Whailin Wednesday

The last two afternoons have been epic.

Offshore winds and a consistent swell...dreams!

I leave work with just enough time to ride home, grab a log and head to the beach to catch the last hour of daylight. I will say in response to my previous post, now winter is here it's really kicked in. Water temps are definitely on the drop and there's a chill in the air as the day starts to fade. Safe to say this may have been the last surf in boardies/vest for a few months.

We also managed to get a snap of this big boy cruising up the coast! Who needs whale watching tours, just go surfing and you'll see it all!

It's been a while since I've had a decent surf on the Step Deck. The JBS log I've been riding has been so good it's been hard to go past it. Unfortunately I've run out of wax and things have been getting a bit slippery out on the penguin. Sometimes its handy to have a spare log up your sleeve...

...and much fun was had on that day!

Ph

Winter? Really?

It's hard to believe it's the first day of winter. Air and water temps are still ridiculously warm, perfect for a relaxing weekend at the beach.

Hans and I snuck away from the housework this weekend to catch up with a few of her former colleagues. In the process we made friends with three of the most chilled dogs I have ever encountered, found a boss beach shanty and stumbled across some uncrowded waves ripe for the shredding.

Nearly smuggled one of these boys in the car on the way home! Fun fact, they were so similar their owner had to inspect their scrotums to tell them apart!

Things proved challenging on the Bu so I made a hasty retreat to something more size appropriate...

...and it paid dividends!

Ph

In the fade

Autumn is epic. 

Barrels and nose rides at the hole.

Ph

Shark bait brew haha

The misty rain has kept conditions nice and smooth this weekend. Unfortunately the heat and humidity has inspired large numbers to dust of the board and head to the beach.

For those looking to get in a peaceful surf, it's often best to leave it until last light and brave the twilight...oh and if you see a fin/dark shadow pass underneath pretend it's a manta ray.

19:30 15/02/2014 C Hole

Ph

Goofin around

Summer takes a toll on surfers.

The relentless onshore winds and weak swell make it difficult to clock up many hours in the surf. Fortunately I've discovered a cure for the onshore blues that allows me to work on my long boarding style.

Its called a goof board. I wish I had one when I started surfing, it really is the closest experience to being out there on a log.

Here's a little vid of me giving it a workout this arvo. Still haven't mastered kicks and hangin' heels yet but give me a few more weeks and I reckon I'll have it.

Goofin Around from Peter Harget on Vimeo.

Another log for the quiver...

I've been hunting around for a few years for something special for the quiver. On my weekly perusal of eBay I found this old treasure and managed to win the auction for under $100!

It's coming all the way from South Australia but it should arrive by the weekend if all goes to plan.

It's not the prettiest looking old mal, but I plan on making this a restoration project to try and get her back to some of her former glory. A bit of elbow grease should get the trashy spray paint and gel coat off.

She measures up at 9'6" x 22" x 3" double stringer, big old rolled belly and original D fin! It's waterproof and ready to surf this autumn. I really can't wait to get this baby in the water, and ultimately when I've got somewhere to work on her, back to original condition.

Might need to start doing some pushups though, I'd say she's a bit heavier than the new logs I've been riding.

Pre Summer Catchup 2013

Just doing some maintenance on my camera and found these snaps of a pre summer catchup with a couple of former beach cottage boys.

We left Newcastle one hot friday arvo in November, arrived in Plomer just before nightfall, set up camp and prayed for swell.

The next day the swell remained small so we had to entertain ourselves around camp (aka 9am beers) until the tide dropped.

At low tide things remained grim. I snagged a few on the point on the log at lunch time but it was pretty feeble. And thats when then rain came....

...By 3 PM everything was drenched and we were huddled together under a tarp next to Swanny's ute. The decision to go home was made around the time Fishy's shelter broke free of its bindings and started cartwheeling towards the ocean. Fortunately for Fish it was snagged by a large bush and didn't end up in the drink. For me, seeing Fishy take of across the camp ground was the highlight of the trip! Those tentative steps at first trying to decide whether or not it was worth salvaging, then the full sprint as it got closer to the water... haha you had to be there I guess.

Even through the surf was pretty ordinary and we got washed out after the first night it was still a memorable trip. The beauty of the national park, our close encounter with a visiting whale and just spending time with good mates made it all worth while.

Pete