Where did you surf today ?

[steve shearer]

So Riglin doesn't handle a big swell?

[Quangers]

^^^ I don't know about that. I stayed there a couple of years ago and the bloke who ran the accomm. said Raglan could handle 12 foot easily. He reckoned he caught a 12 footer from indicators through whale bay down almost to the start of Manu. He was right in with Surf NZ, and had heaps to do with the board riders there - didn't seem like a bullshiiitter. Oh, and he had a photo of himself surfing at least 8 foot indicators. Maybe the swell direction was wrong? Or the wind?

[Quangers]

Shiite that is big! Whale bay is just a washing machine of froth! I wouldn't have taken it on.
Pity you got skunked it is such a fun wave at a manageable size.

[crabmeat thompson]

Did the skis find the missing crew?

Epic looking swell!

[Trev]

The wave buoys showed a reasonable uptick in swell late yesterday. And the wind was lookin' OK. I aarived at my usual lineup checkpoint high on the headland well before daylight due to heavy cloud and some rain. The cloud started to break up a bit, showing flashed of Venus and Jupiter but no sightings of Aldebaran.
The first thing I see is this light lump on the railing of the lookout like someone's left a bag of rubbish there. When I get closer I realise it's the local marmalade cat waiting for his morning scritch. I oblige then check the surf.
Too dark to see the lines but I could tell from the way the white water was rushing acroos the front of the groyne there was something rideable.
There were lulls so the keyhole looked doable too.
Headed out alone in the half light, visions of the shark topics on Realsurf helping no end.
Into the keyhole. No lull. 10 minutes, no lull and the water is washing sideways across the front and over the ledge back across the front of the groyne.
So I swallowed my pride and walked back behind the groyne and charged out into the calm water. Out the back there's just me and one other guy who was smart enough NOT to go through the keyhole.
For the next hour there's just 3 of us and head high and a bit waves with longish rides. Nice gentle offshore breeze. Not too cold.
So this wall rears up outside me - not the first time I've been caught inside even today but this falls on my head and lacking Roy's special rolling technique I get hammered, lose my board and the leggie wraps itself around my free ankle effectively tying my two legs together. So my board is at the end of the leggie stretch, tombstoning mightily and I'm being dragged shorewards underwater, feet first.
I've discovered it's very difficult to get to the surface under those conditions especially when you can't separate your legs to kick.
I got my head above water, gulped in some air and saw another wall of water bearing down on me. Somehow managed to jacknife myself enough to grab the leggie and get some purchse before being pummelled again.

I survived.

This time.

Great session for 2½ hours, apart from about 1 minute which seemed like an hour.

More tomorrow.

[BA]

I get hammered, lose my board and the leggie wraps itself around my free ankle effectively tying my two legs together. So my board is at the end of the leggie stretch, tombstoning mightily and I'm being dragged shorewards underwater, feet first.

That's interesting Trev. Same thing happened to my missus last week. She is just above beginner status and really freaked out. She actually thought she was going to drown. Just couldn't get to the surface. Paddled back out to me nearly in tears. I've never had it happen but imagine it would be a little scary.

[Beanpole]

Heaps of dolphins out at Bondi yestrday arvo. A really big stingray drifted under me as well. Just after the sun slipped behind the buildings I looked down and saw this dark shape gliding under my board. I t was nearly round with a long stinger.I don't think we get manta rays this far south do we?

[channels]

Pictures

That is a making swell! I had a 3 year stint living in NZ and surfed Indies at 6 foot plus a couple of times and at that size, Whale Bay was just a nice rolling mal wave, puts that swell in perspective seeing Whale Bay just whitewash! That Manu Bay photo is huge, never seen it break that wide.

Apart from the size, it's the getting in and out along the rocks that would be the major challenge. Trying to get back to the Manu Bay boat ramp to exit the water would be the only option, missing the ramp is an option you don't want to consider.........

[alakaboo]

Heaps of dolphins out at Bondi yestrday arvo. A really big stingray drifted under me as well. Just after the sun slipped behind the buildings I looked down and saw this dark shape gliding under my board. I t was nearly round with a long stinger.I don't think we get manta rays this far south do we?

Pretty unlikely, especially at this time of year.
And manta rays are HUGE and not round and don't have a stinger.

I'd guess a black/longtail ray. They get pretty big.

[pridmore]

[Quangers]

Heaps of dolphins out at Bondi yestrday arvo. A really big stingray drifted under me as well. Just after the sun slipped behind the buildings I looked down and saw this dark shape gliding under my board. I t was nearly round with a long stinger.I don't think we get manta rays this far south do we?

It'd be a big eagle ray - we get heaps down the south coast. Once saw one under me and the wingspan was wider than my board was long.

I saw a seal pup out in the line up today - weird because I'd never come across a seal at the beach I was at - cool looking animal (looked heaps like a dog I used to have).

[Beanpole]

Yeh, didn't think mantas came this far south. Don't know that much about the other two candidates but they both sound likely. A bit freaky really after late afternoon shark bites at Bondi.
Saw a seal out there last year. Actually freaked me out because it looks nothing like anything you would expect to see out there. Big head with a black eye staring straight at me. Often see fairy penguins. The ocean is great.

[Skipper]

Coulda been a bikini whale.

[Beanpole]

Thought it was a sea lion at first due to the size. There was one up in the kiddies pool a few years back. Probably hoping for a feed.

[steve shearer]

that looks like a 6-8ft wave to me with a good peel angle and a negotiable line-up.
easy pieces on an 8ft+ board.
surprised no-one out.

where was Roy?

[Quangers]

^^^ What's that little black spot in the face, making tracks?

[alakaboo]

Least I got wet. Marginal bank, got 1 goodun

[Donweather]

Yesterday.....got up at 5am, surfed all day and got home at 7pm....what a day!!!

Fecking shattered still this morning!!!