WAY OF THE OCEAN

We have once again seen the seasons change and with Autumn now in full swing, early morning sessions mean crisp offshore wind and clear skies. As the days get shorter, the dawn sessions become more frequent as do the  deep low pressure systems that come swirling through the the southern ocean and  roaring 40′s.  Winter swells are only a short time away and as we cling to the last few drops of warm water and enjoy the beauty of Autumn, have a look at why this is such a special time of year.

Check out Josh Kerr and Asher Pacey carving some long clean walls in the newest episode of WAX LYRICAL. The legendary wave at Kirra point was once the jewel of Australia. After rocks were moved, sand was pumped and man interacted with the natural flow of erosion, the wave mutated into nothing more than a hyper speed close out. With the exception of a few swells a year the banks at Kirra are but a distant memory. The long draining stand up tubes that resembled the cartoon waves we sketched in our 8th grade notebooks dont happen often but a fun clean swell kept the boys content.

The season is becoming more like Fall here now, Days are getting shorter and more breezy as nights are cooling off, a good change of pace from the sweltering heat and still nights. A few days on the road, searching around for inspiration and waves brought us inland to the rainforest for some serenity and back to the coast for some nice blue surf.  With cameras and sketchbooks in tact we set out to capture some of the scenery we came across.  They say that the colors green and blue have a calming and stress relieving effects on people. The color blue can make some of us more productive and is the color of inspiration. Here are some greens, blues, and a few other colors for your relaxation and inspiration.

There is always down time when relying on the ocean for swell. The trick is to make the most of the down time and find something fun or productive to do. With the combination of a small wind swell and crazy morning light, Josh Kerr took to the water and then to the air to make something out of nothing.  Its always good to have a few down days to make you appreciate the good stuff and build up anticipation for the long range forecast.  The fact that the ocean can change dramatically overnight is part of the allure that keeps our heads filled with hope and intrigue.  What will tomorrow bring . . . .

Australia is swept by a number of major ocean currents. The East Australian Current (EAC) runs south along the east coast. The Indonesian Flowthrough flows westward from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. This in turn provides a mass of warm water to the Leeuwin current off Western Australia as it sweeps south along the west coast and east along the south coast.  South of this, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows past South Australia from west to east on its continuous clockwise journey around the globe.

The water is still warm on the East Coast and there has been plenty of swell around the last few weeks. When an east swell combines with sunshine and  Easter holidays, the crowds that follow can be a bit much to handle. Luckily there was plenty of surf and smiles going around. Here’s a look at what went down last weekend.

Production had been busy and internet time is scarce so here are a few photos from the road and there will be a full update coming very soon . . .