Easter was great fun. time with the family trying out the new tent and sleeping bags and stuff. Really, we were pretty lucky with the surf. There were some waves and there was some shape. Unfortunately I think we were spoilt the first time we came here and haven't seen it as good since. I'm sure if we were locals we would have, but driving the 5 hours down there every so often is all we can manage.
Friday we spent 2.5 hours in the water, then I went back in the arvo - although it was choppy and sucky. Saturday was wiiinnnnndy, so no surf. Sunday was still massively onshore with chunky swell, but we took the kids down to the beach and hoped in once they were bored - all of 5 minutes. Monday I put my foot down and sad we were surfing before the 5 hour drive back. So that I felt like i'd done something with the day. The sun was shining, there was no excuse.
There were some really good people down there. Of particular note was one girl of about 15 who rode a longboard. She was so graceful and was usually in just the right spot. Looked like so much fun. She was working on noseriding and had some pretty impressive stacks, always with a smile on her face.
The waves down there are so nice and crumbly. You rarely had to go under them. Just keep paddling up and through to get out the back. Looking at the photos of me, I fell like a need a bit of something. James and Dale were both really good to take heaps of shots, so I could see what I was doing and where I was in relation to the wave. A hard thing to do when you're in it. the main thing I think I need to work on is timing and placement. Where I am when the wave gets to me. Probably one of the harder things about surfing, I guess. And only time in the water will help. Years. :) I got years.
I had heaps of fun, but would have liked to have taken a few more big ones. The line up was so crowded, I didnt want to hassle or be in the way. It was just too hard to try and take off with 6 people sitting in front of you...
One of the bigger waves I paddled onto, in between crowded moments.
Apparently not the best shape from looking at this shot.
I really need to commit! It doesn't look that scary from here and standing would have been fine.
So. I haven't quite sussed the longboard. Seemed to nosedive before I could stand, no matter what I was doing. So next time I take it out I'm gonna get right back. Ppl out there seemed to have their feet right on the tail. So we'll see.
I also think I need to paddle harder. Maybe not all the time, but there are waves where I guess I was in the pocket, but didn't catch the wave fast enough, so it overtook me.
