A blown out and fairly large swell left me few options when my Window of Opportunity came on the weekend.

In these conditions there is one spot that can be relied on to produce some fun... a little break called the Pines, on the Hoax Coast, which, on it's day does a fair imitation of a California point break, even though it's a reef jutting out from a point.

Always frequented by a flotilla of longboards, and a few guys on short boards kidding themselves they might actually get a wave, I opted for a longboard sesh and dragged out the 9'2" Nat. The only longboard I've ever owned, it adorned the roof as I blasted (well, drove carefully within the speed limit...Dad) down for a bit of fun.

I had a great time,with enough waves to have me completely rooted after two hours, and then home.

On another note, we are in the throws of getting Musica Surfica out there, working on distribution, the DVD with assorted extras, and selling it internationally. We haven't had a bad review yet and indeed, I've sent the odd copy off OS for unbiased peer appraisal. Some are still to go, but as I write this Ted at Six Foot and Perfect has a copy and has now posted his thoughts, Seamouse in England, Ras will have one soon over in Nova Scotia (Kuh Yah) and a couple others that I'm waiting on dubs for. Keep an eye out for what they have to say.

Also Tom Wegener has just seen it and it will be covered on his website soon.

If you want one, expressions of interest gratefully accepted and I'm sure the first few buyers will qualify for Special Introductory Offers. I'm also working on the Musica Surfica website, but until then Safetosea is it by proxy.

For now though. here's a picture of the Pines courtesy of the Hoax Coast website and also what might be the cover for the DVD.


*As reviews come up I'll liven the links up... just to make it easier.

Yikes... nearly two weeks since my last post. Sorry the two of you who drop in to read my meanderings.

It's been on of those times, shitting myself about money, trying to get things sorted in marketing Musica Surfica and neglecting fun.. like the blog.

First things first, the waves on the weekend were surrounded by delightful weather, but I managed to pick the time when the swell was powderpuff weak and dropping. Tide against me, but strangely a very enjoyable session.

Three different breaks in the one surf, paddling from peak to peak as they turned off successively. The first, got a couple, but had a nice chat with an old fart out the back. His son sounds as though he's going to be the next Tiger Woods.

Next peak, a left, another chat with another old fart, on the benefits of longboards, he riding a particularly lovely McTavish, me on a 6'2'' MC. Then on to the next peak, righthander this time, and a looong conversation in crystalline water with a really old fart, almost as old as me, about life.

A musician who's wife had just left him,.."your music's shit, and you're good for nothing".

He said to me, with a smile.." it's what I do, I've got the kids, what else do I need?"

I hope his album goes well... he was a really great guy.

Then the waves completely dried up and and I paddled in, walked up the beach, got changed and had a Curry at the Cafe with Richie. Sounds like a good title for a song.

No pictures again, since the camera went spoffo I feel like I've lost an arm.. so here's a picture of me at Mundaka in Spain from November 1980!! Now how scary is that?

Rather serendipitously a couple of my best friends have put up websites to service their respective businesses.

The two R's, Rod and Richie, Photographer and Graphic Designer, are two of the three people I''ve shared the most waves with over the past twenty years. Rod, who's nickname is Ten Men, is a paddling machine without peer, his nickname coming from the fact that no sooner has he caught a wave he is back in the line up. His kids, Tris, Marcus and Benjamin have all become very hot young surfers, and they seem to share that paddling gene. Can you imagine... now it's forty of them, all in one car.

Rod makes his living writing books on, and shooting, the Great Ocean Road, the marvel that to me is the lifeline to my God's (if I believed in such things) country. If you have a yen to vicariously enjoy the delights of this coast, drop into his site, and maybe buy a book or calendar. You can't mistake the surfer's eye in the shots, and I note the shot below as an example. The wave that appears tiny in the middle ground is probably a good six feet, but the sheer mass of the coast relegates it to something Lillipution.

As for Richie, who's nickname is ..er...Richie, he is my design conscience, and I his. He's a Design Gun, passionate about it with very definite views... a black and white guy in a colorful world. Whenever we have a query, or a misgiving we call on each other to just say, "whadda ya reckon about this?". Rod pops in often, as well, with a new clutch of shots, echoing the same refrain. Of course it's up to the individual to take on the advice, and we sometimes walk away wounded after Rich has said ... "that's shit" when all he really meant was that he thought the letter spacing was a bit tight, or wide, or... whatever.

This year we are all off, with a few others, on a Boat to the Banyaks, another two weeks of wave soaked bliss.

I can't wait for May.

A couple of years back some a couple of guys decided to paddle out at one of our local tow spots. The tow boys were right peed of as you might imagine as it was cranking. Still they did the right thing and let the paddle surfers do it the simpler way.

Luckily the second string spot nearby wasn't bad, but not nearly as good.

This is the crap wave.

Can you imagine what the good one was like?

As ever, no names, and I'll get my arse kicked probably, but isn't it lovely such delights exist out there for those lucky enough to have the resources (and balls) to take them on?