Where did you surf today ?

[petulance]

Padang small and gnarly, more skill required when its smaller. About 20 out at 6pm.
I surfed Impossibles most of the day

How was Impossibles compared to Padang Padang and Ulus?

Not me Legion, there's a number of reasons its never crowded over 8', despite the 100s of good surfers on the island

Ok, I'm going to ask ... what are the reasons?

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[petulance]

Yeah but I'm not any good.

[Cranked]

Conditions are perfect, but still only 9 out: 3 at the bomby, 3 at the peak and 3 at the corner.

Why are so few out? First is ability, next is the ratio of effort to the number of waves caught: sets are every 30 mins or so, and its hard to be in just the right place to catch them, so those 9 guys are probably getting only a few waves per hour between all of them. Plus long paddles and no help available if something goes wrong. I did see someone get a huge set wave from the bomby through to the end of the peak, 6-700m? The only wave caught during the 40 odd minutes I wa watching.

And there's going to be some huge rogue sets every hour or two.

Padang Padang is firing, fourty in the water. Impossibles seems much smaller, but I did see a monster set go through when I was at Padang.

[steve shearer]

you could at least post a photo Cranked.

[crabmeat thompson]

yep, for all we know he's 1000 miles inland dipping his balls into hot candle wax all in the name of buddha.

[crabmeat thompson]

just for something completely different.

[Trev]

Braithy you're my hero.

[Cranked]

When I get back. I've no way of uploading the pics to my phone or tablet. Wide angle pics from my phone or tablet wouldn't do it justice.

Surfed Impossibles late morning but too sectiony, just went back and there were just two surfers about 600-700m out to sea, mega sets that are way to serious for me, so I'm off to Ulus with my camera, outside corner should be breaking. Padang Padang is doing its incredible stuff

[Cranked]

yep, for all we know he's 1000 miles inland dipping his balls into hot candle wax all in the name of buddha.

What! Hmmm, yeah, ok, I'll give it a shot.

[alexisanchez]

Opposite end of spectrum to Cranked but I had the most enjoyable surf today. Took my 5 yr old nephew down to the River mouth. There is so much sand at low tide you can walk out 100+ metres from end of the groyne.
We jumped in in front of coast guard tower on a big old log and had a gentle float out into the line up just as tide was changing. Picture perfect day, still warm water and long, long little right handers brushed by a light off shore. Like a mini DI and with only a couple of old fellas on longboards and a few Sups for company.
The stoke the little fella had was infectious and lifted the already mellow vibe. By the end he was getting a few by himself as I pushed him into and I swear he stood for 30 seconds on one.
Walked back to frying pan for a short paddle back to showers and an ice cream. Life doesn't get much better

[petulance]

Thanks for the info, Cranked. Sounds like a lot of hard work. Is it not possible to sit wide and hope to snag a smaller wave?

[Beanpole]

Sit wide and snag a big one I would have thought.
Sit inside for a small one and get steamrollered.

[steve shearer]

thats nice Alex. sometimes, despite surfing's rep as being a pursuit for selfish bastards, the best times are just pushing a kid into some babyfood and sharing the stoke.

[Cranked]

Thanks for the info, Cranked. Sounds like a lot of hard work. Is it not possible to sit wide and hope to snag a smaller wave?

If you saw the awesome spectacle of a half hourly set moving into Ulus you would not make that suggestion. There is nowhere wide to sit, inside certainly, but thats virtually suicidal, you won't have time to paddle 100-200m to avoid the sets when they come, you will be hit by 10' of white water and swept a kilometer or so down the coast within minutes.

Yesterday from the cliffs I saw someone swimming after a set, never saw his board, he was trying to swim in but was about to be swept past the cave, he waved his arms in that "I need help" signal. He must have been exhausted and starting to panic, realising if he missed the cave the next place to get in would probably be Impossibles. But there is no help. He put his head down and swam like fcuk, and luckily picked up the front edge of a surge that got him in

[Cranked]

Speaking of kids out having fun surfing. I was watching Padang Padang doing its craxy thing when this little guy who looked about 10 years old appeared. He had a red Gath helmet on and had obviously been surfing! He was so small! He's gonna be some surfer when he grows up.

He asked the most professional looking photographer there if he had any footage of him. He did, and they arranged to get them for him.

[Davros]

Doesn't it make you feel completely human when you see those sets roll through and you don't have a place to hide? Gulp.

[petulance]

Thanks for the info, Cranked. Sounds like a lot of hard work. Is it not possible to sit wide and hope to snag a smaller wave?

If you saw the awesome spectacle of a half hourly set moving into Ulus you would not make that suggestion. There is nowhere wide to sit, inside certainly, but thats virtually suicidal, you won't have time to paddle 100-200m to avoid the sets when they come, you will be hit by 10' of white water and swept a kilometer or so down the coast within minutes.

The biggest I have seen it was probably 4ft at low tide and I managed to get a smaller one before almost being pushed all the way to Padang Padang.