May 3rd 2022: Iso

By the time we returned from the Canterbury Champs last weekend we had Covid in the family home again. The girls were isolating so Keo and I rescued Remi and off we went on a bit of an exploratory surf and work trip around the Otago coastline.

I forgot how much time it took to search for new waves. We drove all over the show chasing various features in our northern coastline that looked like they might harbour something special. Nearly all these spots were deserted and they looked like they could handle most of the swell that was being thrown at them. We didn't surf a few because the bays were just too wild with way too much water moving for the two of us.

Our luck changed when we stumbled across Iso Corner – a clean peeling right that looked very user-friendly, but was far from it. The take-offs were steep and pitchy and the wave grew in size as it found the bank along the inside. It was pretty intense with an end-section that put you right back in your place.

We also managed to stumble across a rare clean day at Karitane Bar at two-foot. That was perfect for groms and longboarders but not quite punchy enough for anyone else. The surf aside, the missioning and camping at our beaches around the North Coast is pretty amazing. One morning we woke up with the sun at Karitane and watched a sea lion and then a handful of shags feed on schools of mullet. There was plenty of fish to go around that's for sure.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Here's the wrap from the 2022 Exit Surf Men's Canterbury Surf Championships and here's the NZSJ super-popular 40 Frames from the same event. Enjoy ...