Life after flying

Glen and I looking at the surf of a potential new spot.

11 September 2011

We have been bombarded with 9-11 news. It is everywhere. Of course one cannot help but think about these things and Dirk and I have been chatting about how the media can create a skewed representation of reality. Since 9-11 so many more Iraqis and Iranians have died as a result of the US invasions – we hear very little of these though. Of course it is tragic either way.

The relentless trade winds are still plaguing us. And it does not help complaining either – these winds are quite normal for this time of the year. Naturally we are asking for a bit of luck, just a slackening of 2 or 3 knots is all we need – it will make all the difference. Instead of 27knot gusts, which we can contend with, we are getting 30knots. Small difference it seems but it matters. We have missed three days now due to the strong winds and everyone is getting a little bit frustrated.

The upside of the winds is that it has kicked up a nice swell – as far as Seychelles standards are concerned. There has been some good 6ft sets coming through and it has awakened the long dormant surfer in me. I have not surfed for probably a year and after a few sessions in small waves of Carana beach my tender ribs (the part you use to lie on the board!) was starting to hurt less. Unfortunately I cannot say that for the rest of my body! The strong wind day made me think of a proper rest however, when a pretty girl asks you to take her surfing what can you do?
It did not take much for Georgia to twist my arm after Dirk and I arrived home in the early afternoon. (We spent the whole morning at the airport waiting for the winds to die down but after the gusts had gone to 37knots I knew it was pretty futile.) Dirk joined us (even if he does not surf). He has a new water-housing for his camera and has been taking some pics of us playing in the small surf but he was keen to try his hand at the bigger stuff.

After driving around for almost 2 hours, looking at spot after spot, I finally convinced the remainder of our party of a wave I know to be near Port Lunette. It is on the west coast and far to the north. There was a gap in the reef and I knew at high tide with the large swell running we should get some waves there. It was pretty intimidating though. The rip current running through the reef pass was strong and I advised Dirk that perhaps it was best to stay on the beach and take some pics from there. It did not take much convincing though – the fast running white water lumps bouncing through the rip made even Glen and I take note! After some heart stopping moments through the rip (could we ever get back out with this I wondered!?) to great relief we found our beach interpretation of the wave to be accurate. Soon we were sitting in the calm current eddy and surprised by the lack of current we managed to get a few of the medium sized waves. The big ones where breaking just too hard and fast onto the shallow reef – the large coral heads looming just under the water surface made my heart race as I sped past them and it made think that discretion is the better part of valour as far as the bigger sets where concerned! Still, Glen and I had a few making the whole trip worth it. Of course as I write this my neck is pretty tender and sore. Perhaps I need to slow down a bit...

Nah!

Wish you where here!
;)