Thursday, April 26, 2012

NZ Surf Sessions

Well, as if my list of things I  NEED to do hasn't been long enough ... I've found a new addiction. Last summer I started surfing while in NZ. I had forgotten how much fun it is to learn a new sport, and how quick that learning curve is at the begining. Each new ride or different wave was a new personal best, maybe the fastest you've gone, the longest ride or the biggest wave, then before long you are actually in control and starting to turn the board and carve it, which quickly leads into mini sprays and top turns ... everythings new and exciting!

Last Sept/Oct I took my first ever non-kayaking trip to Nicaragua for 6 weeks of surfing (but that is another story, I'll post some pics later).

This NZ summer was fairly average for kayaking, we got a lot of days of rain, but very few rain events that amounted to enough water to hit the creeks. Our saving grace was the fact that the swell was quite good, meaning there was lots of surfing to be done.

Here are a few shots I managed to get from a small surf trip I took during my last couple weeks in NZ. Of course none of the shots are of me ... or for that matter people I was surfing with. It was very interesting coming from kayaking where it is easy to document your adventures, into surfing where because of the consistently changing conditions there is no way you are going to sit on the beach and watch / photo your friends surfing these amazing waves ... you are in the water from the moment you get there till the moment the swell dies down, the tide changes, the wind changes or your ride is pulling out of the parking lot. It is that fear that the waves could die down at any moment or you might miss out on the set of the day ... Classic FOMO!

This sight will get any surfers blood going. Beautiful lines wrapping into Raglans, Manu Bay.
Scenic landscape on the shores of Whale Bay.
Bit of a sketchy place to hop in on a big day, this dude not phased at all.
Some quality waves rolling into Raglans, Whale Bay The dude on the waves 'right' didn't make the section but the guy on the left got a sweet 100m ride
Fantastic sunset surf.
Probably one of NZ's best surf spot Raglans Indicators Waves everywhere, a non stop onslaught of perfect waves at Inside Indies
Yep tough to beat
Just a couple people out, there were at least 30-40 people out by 7am
  
B-dog enjoying his downy after a 5:30am surf session at Whale Bay Walking out for a sunrise surf at Kiritehere

Tyler Fox taking a time out at Kiritehere
A nice fun wave for the only guy left in the water at Kiritehere
Some choppy waves out front at Kiritehere
Not a good place to eat shit, Kiritehere
  
We met some friends along the way and saw some stuff.
Some fun small waves at Te Awanga
Maxi stoked on some fun small waves at Newdicks Beach in Makatu
Josh Neilson getting laid back on a SUP, Newdicks Beach

On my way to Cali for some Kayaking ... but looking forward to my next surf session!

Tyler Fox