Having had another enforced period without any surfing, I finally got to the beach yesterday afternoon to try and take advantage of a useful looking swell running down the coast. Before setting off I heard from Naips that Sandilands was a good size but blown out by an annoying N'ly breeze and so Skeg was [as I had expected] the chosen venue.

On arrival [4pm] I was greeted to find a pretty messy but do-able wave building 2 hours or so into the flood. If that cross-shore breeze would only drop was the main train of thought. Throw into the equation the prospect of an inevitable heavy cross-shore rip because of the Spring Tide and this could turn into a trying outing.

As it was, the initial wade out was tricky with the thick gloopy mud near the low water mark making things interesting! Anyway, the paddle out was easy and within 15 minutes I had 2 decent rides under my belt to get the confidence going....and then it was time to get out for the first time near the pier, some 800yds or so from where I'd got in; if not further!!! This was to be the pattern of the next 3 hours, though after an hour I tended not to walk much further than the first groyne or so past the North Shore car park ramp.

And with good reason, by 5.30 and still only about mid flood, the breeze had eased as wished for, and a cleaner, bigger wave was showing there. Getting through the shore dump required patience followed by a quick fast burst, but the rewards were worth it more or less. Positioning over the better peaks was difficult, otherwise waves were missed; but when you did it was helter skelter from thereon. All in all, worth the 3 hour effort as the aches and pains will testify. Now I hope for more of the same later today.
posted by wollocks at 2:50 PM