Angry Oceans

Friday 3rd of January had it all. Squalls, 70 knot gusts, rain, hail storms, floods, super high tides, big waves. What a day at Avon it was, which for me was a relief because I had been gagging to get out since Monday's let down. I missed new years day opting to spend time with family. Thursday didn't really happen so all relied on Friday.

Hail, howling, cats, dogs.. the sea and sky was raging at times. 

It turned out to be an epic. From fighting with a 4.2 to sheet in and try and waveride in 50 knot gusts, hitting sections and exploding to a dusk low tide cross offshore clean down the line waveriding hour. I am aching all over but still need more such is the addiction.

My initial aim was to not spend more than a couple of hours on the water and get home to be a good Daddy, but then as I was thinking of packing up at about 3pm, Jono turned up which is a rare sight so I had to go back out again. Glad I did, because that was when the tide was low enough to expose a sandbar that gave another type of wave.

At other times it was clean, x off and sunny as Jono sets up for a good sized waves

Some nice jumping to be had, or more of the time trying to vaguely control air time. 

wave 360 in there...er.. somewhere

pictures by Charlie Willard

Some more pictures I took before going out, shortly after a huge hail storm came over and wiped out everyone on the sea