The week that was...

©Thelma Nel

The sunrises were better than the surf. Not that much again wave-wise for the bay. Coupla bits & pieces of wind swell that cleaned up when the west came through, but that was about it. 

Is it just me or are the winds pretty hectic for this time of year? My memories of February are that we usually get some fun small clean swells and loads of windless days or light SW. Dunno where all these howling easts and wests come from? Weather is bedonnerd.

Pulling in at Pipe ©Dirk Erasmus

Still, at least it's been warm enough to make getting in the water pleasant enough. Fernando took his GoPro out for a swim and hooked a classic shot of the bay's Wildman waterman Richard von Wildemann deciding to take an unconventional approach to riding his surf malibu. Thought they were made for kneeling on?

©Fernando Tallie

Even if our weather's all over the place what doesn't change is the daily visit of the local dolphin pod. Cruise past the beach every morning. Our guys are a bit more docile than the ou's at Byron Bay though! Check out this amazing sequence by Sean O'Shea of a drop-in dolphin style. Probably better termed a "jump-in"?

Local tourism guru Jonker Fourie was on a mission inland during the week and spotted a road sign that I reckon the JBU guys would love to stick up at the end of Pepper Street. Just swap out the pedestrian and cyclist bit for "surfers". Classic.

©Jonker Fourie

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior visited our shores this week. First stop was at Seals, where the locals held a paddle out in protest against the Thyspunt nuke plant being planned just down the road from Seals. If we can't even manage coal-fired plants not too sure how good we'll be with nukes. Maybe the Seals surfers will be glowing in the dark soon?

The Warrior then made it's way to PE for the weekend, making it's way into the bay on Saturday morning during the Bell Buoy Challenge. Greenpeace uses the boat to highlight environmental related causes, and it's in SA to support the anti-nuke plant campaign and encourage renewable energy.

Rainbow Warrior pulling past Seal Point ©Clive Wright

One of the competitors in the Bell Buoy swim, Andrew Stewart, organised a peaceful protest against the proposed Algoa Bay fish farm development just off Pipe. Everyone was encouraged to wear bright green to the beach to help raise awareness and to express their support of the fact that it's a kak idea. Well, not a kak idea overall, just a kak location.

Photo: Mike Oliver

Loadshedding doing your head in? No problem - just take all those bucks you've saved during the month cos Eishkom keep switching your power off and don't drop em on some new T's and boardies at the Billabong Loadshedding sale at their JBay factory shop. Gotto love being a Saffa, we always make a plan!

Speaking of stuff to drop your coin on, if you're serious about protecting your ears then hook past Surf Centre Humewood and pick up some Surf Ears, just arrived. Super high tech ear plugs that keep the water out and let the sound in. Ask anyone that has/has had surfers ear and they'll tell you it's not something you wanna get! Barry Heasley bought a pair and reckons they epic.

The frequent east mean lotsa these lil critters washing up. No fun getting stung, so keep your eyes peeled. If you do run into a coupla tentacles, then best treatment is to poor hot water over the area. Hot as you can bear without adding burns to your problems. Didn't use to be a practical treatment option, but thanks to Warwick's Coffee's Up caravan at Pipe you can get hold of hot water easily. The theory is that hot water helps to break down the protein component of the sting and thus take some bite outta it.

A lil bundle of joy? not. © Dirk Erasmus

Cool to see that ML gets read all over the world. Art Peterson from California dropped me a note to say I didn't have all my facts straight in the article I did on leashes a while ago. Art wrote:

"I saw your article "Legacy of the leash" and I need to correct you on who made the first urethane leash, It was not Cadillac Surf co. it was MNP Co. in Monterey Park Ca, they had been making bungee leashes and I was there in 1977 when the "First urethane leash" was made. The owners name was Michael Nathan Powell, hence calling the company MNP.  Mike died a short few years later from a blood disorder and has remained forgotten in the surf industry."

Great to get a heads up on some surf history as it happened. Thanks Art!

Cyclone swell klapping the east coast of Aus at the moment. Playing havoc with the cricket, but the surfers ain;t complaining. Provided you don't mind surfing with you and about 50 of your best mates. Surf looked amazing, but must be hard to get a wave to yourself out there.