This shot above shows two pits grinding away towards the beach. They're the hollow caverns at the roaring, seething, dredging end of these waves. Most surfers love them. Most also fear them – though very few will admit that.
They are formed when the offshore wind holds the face of the wave up as it crosses a shallow bank beneath and jacks into a barrel, pit or tube.
This past week there have been pits all over the city beaches and some of the best tube riders have been weaving through ridiculously long sections – even getting more than one barrel on a wave. The consequences are harsh: broken boards, snapped legropes, bruised bodies, battered egos and some close shaves with the ocean floor.
A lot of these shots come from St Kilda, which has a reputation as a barrel-riding Mecca. It certainly didn't disappoint and I have to tilt my hat to those who surfed it this week – it was a moody beast at the best of times. I saw some of the best tube-riding I have seen in a long time and the stoke was contagious.
Let's hope for plenty more moments like these when the swell lines march in from the south throughout spring. I'm sure there is a barrel out their with your name on it. If you don't surf, just keep an eye out for the offshore wind and the lines of swell stacked to the horizon and pick a city beach – any beach – the show will be worth it.
See you at the beach ...
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