October 1st 2024: Strike mission

Fear of missing out, or FOMO, got the better of me again last week. I'd been watching a swell come all the way across from below West Oz. It was an unusual high latitude westerly flow, much like the storms through winter. I could see it was losing energy – it was forecast to drop away quickly so I had shelved the idea of chasing it.

My new book had arrived into my gallery and a mountain of work stood ahead of me to get the distribution kicked into gear. So skipping this swell, no matter how good that wind looked, seemed like a responsible idea.

Then I started to see pictures from Bells Beach where that same swell had scoured the beach of sand. Then Shipsterns – a frightening multi-stepped wave in Tasmania, fired to life. I checked the forecast again – still way too much west in the swell but that wind ... and what if an unusual swell direction like this looks even more beautiful on the reef? What if this is the one?

In my mind autumn and spring swells are way better than the winter sessions that often come with a lot of cross-offshore winds. So I tend to prioritise those ones. Even though I was quite positive I was not going to drive south for this one, I packed the car up anyway. My ski driver was unable to make it so if I did go I would be shooting from land, which I don't mind at all. By 10:30pm the car was packed. I had all my essentials just in case I decided to go: gumboots, water, food, enough camera gear to burden a mule, head torch and a woolly hat.

Just in case, I set my alarm for 3am. That would give me enough time to drive there and walk out to the point for sunrise.

I didn't sleep a wink. My mind rolled between the possibility of amazing sets greeting me at dawn and the disappointment if the swell does indeed go right past.

At 2:55am I made the call. I was going ... I'm glad I did. You can read the full story from my deep south strike mission online here.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS We are literally boxed in at the gallery by our latest book: New Zealand's Best Gourmet Pies book. You can help us clear some space by ordering a bunch and getting ahead for Christmas! Thanks to all my subscribers who have already ordered a copy. Link here.