We have so many great surf spots on this coastline, but this week I reconnected with a favourite: Blackhead Beach. This beach has it all: amazing scenery, a carpark overlooking the set-up and it holds some incredible surf in these long-fetch easterly swells we've been enjoying.
It's a bit of a favourite for lots of locals, too – being a perfect lunchtime surf spot, after work and, in some cases, a during work hit out. There's even a rip current to transport you out the back on the bigger days.
The light winds this week meant lots of glassy sessions and some heavy barreling waves. When a wave like this comes on everyone hears about it and that meant a big pack hunting the peaks on each optimum tide.
As much as I love surfing in great waves, I love shooting photos from the water even more on days like these. I shoehorn my Eos 5D MkII and 16-35mm f/2.8L into an Aquatech DC-5 V2 housing, don some swimming fins and head out. The best positioning usually involves getting right under the lip of these waves – smack bang in the middle of the impact zone and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get smack banged around in there every now and then.
The perfect shot is inside the barrel, but it's an elusive shot even at a spot as consistent as Blackhead. All the angles in the water offer potential – especially with a headland like you have at Blackhead. The real magic comes when wave, surfer and photographer perform at their best – it's the trifecta that takes a shot from good to great. I look forward to more moments like these between sets on the head and pile drives into the sand banks.
Looks like a whole lot more swell and good conditions again this week with the north and south coast both shaping up ... pick your favourite, pull a sickie and get amongst it.
See you at the beach ...
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