January 12th 2021: Ragalinis on tour

Showing good friends around your backyard is always an honour. So when three of my mates from Raglan decided to spend four weeks in the South Island on a camping tour with their families I was understandably excited.

We had nine kids and eight adults and a surf forecast that promised some entertaining waves in the Catlins for all of us. And so I took a screenshot of the most recent forecast and disappeared out of range into one of my favourite spots on earth in the heart of the Catlins. We'd given up trying to play the weather game and were in it no matter what was thrown at us. That was a good idea because as the Ragalinis arrived each had a different forecast for our time in the bay. Mostly though, we were in for some serious rain as we awaited the arrival of a long-period swell.

The Ragalinis were layered up with everything they bought with them as they jokingly mocked us for our wet, cold summer. When the waves finally arrived it was 10°C with occasional showers still pulsing through. The swell was raw and ugly – as it often is. The high tide did little to tame it. The conditions were rough with the occasional outstanding set angling into the banks the way they should. Jeremy Gee, who was leading the charge for the Ragalinis – and who is quite possibly the most amped grommet in the world – took one of the biggest beatings of his life. He bagged a few gems amongst it all. The kids took up residence in a green hut that had a grandstand view and would cheer whenever a set lurched toward the banks. They were loud and I'm sure they encouraged those on the peak to commit to some impossible drops, much to the satisfaction of the peanut gallery.

After three nights and four days in the rain our Raglan friends continued to their next destination, hoping for a break in the weather – a glimpse of real summer in the south. This week we may just get to see some sunshine.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS We have a bunch of Otago surfers in the New Zealand Surfing Championships which are being held at Piha this year from January 10-16. You can follow the results from the Nationals over on New Zealand Surf Journal.