WAY OF THE OCEAN

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When you have an island as large as Australia with thousands of miles of surfable coastline, timing becomes the most important element in the quest for perfect waves. Wind conditions, swell direction, tides and other variables come into play and can literally make drastic changes to the surf  in minutes. During the first few months of production for the film time and luck were on our side and being in the right place at the right time seemed to become routine. Every surfer has certain days that stand out in their mind for one reason or another as a magic day and those memories are what it its all about. This particular day for us came quite early in production as we stumbled upon a perfect beach break with spitting barrels and no one around for miles.  Sometimes its not the quality of the waves but the day itself that can turn your memories to magic.  Our  little secret spot was kind to us on more than a few occasions and here is a quick look at why those memories are so dear and why the Ocean is such a special place.

New wallpaper images from the making of WAY OF THE OCEAN.

This is a photo collage with a shot from the rain forest, a perfect early morning peeler and Josh Kerr getting loose. Click one of the links below to download this desktop wallpaper. enjoy-

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Watching the fog burn off from the blazing sun as it ignites another day on the northern coast of NSW

Two double exposures.

On this particular day the surf was so consistent and so good that we were all seeing double by the end of the day.

We finally got some more film developed and this time its from our favorite camera, the Holga. Driving around between stops its a given that you will see something breathtaking and the Holga camera captures the feeling of the moment like no other. For the next week we will be posting a few select shots from the last four rolls of film.

Water is a ubiquitous substance that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is vital for all known forms of life. While covering 71% of the Earth’s surface, it is found mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquifers and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds and precipitation. Our oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as  rivers, lakes an ponds 0.6%. A very small amount of the Earth’s water is contained within biological bodies and manufactured products. Water on Earth moves continually through a cycle  of evaporation , precipitation, and  runoff,  usually reaching the ocean.

Ocean water contains about 3.5% salt on average, plus smaller amounts of other substances. The physical properties of sea water differ from fresh water in some important respects. It freezes at a lower temperature (about -1.9C) and its density increases with decreasing temperature to the freezing point, instead of reaching maximum density at a temperature above freezing.

Luckily for us the water temp was no where near freezing and the salinity was somewhere right in the middle of the scale.  While the waves seemed to pumping more often then not during our stay, there was some down time between swells. After the big storm the water wasn’t even close to blue for some time, but with a stable weather pattern and small surf the turquoise blue starting coming back. Even when the waves are small you cant turn your head from the inviting look of the vibrant blue greens, so we made the most of the small stuff and took to the water.

Kirra looking almost like Kirra. Stay tuned for the footage early next week. In the mean time check out Asher Pacey and Josh Kerr in the new web series WAX LYRICAL from CIRCULATE on fuel.tv

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The surf had been solid for weeks now and we wanted to get away from the Gold Coast for a bit and find some different waves. While perfect point breaks are always on the top of the list, sometimes a wave that keeps you on your toes can be much more rewarding. There are many types of waves in Australia and reef slabs are all over this surf blessed country. Reefs come in all shapes and sizes and can bend and transform waves into all kinds of different forms. In this case the shape was round, sometimes almost square and somewhat below sea level. It wasn’t the biggest day but there were a few on offer and Asher Pacey and Josh Kerr traded barrels for an hour before the tide turned and the waves turned off.

This is a sketch and acrylic painting on a brown paper bag from the market that we stopped at to pick up some food for our next road trip. Sometimes supplies are limited and you just want to paint…Click one of the links below to download this desktop wallpaper. enjoy-

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“The loss of Kirra Point has been caused by an excessive build-up of sand that has been pumped and dredged into Coolangatta Bay over the past 12 years. In this time there have been relatively low levels of storm activity and the sand has not naturally made its way north at the same speed at which it was placed in the bay.

An increase in the level of sand in the bay by 3–4 metres on average has resulted in a significant widening of the beaches – in some cases by over 150m, the loss of surf quality, an increase in rips which has made swimming more dangerous and the loss of Kirra Reef. The reef, which is located at the northern extent of the temperate marine zone and the southern extent of the tropical marine zone supported a diverse range of marine species.”

kirrapoint.org

Although Kirra looks nothing like its former self, it can still produce fun waves with a barrel or two on offer. With the swell up a bit Asher and Kerrzy gave good old Kirra  a go and found some clean long lines and a very light crowd. After all the rain from the previous storm the water was far from the usual topaz blue making Kirra look a lot like California or anywhere else but the gold Coast for that matter.