Surfing on the other side

Ex-Pipe local Jaryd Mason (aka Jag) decided to go see if the grass was greener on the other side of the pond after finishing varsity earlier this year. He made the mission over to Perth.

Q: So, what’s the surf like? Rumour has it it’s worse than PE – which would be a scary concept!?!

Surfing in Perth is completely different to surfing in PE. The waves are really different to your usual EC setup. It’s actually a lot like some of the North Coast setups in KZN. To be honest I’d say that Perth and PE get the same amount of “surfable” days a year. Most breaks in Perth are super punchy, racy beachies with the odd reef break/ledge. The onshore can blow for weeks at a time and when the swell does arrive it dies out really quickly. I really miss groomed offshore days at our points back home! 

Q: You always hear what good surf WA has – so how Perth doesn’t cop it?

Unfortunately, Perth isn’t blessed with the best waves in WA...Bad winds and swells that don’t quite reach our breaks. Sound familiar? But there are some really good spots in Perth when the conditions are right. You really have to be willing to mission to find waves.

Q: What’s your new “local”?

Well...my new local is a beachie/groin break about 5 minutes from where in live. It’s apparently semi-secret but I will say that it’s in the “City” at a “Beach”! I also enjoy surfing a reef break called The Cove when there is some swell around.   

Q:  Seems like the toothy locals are hectic over there at the moment – 3 shark attacks this month already. Do you ever get that nervy vibe when you paddle out – or your local spot pretty safe?

I’d say my local is safe. There are always lifeguards on duty and the beach is well patrolled. It’s nice to know that there are always helicopters patrolling the Perth coastline for sharks. A few weeks ago a diver had his fin bitten off by a GW in Perth. Really close call! The other day I went down to the beach and I couldn’t swim because a 3m Tiger Shark decided to casually swim by. It was spotted by one of the helicopters and the lifeguards closed the beach until it swam off.

The helicopters are always spotting sharks and the shark buoys are always picking up tagged sharks! I follow a twitter account (@SLSWA), they tweet about shark activity in WA, so I try read their tweets before I paddle out.  

Q: What’s the crowd situation like over there. Seems like every Aussie gets given a board before they can walk, so is it a mission to find waves without the hack of a crowd?

I try avoid surfing on weekends in Perth. It’s crazy! Some of the spots over here get crazy as soon as it gets over 1ft. I try surf during the week if I can.

Q: And the vibe in the water? Dog eat dog, or are there still some manners?

Vibes are really good in the water. The guys get really stoked when they see other surfers get bombs, even if they don’t know you. But you do need to hustle to get waves! 

Q: Tried out Margret River yet?

Yea, I haven’t surfed main break yet. It’s really cool down there! There are loads of spots down there. Problem is that you need to know where to surf and when each spot breaks. Some of the waves are really hard to get to without a 4x4. The last time I was down there Shane Dorian and Parko were there too, visiting Taj. I managed to find some fun 2-3ft sessions but, I saw on Instagram that Parko and the boys got some epic sessions that weekend! Bleak...

 Q: And overall, what’s it like living there compared to home?

 I love it here! It’s harder to fit in surfs but the overall lifestyle is great and Aussies aren’t that bad haha! 

Q: Planning to stay or is this just a lil travel/work mission with no plans of settling permanently?

 It looks like I’ll be staying in Australia for now. My plan is to get my CA over here then see what happens, but right now I’m just enjoying this adventure and making the most of it. I’m also trying to save up for some indo excursions!

Q: Missing home much? Or the fact that you ou’s even have a local Spur help keep the homesickness at bay?

I do enjoy them spur burgers and I miss PE. I miss the PE surfing vibe. It’s hard to replace something like that. I practically grew up surfing in PE, it’s a special pIace. I miss the people more than anything. It’s always fun sharing waves with friends and catching up in the water. Will be home for a bit this summer so I’m hoping for some summer nuggets!