliable breaks around - he tells me lives in Anglesea and so that's a great recommendation.
After the surf I head into Torquay and check out the shops, buying a few tee shirts on sale and grabbing some breakfast. I go into Patagonia and I love their stuff but wish they would have a sale, so I could afford to buy something! 40 breaks down and 10 to go - it will be touch and go but what the hell it's the journey you need to enjoy, not the goal isn't it!!
I make pretty good time and am heading past Bell's Beach about 9.00 am. I keep going and as I head through Anglesea I think I will stop at Guvvos and check that out. Guvvos is about 4 kms out of Anglesea, and is I think the third beach car park on Point Roadknight. Guvvos is a beach break and as I look out from the beach lookout there are around 6 or 7 blokes in the water and whilst it looks small, it's very clean with a strong off-shore wind blowing. I get changed quickly and I reckon it's only about 7 or 8 degrees with the wind chill biting a bit too.
I'm quickly in the water and out the back in no time. The waves are probably mostly 1/2 a meter with the odd 1 meter rolling through. The waves are holding up in the strong off shore and this is a bit frustrating. After about 10 mins I get onto a great little wave but I probably take off a bit straight and deep as when I look to go left and back up the bank the wave has already broken - I just turn out, but it was a nice little ride. I paddle around for the next 15 mins keeping warm and actually with the sun out it's really pretty nice, it's just the wind on your face that bites a bit. A set comes through and I let two others I'm out with get the first wave and then I get onto the second. It's a nice wave, about 2 foot or so and I'm up quickly and go right down the face and then turn right again to coast down the line very briefly before it breaks and dribbles out. Another nice ride.
I get onto a couple of other rides over the next twenty minutes or so and also make a clown of myself on another couple of waves by either getting under one or falling off another. After being out about 50 mins. I head in and must say I've enjoyed Guvvos and would come back again, the banks look good and one of the guys out tells me he reckons it's one of the most reliable breaks around - he tells me lives in Anglesea and so that's a great recommendation.
After the surf I head into Torquay and check out the shops, buying a few tee shirts on sale and grabbing some breakfast. I go into Patagonia and I love their stuff but wish they would have a sale, so I could afford to buy something! 40 breaks down and 10 to go - it will be touch and go but what the hell it's the journey you need to enjoy, not the goal isn't it!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Break 39 - Flynn's Reef, Phillip Island
Sunday 20th June and its overcast and windy but Sam and I decide to head to Phillip Island with Flynn's Reef the destination. We leave about 11.30 and arrive at Flynn's about 1.15 pm and its windy and also just a real inconsistent, swirly wind. Flynn's Reef is just before the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island and on the way to Cat Bay. We get out of the car and check the beach and its pretty ordinary, in fact the only reason you would surf Flynn's today would be because you had set yourself a ridiculous challenge to surf 50 different breaks in one year.
I head down the beach and it's that windy I'm having trouble holding my McTavish 9' Mal. I get out the back and I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing. A couple of waves comes through and they just blow out and then reform to dump just before the beach. I try and get a couple of waves but it is pretty hopeless and the wind is just getting stronger. I get onto a wave and get up and just hang on the lip and then bang the wave dumps and down I go. I go flat into the water and then over and get washed into the shore. I head back out, but after 10 minutes I think this is ridiculous and head back to the car where Sam is warm and happily listeningto the radio.
Sam and I do our usual stop at Smiths and again I get a great wrap and Sam has his version of a mixed grill - 3 nuggets, 3 calamari rings and chips. It is very good as usual as is the coffee. We check YCW and Smiths and there are waves but the wind is so off-shore and strong it is just holding up the waves and high tide is not helping. We head home and whilst the surf was rubbish and I feel satisfied that I have another break down and believe I'm still on track.
I head down the beach and it's that windy I'm having trouble holding my McTavish 9' Mal. I get out the back and I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing. A couple of waves comes through and they just blow out and then reform to dump just before the beach. I try and get a couple of waves but it is pretty hopeless and the wind is just getting stronger. I get onto a wave and get up and just hang on the lip and then bang the wave dumps and down I go. I go flat into the water and then over and get washed into the shore. I head back out, but after 10 minutes I think this is ridiculous and head back to the car where Sam is warm and happily listeningto the radio.
Sam and I do our usual stop at Smiths and again I get a great wrap and Sam has his version of a mixed grill - 3 nuggets, 3 calamari rings and chips. It is very good as usual as is the coffee. We check YCW and Smiths and there are waves but the wind is so off-shore and strong it is just holding up the waves and high tide is not helping. We head home and whilst the surf was rubbish and I feel satisfied that I have another break down and believe I'm still on track.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)