Point Break traffic

GREGLVOV's picture
GREGLVOV started the topic in Friday, 31 Jan 2014 at 1:37pm

I get that if you can duck dive, then you are going to , but....why would you just get in the way by paddling straight out when you are surfing a Point, when paddling round is the normal thing to do .
You are less likely to get run over by by the next bod fanging down the line.
Just paddle round or at least don't complain if you get run over.They probably didn't see you.

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Monday, 10 Mar 2014 at 10:56am

Well, GREGLVOV. Your point has sat here dormant.... Waiting..... Me old buddy spart showed me a trick which he spotted P Drouyn doing at Burleigh back in the 70s. Nahh, better not say anything...... ;)

GREGLVOV's picture
GREGLVOV's picture
GREGLVOV Monday, 10 Mar 2014 at 12:23pm

Spit it out Sheepdog ......doubt P. Drouyn would mind, all just stories printed in electronic ink these days.

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 12:20pm

Greglvov. We're talkin' Qld points, right? Paddle even wider than you think...... especially on a low but incoming tide.... Don't worry if everyone thinks your going to new caledonia..... Just do it man...... You'll see ;) You'll be back at the take off before all the mung beans paddling in the peel line. Ok, you mightn't have a close view to the action, You won't be able to spin around and snare an end section when someone falls. But on a sand bottomed point, you wont be in the firing line when a bomb set rifles down the line 3m futher out than usual. And most importantly, the qld point sweep....... that insane sweep on an incoming tide. There aint no sweep 50m wide...... It'll blow you away..... Let the mung beans fill there arms with lactic acid just maintaining position.... You'll be dropping in to another bomb out the back, laughing at them as you scream past.......

GREGLVOV's picture
GREGLVOV's picture
GREGLVOV Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 1:08pm

Love your work Sheepdog , I was just trying to be subtle and explain that there is no good reason to be paddling right along the impact zone when you are surfing point breaks. As a young(ish) fella I surfed Kirra point quite a few Mondays(day off) and the Older regulars were always helpful giving advice .... and I was respectful and grateful every time I took off straight at the main groin Kirra / Cool . Even so every beach break expert can't seem to figure out, just what you have written above, and there they sit about to duck dive just as you fang along the line...........perhaps the repair shops tell them it is ok ?

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 1:12pm

Yeah, i know you were, greg. It wasn't actually directed at you, mate. Hope fully a few grommets might read it and unclutter the riding space, so that surfing points in Qld will become a little more enjoyable. But I very much doubt it.........
Antway, with this swell on the way, if there were shares in ding repair shops, I'd buy up now.... :)

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 2:24pm

I have always been the type to paddle way way around the break and keep out of the runway . if possible have a bit of respect for the surfer on the wave and stay clear of his zone . sometimes people paddling out thru the whitewash will even make noises at you when your riding a wave to say watch out im here in your way and im not moving you have to turn and avoid me !! just recently I watched a mate whos a fuckn good surfer paddle thru the break every wave and it occurred to me he does it cos he thinks sharks are going to stay in the deep water off the side . ive heard of really good surfers doing that because of the shark fear ,the whole time in the white wash . at g-land its a real good plan to paddle very wide and then time it so when the next bomb set comes you swoop in and claim that cleanup set without waiting for it . a beautiful plan !

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 4:44pm

Caml.... Well, never been to Gland.... Never been to Indo ...... And I'm a goofy......Tropical south pacific for me, mate..... and I aint talkin' Fiji ;).
Back to the fun parlour that is the Qld points..... In some ways, I don't mind when a dude whistles to let me know his whereabouts, and he sits there, not moving. Sometimes it aint a kook, but the bloke on the previous wave who perhaps didn't make a barrel and had a bit of a hold down.... I'd rather him whistle or yell, stay put, and wear the wave I'm on then have him "paddle this way, do a right turn and paddle that way, stop, paddle again, then scream out when I'm comin' off the top at 100mph..... "WHACK!".... Fin chop, tangled legroaps, a full workover by the next 4 set waves - and that's a good scenario....
The other trick is, which really worked well at the pot and other noosa points; Ok for some reason you've found yourself "on the inside", you caught one of the first set waves and perhaps 27 blokes dropped in, and you coudn't be bothered fighting so you jump off..... Don't paddle out amongst the swill of fibreglass and 5 foot lines..... Paddle towards the rocks..... yeah..... paddle towards the rocks..... Instead of ducking 5 foot walls of whitewater and missiles, you'll be ducking 2 foot whitewater... A piece of piss..... The set sweeps the garbage away, then you sneek across the line. Plus when you do this, it's amazing how many times you luck that "last hidden wave of the set"..... you know the one - all that water pushed in disguises it. It's usually a "frothy" to start with, but it grows as you go down the line.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 7:34pm

Ah yeh like the plan s dogg . Theres a few tricks to gettin caught inside . I ride rather big biards so dodging ppl & duckdiving isnt my preferred technique . I dont like anything in the way so usually surf less crowded breaks to satify

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 7:35pm

Ah yeh like the plan s dogg . Theres a few tricks to gettin caught inside . I ride rather big biards so dodging ppl & duckdiving isnt my preferred technique . I dont like anything in the way so usually surf less crowded breaks to satify

Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog's picture
Sheepdog Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 at 7:43pm

Yeah... I bailed..... After a bit of a health battle I'm slowly getting back into it on a remote non tropical island....... Gods country, except for winter. Locals are freekn hardcore down here mate.... Antifreeze in their veins.......