Break 5 - Shoreham beach (the pines)

27th November and what a day in Melbourne.  It's raining with flood warnings but oddly it's in the low 20s temperature wise.  The surf forecast for the east coast is a good swell in the afternoon with best spots inside Westernport bay.   I check the triggerbros surfcam at about 2.00 pm and there are plenty out at Pt Leo and so I decide to head for Shoreham, hoping the wind holds and the swell remains. 

Shoreham is about 5 minutes drive on from Point Leo on the Hastings-Flinders rd and is a picturesque little beach surrounded by small hills with pine trees on the ridge and it has a lovely country air about it.  They've improved the beach access road over the last couple of years but it can still have plenty of pot holes in it when it has been really raining.  We arrive at about 3.30 and the car park is pretty full with surfers out at all three breaks on the beach - the left end of the beach known as Honeysuckle and the middle beach and right point breaks (the pines).  All the breaks are over a reef and the surf only works a couple hours either side of high tide.

Sam and I decide to go out in middle break and its about a 50 meter paddle.  You can go out on the left and mostly paddle around the break and then paddle back across and wait in the line up.  The waves today are about 1/2 to 1 meter with the latter pretty rare and only out at the right point break end of the beach.  Shoreham is a longboarders wave and there are probaly all up about 30 odd people out.  Sam absolutely struggles to get out but it is a sign of his paddling improvement that he manages to get out most the way - he gets stuck in between and is clearly frustrated though.  He is caught where the waves are breaking and then when the swell drops just can't paddle hard enough to get through. 

I get out the back and watch for Sam whilst also trying to get a few waves - a good wave at Shoreham takes you right and about 30 meters for a great ride.  I sit out the back and wait and then a small set comes through, I paddle hard, jump up quickly and bang go straight over the front of board - wipeout no. 1.  I look around for any signs of laughter but Sam is still stuck trying to get out.  I go over and help him and give him a break by towing him out as he hangs onto my legrope.  He then sits and finally paddles onto one and gets up and is getting quite a good ride before he decides to somersault off the right of his board.  Not sure about the move but he seems happy about it. 

I head back out and finally I get onto a wave.  I paddle hard, get up, move my backfoot onto my grip and manouvre right and am away - the wave starts to die and I go forward on my board and sink my front foot down to get some momentum and that helps keep me going for bit and then I theatrically dive off and feel pretty good about myself.

I surface and look up to see Sam traipsing up the beach and heading to the right point break.  The right point is under a cliff and the point is very rocky.  Sam is on the rocks trying to get out - I am now on the beach, yelling at him and trying to get him to hear me.  The reason I'm doing this is the best way out at the point is you go round the corner, then enter the surf from the beach and you paddle out on the right of the break and it's pretty much a flat trip around the break. Sam doesn't hear me and jumps in off the rocks - I head out there and watch him struggling again in the "in between" and motion him to go right.  I go round the corner and he soon gets across to join me. 

We are out the back pretty quickly and then within about five minutes we both catch a great 2 footer, it forms beautifully and I take off left, it dumps quickly but then reforms and I am able get back up the wave, turn down and head right - a great little wave.  I look around and Sam has clearly caught it for a while as well.  We paddle around for a fair bit longer and with not much happening for us, although plenty being caught by others we head out. 

We get changed and head to Balnarring for a coffee for me and hot chocolate for Sam - it's about 5.30 now and it's been a pretty good afternoon.  We speak to Sue to let her know we are heading home and she let's us know it's been pouring with rain in Melbourne - we had none down at Shoreham.  Just as a side note the bakery in Balnarring is bloody fantastic and I love their pasties and also the iced doughnuts. 

AnywayI  feel I'm building some momentum now with Break 5 done and dusted and I reckon 10 by Christmas is a real possibility.