Wind: Light WNW
Tides: Large tides, HT was around 1pm so we surfed the dropping tide
Reefs: 6-8ft
A solid swell with light NW winds = a solid 6ft+ with the odd eight foot rogue thrown in for good measure.
Luckily my recent Ireland trip had served up bigger so I was feeling fairly relaxed on the inside and feeling quite comfortable to begin with.
It started off nice enough and the sun even put in an appearance but it was only when Mike, Kev and I paddled out that we realised the fast hollow right we were aiming for was going to be too big. The right looked amazing so one to check and none of us had ridden it before.
It was a long, fast wall followed by a heaving barrel on the inside - no doubt concealing a slab of some sort.
As we picked our way through the reef large waves pounded the inside making for a heart pounding paddle out as large glassy waves reared up.
Eventually we allowed it out and paddled over to what had lookups a more manageable peak...
Lovely waves were jacking up in deep water but it was hard to know where to sit as it was all quite random. A steep right pushed in and the boys shouted me in.
A long range view from the fields above. You can't actually see the reef from here, just some lines:
The lip reared up and off I went, getting a nice air drop for my troubles. After that the wave flattened out so I kicked out and went back for more.
Kev was next going late and going down but he was soon back in the saddle and beginning to dominate the session, taking off on a nice big right followed up with a dredging left. Hoots all round!
Larry meanwhile was scouring the inside wave picking off the odd one but it was hard to catch a decent one.
The swell began to build as the tide pushed in and we were soon scurrying around trying our best to avoid the bigger 8ft set waves that came through once in a while. One however caught us out. Larry in front didn't quite manage to get under.
My 'Firewire' board is stupidly light so invaluable when you've got to go that little bit deeper, fast!
I felt the serpent grabbing my legs trying to pull me backwards and down but just squeaked through and wriggled free. Phew!
Larry however wasn't so lucky. I surfaced to find he'd been dragged back a good 100 yards or so underwater, behind me and was covered in white foam with a thousand yard stare for good measure.
On the inside 'Crofty Cowboy' had recently joined us after an eventful paddle out asking us "where's the f***s the channel then boys?"
To which we all replied "Errr...There isn't one!" at which point we all had a good chuckle.
Another big set loomed. I let the first one go as positioning was key on this wave and lined up for the 2nd wave. I'd only had 3 waves in about an hour and was getting cold and wave starved so needed some adrenalin to warm me up.
I paddled hard into a nice hollow right and made a nice steep drop, flashing Larry a 'V' for victory sign as I went. This one had a bit more face to it and let me throw in one nice cutback before kicking out into the channel.
Larry and Crofty were paddling back out as was I when we all turned to watch Kev taking off on another bomb. Time stood still as I watched Kev late in the lip, bailing as the beast pitched over.
I saw Kev, in a stretched foetal position going down with the ship on a solid 8 footer - the sort of image you see in Surfer magazine as 'wipe-out of the month' LOL
We are calling it wipe-out of the year...so far anyway!
I later remarked that he didn't look like he was diving for lobster - more like groping for sand eels! ;)
Board vertical, below him and Kev in an awkward position meant that he didn't land deeply and got what can only be described in the business as 'a proper pasting' followed up by another big set wave for good measure.
It took him a while to rejoin us and talk us through his moment of pain and darkness! ;)
Crofty picked off a few smaller waves inside and had already equalled our wave count!
After that it all got a bit uneventful. Larry decided to quietly paddle down to another left hand reef and try his luck there whilst we scratched around trying to pick off waves which were by now getting a bit deep.
I was freezing my tight little derriere off at this point! Dressed in a 5/3 wetty and reef slippers with a cold N wind blowing, along with rain and dark cloud....it was time to go.
I'll be donning full winter clobber soon me thinks - definitely boots anyway.
We all paddled inside to scope out the exit and try to pick off a wave to shore. I went first catching a left and milked it as far as I dared and jumped off...still too deep!
With my feet a long way off bottom I paddled in but quickly realised I was getting pushed over towards a rocky slab of jagged rocks with good sized waves pounding through the inside where I was now walking in waist deep water.
Each time the tide surged back I was pushed in closer towards the jagged rocks on the inside. Gulp...I was trying to hold my nerve but at the same time thinking - this could get a bit nasty if I get washed onto dry reef in these conditions...
I was desperately trying to stay on my feet, avoid being dragged over rocks and keep my board ding free - but I eventually succumbed when a large wave engulfed me!
I had no choice but to go with the flow and let nature take it's course. Luckily the white water shielded me from reef below; washing me in to shallow water where I could finally scramble out of the danger zone.
Just to my right was a nice gentle cove - much wider than the narrow inlet I'd gone for but which was invisible from the sea. I shouted Kev into this one; giving him and his nugget a nice gentle exit :)
Meanwhile...Crofty was perilously close to having the same treatment as me, only slightly further down the reef. He didn't seem to realise the imminent danger he was in so we shouted at him to head in our direction and he somehow made it over intact.
Everyone out safely - job done.
Not many waves ridden but plenty of heart pounding action and some good adrenalin rushes on the ones we tamed. Getting back to the van, my whole body was chilled to the core.
It took me far too long to locate my car key as my fingers had turned into lobster claws. As I stood naked, shivering in the back of the van - my brain couldn't compute which item of clothing to put on first - beanie, uggs or sweatshirt?! I went for beanie and dressed from the toes up! ;0
Driving home I stopped for much needed energy supplies but came across a crazy lady who asked for a lift back to Swansea. All I wanted to do was scoff food and whack the heating on full but it was cold and wet and her bus hadn't arrived...so I did the decent thing.
I then felt bad as I'd not got anything for her to eat?! So had to wait until she'd stopped talking and hopped out (half and hour later) before I could feed.
More big waves on the horizon but I've got to shake off this head cold first...
Nice work Gull
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