Well, we got down, the rain had stopped, the sun was coming out and there was plenty of swell, albeit a little inconsistent. Into the wettie, board out of bag and d'oh, no legrope. Now Bells is a long swim so I wasn't happy, but Rich coerced me to ask the girl in the camper van parked next to us if they had a loaner.
Turns out she and her boyfriend (both from Spain) were doing the grand surf tour of Oz, and had got lucky so far. He was paddling out at pretty damn good Bells and they were off to Indo for another couple of months once they did the east coast run over the next month or so.
Lucky for some. Oh to be young again.
So she found me a leash, and out I went.
Turned into a great session even though over nearly three hours I only got about 6 waves. A couple of duffed takeoffs not withstanding, I managed a 200 yard screamer from outside Rincon all the way through the bowl, and three belters from outside Bells, with lots of fun and games through to the shorey.
And, as is my predilection, I had a nice cup of tea and chat out the back with wizened surf guru, sage and writer Jack Finlay. Almost the best part of the whole surf.
To top it off my last wave wasn't half bad, finishing off with a nice reentry into the dump and prone to the beach. Got in and discovered my Spanish maiden leg rope loaner was also a pretty handy photographer and had managed to capture said reo on camera.
Joy of joys.
I then discovered, while feeling a bit full of myself, that my friend Stefan, who'd caught the wave just after mine, had scored a filthy pigdog barrel. Not bad in itself, in fact pretty fine indeed, even better when you think he's just recovered from open heart surgery and a new valve that was the result of acute endocarditis, a bacterial heart infection that nearly killed him. More power to you mate.
Anyway, I traded emails with my new friends from Spain and with luck at a date in the not too distant future I'll be able to share my good fortune.
Next week the water will be 29 degrees C and the air... about the same.
If only I didn't feel so guilty about going.
Here's hoping I snag a bit more work this week to keep the hounds at bay.
PS: The shot is just a phone snap before I paddled out... it was way better than it looked.
5 comments:
About 12 years ago (May 1996) i was driving with my girlfriend from Yallingup (WA) to Sidney in an old Ford Falcon SW. We stopped at Torquay and there was a good swell running (between 3' and 6' depending on the day, place and tide...). We spent there about 4 or 5 days, surfing Winki and Bells and sleeping in the Ford Falcon at Bell's carpark. I don't think i had six waves to myself on any of those days/sessions. So 6 waves in 3 hours at very good Bells doesn't sound bad at all to me.
Niegà
Sounds and looks good enough. That shot looks Like Terramar where I surf with my son.
filthy, disgusting, horrifying, ugly, pathetic, gruesome, sick. there, I said it. otherwise...no comment. :-)
David, Seattle
"it was way better than it looked."
Looked pretty darn good in the pic
ya bastard!
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