WAY OF THE OCEAN

A fun right sandbar that formed and hung around for a bit and kept us busy.  Speaking of busy, new website and trailer are almost done! On top of that, we’ll be on the road for the next seven weeks to wrap up production so there is plenty coming your way . . .

We apologize for the technical difficulties with the blog and site. The server was hacked and it took some time to clean up and make things right. We have taken all necessary precautions to ensure it wont happen again. Sorry for the delay and thanks for returning. We have a lot of new stuff headed your way in the coming weeks. The long awaited official trailer is set to drop in less than 2 weeks and there has plenty of other news happening.

Surfing and Art have long been tied together and are often spoken as one in the same. The act of riding waves and simply waves themselves are such a special thing, so it is no wonder that people have been drawing painting and photographing them for ages. Surf related art can be found dating back as far as 3,000 years ago in Peru, where engravings were found depicting ancient surfers riding waves. Now days surf art comes in all sorts of forms from simplistic line drawings to intricate oil paintings and beyond. Below are a few simple sketches done to pass the time in the morning as the swell fills in. . .

SURFING VICTORIA / ROBBO’S HOME MOVIES from CIRCULATE on Vimeo.

Adam Robertson gave us some home video footage and we threw it together for your enjoyment. Seeing the long rippable point waves Robbo grew up surfing shows where he got his smooth style and power. This first clip focuses on just the rights, up next we’ll be posting some incredible lefts.

Every surfer dreams of finding a new spot or a secret wave they didn’t know existed. The thought of such a thing is what keeps us searching in spite of the recent technology that has made it easier for everyone to search from the comfort of their home computer. Sometimes its doesn’t take an epic wave to satisfy this notion, just a good old wedging beach break with a few friends. That’s exactly what we found when we set off for a hike down a long path none of us had been down before.

The great thing about Australia is that there are so many headlands and little nooks all along the coast to explore. Being from Southern California, where any bend in the coast is likely to have 44 friendly faces bickering over who had the last set wave, this option to explore untouched places is extremely refreshing.  As we headed down the long slippery, rocky, winding trail, we encountered lots of big hairy spiders and a few snakes. We knew something good had to be at the end of the road with all the hazards involved. There wasn’t a whole lot of swell at first light and the headland we were scoping appeared to stick out a bit like a catchers mitt, hopefully acting as a swell magnet.

After a good 45 minutes of ducking under webs, we got a glimpse of the ocean and to our surprise there was actually some whitewater down in the small cove.  As we got closer we could tell that there was a pretty good right bouncing off the rocks and dumping on the shallow beach. Its hard to tell how big a wave is when you see it from a distance and there is no one out, so we could only guess that it was surfable.  Down on the beach the delightful sight of spitting tubes came time and time again in the same spot and we had a session on our hands.  Exploring can be fun.

Although we have seen thousands of perfect waves peel off during the last year of filming, it never gets old admiring the different forms of unique perfection the ocean can create.

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.

Australia’s ocean environments are as rich and varied as any on earth. They are linked to three of the world’s large ocean basins, the Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans and encompass all five of the major climate zones, from tropical and subtropical through to southern temperate, subpolar and polar.

The ocean is in constant movement from heating and cooling and the influence of tides and winds which stir waves and currents. The main Australian ocean currents are the East Australian Current, which brings warm equatorial and Coral Sea water down the east coast, and the Leeuwin Current, which transports warm, low salinity water down the west coast. These meet the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the south. There is also the periodic influence of the wind-driven Southern Oscillation, known as El Niño which influences ocean surface temperatures with far-reaching effects on the weather.

At any one time conditions in the upper ocean are governed by many factors, such as solar radiation, rainfall, river flow, evaporation, sea-ice formation and tides. Occasional strong winds and storm surges can also have a major effect. Across the shallow continental shelf wind patterns largely determine the speed and direction of water currents and the resulting wind-driven waves are the major source of changing currents in most of Australia’s shelf waters. This includes the Great Barrier Reef, the New South Wales Shelf, Bass Strait, the Great Australian Bight and the North West Shelf.

Our recent journey saw us drifting up and down the east coast hunting some left handers to change things up a bit. With a solid forecast on the horizon we set out early and got a few fun days of surf before the swell was due.  The first few days were spent at a thumping beach break with a nice tube section on the take off winding down to a perfect ramp on the end section every time.  Changing up the scenery from time to time is a great way to recharge and look at the bigger picture.

Sometimes when there is a fresh new swell you can almost feel it first thing in the morning. There seems to be more salt in the air and more energy in the crisp off shore breeze. The feeling of walking up to get your first glimpse of the newly stacked corduroy lines is like having a 2nd cup of coffee. Each and every wave has traveled hundreds or thousands of miles only to show its power,beauty and unique form for just a few seconds and for our enjoyment.

This particular morning we were early for the swell’s arrival and at first light there were small clean lines all the way to the horizon. There was a small right tucked away in a sheltered cove for a quick go at first light. Within an hour or so the swell more than doubled in size as the wind kicked up hard offshore. By mid morning all the outside bars were absorbing most of the swell and there was a fickle wedge that proved to be nearly impossible to line up. Once the swell fully filled in, it was clear we needed to relocate and doing so proved to be a smart move as that evening turned out to be one of the best days we saw. For that you will have to wait for the movie but in the mean time here are some images to highlight the first signs of the new swell.

Share

Finding solitude can be quite refreshing.

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.

“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.

Share

Waves are created as wind transfers energy to the ocean’s surface. As the wind blows, it pushes the water in front of it. The water gains energy from the wind due to the friction between the wind and water. RPS MetOcean found that the waves around Australia constitute an energy resource of almost 200,000 megawatts, or four times the country’s total currently installed power-generation capacity. We tapped into this energy source with another week of lefts, rights, a frames, crowds, empty line ups and everything in between.

Here is the first of many WAY OF THE OCEAN desktop wallpapers. We will be offering new imagery weekly. Click one of the links below for the correct size.  The file will open in a new window.

(1024 x 768)

(1280 x 960)

Share

Entry 5: The Gold Coast

We headed back to Coolangatta where Asher lives to meet up with Josh Kerr who had some time off between WCT events. The waves were only small but there was hope on the horizon. We settled for a quick afternoon session and then assessed the situation for the remainder of the week and once again things were looking good in the forecast. stay tuned for video . . .

The gold coast of Australia can be quite a spectacle at times. Modern high rises dwarf the many palm trees and beach goers while surf shop after surf shop line the beach side streets filled with restaurants and shopping malls. One thing is certain, surfing is a major part of daily life on the gold coast and for good reason. The climate is subtropical with 287 days of sunshine annually, an average water temp of 72 degrees and enough world class point breaks and beach breaks to satisfy even the most seasoned traveler.
With a population of 482,566 in 2005, the gold coast is the seventh largest city in Australia and is also the most biologically-diverse city in Australia. Its vegetation ranges from mountain rainforest to coastal wetlands and is home to more than:

* 34 species of amphibians
* 323 birds
* 72 mammals
* 71 reptiles
* 25 species of fish

With so much diversity in such a small stretch of coast we were looking forward to checking out all the gold coast has to offer.

.

ENTRY 3 : SCENIC

Stunning is the first word that comes to mind when describing the landscape in Australia. From the dense rainforests to the swooping green valleys that lead to wide open sandy beaches and rocky coves, there is plenty to set your sights on. In between surfs we found our eyes drawn to the natural beauty surrounding us and spent a day exploring the coast. First stop was the rainforest which was nothing short of amazing. So clean, crisp and lush you could feel it in every breath. Although rainforest’s only cover 6 % of the earths surface, they are responsible for up to 40% of the earths oxygen supply and more than two thirds of the worlds plant species are found in tropical rainforests. They have been called the “jewel of the earth’ and after spending an afternoon there it is obvious how one could draw that conclusion. After a cool drink from one of the many fresh water streams we headed back down to the beaches to have a look around. There is so much to see and so many places to surf that one could drive themselves mad just thinking of all the possibilities. It was refreshing to see some untouched coastline with no signs of human destruction or intervention. No cigarette butts, coffee cups, cans or plastic just pure ocean and sand. We made it a point to pick up at least one piece of trash everyday from each beach we visited but for once we were left empty handed. Coming from California this was hard to comprehend after so much rain and swell that the sand was still pure and garbage free, the way it should be.

Destination 1: Australia

Australia is a magical place with an abundance of surf, culture and wildlife. Being the largest island on the planet Australia boasts 16,006 miles of coastline to explore. From the tropical coral reefs in the North East to the cold water and lonely beaches of the South West the land down under can satisfy almost anyone.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by one of the country’s finest, Asher Pacey. Asher’s family roots go deep into Australia’s history and being that he is a class act in and out of the water he made for the perfect tour guide to begin exploring this wonderful continent. The swell had been up for weeks and Asher was buzzing having racked up countless minutes of tube time over the last month. We were pleased to hear that the swell train was supposed to continue in the weeks to come and we quickly grew anxious to see what the morning light would bring. Although the first day was supposed to be the smallest it had been in awhile the winds were going to be good and after all, it wasn’t going to be flat. Our first glimpse of the ocean the next morning proved that surf forecasting can sometimes be a flawed science.

The first session was a good introduction to Australian beach breaks and the heavy peaks they provide. This was just the beginning and the swell forecast was looking good for the next couple of days. Stay tuned . . .

7USQQBPPKNBW