August 22nd 2017: The band-aid

To be fair, I have been a pussy since coming back from Fiji. That was three weeks ago, but until this weekend I hadn't even looked at my wetsuit. In fact, I wasn't that fond of even going outside, let alone getting back in the water. By day six in Fiji, I was getting cold when the mercury dipped below 27°C. So air temps oscillating between 0 and 15°C are about as appealing as a fish milkshake. Then water temps around the 9°C mark – and that's above the average of 8°C this time of year – are like a fish milkshake with a side of day-old bait.

Luckily, we live in a wave-rich part of the world, and this past weekend the North Coast burst into life – far from perfect, but enough to convince me to rip the band-aid off and face my winter demons. It'll do that to you – waves that can lure even the wimpiest out of hiding.

It's a good place to recalibrate for Dunedin conditions – an incredible amphitheatre, yellow-eyed penguins darting around and even a sea lion ripping an octopus apart not far from the lineup. Plenty to keep my mind from my thickening blood, fingers and toes rendering numb and the merciless lick of the southerly wind. Winter surfing in Dunedin is a far cry from the comforts of Fiji, but then I am sharing the peak with just a handful of friends. Pros and cons.

As an ode to Fiji we have one shot from Cloudbreak this week. This shot was held back for a magazine story, but didn't make the cut. It is one of my favourite shots from Fiji – Dunedin surfer Elliott Brown deep in a tube and loving every second of it. That's the spirit of surfing. That's what it is all about no matter what the temperature.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Hollie Smith is playing at the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival on September 30 (just over a month to go – get that in your calendar). And there will be free buses running every 15 minutes from the Dunedin Central Railway Station to the Festival, and back. Fun for the whole family. Get your tickets right here.