Daylight savings signals summer is on its way and the return to the after-work surf sessions. Not that most surfers needed the extra time on Friday – the strong offshore winds and solid swell was enough to drag plenty away from their work and into the water for the midday tide.
The offshore wind sculpts the waves into rippled feathering walls with plumes that cascade behind them. It's an impressive sight – the art of nature at its best. Surfing in a howling offshore is a challenge just to take-off and claw down the wall. There were lots of late drops and surfers getting sucked over the falls, but a handy few managed to find some great barrels.
We dropped by Graham Carse's Quarry Beach Surfboard Shop at Forbury Corner this week and caught the craftsman in the throes of sculpting another masterpiece. Foam was flying everywhere and you could still see in his eyes the passion this man has for surfing and for building high-performance surfboards.
"This would be a good one for you," he laughed.
Carsey is one of the legends in this city. He still surfs with the energy of a teenager and has one of the keenest eyes when it comes to the local weather. If it was on yesterday, then chances are Carsey was there. If the swell angle and wind direction shape up for that secluded break that hasn't worked for 20 years, then Carsey will be indulging for days before anyone else catches on. He's an enigma. A character as rich and detailed as the coastline that has shaped him.
Drop by, order a custom board and meet one of Dunedin's most intriguing surfers.
See you at the beach ...
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