Hell in a kelp bed

Got up for a dawny down on one of the local reefs. One out, me, and it looked very good. Decided to take my short board which turned out to be a big mistake, The wave was running fast and I was just struggling to find the spot back hand so decided to go in for my single fin which would be more forgiving on the take-off and give me time to get into the excellent waves that were coming though.

About 1/4 of a mile away

Got back out in the line-up and caught a couple but it was getting really low as was my mood. The kelp was showing in the line-up which was not helping.

The next reef over had been looking big all morning and I talked myself into paddling over just for a quick look before coming in. A right too so front side for me, looked like big lumps hitting the reef and running into the channel.

I sat in the channel and had a look for a while and most were coming in big n fat but a few had real picture postcard 1.5 to 2 overhead shape and were running down the point – East Coast goes Indo – wtf! If I could just get one. I pushed in to the peak a bit and chased around for a while not wanting to get mown down by a big one, the inside on the rocks did not look a nice place to be. It was deep and nice on the shoulder. I sniffed at one and pulled back – what lay below was not in my comfort zone.

Then a wide one with my name on rolled in, I was in position, now or never, time to turn a shit surf around, paddle hard. The take-off was easy but the view on the drop was from hell, the impact zone was a field of kelp heads and that reef did look rather close. Coming off the bottom and heading for that friendly shoulder became a growing concern as I realised that I was too deep, way to bloody deep - how the fuck did I catch the only wave I wasn’t going to make. Drove ahead of the lip and ejected arse first to the bottom as my world exploded. Somewhere mid tumble the leash snapped (enjoy the swim sunshine) which at least took my mind off hitting the reef.

Surfaced near my board and was given a respite to retrieve it and get back the channel, where I sat, laughed, shook and giggled my adrenaline levels back to normal – then went in for a coffee knowing sleep would be harder to find that night.

My Biggest wave? Maybe - I once surfed third reef runny on a silly day. Ugliest and most critical? No doubt. I want more.