You may have guessed that I'd find it difficult not to have a look yesterday and so it was....

The Cromer cam was showing the stated 2-3' in the morning, though with the tide turning to ebb, and the swell forecast to fade fast, it was always going to be a wing and a prayer thing. I rang Brox around 11am to see if he was to be tempted too..and he was! This time, he'd head towards ours, and we'd travel coastward from there. I thought it good policy to keep checking on the cam between then and his arrival just to be sure. Around 2pm the phone rang. It was Brox. However, rather than providing him with instructions to get from Sleaford as planned, it was to discover that he was still only as far as Huntingdon! Clearly another mare of a journey was unfolding once more. What a guy..what dedication!!!

Ben and I therefore set off around 2.45 to Sandilands; we'd meet him there...but when? Still it was a pleasant late summer afternoon with clear blue skies, and our arrival around 3.30pm just after low tide was greeted with an encouraging offshore breeze; which in turn was fanning a small but clean wave. It looked too as if it may perk up a little when the push took hold. As we returned to the car, Naips arrived, so things were setting up nicely for a fun surf. All we needed now was for Brox to get here for a complete set.

While Naips and I caught up on recent events, Ben was already changed and in. We followed soon after, around the 4pm mark. Ben was already up to speed, and we were straight on to it too. Let's not forget this was a swell on the wane, however the waves, although generally waist high [occ. shoulder] were fun to catch and an opportunity to try stuff out. Soon after getting in though, we noticed that the breeze had swung round to the south. Naips had checked the Hutt out on the way and reported it being more or less onshore there; we were now obviously under that influence, though here it is a crosshore thing at worst. Not a problem yet, but certainly as time progressed the effect it had of creating a mixture of wave directions was obvious.

Brox arrived and was in by 5; his relief at getting in after another longer than needed journey was obvious. The comparison with the time it would have taken to have got somewhere better surfwise needed no reminding. However, the first wave eased those frustrations immediately. It was just a shame that once again his water time was ultimately limited to just over an hour. By 6.15 with the tide already well up the beach [another high HT due], an angler resolutely fishing right in front of one of the only remaining peaks, and the number of rides taken having dwindled to nothing; all 4 of us opted to end it there.

Prospects for more soon? Looks like not for now...
posted by wollocks at 9:33 AM