What a start to the
year, after a terrible Autumn and a land locked Christmas I drove home via a
day of great waves in both England and Scotland then this weekend a big swell
(13ft@11Sec) trucked up the Firth of Forth and lined up on the most fickle of
things, the village’s resident right hand point break. 2 or 3 days of good
waves were predicted too. Could it really happen?
This is how it went.
Saturday: Light
winds and the very start of the swell gave an excuse to get out on the new SUP.
A generally flat water paddle was rounded off with a nice waste high wave to
the shore – my first proper SUP wave, something that felt very unnatural.
1) The huge swell
had arrived as promised and was wheeling down the point, the waves starting
small and increasing in size as they came into the open bay. Huge bomb sets
were moving down beyond the bay with clean waves breaking a mile offshore.
2) The Scottish surf
circus had arrived. A car park usually occupied by dog walkers was rammed full
of vans surrounded by a detritus of boards and bags. No one it seemed had a
mind to miss this one. After some negotiation with the Mrs I got in for the
drop after lunch. 6.6 fish. What a session, long cruisy rights down the point
and finally thirty mins in the middle chasing some bigger set waves. Last wave
of the day may hold position for wave of 2016 for some time. Big, chunky and
down the line before a clouting from the lip and a dodgy exit through the
rocks.
Monday: I have to
work so get up early to get that done and make a two hour slot in the day.
Decide on late afternoon on the drop. Longboard. The swell had eased back and
the wind was still hard offshore but the waves were linking all the way down
the point. It never took more than two waves before I had to get out and walk
the 500 yards or so back up the beach. Again one of the last waves was the
best, all the way down the point, it never sectioned once and stayed chest high
till it closed out in the middle of the bay. At speed on the nose for 50-100
yards - Magic. Got out when the light faded.
Tuesday: Sadly the
swell had dropped and the wind had come round but some more waves were had and
again the final wave was the best – found a rare set wave which had some shape
so rode it through, straightened out and called it day.
And now back to waiting
