Watch: Nias from above
And the footage from the Captain Timmy swell at Nias is still reeling in!
This time it's primarily drone shots, the best of which show the Nias double up squeezing onto the reef, increasing the thickness and decreasing the chance for safe entry.
The first wave ridden - a backsider from Healey - is the type of wave that would fascinate designers of wavepools and artificial reefs. The way the wave splits as it moves into the bay, the leading wave smaller but drawing harder, before the two vectors of energy merge into one, throwing a clean double-thick lip.
What makes a wave do that?
And, can it be replicated?
Comments
Not much of a fan of drone footage but that was a good look at just how thick and heavy that swell was. Wonder how the pre-tsunami reef would have handled the swell - better???
Thick!
Hows all the energy out near the keyhole?? Ive never seen that before.
I think I agree with you crg, about old Nias handling it better. It still used to double up, but not as abruptly, and it only happened when the swell got over about 8-10 foot. Youd have to think the deeper reef back then would've made it more manageable.
Never realised it was such a double up. Really have to pick one that lets you in a bit and doesn't go too square. I think you would need to spend a bit of time there to get an handle on it as it looks a real beast. Water has a lovely hue to it as well...not sure what would be floating around in there.
Been meaning to comment about Nias pre Tsunami
Not as hollow as now but much better all round wave back then i reckon and handled size much cleaner...A large swell hit April 1983 as big as above
[seemed that big anyway] Redeye Fowler if your out there...you had a mate filming with super 8 ?
That second wipe out made me wince !!!
I’m sure I read somewhere that the lineup was ridiculously packed on the big day. That footage looks relatively uncrowded?
I just LOVE what SURFER Magazine did with the music on this one! Did WSL give them artistic direction on it?
Da da da dada.... tralala... yay!
That full lip pitch @ 2.05 is horrible, who was it and did the paddle in after that hmmm ?
Udo, I was there for the swell you are referring to it was May 83. I also took some super 8 footage of that swell. It was probably the biggest swell I'd ever surfed at Lagundri, some serious double ups that day. I agree pre tsunami does look to handle those large swells better, there is a lot of commentary that it much post lift and that maybe true up to 8 feet. Either way its a great wave and pre lift at 8 foot everyone was pretty happy with the barrels the got.
Would like to see weather maps from back then
Was a Cyclone Naomi around end of April / May off W.A. coast.
Edit : weather underground have the charts from 1983
BOM has STC Naomi as reaching peak strength while 85° east (about in line with Sri Lanka) and 10° south. Rare position for a cyclone, and inside the Nias swell window.
Map below from WU.
Yes that double up is radical. Its like the wave is splitting in two. Perhaps there was so much water draining off the reef it put in play an outward wash. Spiltting the top of the swell. Which would equate to why paddling into them proved so challenging. All in the batho
roc-k
Do you still have your super 8 movies from 1983 and have they been Digitised ?
yeah thats some footage we need to see!
Nias pro on but only small
Udo,
I do still have the 1983 footage it’s still on the old plastic reels so it’s not digitalized.
I looked through the box it was in and there also some written journals and a mix of films from the same time of camping on the beach at deserts, the Telos and a boat trip to the Hinakos.
When I talking boat trip it’s the mattress on the deck of on old Indo fishing boat style. As you would remember no charter boats in those days.
Amb, not sure it’s must see footage, I’m no film maker it’s more grandpas boring home movie style.
if the waves were pumping, thered be plenty wanting have a look at it. Be good to see some edited highlights, do you have the tools? im sure Ben could put you incontact with some old school film guys.
That there is stuff that must be seen i reckon.....not exp to get digitised edited and touched up these days....price per foot or reel is cheap
Written journos be unreal to read also...
Ok Udo & Amb,
Sound like I have a project.
I know a film maker who can help with the vision. I can draw the narrative from the journals and some stills and hopefully it will be worthy.
I’m heading OS soon and will be away for two months, so realistically, I probably won't pull it together till years end. Given it was 35 years ago I figure a few extra months won’t matter much.
great stuff look forward to seeing
Yep pre tsunami reef change would have held that swell better.
There is another factor too but nobody has said it in these comments
peter. reeves insta
Nias 1983 - mention of pre tsunami reef holding big swells better.
Was on Nias Dec 83 / jan 84. Still like to look back at old pics occasionally, look very dated now. Stayed at Armadolyn’s, trip up the coast and up a river at a left handed in Rufus’ boat. Had a few 8 foot days, great trip.
When I was there for 6 weeks pretsunami was a swell that was unpaddleable
No doubt you tow surf Joseph
Enjoy your novichok in the mail smarty pants
Unpaddleable.......heard that before somewhere.......actually many times!
Of course if you two were there it woulda been different
Send me a package too....Josef....
You'll get yours...John...
Phil c macca insta - showing how big and evil this day was.. full volume.
And Bromley on the best grower takeoff pit ever !
Never got around to learning how to copy a paste a link mate? ;~}
There is always one loud mouth Ozzie in Indo isn’t there. Yelling and screaming and carrying the fuck on. Ugghhhhh
roc-k any progress with super 8 transfers.. ?
Hey roc-k
re above ?
Dugga Warren Nias 1985 on a bomb.
https://www.picuki.com/media/1775330560466839472
roc-k are you out there..?