You never really know unless you go… 

I was lounging around at home one stormy Sunday with the typical summer onshores blowing, as they had all week. I knew there was some waves but were in no hurry because of the onshore winds and the surf report wasn’t that positive. I didn’t think I’d bother. It got to late afternoon, the sky darkened, the wind died down and I thought now could actually be my window of opportunity. I started dreaming maybe it will rain and glass off the surf. The winds did appear to be turning. A bit of wishful thinking, I thought, but had now got myself all hopeful so decided to head down to my my favourite bank on the northern beaches. On the way down I could see and feel the wind shifting offshore, then as I pulled up to the carpark i was greeted by perfect, clean, beautiful 4-6ft waves with the offshore wind starting to groom swell. Immediately the ‘stoke’set in. Out there!

As I paddled out I watched a set of perfect lefts just reeling down the line past me and run for another 100 metres or so. The clouds broke all of a sudden and the sun began to shine for the first time that day. However, as I looked around toward home it appeared black and stormy.  Then the sky opened up above me offering a huge blue patch with the sun beaming through and this all appeared to be just on top of the surf break area. The other surprisingly, but awesome thing, was the lack of people out surfing, especially for where I was. Blessed.

My first few waves were just unreal. Long lefts with open workable faces from the bowly outside section through to the fast inside section all the way until the kickout near shore. It was then a long paddle out the back starting with a mad dash as not to get caught on the inside from the gnarly shore break with then a long gruelling paddle against the current across to the takeoff zone again. After a handful of gems the wind shifted in a moment.  It was now turning onshore winds and the weather that was affecting all around closed in. My time had been had. I was so stoked and totally satisfied.

Then bang! All of a sudden, just as I stepped back onto the beach, the wind just stopped dead, the sun punched through the chaos above. It was on again. I paddled back out. More perfect lefts with only a few lucky surfers out. After a long while I was exhausted had to go in. Just as I did the sun was smothered by big black menacing clouds. The onshore winds blew up again and started blowing the waves apart. I felt blessed for sure scoring a classic session, and to think I nearly didn’t go.

I was not far from home it was raining and the sky was looking ugly. I pulled up to see hailstones and leaves all over the front yard and my was wife informing me it had been hailing golf balls, howling wind and heavy rain causing chaos. So, while I was surfing, she had been running around making sure everything was ok at home as things blew around the yard. I informed her I had just been surfing perfect clean 4-6ft waves with a handful of surfers in lovely clear sunshine only 15 mins away. She asked me to help clean up.

‘You never know unless you go’