We've had some huge tides recently and Sunday and Monday were no exception at 10 metres odd.
This meant that the Severn Bore would awaken from it's winter slumber, ready to be ruined by kayakers once again;)
Loads of footage already up (check You Tube)and some saying it's the best and biggest they've seen it at certain spots.
Apart from the commentary, this clip is pretty cool as it shows a surfer at 'pylons' calmly stepping off the bank into the incoming bore wave at the very last minute and surfing it up river.
The surf has been pretty good and fairly clean most days this week but gradually getting smaller. It should build for the weekend though.
10 days since I hurt my back and still no sign of me getting back into the water. The doctor reckoned I could be out for up to a month but I'm aiming for 3 weeks...
In the meantime I'll keep on snapping.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Tuesday 22 February 2011
It's pumping
Who cares if Sunny Garcia goes to the slammer again when the surf is so good?!
Swell: 1.5m
Period: 13 seconds
Winds: V.light E winds
Sea Temp: 6.5 deg C
It may be a bit foggy out there but the coast is groomed with pleasant looking corduroy lines. Get on it!
Swell: 1.5m
Period: 13 seconds
Winds: V.light E winds
Sea Temp: 6.5 deg C
It may be a bit foggy out there but the coast is groomed with pleasant looking corduroy lines. Get on it!
Monday 21 February 2011
The swell run continues
Well I thought 2010 was a good winter but 2011 seems to be going one better currently!
Waves all weekend again and offshore winds with a good wave period?!
I was down the beach for a walk with family & friends on Saturday and watched a few guys messing about in fun 2-3ft glassy stuff.
The sun was out and it felt like a spring day until we were swamped by sea fog which came in thick and fast. Within 10 minutes you couldn't even see the sea but surfers continued arriving and I expect it got rather nice just before high tide.
Harv did an early at the local and reported 3ft glassy tubes so that'll be 2ft then! ;)
Half way along the beach we came across a weird bubbling pool which resembled a load of trapped sand eels in a puddle but was actually more like a hot spring without the heat.
Apparently they're quite common down there - although I've never seen it before and it's caused by fresh water being trapped under a layer of gravel under the sand. I'm a bit light on the science there but it's a rough explanation.
Sunday continued to pump although I didn't see any surf but the buoy data was 1.5m, 13-14 secs period and offshore winds so I imagine it was rather good. Werg reported 4-5ft at the local spot and really nice until the wind picked up.
I went 'swalking' instead (swimming/walking)and had a good time with antje & fin down at the local pool.
It's ooking good out there this morning with plenty of lines at high tide and clean offshore conditions again - we've had about 6 days on the trot now!
There's more swell on the way this week but we're set to lose the se winds shortly as the wind veers more sw from weds onwards and then nw for the weekend.
I just hope my back continues to mend so I can get in at the weekend. Fingers crossed x
Waves all weekend again and offshore winds with a good wave period?!
I was down the beach for a walk with family & friends on Saturday and watched a few guys messing about in fun 2-3ft glassy stuff.
The sun was out and it felt like a spring day until we were swamped by sea fog which came in thick and fast. Within 10 minutes you couldn't even see the sea but surfers continued arriving and I expect it got rather nice just before high tide.
Harv did an early at the local and reported 3ft glassy tubes so that'll be 2ft then! ;)
Half way along the beach we came across a weird bubbling pool which resembled a load of trapped sand eels in a puddle but was actually more like a hot spring without the heat.
Apparently they're quite common down there - although I've never seen it before and it's caused by fresh water being trapped under a layer of gravel under the sand. I'm a bit light on the science there but it's a rough explanation.
Sunday continued to pump although I didn't see any surf but the buoy data was 1.5m, 13-14 secs period and offshore winds so I imagine it was rather good. Werg reported 4-5ft at the local spot and really nice until the wind picked up.
I went 'swalking' instead (swimming/walking)and had a good time with antje & fin down at the local pool.
It's ooking good out there this morning with plenty of lines at high tide and clean offshore conditions again - we've had about 6 days on the trot now!
There's more swell on the way this week but we're set to lose the se winds shortly as the wind veers more sw from weds onwards and then nw for the weekend.
I just hope my back continues to mend so I can get in at the weekend. Fingers crossed x
Friday 18 February 2011
Classic days
Saturday
Wave Period: 16.8 seconds
Winds: Moderate E going SE
Swell: 1.5m
Swell Direction: 259 degrees, spread 12-25
Sunday
Wave Period: 14 seconds
Winds: SE, variable but mainly light
Swell: 1.2m
Swell Direction: 259 degrees, spread 20-30
There's been lot's going on here recently with back to back days of classic surf hitting the south coast of Wales. It's more than made up for the disastrous start to the winter we had back in December 2010 with weeks of nothingness.
My back is still too sore to surf on so I dusted off the old 'photographic machine' and got up up early, seeking out perfection. I'd booked 2 days off specifically to go surfing but taking photos of surf is the next best thing I guess.
I didn't have to travel too far to fin perfection though as it was on my doorstep. I couldn't be bothered driving for hours (Porlock, Lynmouth, Caravan Point etc) when it was so good locally, and there were certain spots I was keen to capture.
The surf ranged from 3-8ft but one thing was consistent throughout - the quality and wave shape. Yesterday morning, Rest Bay was about as good as it gets with mechanical peeling waves throwing barrels every which way. The wind was light offshore and even the sun was shining.
There are some spots around here that I have surfed religiously for years on end but never found time to photograph them as I'm too busy surfing them, so it was nice to redress the balance.
I did find it hard watching my old local going off yesterday at 4-6ft+ though and willing surfers to paddle harder and catch a few big ones!
Driving around in the mornings I also spied waves I'd never seen break before - wild sandbars miles out at sea in the Bristol Channel throwing up hollow surf-able waves, providing you had a boat handy.
I hope you enjoy the pics and I'm hoping to sell one or two as I'm a bit skint at the moment! So if you're interested, drop me a line in the comments or email me at mart.aaron@gmail.com :)
If you're on Facebook then you can see more photos here.
Other stuff before I forget - we had a really useful AGM meeting at the local surf club on Tuesday evening and are actively looking to recruit new members, get some fresh ideas and bring the club kicking and screaming into the new Millenia!
I've been appointed 'media something or other' to the club committee so will be voicing my opinions and ideas regularly but it would nice to see some new faces and 'old faces' coming along for a beer and a chat. We should have some good 'fun' events lined up this summer.
So if you're wondering what we do, look us up on Facebook - WCSC or pop along on March 1 at 7.30pm in the Salthouse Bar, Porthcawl.
The Severn Bore is set to fire this Sunday with a 4* Bore and good swell running but the wind is going to be SE...
Expect the usual crowds and carnage though but with the forecast looking so nice, perhaps most surfers will opt for some salt this weekend instead?
Here are some low-res versions of some of the pics I've taken over the last 48 hours. Enjoy!
Wave Period: 16.8 seconds
Winds: Moderate E going SE
Swell: 1.5m
Swell Direction: 259 degrees, spread 12-25
Sunday
Wave Period: 14 seconds
Winds: SE, variable but mainly light
Swell: 1.2m
Swell Direction: 259 degrees, spread 20-30
There's been lot's going on here recently with back to back days of classic surf hitting the south coast of Wales. It's more than made up for the disastrous start to the winter we had back in December 2010 with weeks of nothingness.
My back is still too sore to surf on so I dusted off the old 'photographic machine' and got up up early, seeking out perfection. I'd booked 2 days off specifically to go surfing but taking photos of surf is the next best thing I guess.
I didn't have to travel too far to fin perfection though as it was on my doorstep. I couldn't be bothered driving for hours (Porlock, Lynmouth, Caravan Point etc) when it was so good locally, and there were certain spots I was keen to capture.
The surf ranged from 3-8ft but one thing was consistent throughout - the quality and wave shape. Yesterday morning, Rest Bay was about as good as it gets with mechanical peeling waves throwing barrels every which way. The wind was light offshore and even the sun was shining.
There are some spots around here that I have surfed religiously for years on end but never found time to photograph them as I'm too busy surfing them, so it was nice to redress the balance.
I did find it hard watching my old local going off yesterday at 4-6ft+ though and willing surfers to paddle harder and catch a few big ones!
Driving around in the mornings I also spied waves I'd never seen break before - wild sandbars miles out at sea in the Bristol Channel throwing up hollow surf-able waves, providing you had a boat handy.
I hope you enjoy the pics and I'm hoping to sell one or two as I'm a bit skint at the moment! So if you're interested, drop me a line in the comments or email me at mart.aaron@gmail.com :)
If you're on Facebook then you can see more photos here.
Other stuff before I forget - we had a really useful AGM meeting at the local surf club on Tuesday evening and are actively looking to recruit new members, get some fresh ideas and bring the club kicking and screaming into the new Millenia!
I've been appointed 'media something or other' to the club committee so will be voicing my opinions and ideas regularly but it would nice to see some new faces and 'old faces' coming along for a beer and a chat. We should have some good 'fun' events lined up this summer.
So if you're wondering what we do, look us up on Facebook - WCSC or pop along on March 1 at 7.30pm in the Salthouse Bar, Porthcawl.
The Severn Bore is set to fire this Sunday with a 4* Bore and good swell running but the wind is going to be SE...
Expect the usual crowds and carnage though but with the forecast looking so nice, perhaps most surfers will opt for some salt this weekend instead?
Here are some low-res versions of some of the pics I've taken over the last 48 hours. Enjoy!
Tuesday 15 February 2011
"I never promised you a wave garden..."
But here it is! Thanks to Neil Law for the heads up on this insane wave garden development idea:
Check out the videos.
http://www.wave-garden.com/
Check out the videos.
http://www.wave-garden.com/
Monday 14 February 2011
The Elusive Tsunami - a weekend of comps
Got up early on Saturday to a solid swell pounding the South Coast. There was a 14ft swell and decent period so I checked the point and was surprised to find no-one on it. The sets were swinging wider than normal but it was nudging 4ft+ on sets and I was keen to see if my ankle would hold for the Tsunami Cup on Sunday.
I decided to save my energy and attempt the infamous rock jump. I'd not done this one before so clambered over a few jagged rocks to find my spot.
I have to say it was pretty sketchy! and I aborted a few times as waves came crashing through but eventually committed and paddled hard out back to deeper water. I'd saved my arms a long paddle out anyway and had it to myself for a while.
Harv and Dan soon joined me and a few more as the tide pushed in including Blods who'd I'd phoned earlier and said he wasn't coming due to dad duties but there he was! I also bumped into Sam Moore who I recognised from my pics from Thursday so I'll post some more up of you tonight Sam (if you're reading this).
The point began to do it's thing after a while and a few more of the local crew arrived. It wasn't heaving but the waves weren't classic either but I snagged one or nice waves so was happy enough. Any wave that allows to hit 5 or 6 reo's on the trot can't be bad!
The Elusive Welsh Open comp was on all day at Rest Bay and was absolutely pumping by all accounts with some solid 8ft waves being ridden. Alex Morris' keg was still being talked about on Sunday by some of the competitors, so good to see the Pembs boys flying the flag.
Here are a few pics from local photographer Claire Beach:
Alex setting up for his barrel:
Alex coming out:
Greg Owen tearing it up:
Local lad George Schofield showed off his local knowledge and won the event:
1 George Schofield
2 Ryan Thomas
3 Harry Cromwell
4 Max Tucker
Sunday loomed and it was time for the Tsunami Cup - a charity comp organised by the Christian Surfers and WCSC.
The 8am check in time was optimistic after a Welsh rugby victory against the Scots and a few of us gathered around in the rain and mud to help set up. The comp eventually began around 10.30am when the wind had eased and the rain lightened a little.
The surf wasn't as big as Sunday but still fairly solid with no real lulls making for a hard paddle out.
Adie was as ever present making the trip up from Pembs with his mega lens to take a few shots but I think he missed my best wave right in front of him! ;)
Adie dressed in his all weather gear:
The Open heats went first and I managed to scrape a second in my first heat. I don't remember much as I was shattered after the paddle out but caught one decent right and longish left that I didn't really want but figured it would hold up and let me work the face in a half arsed fashion!
15 mins later after a quick gulp of water and some cake I was back out paddling :(
The surf was a good 4-5ft and pretty heavy on the head as I repeatedly found out in heat 2.
My tactic was to sit on a big right hand peak and try to snag some bigger ones but all I ended up doing was getting slammed on 3 consecutive waves.
The other groms in my heat all seemed to having better luck over on the lefts although one of them did lose his hood and board on one wave as his leash snapped!
Eventually I snagged one that held up and I managed 2 reo's and a floater at the end. I decided to head in after that as it was going to take me 10 mins to get out back again and I figured there was only 5 mins left!
Me on what initially looked like a good right hander turned into the close out from hell. Thanks to Adie at www.framesphotography.co.uk for the pic!
Too little too late, so I bowed out in the semis but to be honest I don't think I was fit enough to paddle back out again if I'd scraped into the final so it was a relief!
I propose that in future us 30 somethings have jetski assistance! ;)
I then went home and proceeded to fall down the stairs whilst carrying Fin, fecking my back up in the process...
Fin was okay - I managed to keep him upright as I fell but had no hands to cushion my fall, so bounced and then landed right on the stair step in my kidneys towards the bottom. Ouch.
It's a bit like Groundhog Day for injuries in my house at the moment only last week it was my ankle. I've booked Wednesday and Thursday off for surf this week, so may well be taking photos again.
I decided to save my energy and attempt the infamous rock jump. I'd not done this one before so clambered over a few jagged rocks to find my spot.
I have to say it was pretty sketchy! and I aborted a few times as waves came crashing through but eventually committed and paddled hard out back to deeper water. I'd saved my arms a long paddle out anyway and had it to myself for a while.
Harv and Dan soon joined me and a few more as the tide pushed in including Blods who'd I'd phoned earlier and said he wasn't coming due to dad duties but there he was! I also bumped into Sam Moore who I recognised from my pics from Thursday so I'll post some more up of you tonight Sam (if you're reading this).
The point began to do it's thing after a while and a few more of the local crew arrived. It wasn't heaving but the waves weren't classic either but I snagged one or nice waves so was happy enough. Any wave that allows to hit 5 or 6 reo's on the trot can't be bad!
The Elusive Welsh Open comp was on all day at Rest Bay and was absolutely pumping by all accounts with some solid 8ft waves being ridden. Alex Morris' keg was still being talked about on Sunday by some of the competitors, so good to see the Pembs boys flying the flag.
Here are a few pics from local photographer Claire Beach:
Alex setting up for his barrel:
Alex coming out:
Greg Owen tearing it up:
Local lad George Schofield showed off his local knowledge and won the event:
1 George Schofield
2 Ryan Thomas
3 Harry Cromwell
4 Max Tucker
Sunday loomed and it was time for the Tsunami Cup - a charity comp organised by the Christian Surfers and WCSC.
The 8am check in time was optimistic after a Welsh rugby victory against the Scots and a few of us gathered around in the rain and mud to help set up. The comp eventually began around 10.30am when the wind had eased and the rain lightened a little.
The surf wasn't as big as Sunday but still fairly solid with no real lulls making for a hard paddle out.
Adie was as ever present making the trip up from Pembs with his mega lens to take a few shots but I think he missed my best wave right in front of him! ;)
Adie dressed in his all weather gear:
The Open heats went first and I managed to scrape a second in my first heat. I don't remember much as I was shattered after the paddle out but caught one decent right and longish left that I didn't really want but figured it would hold up and let me work the face in a half arsed fashion!
15 mins later after a quick gulp of water and some cake I was back out paddling :(
The surf was a good 4-5ft and pretty heavy on the head as I repeatedly found out in heat 2.
My tactic was to sit on a big right hand peak and try to snag some bigger ones but all I ended up doing was getting slammed on 3 consecutive waves.
The other groms in my heat all seemed to having better luck over on the lefts although one of them did lose his hood and board on one wave as his leash snapped!
Eventually I snagged one that held up and I managed 2 reo's and a floater at the end. I decided to head in after that as it was going to take me 10 mins to get out back again and I figured there was only 5 mins left!
Me on what initially looked like a good right hander turned into the close out from hell. Thanks to Adie at www.framesphotography.co.uk for the pic!
Too little too late, so I bowed out in the semis but to be honest I don't think I was fit enough to paddle back out again if I'd scraped into the final so it was a relief!
I propose that in future us 30 somethings have jetski assistance! ;)
I then went home and proceeded to fall down the stairs whilst carrying Fin, fecking my back up in the process...
Fin was okay - I managed to keep him upright as I fell but had no hands to cushion my fall, so bounced and then landed right on the stair step in my kidneys towards the bottom. Ouch.
It's a bit like Groundhog Day for injuries in my house at the moment only last week it was my ankle. I've booked Wednesday and Thursday off for surf this week, so may well be taking photos again.
Friday 11 February 2011
Point grinders
Swell: 1.8m
Period: 16-17 seconds
Wind: Very light SW
Tide: Small tides. On the push with HT at 10.15am
I booked yesterday off well in advance of the impending swell (last week in fact) but as those of you following this blog will know, I fell out of my van on Monday morning after a swift pre-work surf whilst trying to get changed in a hurry... :(
My left foot was buried snugly in an old Ugg boot with zero support and I went right over on my ankle, squealing as I went down. I wouldn't have minded but had a crap surf too, so it was a double whammy.
The end result was that I've hobbling about this week and couldn't surf on it yesterday. Instead, I got up early and decided to take some photos and while it was painful to watch (literally) - I mind surfed plenty and took a few pics of the local crew charging, so not all bad.
A photo of a photo:
I found it quite relaxing actually, sat on a rock in the drizzle watching the tide getting closer and closer before eventually getting wet feet as a set wave swamped my slippery perch.
Technology is a weird & wonderful thing though. I stood for a while on the grass overlooking the break chatting to an old local legend by the name of 'Sinbad' who was also taking a few snaps.
I don't think he quite bought into the whole technological age thing but when I pointed out that my 18 month yr old son can use my i-phone I think he got what I was trying to say. The next generation is coming...
Staying on technology - whilst taking some shots, my phone buzzed in my pocket (yes I had a signal!). It was a mate in Porthcawl on the line telling me who good the surf was. He could "hear it outside his front door".
To which I replied: "Yes, I know, I'm sat down here right now taking photos of it!" just as I missed a perfect set rolling through...
Despite the rain and fog, the wind held off and we were greeted with clean, (at times glassy) 3-4ft+ surf with the odd bigger set pushing through.
Rhino in the barrel:
Rhino was all over it as usual and gave 100% to every wave, snagging a few nice barrels for his troubles and making out of almost everyone, bashing his way out of whatever exit was available.
Blods was out there too not really getting into it and texted me to "delete all shots" ;) but nevertheless I managed to snag him on a couple of half decent waves:
Greg and Ezra turned up as I was leaving and I managed to get one of Greg landing a nice floater so will upload that one later.
He enjoyed it so much he surfed Aberavon in the afternoon and has prob pulled/torn a stomach muscle for his troubles as I bumped into him in the doctors surgery last night.
Wave etiquette on the point seemed to be good yesterday. I only saw one drop in! so it was nice to see waves being ridden rather than wasted and one guy out there on fish was getting some really long rides by sitting a little bit wider than the inside pack.
Rhino reo:
You cee more pics from this session on my Facebook page.
Everywhere fired yesterday. Aran and Rattz hit a local river mouth but weren't overly impressed to begin with but apparently it improved on the push delivering shoulder high waves but it was slightly more wind affected than other spots.
Meanwhile Doc and Werg scored a Gower reef at 5ft and clean and reported classic conditions - the best doc's had it since the last best he had it session of 2010 ;)
The Tsunami Cup and Elusive are on this weekend so I'm hoping to get a surf in then. Next week is looking EPIC so I might just get some at the point myself with any luck!
Other news - Gower and Welsh surfing legend PJ suffered head injuries after surfing on Gower on Wednesday. He's already had brain surgery and is doing well apparently, so hopefully he'll make a full recovery and be back ripping up Llangennith soon.
Have a nice weekend and I might see some of you down Rest Bay. Present plans are for the Tsunami Cup to run on Sunday, with the Elusive taking place on Saturday.
To enter please email info@tomandersonbooks.com with your name, age and category. It'll be £5 per category, with limited numbers.
It will still be possible to do a beach entry for the Tsunami contest IF places still exist - although only on Saturday as the draw will be done that evening.
Period: 16-17 seconds
Wind: Very light SW
Tide: Small tides. On the push with HT at 10.15am
I booked yesterday off well in advance of the impending swell (last week in fact) but as those of you following this blog will know, I fell out of my van on Monday morning after a swift pre-work surf whilst trying to get changed in a hurry... :(
My left foot was buried snugly in an old Ugg boot with zero support and I went right over on my ankle, squealing as I went down. I wouldn't have minded but had a crap surf too, so it was a double whammy.
The end result was that I've hobbling about this week and couldn't surf on it yesterday. Instead, I got up early and decided to take some photos and while it was painful to watch (literally) - I mind surfed plenty and took a few pics of the local crew charging, so not all bad.
A photo of a photo:
I found it quite relaxing actually, sat on a rock in the drizzle watching the tide getting closer and closer before eventually getting wet feet as a set wave swamped my slippery perch.
Technology is a weird & wonderful thing though. I stood for a while on the grass overlooking the break chatting to an old local legend by the name of 'Sinbad' who was also taking a few snaps.
I don't think he quite bought into the whole technological age thing but when I pointed out that my 18 month yr old son can use my i-phone I think he got what I was trying to say. The next generation is coming...
Staying on technology - whilst taking some shots, my phone buzzed in my pocket (yes I had a signal!). It was a mate in Porthcawl on the line telling me who good the surf was. He could "hear it outside his front door".
To which I replied: "Yes, I know, I'm sat down here right now taking photos of it!" just as I missed a perfect set rolling through...
Despite the rain and fog, the wind held off and we were greeted with clean, (at times glassy) 3-4ft+ surf with the odd bigger set pushing through.
Rhino in the barrel:
Rhino was all over it as usual and gave 100% to every wave, snagging a few nice barrels for his troubles and making out of almost everyone, bashing his way out of whatever exit was available.
Blods was out there too not really getting into it and texted me to "delete all shots" ;) but nevertheless I managed to snag him on a couple of half decent waves:
Greg and Ezra turned up as I was leaving and I managed to get one of Greg landing a nice floater so will upload that one later.
He enjoyed it so much he surfed Aberavon in the afternoon and has prob pulled/torn a stomach muscle for his troubles as I bumped into him in the doctors surgery last night.
Wave etiquette on the point seemed to be good yesterday. I only saw one drop in! so it was nice to see waves being ridden rather than wasted and one guy out there on fish was getting some really long rides by sitting a little bit wider than the inside pack.
Rhino reo:
You cee more pics from this session on my Facebook page.
Everywhere fired yesterday. Aran and Rattz hit a local river mouth but weren't overly impressed to begin with but apparently it improved on the push delivering shoulder high waves but it was slightly more wind affected than other spots.
Meanwhile Doc and Werg scored a Gower reef at 5ft and clean and reported classic conditions - the best doc's had it since the last best he had it session of 2010 ;)
The Tsunami Cup and Elusive are on this weekend so I'm hoping to get a surf in then. Next week is looking EPIC so I might just get some at the point myself with any luck!
Other news - Gower and Welsh surfing legend PJ suffered head injuries after surfing on Gower on Wednesday. He's already had brain surgery and is doing well apparently, so hopefully he'll make a full recovery and be back ripping up Llangennith soon.
Have a nice weekend and I might see some of you down Rest Bay. Present plans are for the Tsunami Cup to run on Sunday, with the Elusive taking place on Saturday.
To enter please email info@tomandersonbooks.com with your name, age and category. It'll be £5 per category, with limited numbers.
It will still be possible to do a beach entry for the Tsunami contest IF places still exist - although only on Saturday as the draw will be done that evening.
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Too much water
Swell: 1.5m
Period: 12 seconds
Winds: Light SE wind
Water Temp: 6.6 deg C
Lovely conditions out there today. I managed to persuade my better half to take Fin to nursery today providing I got him fed, watered, clothed first - so I managed to get out the door just after 7am.
My first battle was with the elements as my van was completely frosted over with that annoying ice that's too thin to scrape off properly but set solid, so I gingerly drove off peering through a small gap in the windscreen towards the coast...
I arrived at Rest Bay to find a lumpy 4ft+ wave coming in with the occasional bigger one. I decided to check a few other spots first but ended up coming back and paddled out towards Golf over a rocky shelf.
The entry was fine but the paddle out was tough after 2 weeks of not surfing!
I actually thought for probably the first time in my life that I was going to have to turn back, defeated - but I didn't really want to do that as there were some bloody big rocks waiting to greet me inside...so I put my head down and ignored my burning jelly arms.
Eventually Huey gave me a break and offered me a brief respite, so I made it out back, pride intact. It was a beautiful day with warm sunlight bouncing off the Rest Bay Convalescent home (where Blods lives) and no other surfer near me, just gulls for company :)
I looked down to find my front zip was undone... I'd forgotten to do it up and in all the excitement, not really felt too cold either ;)
I guess that's why the Xcel Infiniti Drylock has just won best wetsuit of the year again for the 3rd year running!
The rights were coming through at a good size and perfectly formed but the tide was big and pushing hard so I was always keeping one eye on my exit down towards the boat ramp. I let the rip take me down and bumped into Sponger Harv who had stood me up - what a bitch!
Pic by porthcawlsurf.co.uk
We shared a few fun rights, working our way in to the rocks and backwash before kicking out. I caught a few but nothing special then it was time to head in.
This proved quick tricky today as the bay was full with a strong rip and waves breaking all the way. I eventually found my feet and pegged it up the boat ramp back to the van.
After a quick change I jumped out the side door in my old Uggs, causing my ankle to completely roll over onto one side. I yelped loudly, like a dog having his tail run over and hobbled around to the drivers seat knowing I might have done some damage...
So all in all, a big effort for very little reward today and a sore ankle to boot.
I hope I can surf on it tomorrow as I'm down for the Tsunami Cup on Saturday and on my current form and fitness it will be hysterically funny to watch (if I get out back!)
Ratter scored X at around 4-5 feet but nothing too special to report, meanwhile Aran & Co had 3-4ft @ Ogmore but he was suffering from 'post surf trip blues' so didn't have a good surf either, complaining about the cold water making him feel sick!
*The council have locked the top car park @ Rest Bay, so park where you can!
I also noticed that they're putting in a new board walk connecting the beach up with the main town at last so that's good news!
Gull
Period: 12 seconds
Winds: Light SE wind
Water Temp: 6.6 deg C
Lovely conditions out there today. I managed to persuade my better half to take Fin to nursery today providing I got him fed, watered, clothed first - so I managed to get out the door just after 7am.
My first battle was with the elements as my van was completely frosted over with that annoying ice that's too thin to scrape off properly but set solid, so I gingerly drove off peering through a small gap in the windscreen towards the coast...
I arrived at Rest Bay to find a lumpy 4ft+ wave coming in with the occasional bigger one. I decided to check a few other spots first but ended up coming back and paddled out towards Golf over a rocky shelf.
The entry was fine but the paddle out was tough after 2 weeks of not surfing!
I actually thought for probably the first time in my life that I was going to have to turn back, defeated - but I didn't really want to do that as there were some bloody big rocks waiting to greet me inside...so I put my head down and ignored my burning jelly arms.
Eventually Huey gave me a break and offered me a brief respite, so I made it out back, pride intact. It was a beautiful day with warm sunlight bouncing off the Rest Bay Convalescent home (where Blods lives) and no other surfer near me, just gulls for company :)
I looked down to find my front zip was undone... I'd forgotten to do it up and in all the excitement, not really felt too cold either ;)
I guess that's why the Xcel Infiniti Drylock has just won best wetsuit of the year again for the 3rd year running!
The rights were coming through at a good size and perfectly formed but the tide was big and pushing hard so I was always keeping one eye on my exit down towards the boat ramp. I let the rip take me down and bumped into Sponger Harv who had stood me up - what a bitch!
Pic by porthcawlsurf.co.uk
We shared a few fun rights, working our way in to the rocks and backwash before kicking out. I caught a few but nothing special then it was time to head in.
This proved quick tricky today as the bay was full with a strong rip and waves breaking all the way. I eventually found my feet and pegged it up the boat ramp back to the van.
After a quick change I jumped out the side door in my old Uggs, causing my ankle to completely roll over onto one side. I yelped loudly, like a dog having his tail run over and hobbled around to the drivers seat knowing I might have done some damage...
So all in all, a big effort for very little reward today and a sore ankle to boot.
I hope I can surf on it tomorrow as I'm down for the Tsunami Cup on Saturday and on my current form and fitness it will be hysterically funny to watch (if I get out back!)
Ratter scored X at around 4-5 feet but nothing too special to report, meanwhile Aran & Co had 3-4ft @ Ogmore but he was suffering from 'post surf trip blues' so didn't have a good surf either, complaining about the cold water making him feel sick!
*The council have locked the top car park @ Rest Bay, so park where you can!
I also noticed that they're putting in a new board walk connecting the beach up with the main town at last so that's good news!
Gull
Monday 7 February 2011
Storm in a tea cup
We've been battered by storms in Wales this week - so much so that my TV aerial has been blown off twice!
First the bracket snapped clean off and it was only put on last year. Then on Sat night, the main arm severed leaving me with a shortened but working aerial so it's very streamlined now and minimal now - that's minimal not MINI MAL ;)
That's what you get for living so close to the sea I guess...
The surf has been pretty bollox unless you live near a sheltered spot in which case you've prob been mobbed by surfers from all over the place!
A few have answered the call and braved Coney close-outs but I've not been inspired yet.
Lighter winds are on the way though and plenty of swell so I've decided to bide my time and took Thursday off in advance, so hope I'm right about that one...
This photo came into me at work recently. At first glance a nice shot of a storm battered lighthouse but through surfers eyes we spy something altogether more interesting.
A new app for iphone perhaps? One that transforms normal stills and film footage into surfer vision - blurring out the main, mundane detail to reveal surf potential in every frame.
Look at that clean, right hander breaking inside the sheltered cove - highly makeable too by the looks of it and it must a solid 10-15 foot as I know that the plinth alone of that lighthouse is 13ft high.
Let's power up the jet-skis :)
First the bracket snapped clean off and it was only put on last year. Then on Sat night, the main arm severed leaving me with a shortened but working aerial so it's very streamlined now and minimal now - that's minimal not MINI MAL ;)
That's what you get for living so close to the sea I guess...
The surf has been pretty bollox unless you live near a sheltered spot in which case you've prob been mobbed by surfers from all over the place!
A few have answered the call and braved Coney close-outs but I've not been inspired yet.
Lighter winds are on the way though and plenty of swell so I've decided to bide my time and took Thursday off in advance, so hope I'm right about that one...
This photo came into me at work recently. At first glance a nice shot of a storm battered lighthouse but through surfers eyes we spy something altogether more interesting.
A new app for iphone perhaps? One that transforms normal stills and film footage into surfer vision - blurring out the main, mundane detail to reveal surf potential in every frame.
Look at that clean, right hander breaking inside the sheltered cove - highly makeable too by the looks of it and it must a solid 10-15 foot as I know that the plinth alone of that lighthouse is 13ft high.
Let's power up the jet-skis :)
Thursday 3 February 2011
Dry way to hell
I've often wondered why we as surfers don't use dry suits and always assumed it was because they were just too baggy but a company in North America called Ocean Rodeo have developed one, especially for surfers which I'd definitely consider buying next time I need a steamer.
Imagine not having to wear a heavy 6mm wet, winter suit which never ever dries out, especially if you want to surf over consecutive days (rare in Wales I know!) ;)
And the dreaded 2nd session in winter - screaming as you force your way into a cold, wet, suit with a NE wind blowing straight onto your pink bits! Brrrrrrrr
The only fly in the ointment appears to be having to don 3 different layers so I'm not sure how long all that would take - a thermal, a loose inner dry and a tight outer layer.
Here's a clip of Erik Hanson wearing and surfing one in Canada - the ultimate cold water testing ground:
Imagine not having to wear a heavy 6mm wet, winter suit which never ever dries out, especially if you want to surf over consecutive days (rare in Wales I know!) ;)
And the dreaded 2nd session in winter - screaming as you force your way into a cold, wet, suit with a NE wind blowing straight onto your pink bits! Brrrrrrrr
The only fly in the ointment appears to be having to don 3 different layers so I'm not sure how long all that would take - a thermal, a loose inner dry and a tight outer layer.
Here's a clip of Erik Hanson wearing and surfing one in Canada - the ultimate cold water testing ground:
Ocean Rodeo - Surf Dry from MWyatt on Vimeo.
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Cyclone Yasi
Good news for North Australian surfers but bad news for the rest of the country as Cyclone Yasi hits Queensland.
Wind gusts of up to 125 kilometres per hour are already being felt in Cairns and Townsville, but they are expected to intensify to about 290km/hour as Yasi closes in and crosses between Innisfail and Cardwell about 11pm tonight.
Here's how BBC have covered it.
I've encountered a few over the years on various surf trips. My closest escape was in Mexico when a Category 5 like Yasi struck a few miles up the coast from where we were staying.
I'd been watching it on the weather charts and phoned the airline the day before to ask if the flight/holiday was still okay and they replied ti was all fine. I tried to explain what a Category 5 hurricane meant i.e. 'catastrophic' but they just told me not to worry about it....clueless idjuts!
Luckily it dropped to a 4 on the scale as it made landfall and although a few villages completely vanished, there was no major loss of life. The hotel had been a scene out of disaster movie with guests boarded up in the nightclub and staff having to fend for themselves in their rooms.
The beach had lost much of it's sand and the roofs which were locally weaved were being repaired but apart from that the hotel seemed fine.
Apparently lots of surfers had arrived the day before and surfed 15-20ft waves out front with the manager screaming at them to get out of the water! Surfers eh? ;)
I visited Puerto Vallarta one day and the scene there was very different. The sea walls had been destroyed, houses left in rubble and seawater damage had travelled a long way up side streets and onto the main road.
I bought a photo off a local photogrpaher which shows a 15ft wave rearing up about to break, right where I was standing on the esplanade where tourists normally go for a stroll at night.
The rest of my stay we only had 3-4ft with a fresh 6ft+ swell on the day I left which I got to surf as our flight was delayed :)
I also surfed a cyclone swell in Northern Queensland once upon a time...
I was travelling in Oz in the late 90s with a rucksack and board for company and decided to hop on a bus to Bundaberg to get some extra cash, fruit picking.
I remember wandering through town at night (as the bus arrived at some ungodly hour in the morning) - around 2am on a Friday night just as all the fights were kicking off outside.
Anyone who has been to Bundaberg knows it's not the kind of place to wander about on your own late at night.
It's a sprawling cowboy town built on the profits of sugar cane, rum and full of fruit pickers scraping a living. It also had a large contingent of drunk Aborigines with a taste for Bundy Rum (who can blame them?) who disliked backpackers (or at least did when I was there). Our hostel even got attacked and stoned one night!
Anyway...apart from a few shouts of "surfs up!" followed by laughter I made it to the hostel in once piece. It's the only place in the world where I've kept a hand on a knife - granted it was my chopping knife for cooking ;) but I figured it was better than nothing if push came to shove.
Bundaberg feels a million miles away from the surf but the coast is actually only about 8 miles away. Luckily enough I bumped into a sponger from Devon who told me a cyclone was coming and that we ought to go check out the beach and see if a wave had pushed in - I was not expecting this!
The next day we drove down to a beach, can't recall where it was but it may have been at Bargara as I notice there's a surf shop there now.
A normally flat beach had been transformed into clean 2-3ft waves - which is considered pumping in a place that normally has no surf due to the Great Barrier Reef blocking any swell.
A few weeks later I moved on and scored 3-4ft surf at a spot called Agnes Waters - which used to be considered the most northerly surfing beach in Queensland although the Barrier reef has plenty of waves...if you have a map, some balls and a boat.
Agnes Water was a strange place, arriving at first light, there's not much there apart from a few supply shops and a campsite but the little beach had surf!
The water (although brown, murky and apparently very sharky - not a good combo) was nice and warm so we surfed in boardies in the rain but I can't say I felt comfortable knowing what was swimming around underneath me. I found a nice clip of surfing here and the sea looks nice and blue?! so maybe a storm had just passed through when I surfed it causing it to discolour? Now I feel robbed...
Final clip is from Pete in Porthcawl who sent me this mad footage of guys jumping of harbour walls into pretty big surf - they've got to be Cornish!
Let's hope the cyclone loses some oompf before it makes landfall. Goodluck to any Ozzies staying put and battening down the hatches. It must be a very scary time, just waiting.
Wind gusts of up to 125 kilometres per hour are already being felt in Cairns and Townsville, but they are expected to intensify to about 290km/hour as Yasi closes in and crosses between Innisfail and Cardwell about 11pm tonight.
Here's how BBC have covered it.
I've encountered a few over the years on various surf trips. My closest escape was in Mexico when a Category 5 like Yasi struck a few miles up the coast from where we were staying.
I'd been watching it on the weather charts and phoned the airline the day before to ask if the flight/holiday was still okay and they replied ti was all fine. I tried to explain what a Category 5 hurricane meant i.e. 'catastrophic' but they just told me not to worry about it....clueless idjuts!
Luckily it dropped to a 4 on the scale as it made landfall and although a few villages completely vanished, there was no major loss of life. The hotel had been a scene out of disaster movie with guests boarded up in the nightclub and staff having to fend for themselves in their rooms.
The beach had lost much of it's sand and the roofs which were locally weaved were being repaired but apart from that the hotel seemed fine.
Apparently lots of surfers had arrived the day before and surfed 15-20ft waves out front with the manager screaming at them to get out of the water! Surfers eh? ;)
I visited Puerto Vallarta one day and the scene there was very different. The sea walls had been destroyed, houses left in rubble and seawater damage had travelled a long way up side streets and onto the main road.
I bought a photo off a local photogrpaher which shows a 15ft wave rearing up about to break, right where I was standing on the esplanade where tourists normally go for a stroll at night.
The rest of my stay we only had 3-4ft with a fresh 6ft+ swell on the day I left which I got to surf as our flight was delayed :)
I also surfed a cyclone swell in Northern Queensland once upon a time...
I was travelling in Oz in the late 90s with a rucksack and board for company and decided to hop on a bus to Bundaberg to get some extra cash, fruit picking.
I remember wandering through town at night (as the bus arrived at some ungodly hour in the morning) - around 2am on a Friday night just as all the fights were kicking off outside.
Anyone who has been to Bundaberg knows it's not the kind of place to wander about on your own late at night.
It's a sprawling cowboy town built on the profits of sugar cane, rum and full of fruit pickers scraping a living. It also had a large contingent of drunk Aborigines with a taste for Bundy Rum (who can blame them?) who disliked backpackers (or at least did when I was there). Our hostel even got attacked and stoned one night!
Anyway...apart from a few shouts of "surfs up!" followed by laughter I made it to the hostel in once piece. It's the only place in the world where I've kept a hand on a knife - granted it was my chopping knife for cooking ;) but I figured it was better than nothing if push came to shove.
Bundaberg feels a million miles away from the surf but the coast is actually only about 8 miles away. Luckily enough I bumped into a sponger from Devon who told me a cyclone was coming and that we ought to go check out the beach and see if a wave had pushed in - I was not expecting this!
The next day we drove down to a beach, can't recall where it was but it may have been at Bargara as I notice there's a surf shop there now.
A normally flat beach had been transformed into clean 2-3ft waves - which is considered pumping in a place that normally has no surf due to the Great Barrier Reef blocking any swell.
A few weeks later I moved on and scored 3-4ft surf at a spot called Agnes Waters - which used to be considered the most northerly surfing beach in Queensland although the Barrier reef has plenty of waves...if you have a map, some balls and a boat.
Agnes Water was a strange place, arriving at first light, there's not much there apart from a few supply shops and a campsite but the little beach had surf!
The water (although brown, murky and apparently very sharky - not a good combo) was nice and warm so we surfed in boardies in the rain but I can't say I felt comfortable knowing what was swimming around underneath me. I found a nice clip of surfing here and the sea looks nice and blue?! so maybe a storm had just passed through when I surfed it causing it to discolour? Now I feel robbed...
Final clip is from Pete in Porthcawl who sent me this mad footage of guys jumping of harbour walls into pretty big surf - they've got to be Cornish!
Let's hope the cyclone loses some oompf before it makes landfall. Goodluck to any Ozzies staying put and battening down the hatches. It must be a very scary time, just waiting.
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