Monday 25th April and after a surf at Surf Beach, Sam and I head to Smiths's beach for our usual lunch and coffee and it doesn't dissapoint - the best wraps, fish and chips and coffee on the island, a must visit at Phillip Island. After filling up we head left from Smiths down back beach road and past the grand prix track; we see Berry's Beach Rd and decide to check it out, having driven past it countless times on the way to Cat Bay. Berry's Beach is a great visit - a winding track down to the beach through scrub to emerge into a semi-circular beach with red cliff down the end, green hills in backdrop and black rock point on the right. The break today is all close outs but Sam and I head out anyway and sit about 3/4 of the way out and cathc some reforms. We both get a few waves but more than anything just enjoy the setting, the sun and probably for me the last chance for some time to wear a summer wettie in mild water. Really enjoyable 45 mins in the water, less for the waves and more for juts finding another great Victorian beach. There is a walk from Berry's beach round to Pyramid rock and that looks fantastic.
Today is Break 32 and I think I'm still on track, although my family I think have given up on me and think of my quest for 50 as slightly Don Quixote in nature - futile quest of the old man. The next 6 weeks I think are crucial and so next weekend will try and double up again.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Break 31 - Surf Beach, Phillip Island
Monday 25th and its another cracker day of the Easter Break. Saturday we went to Bells and saw some fantastic surfing in 3 meter Bells with Mick Fanning and Parko just awesome in their heats. Today Sam and I are heading to Phillip Island and the weather is forecast as sunny and low 20s. As we head off about 9.00 it's thick fog can you believe it. The fog breaks as we get close the Island and its blue skies all the way the Woolamai - the surf is just not there on low tide and we decide to try surf beach.
Surf beach is a great little beach. Typical of the Island with a stair case walk down to the beach, with the beach backed by cliffs of green, with black rocks around. Surfies point is on the point of the beach but Sam and I try the beachies where there are a half dozen blokes out. I am in the water with leash on and as I go to zip up the back of my wettie and head out the zip beaks and the wettie won't do up. I try and fasten the top and head out with a gaping back in the wetsuit. I get onto a wave and I'm up and away going right and then the wave dies and I drop down and fall out. As I hit the water my suit fills up and even my legs are swelled with water. I hop on the board and head in weighing a ton. I decide its no use going back out and am grateful I've got my summer wettie in the car for later. Sam stays out for about 20 mins and doesn't have much luck but there are some waves out there and it's a beach worth coming to.
I will try surfies point next time I'm back with a new wettie. Anyway it was great just sitting on the beach as the day is awesome and the beach view great.
Surf beach is a great little beach. Typical of the Island with a stair case walk down to the beach, with the beach backed by cliffs of green, with black rocks around. Surfies point is on the point of the beach but Sam and I try the beachies where there are a half dozen blokes out. I am in the water with leash on and as I go to zip up the back of my wettie and head out the zip beaks and the wettie won't do up. I try and fasten the top and head out with a gaping back in the wetsuit. I get onto a wave and I'm up and away going right and then the wave dies and I drop down and fall out. As I hit the water my suit fills up and even my legs are swelled with water. I hop on the board and head in weighing a ton. I decide its no use going back out and am grateful I've got my summer wettie in the car for later. Sam stays out for about 20 mins and doesn't have much luck but there are some waves out there and it's a beach worth coming to.
I will try surfies point next time I'm back with a new wettie. Anyway it was great just sitting on the beach as the day is awesome and the beach view great.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Break 30 - Point Lonsdale
Saturday 9th April and I've already surfed 13th Beach and had a great breakfast in Point Lonsdale. Lonsdale is about 20 mins from 13th Beach and is basically at the heads entrance to Port Phillip Bay. It's a great place for a visit - the town is nice and has plenty of places to eat and if you don't want to surf the lookout on the point is fantastic and Queensclif is just down the road.
I check out the surf and it's pretty much the same as 13th although the off-shore wind has picked up more and there's even fewer people out here. There are two blokes in the water where I head out and the wait between sets is even longer. It's about 1.00 pm as I hit the water. Like this morning the view and weather is great - you can see the lighthouse on the point and right across the heads to point nepean on the other side of the bay. The beach is really spectacular today.
The surf is not so spectacular and I catch probably about 6 waves in more than an hour in the surf. The left hander works really well and I don't know why I surf well on the backhand but is seem to. I get some really enjoyable rides going left and manage to stay low and get some great rides going down the line. I get out after more than an hour in the surf and I am buggered. It's a small hike up the hill past the surf club but I am really puffing as I go up. Two surfs in the day and I am back on track I reckon. 30 breaks down and 20 to go.
Bring on April I say and I am aiming to have 35 by the end of April/first week of May.
I check out the surf and it's pretty much the same as 13th although the off-shore wind has picked up more and there's even fewer people out here. There are two blokes in the water where I head out and the wait between sets is even longer. It's about 1.00 pm as I hit the water. Like this morning the view and weather is great - you can see the lighthouse on the point and right across the heads to point nepean on the other side of the bay. The beach is really spectacular today.
The surf is not so spectacular and I catch probably about 6 waves in more than an hour in the surf. The left hander works really well and I don't know why I surf well on the backhand but is seem to. I get some really enjoyable rides going left and manage to stay low and get some great rides going down the line. I get out after more than an hour in the surf and I am buggered. It's a small hike up the hill past the surf club but I am really puffing as I go up. Two surfs in the day and I am back on track I reckon. 30 breaks down and 20 to go.
Bring on April I say and I am aiming to have 35 by the end of April/first week of May.
Break 29 - Cylinders @ 13th Beach
Saturday 9th April - cracker of a day with a northerly wind and temp. expected to be high 20's. I head off early, a bit after 7.00 am and after gettuing coffee and petrol on the way get to 13th beach about 9.00 am. 13th beach is at barwon heads on the west coast, about 20 mins from Geelong heading towards the Port Phillip heads. Today 13th looks great - clear as a bell, small swell and hardly anyone out, presumably because of the small swell.
I hit the surf and there are 3 or 4 others out in the water. It's really a great spot - you can see down the coast towards the Torquay and up the other way towards Ocean Grove past the point at barwon heads. The waves are small - 2 foot and mainly even smaller and long waits betwen sets. On another day the wait might frustrate but today with the weather and knowing it might be the last day I can get away with my summer wetty, I just make the most of it. The waves are breaking left and right and the rides are short. I stay out for about an hour and get six or seven good waves, including a couple of great left handers - down low and managing to just sort of hang on the top of the wave a couple of times after going left for a while.
It's been a really enjoyable surf - the blokes out were nice and friendly and the scenery and surf make the day. The weather and surf are so good I decide to head to breakfast and then try Point Lonsdale.
I hit the surf and there are 3 or 4 others out in the water. It's really a great spot - you can see down the coast towards the Torquay and up the other way towards Ocean Grove past the point at barwon heads. The waves are small - 2 foot and mainly even smaller and long waits betwen sets. On another day the wait might frustrate but today with the weather and knowing it might be the last day I can get away with my summer wetty, I just make the most of it. The waves are breaking left and right and the rides are short. I stay out for about an hour and get six or seven good waves, including a couple of great left handers - down low and managing to just sort of hang on the top of the wave a couple of times after going left for a while.
It's been a really enjoyable surf - the blokes out were nice and friendly and the scenery and surf make the day. The weather and surf are so good I decide to head to breakfast and then try Point Lonsdale.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Break 28 - East Beach, Port Fairy
Saturday 2nd April and Warnambool is blown out and so I head down to Port Fairy to check the surf out. Port Fairy is only 30/40 mins from Warnambool and a very nice drive with a few spots on the way worth checking out - Killarney and Tower Hill to name a few.
At Port Fairy I check out the East Beach in this historic little town. It doesn't look great - the beach is in a small bay and the wind is onshore and surf a little blown out. There are 3 blokes out in front of the surf club and I think well they can't all be wrong and so head out. I get out through the breaking surf pretty easily and it's about 2 foot mostly with the odd 2.5 foot coming through. The waves are mostly dumping but there is the odd ride to be had, mostly breaking right. I get a couple of nice waves and one great dumper, which sends me flying. The good wave reforms and is quite a nice ride into the beach and I get out. I'm out for about 40 mins and you can tell the good weather is over for Victoria, as I get out because my feet are losing their feeling it's that cold in the water. The beach itself is very picturesque and I can imagine it getting some good surf for long boarders in winter when bigger swells would get into the bay.
I check out the breaks around Port Fairy and they are really mean - the passage and Gabbos. There are rocks everywhere and great big, wild surf - it's for tough, experienced and crazy surfers.
Port Fairy is a great little town and the bakery in the main street is fantastic and there are lots of great places to eat and stay. It is definitely worth a look.
At Port Fairy I check out the East Beach in this historic little town. It doesn't look great - the beach is in a small bay and the wind is onshore and surf a little blown out. There are 3 blokes out in front of the surf club and I think well they can't all be wrong and so head out. I get out through the breaking surf pretty easily and it's about 2 foot mostly with the odd 2.5 foot coming through. The waves are mostly dumping but there is the odd ride to be had, mostly breaking right. I get a couple of nice waves and one great dumper, which sends me flying. The good wave reforms and is quite a nice ride into the beach and I get out. I'm out for about 40 mins and you can tell the good weather is over for Victoria, as I get out because my feet are losing their feeling it's that cold in the water. The beach itself is very picturesque and I can imagine it getting some good surf for long boarders in winter when bigger swells would get into the bay.
I check out the breaks around Port Fairy and they are really mean - the passage and Gabbos. There are rocks everywhere and great big, wild surf - it's for tough, experienced and crazy surfers.
Port Fairy is a great little town and the bakery in the main street is fantastic and there are lots of great places to eat and stay. It is definitely worth a look.
Break 27 - Warnambool
Friday 1st April and I have a day off between jobs and so have headed to Warnambool in the deep west of Victoria to get some surf and chill out.
Warnambool is about 3.5 hours from Melbourne and I arrive about 2.00 pm and check out the best known break - japs at Logans Beach and its terrible and so I head into town towards my accomodation and the main beach. I pull up next to the surf club and check the beach - its blowing a fair gale and the wind is on shore which doesn't make for the best conditions. I decide to head out anyway and there's one other bloke out there as well trying to catch a wave. The swell is about 2 foot and I head out the back. I catch a wave nearly straight away and it's about a five second wave down the face before "dumper" down she goes and I ride some whitewater. I get another couple of waves, including one slightly longer ride and then head out. I can see why they call it windy Warnambool.
Warnambool is a really great town, the main beach is great and the walks around the beach and across to thunder point are truly worth a look. The main beach, Lady bay is a beginner/intermediate wave and Logans beach is more intermediate/experienced surfer.
Warnambool is about 3.5 hours from Melbourne and I arrive about 2.00 pm and check out the best known break - japs at Logans Beach and its terrible and so I head into town towards my accomodation and the main beach. I pull up next to the surf club and check the beach - its blowing a fair gale and the wind is on shore which doesn't make for the best conditions. I decide to head out anyway and there's one other bloke out there as well trying to catch a wave. The swell is about 2 foot and I head out the back. I catch a wave nearly straight away and it's about a five second wave down the face before "dumper" down she goes and I ride some whitewater. I get another couple of waves, including one slightly longer ride and then head out. I can see why they call it windy Warnambool.
Warnambool is a really great town, the main beach is great and the walks around the beach and across to thunder point are truly worth a look. The main beach, Lady bay is a beginner/intermediate wave and Logans beach is more intermediate/experienced surfer.
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