Safetosea

Yesterday I visited an old friend.

I haven't surfed "'the Schanck" as it's called for a couple of years. It's patterns just didn't fit mine, and I just... missed out.

It's an epic to surf,. About a kilometre walk in to a 300ft clamber down the cliff (about 45 degree gradient), then suit up and out... often lonely, sharky feeling and very isolated. If you fuck up here, you're in deep doo doos. In fact I remember hearing the screams of guy (years ago) as his mates helped him up the cliff. He ended up with 75 stitches from a fin in the leg. Lucky to live.

But, it is a wonderful place. The view down and from the water , same... as it ever was. I might be a teenager.

Two different breaks. The inside left, 'Head Injuries', fast, shallow, sucky and fickle. But a blast. The other "The Schanck' proper, a long sometimes fat, sometimes hollow, long walled, a sort of left hand Winki at best, flat and sluggy on the wrong tide. It looks like a cold Uluwatu on it's great days.

Yesterday, I surfed both.

The tide was on the way out.. good. It was biggish, 8ft sets, a bit of left over wind slop crossing into it, difficult takeoff, got worked a bit, got about 5 good ones, then paddled over to the main break as the tide dropped and got a screamer (150 yds) ..in.

A great, slightly odd session. Felt a bit spooked out there. Total crowd at Head Injuries...me. At Schanck .. one other guy. He felt a bit spooked too. Still had a smile though.

Afterwards, and as some other guys turned up, I snapped a few.

Low point of the session? Did the climb down, only to realise I'd left my leggie in the car. 300ft back up, 1k back to car, 1k back 300ft back down.

I earned the surf.