Getting out here is never a problem as it is a reef break but it can be a bit tricky knowing just where to position yourself as the swell peaks over a couple of reefs before it actually breaks truly. Another major factor is the tide because if the swell is a decent size and the tide is high the left can be a ripsnorter and you really have to watch what you're doing as the tide drops.
Back in the sixties the body of a young bloke by the name of "Dave Humble" was found floating in the shallows after apparently hitting his head on a particular part of the reef that juts up more than the rest. The right hander when it's breaking at it's best is probably one of the best waves for a Mal just about anywhere with decision making the difference between a good ride and a lousy one.
My expectations for this little session were not to high as I was really treating it as a chance to get my fitness up, if I managed to get a couple of good ones that would be a bonus. My first three attempts were absolute shockers with the third one being the most embarrassing as it was an extremely late take off.
I went down the face of the wave and kept on going.
The nose of the board dug in and I sort of went over the falls and as I was coming back up I felt the thud of my board on the back of my head. There was no great damage done, only to my pride and I was hoping that my girl didn't get a photograph of that. Realising the mistake that I was not in the right position and I wasn't paddling hard enough in the early stages I started to take this session seriously so I paddled out a bit further.
The fourth wave I went for wasn't too big but at least I had enough speed from my paddling to pick it up. I got to my feet as quick as I could and dropped into a bottom turn, then trimmed my board, took a couple of steps down to the nose to get through a section. As I came out the other side I hung a fairly radical cut back left, then another bottom turn and finished my ride off by dropping and climbing the face of the wave until I reached the shorebreak. I got a few more half-reasonable rides but the best was yet to come.
I decided the next wave I caught would be my last one so I paddled out even further just as a big set was coming through. I let the first couple go through and went for the last and biggest of the set. I very quickly summed up the situation that going right was going to be out of the question and this was going to be a left. As I started to pick it up I realised it was already breaking to my right so there was no hesitation from me as I got to my feet.
The wave in front of me was starting to tube as I dropped into a crouching position to get ready for anything unexpected that might happen. The next thing I know is that I was completely covered up and all I could see was the glint of the morning sun on the face of the wave in front of me.
Eventually I burst out into the clear just as it walled up in front of me to close out so I turned my board slightly right and headed into shore. I was rather pleased with myself as my girl walked towards me, I thought that perhaps with that last ride she might have caught it on film, especially the cover up. To my dismay she never even saw the ride and was watching a guy whom she thought was me riding the right. Oh well maybe next time!
Ron Taylor
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