by Franck Gazzola | Apr 5, 2013 | Daily Updates
Well, I think we're in it now. Autumn, I mean…
After two days in winter hell, we're in Autumn again, with nice colours in the sky.
14 degrees this morning at the beach. That makes surfing & swimming all the more attractive. Get into the water and gain an extra 10 degrees: it feels like a hot bath !
There are waves this morning. Plenty. Playful, 2-3ft, sometimes more. I even saw a lucky one getting shacked. Wind ? Barely any. So let's do the math: waves + no wind + decent weather + warm water = leave early today !
The weekend weather looks decent. Not crazy good, but good enough. The swell is not going to last for too long though, so the sooner you'll the higher the chance for you to get a few.
Maybe you'll take it easy in the next two days, maybe you'll be healthy, maybe you'll get Champagne-showered, maybe you'll go nuts, maybe you'll end up hangover….In any case, I wish you a nice weekend !
Franck
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 4, 2013 | Daily Updates
Next stop, Thunders.
We headed to the swell magnet, half way across the world, and who do we see? A few guys from across the street in Bronte. Including Haysey, my neighbor, tearing down the line in between bintangs. The swell has backed off over the past two days, the wind has picked up and I've earned three stitches in my hoof. So, today we replenished our supplies in a tiny village where the locals were friendly, the dogs hairless and the heat relentless. Lathered in sweat we soon retreated to the comfort of the Southern Cross.
There's rumour of a new swell so we've decided to steam back across to one of the world's best rights, HTs. And if all goes to plan, the boys will be getting barreled at first light while I'm Resting, Icing, Compressing and Elevating (camera in hand).
I'll be back with you next week bringing you more from the Southern Cross in the Mentawai Islands. Have a great weekend – Brad
PS: If you're planning a trip to a far off destination, don't leave the loved ones hanging – grab a sat and stay in touch via TC Communications.
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 3, 2013 | Daily Updates
The city streets were awash with heavy rain early this morning. At 7:45am it was still quite dark down the beach as the cars, headlights blazing, began to bank up around the coastal feeder roads heading for the big smoke.
Dressed in my 3/2 steamer wetsuit and holding a bright yellow water housing in my hand, I must have looked like an idiot standing in the pouring rain on Campbell Parade shooting the commuters boarding the 333 to work. I’m just glad it wasn’t me trying to hold my umbrella open until the last second before jumping on that cattle truck!
I saw all of one surfer this morning leaving the water at South Bondi as I drove away. I would have loved to have taken a shot of him and got his name. So keen to be out in this when no one else is. The beaches are a virtual ghost town.
A mate of mine I ran into asked, surely you have something in the files you can put up today instead of shooting this crap. Answer was "I do! But if it was me, I’d rather see a bit of what is happening today…"
Stay dry!
Billy
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 2, 2013 | Daily Updates
Good morning Frothers! Did you have a fun Easter long weekend?
We certainly did! They say Macaronis is one of the funnest waves in the world – And they're right! You surf better here than you ever have. But so do the pros. Exhibit A here is Jadson Andre, of Brazil, lighting it up as the sun goes down. Brad (The Big Man) Morgan and Aaron (Whippet) Buchan did us proud; ripping, despite having a few more birthdays under their belt than young Andre.
And, as with any good adventure, the fun ultimately comes down to the people you're with and your mode of transport. In both cases we've scored. Great mates and the Southern Cross, of Sumatran Surfariis, with its top notch crew delivering us perfect surf and plenty of good times already (we're not even 1 week in yet)!
I'll be back with you on Friday, via TC Communications satellite, for more tropical escapism. Hope you're scoring back home. Cheers, Brad
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 1, 2013 | Daily Updates
G'day – all the way from the pumping waves of the Mentawai islands. I am away on a well earned break with 7 of my best mates. These days it's so hard to get together regularly so there's no better way to do it other than a surf trip right!
It's hot up here. There is no escape. Even the water temp up in these parts is on average at 28 degrees. Jumping in for a wave is by no means refreshing. We booked our trip with SUMATRAN SURFARIS and The Southern Cross is our floating home for the next 12 nights. Part bucks trip, part reunion and all parts a surf trip. 8 Froth Monsters united, albeit briefly for an adventure. Day 1 HT's delivered. Both barrels and beatings for two days straight in the 3 – 6 ft range. The razor sharp magnet that is the surgeon's table scratched a few arms, asses and egos. Ouch!
We will be heading south tonight hopefully in search of a few waves at Macaroni's. A wave I've never surfed but hoping to tick off the list on this trip.
Thanks to the great team at TC Communications for helping me get this update off the ground here on the boat in the remote Mentawai Islands and all the way home via satellite.
Hope your getting waves back home! – Brad
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