opinions about big surf...

[scooter83]

Guys,
In light of this forcast large southerly groundswell forecast to hit sydney south facing magnets mid next week i just wanted to hear what other people think about bigger surf. I've been surfing for about 10 months now and call me a wus, but probably the biggest i have been out in has been 4-5 foot absolute tops, southerly swell at bondi, and probably the biggets wave i've sucerssfully taken off on has been 3-4 foot at best...and that was awesome...the difference in speed you can generate off the bottom turn is such a cool feeling.

But when some of the big sets roll through, my eyes are wide open and i'm paddling pretty hard (trying to not look worried of course ...and i'm just out there watching guys nail there take offs and am just happy to watch on from the shoulder as it feels the whole ocean is behind these waves. So it gets me thinkning, if this is only 4-5 foot...imagine the bloody feeling of being out in larger surf - pretty inspring/shit scary stuff.

So what do other people think about big surf...how big is big, when do butt cheeks start to clench tight when a big set rolls through on the horizon? I'm just curiuos to see other peoples mind sets when there out there...

Peace out.

[dammit__01]

big is when i know if i get caught by the 1st wave of the bomb set i no im gonna get screwed over.

such as at fairy bower in that BIG swell last year biggest of the year i think i was caught inside tried to duckdive got screwed over had 3 waves which completly fucked my over so i paddle in scary i thought i was gonna die

thats when big is TO big for me

[FishStick]

Probably better if you describe wave height in terms of body height i.e. overhead, double overhead. Then we all know what you are talking about.

I don't mind massive waves if I'm in deep water and the take off is fairly straight forward, but a really big dredging wave is a different story altogether.

At the places I usually surf I find that really big waves tend to close out quickly so although the take off is fun, steep and fast, the rides are usually short and I don't like messing about on the face if the lip looks like it's coming down. Guys who go and hit the lip on waves that size amaze me.

[Bear]

Im sort of the same.. most i've bodyboarded was probs about 8 foot at of all places Coogee(which is dead flat 95% of the time) when most other beachs were washed out. Whats 8ft in surf terms... 1 1/2 overhead? more? less? i have no idea. Anyways Thing is i got pummeled cause it was dredging like crazy and it was shorebreak! Thus a pounding was just insane!

Take me out the back of a beach break when its big and im fine, same as written above, the fact its deep water etc and you know you can sink and be ok!

As for massive swells i usually find a spot that misses the swell a bit so i can have a reasonable session with not many people there...

In the end as long as you have fun in water it doesnt matter what size you go...

[Beanpole]

If you have been surfing for 10months I would suggest you don't go out at bondi in larger than 2mtr surf. It will probably be closing out. It will be dredging up on a shallow sandbank. It will have other people like you out there. Also definitely don't go out at Tama or Bronte. Both these places get really sketchy when they are big.
Wait till you find some good ridable 2mtr surf and then test yourself there. Your surfing will progress to the point where you will understand the situation and then you can choose to get drilled on as many crappy, dredging closeouts as you like
Good luck and keep trying

[foamballpilotqueen]

i have only had one session in the past year where i have been sheeting my self. One massive day out at fairy bower. Macca actually made a video of it. Winki was like the deep section of bower and deadies wa craaazy!
This one set came through and all i can remember is seeing it feather wayyyy too far out!
Some dude on a mal really far out jsut yelled "PADDLE" and everyone went for their lives. Im gona sound like a kook here but the biggest wave of that set was easily over 10 feet. It broke as one straight hander from second reef winki to wide of bower. It didnt even have a surfable shoulder it broke so wide... and i can tellyou, when i duck dived that thing my wetsuit was ful of shit!

[One Mile Point]

5-7ft at anna bay i was at first reef and the set to end all sets came through, broke out at the bombies hit third reef and broke gone, washed in. Was a bit scared that day. I was a bi scared at birubi on the outer bank cause we were really far out and the sets were getting bigger.

[yanks r us]

sucks when its big and theres no paddle out area

[greygrom]

Considering there has not been anything worth surfing for at least two weeks I await the forecast 5ft swell with barely suppressed anticipation

I know that if it does hit 90% of "surfers" will stay firmly beached by their modern male nancyboyness. Of that 90% half will be office working long boarders with chubby guts and the other half will be blinged up boogers who wear "industry gear".

5ft is not even head high ....

[sean--]

I dont mind it bigger as long as its organised with an escape route.

[Beanpole]

Considering there has not been anything worth surfing for at least two weeks I await the forecast 5ft swell with barely suppressed anticipation

I know that if it does hit 90% of "surfers" will stay firmly beached by their modern male nancyboyness. Of that 90% half will be office working long boarders with chubby guts and the other half will be blinged up boogers who wear "industry gear".

5ft is not even head high ....

Very true greygrom and isn't it wise that this is the case
Also if you are feeling brave on a mal remember they snap very easily when its big since they don't penetrate the water when they get hit like a narrower board would.

[willie]

Always glad to read on swellnet of a 6ft+ swell with offshore winds. Thing i love about surfing is just pushing my limits. There's no real thought of self wellbeing out there, just push yourself over the edge and go with it. I remember being at newport last year when the big swell hit. Paddling back out after one wave to see the biggest set wave i saw in the session, my older bro n his mates were jokingly screamin for me to take the late late drop, so i did. Made the drop, turned into it, closed out, fucked up. Held down for a while n got beaten up but eh, it was fun... just got back up n paddled out again with a smirk on the face n water all up the sinus's

[dammit__01]

i dont really judge waves by high or what ever unless im not there and i wana know how big but was any1 else out that day at bower last year where they said it was gonna be 12 foot on swellnet cause thats prob the biggest ive been out...and i caught the bomb set

[foamballpilotqueen]

if your too scared to get out there this week you really should retire from the surf, its not going to be that big.

[moods]

Biggest iv been out in was down the south coast, ulladulla region point break bout 2 years ago. I hadnt been surfin for that long,only bout a yr and it was way beyond my skill level wave, real shallow and sucky. It was stupid goin out, even more so cos it was isolated...but hey it was worth the experience for sure and im waiting for a time when i can make the trip down again on a big swell and check my level now. Sometimes it is good to put youself in situations like that, you can look back with a grin

[scooter83]

good call moods. I had an experience when i had been surfing for only 6 months, and got posted for work up at Grafton for 5 weeks. I took my 7'2 board with me, and one weekend got the chance to go to yamba and angourie.

Thankfully for me, it was pretty tiny, and not many people out at all...so after consulting my mark warren atlas, i thought i'd try spooky beach, a right hand point break about 1.5 years ahead of my skill level There were only 2 older looking guys out there, and they said g'day etc...So after waiting about 10 mins for a wave that i thought i could make, i took off, and this wave just jacked up reall;y quick and i went tumbling forward in true beginner fashion...What freaked me the most was that the wave breaks in front of this rock shelf, maybe 15 metres away...well i did make 1 wwave of about 5 attempts, and then paddled in, and when i was showering, i had a good chuckle to myself abouot how funny i must have looked

When the swell is even remoptely up, those places mustr be so good...the waters crystal clear, beuatiful scenery. Lucky to live up that way. I hope i get another chance to surf that area with a bit better skill

[chris_010]

I'll take of on anything a beachy throws my way, but at a reef its a different story and very much where my level is reached. Im at a stage where i still contemplate taking off at a 4/5ft+ reef. Be great to feel as comfortable at reefs as i am at becahes.

[greygrom]

I see some spirit coming out.

If ya neva neva go you will neva neva know.

When your legs are jelly and your lungs a bursting the calm zone awaits your embrace ... go with it and break through.

Fork I need some decent waves. All this pissy summer swell is sapping my strength. Fishing and sailing are fun but nothing beats the feeling of dropping into a beast that cares nothing for your being.

Pray people. Sacrifice a virgin. Send the flaming fibre relic from the clifftops. Huey needs to know Christmas is over.