Sunday 6th March and it's a beautiful Autumn day in Melbourne and one of the best days we have had in weeks. The temperature is expected in high 20s, the sun is out, the skies are blue and the surf forecast is good. Sam has headed down the West Coast with a mate and his mates dad and so today I am off solo. I decide I will head down the East Coast and Gunnamatta is my destination of choice. "Gunna" is renowned as one of Victoria's most reliable beach breaks and for short board riders in Melbourne, probably the destintaion of choice most weekends. From my place it's about 80-90 mins and I head off about 8.45.
At about 10.15 or so I am getting out of my car at Gunnamatta and the place is packed. The second car park near the surf club is packed - 60-70 cars I reckon and I head to check the surf. There's plenty of people on the beach because it's such a great day but there are also about 40-50 surfers spread out over 3 breaks up and down the beach. The forecast has been spot on - 2 to 3 foot, north easter wind and good conditions.
Gunna in my view is one those waves for experienced surfers. Even on a day like today the waves have some power and there are rips running up and down the beach. I pick my mark on the beach to head out and today it's pretty easy getting out the back if you take your time and wait for breaks between sets, which are quite reasonable. I find a spot which is not right out the back, just about 10-15 meters short of that and wait for my wave. It's a frustrating next 20 mins as I nearly get on to a few, just fall off the back and catch a ripper only just as I'm getting up a voice on the inside yells "whoa! it's mine mate" and I drop off the back. I paddle around looking for some space and then a set comes through. I let the first couple go and then set myself for the third - it forms up and I catch the clean end of the wave as it starts to break going left, I'm up and the wave pushed me left and away I go down the line and then just as suddenly as I'm up and away, the wave dies out and I turn out. I paddle around and let the gun surfers around me catch a few and then I finally get on to one, which is a reform from out the back but I manage to go left down the line and then turn more straight on as it reforms and it takes me nearly all the way to beach. At this point I have been out here about 45 mins and I decide to head in and take advantage of the great weather and try a surf at Rye.
I get changed with the intention of going to Rye beach but on the way I see the sign for St. Andrews and think well why not try there. St. Andrews is further west down the same beach stretch of coast as Gunna and about a 10 minute drive, albeit a bit windy and confusing. I get to St. Andrews and the conditions are identical although not as crowded and the waves look slightly more benign. St Andrews is classic beach break but with rocks around the entry to the water and there are some clear gates to go out from here. You walk down through the dunes and it's a great stretch of beach. I head out through a sand gate between the rocks, waiting for a break in the waves and then I'm off paddling. Nice paddle out the back of about 50-60 meters and I just sit and wait for a good wave. The off-shore wind seems slightly stringer and the waves are holding up a bit and it means they are just not forming up as you expect. There are some good surfers out and I'm the only bloke on a longboard in my area - there are three breaks working across the beach and the surfers are quite well spread out.
I have been out about 20 mins and not had any luck, fallen of the back of a few and probably not taken my chances on quite a few and then along comes my wave of the day - I get up quickly and head straight as the waves breaks in front, it then reforms and I turn up and down the face heading right and it takes me all the way to the beach. A great ride and I decide to call it quits and head home.
St Andrew's is a good choice of beach when Gunna is crowded and conditions are good - as the conditions are nearly the same but you have less crowds.
A successful day and I'm pretty happy with two breaks in one day and I think I need 30 breaks down at the end of March to be on track.
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