It doesn't feel like the middle of winter. I surfed without a hood all of last week and my booties are the next to get evicted from my daily neoprene collection (and I can't wait to be rid of them). When do we ever get an eight-day east swell accompanied by light winds and all-time banks in the dead of winter? Never. That's a summer swell. The banks are usually ripped to bits by now from relentless pole-axing from the southern swells.
As weird as it was, that unseasonal swell made the Otago coastline something of a treasure chest for surfers this past week. Eight days of high-performance waves in the 3-5 foot range and some heavy moments. Plenty of snapped boards, bruised ribs and battered egos left in its wake.
Fresh back from Death Valley, I spent more time on my board than shooting this week – it takes a bit of flushing to wash the California desert from your body. Needless to say, I had a few good rinses.
This week's photography comes from a couple of random sessions – not always the best window on the tides, but pretty damned good all the same.
We also put the drone up to get a slightly different perspective and even managed to film a quick cut from the air. You can check that out here along with a few more images from the swell that just kept on giving.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We recently published a story on NZ Surf Journal from CPL (Craig Levers) about the early July swell that turned the East Coast of the North Island into a playground of caverns and walls. He managed to wrangle Billy Stairmand, Matt Hewitt, Caleb Cutmore and more from the Backdoor stable of surfers. These guys scored. You can check that story out right here.
Proudly supported by:
