The life of an Adelaide surfer is often bleak and listless.

Things perk up however when the sou-westers blast out of the Southern Ocean and send jumpy windswell to otherwise flat metro beaches. Recently Swellnet head knob Ben Matson was tickled when a mate sent him photos of Brighton Jetty 'pumping' in a 50 knot onshore. Ben was surprised that there was only two people out. I was amazed there was anyone out at all.

But such is the drive of the Adelaide surfer.

The Roaders are Australia's oldest boardriding club and with good waves to the south and great waves to the west they regularly live up to their name and hit the highway in search of better offerings. They recently had a rally down Victor way and scored big time at one of the more popular beaches in the region. Saturday morning, four to six foot, offshore, and not a soul in the water. Check the hands-free backside barrel. Worth the drive, eh?

All photos by Ben Evenett//STUART NETTLE