This day was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before: Fifteen foot plus of Southern Ocean juice, hours from civilisation somewhere along the bottom of Australia and about five knots of crisp offshore.

At first light this day, under an ominous fog and brisk winter chill we arrived to absolute chaos. Low tide, reef practically coming out of the water on the end bowl and 15' - 20' wash throughs closing out the entire bay into the cliffs. However, with an easing swell and rising tide, it was just a matter of time, and around lunchtime it was game on.

A few guys had brought skis for their media to shoot on, unfortunately I had no such luck and was left standing on top of the cliff weighing up a few more hours of shooting lineups and action from afar, or scaling the cliff and swimming out to the reef.

This spot breaks almost like a giant, evil ripbowl on reef, and as such the channel is something of an aquatic treadmill with bubbles, boils, and water moving in every direction. Shooting off a jetski in waves like this ensures you’ll never miss a shot, and hopefully stay high and dry from the carnage unfolding just 50 metres away, yet there's is nothing like the thrill of swimming in right on the ledge, almost as though you’re part of the action.

This is the first wave I shot about a minute after getting out. Josiah Schmucker with poise amongst the chaos.

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