Surfers got very excited yesterday. No matter which internet site you visited, they all said the same thing. Massive swell coming through on Sunday! To be more precise, sites predicted a 9 meter swell. At the right break, this is a 32 foot face wave, just under a four story building. All as a result of a massive storm out at sea that started thousands of kilometres away, then blown by thunderous winds and forced onto our shores. Wow, these things make me excited!

My normal surf break, aptly named Paranoia, has a wonderful wave when the right direction swell is at about 3 meters. I wondered what on earth it could look like with swell three times that size. I did not expect to be surfing but I did want to see those waves. So we took a drive, a voyeuristic surf check trip if you will! You have to understand that this is very unusual for surfers to pack their surf boards but know that they are most likely just going to look at waves! Like window shopping for men!

We did find some incredible waves. Just as well I had good mates with me in the car who held me back when I wanted to go in. You see, waves always seem far smaller when you look at them standing up. Try looking at them while lying on the floor and you get a better idea of how big they are when you are in the water.

Paranoia was breaking and really looked good to me. With no other takers, we drove on a bit further to a place called Virgins. Mainly because it is so rarely surfed! The swell just does not get big enough to make this place work. When I call it a place, it really is the edge of a bay, at the base of a 50 meter almost sheer cliff, and bounded by rocks. But it was working yesterday! Take a look at the pictures, it was BIG! Check out this surfer - you cannot see the top or the bottom of the wave in the second picture!


We actually had fun just watching some of our favourite haunts pummelled by monstrous surf. I did not get to surf but my neighbour and I got our jollies skating on my half pipe. Perhaps today I will be rewarded for my patience, and perfect waves will line up in front of me just awaiting my presence!

Well, I can dream...



It is hard to see in the photograph but you could park a house in the barrel in the first picture and you would be hard pressed to find a ladder long enough to get to the top of the second!