More on line surfing about... surfing

Some surf pics for you today that caught my eye:

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/111631245734319873008/posts

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/+AndrewBlackwell/posts

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/108736900713453139479/posts


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

California's winter score

Pam's was down in San Diego recently, and enjoyed scoring her favourite spot in Sunset Cliffs.

Sunset Cliffs satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

She was kind enough to forward me some photos of that day to share with you.

Photo: Pamela

This session was one of five consecutive days of quality surfing Pam had.

Photo: Pamela

Appropriately, the spectacular sunset that day matched the location and the quality of the surf.

Photo: Pamela

Glad you got out amongst it Pam and enjoyed what the ocean had to offer. Thank you too for the photos.


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

Simple beauty

Sometimes it's the simplest lines and cleanest shapes that are the most spectacular.

Source: Unknown (courtesy of Pamela)


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

Flip side of the coin

Today, contrasting with yesterday's post, I'm posting three photos of some very nice looking right-handers...

Source: www.saharasurf.co/about/surf/

Source: www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/North-Beach_1/photos/4495

Source: northcountysurf.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/stoke-art-gallery-1.html


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

Which would you chose?

Surely at least one of these lefties tickles you?

Source: www.kwivvr.com/2013/11/08/francisco-alves-north-africa/

Source: www.surfing-waves.com/atlas/australasia_pacific/new_zealand.html

Source: northcountysurf.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/stoke-art-gallery-1.html


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

After a little healthy debate - more food for thought

My post about sharks, on Monday 13 January 2014, sparked a little debate.

Link to said post

I was a little surprised as I, obviously naively, thought all surfers who'd given the subject of sharks and culling much thought, would be protective of their place in nature.

I was wrong.

The short debate went back and forth. As part of that, the following link was put forward as part of an argument respecting sharks' place in the ocean. I liked it so much, it's the focus of today's post (thanks Neil).

Link to an interesting article on a pro-shark perspective

Source: niaskeyholesurfcamp.com/keyhole/getting-there/the-surf-location/


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

So often we surfers blink... and we miss it!

We as surfers know how fickle the ocean can be. Many things need to combine for a wave to break memorably: Swell size, direction and period; wind speed and direction; and tide. Add to that other factors such as sand movement and you start to realise how lucky we are to get good waves.

Today's post is inspired by a story I've heard about - from my friend Michael - for some time now. A story that makes me wonder: how many times have we surfers missed epic surfs, at spots that have only been 'all time' once or twice? The ocean is after all, fickle and unpredictable.

I've been hearing for some time from Michael about a period in the early '90s when the mouth of the Murray - Australia's biggest river - broke 'all time'.

Murray Mouth satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

I've done many trips to the Murray mouth looking for this mysterious bank I've often heard about - but never seen. Every time I got there, I was greeted with what the above photo shows: nothing much to talk about.

My friend Michael was looking around on line and found the only photo (and story) we've ever seen of the time this place pumped.

Source: www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/12671?page=1

Special indeed and worth the legend.

If you want to read one account of this time, please click on the link below to go to the story (you may have to scroll down a bit):

A recital of the pumping Murray mouth

Gotta love the mystery, unpredictability and surprise of the ocean...


          Yours in pits,

Got something to share or some feedback? Leave a comment below or email me at: l.gorajek@gmail.com

While Willy's away...

... you get photos today.

You may not like bodysurfing, but you had to admit the two peelers in this shot are sweet!

Source: lincolnlogssurf.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/patrick-rocking-little-log.html


          Yours in pits,

Away on another surf trip

Dear readers,

I'm going away on another surf trip for the next five days: to South Australia's infamous Cactus Beach.

Cactus Beach satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

Cactus Beach is 850km (530miles) from the nearest capital city, it's got a reputation for sharks that proceeds it, and the locals have a reputation for being very protective!

Link to story about protective Cactus locals

I hope this little piece doesn't get me in trouble...

On the positive, there are around half a dozen top quality breaks within walking distance (depending on the swell).

I've been there once before with smallish swell. I hope I score better this time.

I'll write more again soon...

Some of the breaks at Cactus Beach.

Source: kurungabaa.net/2009/04/29/cactus-tripping-part-iv-by-mark-stranger/


          Yours in pits,

The pittiest pits that ever pitted

(Maybe)

Source: www.globalsurfers.com/spot.cfm?land=Nicaragua&surfing=4213&travel=Santana

Source: www.wavehunters.com/nicaragua-surfing/popoyo-surf-lodge

Source: www.nicaraguasurfreport.com/housesview.php?id_house=1&id_secc=46

He he. So my secret's out: I guess it's not hard to see that I typed 'Nicaragua surf' into Google's search engine today.


          Yours in pits,

South Pacific holiday

I'm writing this anti-climactic post due to popular demand.

Mid last year I went on a three week to visit my brother, and to hopefully get some waves on the way. My brother lives on an island in the South Pacific.

South Pacific Ocean satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

The reason why I'm being cagey about where he lives, is because his island still enjoys uncrowded surfing. And I want to do my bit to protect that...

Anyway, our friends have been asking me for some photos to show what the surf was like. Some still ask me today. To be honest, I only got one day of good swell, and a bunch of days of smallish to small swell. To add to that, I only took one blurry photo of the waves for the whole trip!

So, due to popular demand, here is the one photo I took of one of the breaks I surfed when visiting my brother (I've included two more photos below this one to give you a bit more of a feel for the surfing part of my visit):

Sorry readers: this is the only photo of the waves I've got...

Photo: Willy

I lost the fight with the reef on this day.

Photo: Adam

We did some searching for waves amongst the islands of the archipelago - all aboard our trusty boat 'French Fry'.

Photo: Pamela

Don't get me wrong though, I had a great time away visiting my bro - just not a whole stack of waves. Not to worry.


          Yours in pits,

Finally! Some reeeeeally original Pipeline footage!

Hawaii's Banzai Pipeline has been boring video viewing for some time. In my humble opinion anyway...

Banzai Pipeline satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

Sure: the wave is challenging, and I'm unlikely to ever be good enough to surf it. From that perspective it is spectacular. I also think it would be unbelievable to be there live and watch it do its thing.

From a cinematic perspective though, I feel Pipe has been thrashed out. I actually generally can't be bothered watching it.

Until today!

My friend Daniel emailed me this Vimeo clip of Pipe and I love it. It's the most original footage of Pipe I've ever seen, and it's generally an original style of presenting surfing footage.

It shows, amongst other things, how shallow Pipe breaks (even though this is already well recognised), how crowded Pipe gets, and a generally different perspective on the wave and of surfing it.

Please, do yourself a favour, sit down, and take the time to watch this. I don't think you'll regret it.


Pipeline Winter 2013 from Eric Sterman on Vimeo.
Source: Vimeo

While my foot recovers, I dream of waves...

So I'm bundled up at home with a limp (from my recent surf trip accident) and a broken TV.

Source: www.theartofsurfing.co.nz/coaching/private-surf-coaching/

With no surfing for me this weekend, I do what many desperado surfers do - I jump on line.

Source: www.newzealandsurfingadventures.com/the-waves/

The three piccies on today's post give you a bit of an insight into what I've been checking out.

Source: surfspotsmap.com/spot/australia-pacific/new-zealand/south-island-west-coast/raglan-manu-bay-surf-forecast

Images

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/111631245734319873008/posts

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/111631245734319873008/posts

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/103968245638456034421/posts

Pear-shaped surf trip

So, as warned, I went away on a surf trip with my mate Chris (in photo below) for a couple of days.

What was going to be a casual surf trip, turned into something pretty hardcore by my standards.

First of all, we left at 1am in the morning. Instead of racing down there to get at least a couple of hours sleep, we relaxed and took our time. This meant we arrived at the beach at sunrise the next day. Instead of going to bed, we started the rounds until we found a spot we wanted to surf. This spot, a semi-secret one, was a forty-five minute hike in the sun and heat that included a scramble down a very steep cliff. I was unprepared for this and had only thongs to wear on the rocky hike and cliff-descent. I paid the price as I slipped down a small part of the cliff grazing my arm, knee and parts of both of my feet. I thought I'd be okay and went about the fun surf with only two of us out. We finally got to nap at 3pm that afternoon...

Photo: Willy

The next day we surfed West Cape. A photo of what greeted us is above, and its location is below.


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Source: Google Maps

Again, we had a super fun time with very few people out.

After getting home from the surf trip, my cut feet were starting to punish me. I was paying the price for not cleaning them up, nor disinfecting them. I had instead chosen to use Mother Nature's disinfectant: the ocean. Fail.

Most of the cuts on my left foot had gone red, and the whole foot had puffed up, gone red, and was very sore to put pressure on.

Photo: Willy

So, two trips to the doctor later, and with a bout of antibiotics cruising through my system, I'm now hoping I'm on the way to recovery.

Call me stubborn, but the trip was fun and the cuts were worth it!

Photo: Willy

One last day of surfarying...

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Source: surfeurope.mpora.com/photos/blacknuts-caribbean-sea.html

Still away surfing...

Stay tuned...

Source: barbadossurf.typepad.com/zeds_surfing_adventures/2008/04/secret-spot-in.html

Away on another surf trip - will be back in a few...

Hopefully I'll score some of this fun kind of stuff while I'm away.

Will report back soon...

Source: www.congoaccommodation.com.au/

Respect

Following the appreciated suggestion of Cuttie in your Face reader Kris, I'm endeavouring to do a respect piece on our nuggety ocean friends the sharks...

Introducing our mate: Pointy

Source: www.thedorsalfin.com/tag/farallon-islands/

I thought a great starting point, for a subject that is scary to most of us surfers, would be a humorous shark-inspired piece. Hence the below clip (forwarded to me from another reader: Michael):

(By the way, there is a language warning on this clip):

Source: YouTube

How funny is that call?! 'Angel from Hell!' Comic gold.

Kris' motivation for his suggestion was the late 2013 shark attack in Australia's Coffs Harbour.

Details of the event can be accessed through the link below:

Link to Coffs Harbour shark attack story

Coffs Harbour satellite photo

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Source: Google Maps

I was originally enthused to do a respect piece on sharks but, now that I'm here, I don't really know where to start. I know that, while petrified, I've got no personal beef with these creatures. I honestly believe they have as much right to the ocean as we do - if not more. And I comfortably acknowledge I am entering their realm every time I go for a squirt.

Following this Coffs Harbour attack, although probably not a linked event, the Western Australian Government introduced measures to reduce the number of potentially dangerous sharks on Western Australian beaches. They wouldn't call it a 'cull', even though the measures included the killing of sharks.

The link below further explores that government's approach:

Link to article on the effects of shark culling

I'd have to say that the Western Australian Government's actions aren't ones I endorse. Looking on line, it seems apparent that much of the public doesn't support this action either.

From my experience, many people of different creeds seem to appreciate the role sharks play in marine habitats. They also seem to believe that sharks aren't specifically looking to eat human beings. Many of us believe that whenever there is an attack on a human, it's more an action of inquisitiveness than anything else.

That being said, I've attached an interesting link to statistics on shark attacks on humans:

Link to shark attack statistics

Well, in today's post I have attempted to touch the surface of the shark issue I'm sure many of us surfers often reflect on. I'm not sure if I've done enough, or acted responsibly enough in today's post dedicated to these impressive creatures...

On that note, I thought I'd (almost) finish this post with the below illustration: I sincerely hope this doesn't happen to you in your next surf...

Source: www.thesurfingblog.com/surf-art-by-drew-brophy

However, if discussing sharks isn't exactly your thing, and you just want to dream about getting pitted, then I'm posting the below photo to ensure you don't feel un-catered for...

Source: https://www.facebook.com/StabSurfMagazine

Some surf photos for you to peruse...

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/+BeachBumBrian/posts

SUPping may not be everybody's thing, but you have to admit this photo is pretty wild!

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/+AndrewBlackwell/posts

Source: plus.google.com/u/0/+AndrewBlackwell/posts