Some of the conversations I've had lately have been to do with the merit of surfing 2-3 foot (shoulder to overhead waves) at one of our point breaks compared to 3-4 foot (well overhead peaks) at one of our beach breaks. Turns out that the more swell that gets thrown at us the greedier we get.
I'm in the bigger is better camp. Many of my friends are after longer waves. But the most curious thing is that we wouldn't be having these debates if we had just one spot to surf. We're like spoilt brats.
Last week went a bit like this: Blackhead one day (or more if you were wired in), Whareakeake the next and Aramoana the day after, then throw in a St Clair paddle session or two on a swell that is more suited to a Clutha, Dinner Plates or Papatowai lineup (some of the crew scored some nice slabs down there on the weekend).
We've been inundated, the east coast of the North Island has been on fire for more than two weeks now – Australia's East Coast is getting some of the biggest swells in a long time and a system off Western Australia is about to light their coast up.
It's like post lockdown tangaroa is sending us some treats. I do have to ask, though ... where did all these surfers come from? I'm all for sharing, but it seems like surfing is the new cycling – I've never seen so many people at so many of our breaks feasting on the mid-week specials. Even the Union Co at Port Chalmers sold out of its famous rendang pies before the oven door was even closed. Mostly to people with wet hair, saltwater dripping out of their noses and bare, sandy feet.
If this is the new normal then we may have to go a little deeper to find some less-crowded waves. Get a little creative on it.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Yesterday I put the final tweaks on my upcoming book that explores the characters and culture of New Zealand's surf towns. It has been a mammoth effort and to finally see some of the pages designed up and looking so good – it makes me pretty excited. We're going to offer Box of Light readers the chance to pre-order them soon ... stay tuned.
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