Around The World In 80 Waves

Pretty much the first thing I did after checking in to my caravan park in Torquay was go back a short distance along the Great Ocean Road to check out Bell’s Beach.

I was somewhat surprised however that nobody had paddled out there and instead all the surfers had opted for the adjacent break known as Winki Pop. I asked two local guys why that might be and at first they seemed really helpful however it turned out they were more interested in saving my soul.

I managed to swerve their faith chat by offering my ‘having a religion is like having a penis’ speech, and before long I had put my wetsuit on and had decided to paddle out with everybody else in case they knew something I didn’t.

Access to the water is down a wooden stairway and then out across the rocks you see here. It is my first surf on the south coast and because I have no idea what the water will be like here I am wearing boots and gloves for the first time in Australia. It turned out that I needn’t have worried about the sea temperature which is still the same as it gets in the summer back in the UK. However the real concern turned out to be the rocks.

This picture was taken a couple of days later and shows the rock shelf and assorted boulders that I was paddling out over and attempting to surf above throughout my session here. It made for uncertain footing when wading into the water which never does much for your confidence because you can’t tell what might be underneath or ahead of you at any point later in the session

However the paddle out was actually quite easy and I made it out back with dry hair feeling quite smug with myself.

All is good at this point until you find yourself slightly caught inside on one of the bigger waves and then there is nowhere to go. Even with my bulk it would be impossible to duck dive under the waves with an 8’0″ board so you have no choice but get swept in a bit.

Not normally a problem but I then got stuck inside and as the current sweeps you down the cliffs things start to get a bit problematic.

Where I started the waves are actually breaking away from the shore, but where I ended up they actually break against the cliffs leaving me literally between a rock and a hard place, with a few jagged boulders thrown in for good measure!

I’m not feeling too clever today generally and not at all in the mood for getting obliterated on rocks so pick my board out of the water and then scramble back along the base of the cliffs to the bottom of the stairs where I had go in. It wasn’t too bad for me but three guys I had been chatting to in the water got the same treatment and it took them nearly half an hour just to get safe.

I didn’t blank but there really wasn’t anything to get excited about here and not many picture to share other than the usual ones of me gurning as I try to paddle for a wave. I have seen enough of them even if you haven’t.