I heard there were people 300km west of Oodnadatta, with no radio, internet, or TV, who knew a big swell was about to slam the south oz coast.
Jokes aside, the biggest and most hyped swell of 2016 had been called as far as 10 days out, and expectations were high. At around 5:50am on that Wednesday morning I pottered up the muddy track skirting the Bluff, and peered bleary eyed across the shark infested channel. I squinted hard looking for a burst of spray as the ( expected ) thumping SW swell smashed the giant granite boulder perched on the island’s exposed western side, but saw no evidence. Undeterred, I pulled out the camera anyway, and adjusted settings to “too bloody dark to get a decent shot”.
Just after 6, a Suby wagon putt-putted up the track and pulled up nearby. The driver bounced across the road to where I stood, camera in hand perched atop the jagged boulders lining the high tide mark. “How’s it looking?” he asked, and as I half stuck my bottom lip out like a dismissive frenchman I replied, “looks a bit marginal”. Further up the track two bodyboarders had made the call, suited up, and started across the channel in the darkness. “Fuckit!” he said, frothing on the idea. “I’m out there!”. As the first rays of sun licked the ranges behind a still sleepy Victor Harbor, I did see a wave or two break through the infamous gap. I even rattled off a few shots because the light was nice. But it was far from epic. And it was gonna be bigger back in town.
Back on the road and round the big roundabout I caught a glimpse of No-man’s out west of Oliver’s reef. On the last big swell I videod three blokes out there negotiating 20 knot Nor-westers to pull into overhead barrelling bombs. But there was nothing like that happening, in fact the swell seemed to be rolling over the reef without breaking. A quick diversion to The Dump revealed some fun looking 3 – 4′ waves with occasional bigger sets, and only a puff of offshore NNW wind.
Up toward Chiton I could see a bit more size, and a couple of early campaigners making their way into the lineup.
