The week that was...

Lekker week of waves. Finally ran outta steam on Friday, but by then everyone had noodle-arms anyway. Nothing gang-buster, but just fun clean surf, and when you live in PE you grab that with both hands when it comes.

© Chris Scott

© Chris Scott

JBay had some nuggets. But as it is when there's a good swell running - for every good one you hook, you usually take one on the head just to keep the yin and yang of a surf session in balance. Some poor ou on his waveski had one of those "Ooh koek!" moments. When everyone else is laughing at your predicament  - other than you!

© Maarten van der Velde

It's whale time of year, and the big ocean mammals are starting to arrive on their annual migration. Dan Thornton was lucky enough to have one pop up next to him looking for a back scratch. 

© Heather Nel

From big to small - anyone walking in over the reef after a surf has had the soles of their feet meet up with these lil critters. Barnacles, besides being tough as all *&^$, also have the unlikely honour of having the largest penis proportional to its body size in the animal kingdom. It can reach up to 8 times the length of the barnacles' body.

​Cos barnacles affix themselves to a surface, their stationary life poses a problem when it comes to mating, especially since barnacles apparently have to fertilise each other internally. They do so with a huge penis, which blindly reaches across into neighbouring shells and deposits sperm inside. This giant organ can stretch up to eight times a barnacle’s own body length, making it proportionately the biggest penis in the animal world. 

An unusual ship cruised past the bay on the weekend. A ship carrying a ship in fact. Not too sure what the ship it was transporting was all about - some thought it was a car ferry, others a cable laying ship. Could be interesting to see how it fares in huge seas washing across the deck!

Always cool when dad's get the chance to pay forward the stoke of surfing and pass it on to their lighties. Gregg Clarke got the chance to get his lil guy out for some "overhead" waves just before the end of the weekend. 

© Frans Gerber

© Richard Arderne

At least there are benefits associated with the chilly conditions! The sunsets and sunrises continue to deliver. Some particularly good ones this past week.

© Luc Hosten

Medina won the Tahiti Pro. Yawn. Not exactly maxing Chopes, rather like a random head high beachie. Always so disappointing when the world tour gets skunked for surf. Least with the inclusion of the Surf Ranch into the line-up they know they'll have guaranteed waves for that. 

Not sure how the WSL is going in terms of viewership numbers, but I for one was a die-hard supporter never missing a comp - and I have hardly watched a heat this year. Combination of (mostly) lacklustre surf conditions, no Kelly, Jordy not really clicking, and the remainder of the line-up just not engaging me. Is it just me? Or has the world tour lost it's shine and appeal?

Every bay has a wild side, and both PE's and St Francis's were throwing out some frothy growlers this past week. Fair to say that in winter you can never say it's flat. You just need to head round the corner.

© Luc Hosten

© Clive Wright

A little bit of swell hanging about for the week, so the opportunity to get wet exists. Best swell of the week is on Friday - pity the wind looks like it might not play ball.