Skeleton Reef, Catlins NZ (Papa's)
The great thing is Osc's surfing patner is 'Tane' lord of the forest............
Welly ! Thats some interesting stuff . Love stories about the first surfers to surf a place .
Yeh, classic story.
Speak to Graham Carse at Quarry Beach. Odds on he would have been out there first or know who was. I posted a couple of links on the Ments part 1 of sessions this year.
Tane, I remember surfing with that Maori.....is he still in Dunedin? He would paddle out straight to your inside even if you were the only one out without saying anything and dominate the lineup. Classic bloke, solid surfer, would always charge.
great photo, in the nineties ????? We didn't even have Cameras back then in NZ!
Not sure when the photo was taken but the boys were surfing it this day and were calling 15-18 ft, haha.
A kiwi guy who had been staying with Laird Hamilton was out as well, saying to the boys, "uumm look fellas its more like 20-25ft Hawian."
So they all went home happy :)
Yeah would not have a clue who first surfed this wave..! Would be interesting to find out, Graham Carse would probably know for sure.
Cool Welly and throw in the cold water aspect and that's a serious looking spot. The wifey wants to do NZ at some stage, would love to get over there again. Great waves and people (and snow apparently).
Mick-free put these links in the other thread..
"Check out
http://www.boxoflight.com/?report=263#report
http://www.boxoflight.com/?report=270#report
I haven't really got any specific buoys. When we used to go down there, just waited for Dunno's to be massive and then head to the Catlins."
Inspiring stuff Welly. Really. Not your usual Gopro look at me bullshit I'm so extreme I got companies to pay for my 'adventure'
Yeah my good mate Osc, his tow partner Tane, guys like Kyle, Gordo etc are pretty mellow chaps to the least and I'm sure never went down the whole look at me bullshit. They just thrive on the adventure in NZ's raw southern swells.
One guy did spoil the whole look at me bullshit, with sponsors and media etc and was frowned upon by others in the big wave world as a total peanut. Ask Twiggy.
Little bit of a shame when fame gets driven by ego and sponsors.
Wellymon you are a humble man. I was actually I was just referring to the original post. Sittin in the bush for 2 days by ya self!!! As opposed to the 'humble brag' (another one of Safran's gems) style of vids. Anyway, carrying on too much.
Would you camp as a storm generated swell nearby? Or did you target those one's that wouldn't quite smash NZ? Did you have charts to go off? The local paper?
Haha classic MVG.
Yeah pretty much checked out the local Newspaper back then, early 90's, never had a TV or phone living in Wanaka for 10 years. Was always a 3-4 hr travel to see the coast, so it was a real quess I suppose.
Always looked for storm systems that had SW fetch in them, but being so far south down there litte sneaky ones would push thru. Having said that, looking at synoptic charts with a SW southern ocean fetch, I never realised at the time they were associated with the LWT's as learnt from SN;)
It was always an adventure travelling to the Catlins as was never told about where the waves were just travelled and looked, camped, smoked, ate, drove and had great quality cold waves to either myself or one mate whilst thawing out to a huge fire post surf, great times never forgotton.
It took me awhile to get used to surfing with others in Australia, oh yeah why the fuck did I move to SEQ, hahaha, life is one big journey eh MVG :)
Yeah love it. Camping here in SEQ/NNSW in winter is a dream isn't it!? Clean, fresh water at the NPs, not a worry in the world about weather or other natural hazards (except noahs I spose) shirt off during the day, but still too cold for most people. kms of empty beaches AND points. Whales, luminescent algae, etc... fun waves at least. Can get stable weather at any time of year, so you can hump 2 boards and just sleep in your board bag with a towel... clear water for spearing... sigh.
Ever get wiped out by a storm down there?
Yeah Curio bay, great place, awsome beach break to match, camping in the flax's one night.
Had the full on mountain tent from MacPac, absolutely blown flat in the middle of the night, aluminium poles snapped but not a single rip to the tent.
Woke up to 4-6 ft and offshores down the beach and no-one around. It was wierd surfing down that ways sometimes, especially by yourself, all you wanted to do was share the experience and say hello to someone...? The fire was a great friend to dry the wettie out as well as the ganja to get you amped again.
Haha I still have the same MACPac tent which I brought in 1990 with my Grandad, he was funny as saying to the storeman back then about spending $500 on a tent and before you errect it, you'll get wet...!
Good old Macpac she is still in one piece;)
Haha so Grandad knew straight up hey, knew the weather patterns. I'll have to keep macpac in mind. Got some good socks from macpac, but had a few accidents with the Trangia :| so definitely need a new tent and an MSR (not really into woodfires in a NP or somewhere with little veg.) next time I do anything serious. I know what you mean about the solitude, amplifies the emotions I reckon!
Chur Toe(toes)man. If I'm ever camping down that way and get frightened by noises in the bushes, I'll know it's just one of your bros haha! no bloody pescopillin, or whatever Biscuit Jimmy was saying, influencing that I swear!
Hey wellymon, did you ever go to the Rippon festival in Wanaka?
Upnorth, I think the Rippon Festival started after I departed the town of Wanaka.
I know Nick and Sarah Mills whose parents own Rippon Vineyards, not a bad drop of Pinot Noir.
Great venue for a party and I hear it goes alright...;)
Did you go Upnorth...?
Yeah I didn't try the wine but the winery is an awesome spot for a festival, there's a saddle along a ridge of the hill and the crowd are on that looking down onto the stage so it's like a natural arena. I remember they had the war birds over Wanaka flying but no one knew until a spitfire flew from behind the crowd over the saddle, so low everyone ducked. Then it went straight up did a huge turn and came back down towards the crowd this time just straightening at the last minute and flying over must've been only 100ft, so loud and so cool to see. Friendly police there as well, ended up in the back of a police car after driving through a bretho check on my way to the after party, they took me to the station so I hid my stash down the back of the back seat, once the paperwork was done they offered me a lift to the party so back in the car, retrieved the stash and a back on with the night. Spent a year in NZ about 13 years ago, nothing but good memories.
How cold is water temp down there ? Wat sort of rubber do these crew wear in the caitlins?
What the fuck welly? Really? I'm sure the dunnos crew will be stoked your publicising it . Not.
Why dont you name and publicise your treasured whyra rapper points on this site?. MAn we got enough fuckin surf tourists in NZ. I know the joint aint no secret ,I seen Brad Gerlach out at LP one time, JIm Banks up the pininisula. Who was showing tom carroll and co around down there, wasnt dunnos crew was it ? Dont piss in our chips man.
he already told his yowie mates so look out
Ummm can u draw me a map to get there please . Cant wait to surf freezing water oh yeah all my mates will come down instead of going to bali . Yeah we're all on our way
Dont be a knob caml, Shipsterns aint no tropical warm water wave and look what happened to that joint.
Are you all about naming breaks in the media are you?
Haha Classic call Caml.
Love it.
I'm sure Inzider will be down there with all his mates as well.
But will scared as when it gets 10ft plus...?
Probably cry a river and build a bridge made out of scaffold to get over it.
Bring back the biff on nz frozen coast !
Good comeback guys , epic , I feel so hurt right now. Hey Caml how about you answer the question.
Surfer fuk , blowing caml cock much ?
Wow @ Inzider, You are carrying on like a fucking bitch bro.
Really come on....!
I just read your comment, hahahha what a classic
This thread was about a story explained from myself, regarding a journey on how I seen this wave and how a good mate of mine started surfing it;) Respect.
To tell you the truth Inzider you would never surf there when it is that solid to say the least. This wave is a big wave surfers wave which is far from yourself.
So I honestly I don't think there are a huge amount of people to surf this wave, as well as to time it...? Which takes time/knowledge and dedication, which is probalbly out of you and your mates realm;)
There are are few local young fellas like Jimmy etc that paddle this shit and kudos to them.
But I'm pretty sure they would love someone there to amp them up to paddle into some bombs as the likes of Caml....!
I'm not gonna piss on ya chips bloke but they probably need it as they are probably doused with vinegar :P
Thanx for the great response Inzider :)
inzider wrote:Good comeback guys , epic , I feel so hurt right now. Hey Caml how about you answer the question.
Surfer fuk , blowing caml cock much ?
No not at all Outsider...?
I have actually surfed with Caml in some pretty big waves, to say the least with yourself champ.
You keep on giving negative responses in regards to people coming to NZ to surf...?
Did you come over to OZ to surf.......?
Did we give you negative response, oh yeah thats right you had to put on your 'Fuck Off" face when surfing Winkies, in Vic.....?
You are actually kidding yourself ehh bro, Outsider.
Miss the point much Welly?
Naming spots on the internet? is all im saying.
Never claimed to be a big wave surfer or hellman and am the first to admit 10ft would scare me.
Surfer fuk-Couldnt give a fuck if youve surfed with kelly slater at 100ft teahupo.
I came to oz for your $ and bitches then left when I got what I wanted cos it sure wasnt about surfing .
inzider wrote:Miss the point much Welly?
Naming spots on the internet? is all im saying.Never claimed to be a big wave surfer or hellman and am the first to admit 10ft would scare me.
Surfer fuk-Couldnt give a fuck if youve surfed with kelly slater at 100ft teahupo.
I came to oz for your $ and bitches then left when I got what I wanted cos it sure wasnt about surfing .
....
Wats ya question my good troll ?
......
Not you this other troll
Was thinking the same about Potty Mouth Caml...?
Never seen him under my bridge, ask Shaun.
Oh NZider...
Hey welly i really like your thread about spot x ppt wi . I met leroy rust a few yrs ago & have been checking the papatowai forecast ever since . I use magicseaweed & windguru but dont quite believe theyre numbers on forecasts . What can you advise ? Smarty ! "the older we get the better i was hey ? "please tell more . Camel
welly, have never claimed to be a big wave surfer, I'm a part time surf tootler for sure,
I have nothing to prove to no-one, let alone on an internet thread.
Why did you feel the need to name this joint and location? Why not have your thread without details.
Whether I would surf it or not is of no relevance. So you surf it do you?
I just think it is uncool to name breaks in media.
That is my only point, the point that has been missed time and time again , apart from when caml said none of him or his friends can handle cold water so would never go there but then states he checks the stats on the place and asks for more info about surfing the joint,
retarded shit goin on
Yeah i know when it maybe good . Im a keen big wave surfer . I have good wetsuits thanks to my wetty sponsor . But still i will never go there .its more south than tassie . Already the mainfuckingland is cold enough . Is there a problem with greediness ? Is there a problem with staying out in the surf and enjoying the time. The crew i have met seemed keen to share . Inzider you are selfish
Thanks for keeping us busy mr inzeder . Classic quote . Thankss
Inzider, the whole local secret squirrel thing is lame when you're talking about a spot every New Zealand surfer knows of. Is it ok to mention Raglan? Or will the locals be annoyed? A quick Google search of nz big waves will tell me where I can find this place in less than a second. Not a secret.
I've kinda got to side with Inzider on this one...
But first, Welly awesome read, probably not as crippling to the local scene as Inzider makes out.
Over the last few years so many places are becoming exposed. My opinion is that ideally everyone should try to cover their tracks as best they can without ruining a good yarn rather than put specific locations down. With every bit of info there is someone keen to spread the information further.
The way its all going (with instagram & google maps especially) I hope that 'hard to score' spots can stay below the radar more often than not and that if a place gets exposed to too much hype over the years, in a few years time the next generation of frothers need to do their own research to score it.
Dunno. But its got to be better than to take the other option and make it a free for all.
Jesus.... Welly and camls turn to get sniped..... What the fuck is in the water this week..... Hey, welly Jack Black want his cape back!!!!!!! ;)
I'm a bit with yocal, we are not having a beer around the fire or under a bridge with people we can see, it's the internet.
shaun... If Wellymon was, say, Tim Bonython, and he went to a "secret spot" with a couple of pros, documented it to the world, made 1000s of bucks doing so, and therefore increased the crowds, would that be accepted? Would you and yocal protest?
BTW, I sort of agree with you. I'm just playing devils advocate..... And the "jack Black" thing was an inhouse joke between welly and me.....
Yeah SD, I can see that a story can be just as good with the names removed, and fundamentally support the existing push to retain this etiquette when putting up photos and stories on social media. So I have decided that I will always deliver some form of opinion when somebody name drops a place or location. The more people in support of the etiquette the more relevance it has.
I've been guilty of the same... it's easy to do without noticing you've even done it, and have had to go back and edit my own posts here and there.
If Tim Bonython were to weigh in to this discussion I would certainly want to challenge him to see where his morals lie.
Yeah, well likewise, yocal.... I got a bitchslap ages ago for naming a certain spot in Tassie, even though swellnet have it in their reports and forecasts.... And it is in a nature reserve, with no houses for miles and miles.... There is no "local crew"..... Amazing how folk can claim to be local when they don't even live there....
I think welly's intentions are pure.... I can't see that spot being flooded with fibreglass.....
Sorry fellas Can't edit my first post.
My apologies to all who I've upset....! A few apparently.
If I could edit my first post then I would talked about MAMAManuka...! Pretty sure everyone would of found it.
It was just a story about seeing a wave early before people started surfing it.
It will never grab the crowd like Draglan, Kennox, Finkies or even Fangaougrie.
I'll shout all beers and pizza next time we sit around the fire, just to make you guys and girls feel better;)
I have surfed many a wave that many a people don't know about and will never surf, so I will keep them a secret from now on.
Apologies to all I have upset :)
XXXXXXxxxxxxx
feck em welly
i went there with maori lad daniel- who blew these so called locals awal, The real locals welcomed me with open arms because i respected them, was interested in their cultures and stories. As stated, weather keeps most away and its never going to be snapper. No sympathy for small minded territorial neanderthals who think they own the place. Did you build the beaches, the headlands, did you create the oceans, do you create the swells No- you own jackshit, so dont claim something thats not yours.
Awww cute. I feel better already Welly!
keen to hear more about Draglan and Kennox, the names ring a bell... sounds like you are in the know of a few spots, so beers and pizza sounds great. But make sure you don't tell anyone where you got the anchovies from, some people will skin you alive for sharing their fishing spots!!
Sorry Welly if I kinda drew you into that, just wanted to know what your camping setup was, not spots. That's the easy part with Google Earth these days
To many a local down around the Catlins in the South East of the South Island, Skeleton Reef is a dangerous reef.
Most locals down that way that know it as Skeleton Reef, are either fishermen or farmers.
But to some this reef is know as 'Papatowai' which in Maori, "Papa means land and towai is the name of a native tree.
For some reason surfers named this break 'Papatowai'...? Why I'm not sure, maybe that it is close to the land and breaks like a huge tree (Tāne Mahuta is a giant kauri tree (Agathis australis)
In 1991 whilst living in Wanaka, I remember going down to the Catlins for a surfing adventure by myself when the snow had run out of quality and was I keen on getting the body in the waves. I left Wanaka on a journey to pass Dunedin on the way to a beach break which was famous for sheltered waves in sw winds, with a secluded camping spot at its best.
Whilst driving south of Dunedin, I remember pulling over, at the top of a hill to witness a right hander breaking solidly way down on the coast line. I watched this wave break so consistently and thought to myself that is a very rideable wave....!
What a long way to walk I thought and it is probably bigger than what it is...? So I jumped in my car to arrive at the secluded beachie which is so protected to s-sw swell only to see it maxing out and no where to surf. Set up camp and waited for the swell to dissipate, which did 2 days later and was over joyed with 4-6 ft peaky beachies to myself, no-one around not even a seal to talk or flip too...
This beach break became one of my most favourite beachies in NZ and regularly visited it often by myself or some times with others, as the years passed it got a couple more to say the least.
I will never forget looking down on Papas that day, it was breaking solid and was probably 20 ft plus and breaking so consistently. I never really thought about it until years later, that the swell I was looking at was huge, I thought it was so rideable. Haha with my little 6'4" and miles away it looked like 6-8ft which was way out of my realm anyway ;)
Many times driving to the same beach I never saw a swell that big, so who knows it was probably a lot bigger.
I'm not sure who were the first people to surf this wave...?
I heard from a good mate that it was surfed in the late 90's after Kylie Davidson started setting up a big wave comp in memory of a good old charger from Dunedin. The comp was down around Invercargill way and on their way home back to Duno's they had a good look at Papas........
This wave has since seen some great local charger's and many from far away. From towing in to paddling this wave is apparently a great big wave.
Kudos to all that take the drop there in solid shit :)
My best mate charging Papatowai.
Kudos brother ;) Your a legend.