Favourite

This is my pick of the month, saved the best till last I guess. Empty waves seem to capture the imagination. Makes me wonder - where would I be, what would I do? And how on Earth did it slip through unridden? Mid morning early March. 

Blue & Yellow

Nothing much more to say on that... I watched a cool mini surf movie yesterday, if you're killing time check it out here.

Buckets

Buckets of spray being thrown on a recent late afternoon session.

Improvising

Spontaneous sliding on a paddle board, same nor'east afternoon as yesterday's post.

Northern Corner

Finding shelter from a late summer nor'easter.

Cruising

Stoked

It's great seeing people really enjoy themselves and not be so cool they can't wear a big grin, even while sliding on a tiny summer peeler. There's plenty of stoked people around here at the moment. The dumping of the HMAS Adelaide will not go ahead as planned tomorrow. The noship crew have succeeded in earning the right for the proposed ship dumping to be properly scrutinised in court. Find all the details and how you can help at noship.com.au

Chunky

Chunky old mal being ridden at Copa a few weeks ago. Turns looked like hard work, but I imagine the challenge is half the attraction.

So

So much fun on this morning last week. Small but clean with great shape and uncrowded too. Jake and Harris on the left surfed for ages. I took some photos and joined them and a handful of others for a few hours myself. 

Left & Right

Swell in January, a bit blowy but everyone was frothing after an extended run of below waist high conditions.

Jealous

I'm often jealous of surfers who grew up at the beach. Many posses seemingly innate abilities in the water, effortlessly making sections and linking turns with graceful arcs. Makes me keen to make up for lost time and follow the groms' example - surf, surf and surf some more. This is Nik at Copa.

Longboards

I dig longboards. Here are a few slides from last week on some longer surfcraft.

MMM

Magic March morning.

Ace

Adrian 'Ace' Buchan, a surfer joe just like the rest of us. But unlike most of us he's currently competing on the ASP world surfing tour. I know my best backhand turns aren't a patch on this one captured at Ace's home beach last week. 

Like many local surfers and beach users Adrian has raised his voice in opposition to the proposed ship dumping next Saturday. Peter Garret our Federal Environment Minister has yet to sign the sea dumping permit the NSW government needs to legally scuttle the ship. 

Please email your opposition ASAP  

Peter.Garrett.MP@aph.gov.au 

Learn more at noship.com.au

Post script: I've since learned that it's not actually Ace pictured above but yet another local ripper Beau Atchison... another surfer joe who no doubt cares deeply about protecting the ocean environment.

Sand

Avoca has a number of well formed, often quite shallow sand banks at the moment. Plenty of small but really fun waves have been ridden this week. We don't want to corrupt the natural sand movements that create these banks by letting the Government discard a 4000 tonne warship on the beach. And we don't want to be subject to all the known and as yet unknown health hazards that dumping this ship will cause. Understand more at noship.com.au and make some noise.

Go Fish

Brett with some fast fishing in front of the pines last week.

Copa Point

Classic day at Copa Point last April.

Moments

A few moments from last week. Enjoy all the ones this week presents you with.

Elements

When all the elements come together. Sand, swell, wind and sky. September last year. It's been a blowy start to Autumn, let's hope those trademark offshores are just around the corner. 

Top Turn

Surfer's Season

"The majority of real surfers hang out for the onset of Autumn. Crowds disperse, early morning offshores become more regular, sand banks tend to take shape, and of course there is generally more swell activity. All this and the water remains warm"

So said Ben Horvath on Coastalwatch. Yep Autumn rocks. Here's a recent small but fun morning around here.

Morning Moods

Early yesterday before the wind arrived. The clouds were moving in making for some moody morning light.

Hey if you're killing time check this cool video.

Fishing

Brett fishing for a cover-up yesterday morning.

South Coast Early

Years ago I camped on my own behind the dunes of this South Coast beach around Easter time. After taking this early morning photo I spent 10 hrs in the water, stopping only for a tinned spaghetti sandwich. My arms felt like spaghetti that night but it was a satisfying sleep.

No Ship

Like the placard says - Someone forgot to ask Avoca

Saturday's rally was well attended and informative

Please find out more at noship.com.au 

Raise your voice

Swooping

Katherine swooping down the line in the early morn.

Azza Fishing

Azza out at Copa recently. Riding his trusty self-made keel finned fish.

Rally Tomorrow

10am at the Shark Tower
Wear red
noship.com.au

Many Moons

Many moons ago. Had a great weekend at this much loved back beach in The Great Lakes region.

Outside Peak

Outside peak on a January morning. I'm a bit tired of all these grey onshore afternoon photos, I'm sure some classic Autumn conditions aren't far away though.

Groms

Still grey and howling onshore, but the groms are always frothing. Energy and enthusiasm to burn. 

No Boat

Nothing spectacular about this photo, a failed aerial. But the type on the board's bottom 'No Boat' is the talk of the beach, and rightly so. The government is planning on dumping a 4000 tonne ex naval warship 1700 metres off the beach.

There's a public rally on this Sat (6th March) 

10am at the Shark Tower, wear red

Get the low down at www.noship.com.au

Timing

Yesterday was grey, windy and wet. Still waves though. And if you managed to time your surf before the wind picked up it might have looked something like the top two photos. A little later and it was pretty messy, didn't deter the groms after school though.

Friday Arvo

Another peek at the after work surf on Friday. Even when it's busy there's generally a pretty good vibe on a Friday arvo surf.