I knew it was going to be big because I heard it thundering all night and we are 6 km (by road) from the beach. And it was - a 6 metre south-west swell. Of course we weren't going to tackle it but we took still and video cameras down to record some of the action - and there was plenty! If you look closely you will see the guy in the water holding up a broken surfboard. This guy was crazy, I watched as he launched off the rocks.
I went out to the point while Robin stayed at the lookout near the clubhouse to video. You can see his excellent video here, complete with his original music. My vantage point was at least 3 metres above water level so you can get an idea of how big these waves were. I had to keep an eye on the swell though because when the sets rolled in the water would have been lapping at my toes.
You only have to look at the amount of white water to appreciate what a chaotic scene it was. There were bodies and boards flying everywhere, mainly inside the point (visible in the first photo) where another 15 surfers were taking the inside waves which were actually a bit gnarlier than the point.
I love this shot of the guy kicking out over the back. Still photography still has its merits!
The ride wasn't long but exhilerating I reckon.
Take a look in the background of these two and you can see the huge swells rolling across the bay. The point hasn't worked properly for about 5 years, so the locals say, so this is not a good wave at all. When it is, it cranks and they get long clean rides halfway across the bay. Too big for moi, who will be happy to go and take photos!When we went back the following day the swell had plummeted to 2 metres overnight we had 2 sessions, and today we had a great surf at the point because the swell was up and the big swell had sorted the banks out a bit better. Stoked!!!
