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An anomaly

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Created by 555 > 9 months ago, 8 Apr 2008
555
892 posts
8 Apr 2008 5:23AM
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Two solid days of this... in the middle of a wind drought.

evlPanda
NSW, 9207 posts
8 Apr 2008 9:18AM
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That's... that's pretty big. Any more pics?

555
892 posts
8 Apr 2008 7:28AM
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Not yet.. the boys were too busy sailing, or lying on the grass trying to get their breath back!

It's still like that today apparently, so hopefully someone will have broken their quota of kit by now and will be taking pictures instead. It's tempting to flag work and just go out to watch! Too big for me to even consider attempting to sail.

stribo
QLD, 1628 posts
8 Apr 2008 10:04AM
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Sweet that wave out the back is a bomb

pweedas
WA, 4642 posts
8 Apr 2008 11:43AM
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It looks f. f. f. freezing!
I'm getting cold just looking at the picture.
What is it? 5 degrease multigrade?

555
892 posts
8 Apr 2008 12:14PM
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pweedas said...

It looks f. f. f. freezing!
I'm getting cold just looking at the picture.
What is it? 5 degrease multigrade?



That's a neat trick.. telling the water temperature just from a photo! Synthetic or mineral multigrade?

It's not too bad yet - there are still guys out in short sleeved wetties, and it's nowhere near icecream headache territory.

stribo
QLD, 1628 posts
8 Apr 2008 2:21PM
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How hard is it to get out the back? Is there a channel?

555
892 posts
8 Apr 2008 12:55PM
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I'm not sure if there's much of a channel when it's that big, but there's usually a bit of a gap between that break and the smaller one slightly downwind. The biggest problem is that it's x-off, and relatively sheltered on the inside where it's shallow and rocky with a persistent cross current, and still cops chest high white water.

I wouldn't say it was 'easy'! Once out past the headland, the guys usually tear off up wind well out the back, come in upwind, and line up for a massive DTL ride right through and out the end of the break, to head out again through the gap, or just straight over the smaller break.

I'm not good enough with my jibes to risk the piledriving when it's that big!

Stewie
VIC, 218 posts
8 Apr 2008 2:58PM
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Nice Pic.

CJW
NSW, 1726 posts
8 Apr 2008 7:19PM
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So..surfs up then...haha :D

aus301
QLD, 2039 posts
8 Apr 2008 8:23PM
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Where is it and when does it normally work.

Was thinking about a trip to NZ sometime soonish and the last few pics I have seen from over there have got me keen.

dism
NSW, 660 posts
8 Apr 2008 10:04PM
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Can't wait to get good enough to wave sail

Is wave sailing in the conditions above safer/easier then surfing it (not that i'd hit surf that big)?
And what about for normal 3-4ft beach/point breaks?

Mark _australia
WA, 23433 posts
8 Apr 2008 8:37PM
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Taranaki?

boardboy
QLD, 554 posts
9 Apr 2008 12:06AM
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555 said...

pweedas said...

It looks f. f. f. freezing!
I'm getting cold just looking at the picture.
What is it? 5 degrease multigrade?



That's a neat trick.. telling the water temperature just from a photo! Synthetic or mineral multigrade?

It's not too bad yet - there are still guys out in short sleeved wetties, and it's nowhere near icecream headache territory.


Yeah it is a neat trick and can be achieved using an instrument called an Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner or OCTS. An OCTS is a highly sensitive optical radiometer which can measure the visible and near-infrared bands, taking advantage of the spectral reflectance of the disolved substances in the water and phytoplankton. This allows ocean surface temperature to be accurately measured in 4 thermal infrared bands.

Pweedas is pretty much a 'human OCTS' in much the same way that some 'Autistic Savants' (sometimes called 'idiot savants') are 'human calculators'.

555
892 posts
9 Apr 2008 5:40AM
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Yesterday was a bit less wild. Still blowing 30ish, but the sets of ten 1.5 x mast high monsters had moved on.





This was Pungarehu, Taranaki. It works in SE with any decent swell. It's not a frequent spot as our prevailing wind (when la Nina hasn't killed it) is SW. If it's SE though, that's the place to be.

We're spoiled in Taranaki as we have a beach for almost every wind direction, and the mountain tends to accelerate the wind around the coast.

Spring is probably the best time to visit - the water is still cold, but the wind is more regular.

jp747
1553 posts
9 Apr 2008 4:34PM
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one of the very nice photo's i've seen in a long while like the flattish water on the other thread 'burrums'..is there a reef break or just a big one because of the wind

555
892 posts
9 Apr 2008 7:06PM
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More photos are coming to light.. This one is my new favorite!



There's also some video:


I'm not fussed on the music, but it gives you a good look at the spot.

jp747
1553 posts
9 Apr 2008 7:23PM
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no wonder the mates are talking about freezing stuff..new z. is a lot lot colder than in say nsw? as long as i have neoprene wrap i really wouldn't mind..but waves that big let me practice first in 6ft.er's



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