Surfing Waves

Saw the new Jack McCoy movie, "A Deeper Shade of Blue," last night. It was shown in many California theatres simultaneously beginning at 19:30. The movie does a solid job of condensing all surfing history into one, visually attractive film. The inclusion of nearly every contributor from the beginning of time to about 2009 was no small feat. But, the footage worth the price of admission was shot at Shipstern break in the Tasman National Park, Tasmania, between Cape Raoul and Tunnel Bay. Not only is wave height impressive, this massively thick wave breaks in multiple, irregular places, from within the water wall. Thick green slabs contort to curl from within the waves body. It's as if ghoulish arms reach out to tear apart the surfer. Also revealed in the film is water temperature for this unbelievable break is normally 5C.

Question to Jaffa: Have you visited Shipstern?

Jaffa's answer, short one no, the actual getting to Shipstern for me involve two lots of 8 hour driving a car ferry across bass strait, and then a drive across to the bottom of Tasmania, the actual get in to the cliff of the Shipstern involve a helicopter if you are Jack McCoy or a long foot trek through rugged tiger snake country to give you an idea Imagine trek through the coastal headlands of upper Oregon or Washington State, that sort of country.
So briefly no, but what a wave, one which is on my list of not to surf waves, Watch out Billie for Storm riders 3D with Ross Clarke Jones and Tom Carroll worth seeing!

BTW a List of nasty Australian death slabs to make your ridgeback's hackles rise. Shipsterns, Cyclops, The Zone, Ours, The Box, Pedra Blanca Cow Bombie, Deadman's mad men only need apply!

Many thanks for all the geographical information, Jaffa! Will now look for noted film and info about the noted killer waves.

Hello Jaffa,
Yeah up here in Oregon we love long treks to secluded waves. It makes the session that much more of an adventure. We do also have some spots you can drive right up to, but it's not really the same.
Well, I hope you liked the movie, and I am excited to get to see it too. I have enjoyed Jack McCoy's Surf films of the past and am confident this one will deliver as well!

It's strange I've been to California and Oregon ( sort of) , rode the rapids inland on the John Day River but I've never seen the coast of either California or Oregon, did see the volcanoes and Mt St Helens after it blew, flying up the ranges. The States are on my bucket list as I've seen so little! OH and a show title, "the streets of San Francisco. " then I was catching a bus to the airport and had six hours to spare!
When I've got no idea, our city has a town friendship exchange with Littleton in Colorado so that could be one way one time!

Tony,
the treks you describe make surfing even better to me. I used to live in NorCAL. My drives to surf northwest of my home were 45 mph drives through beautiful country. All the trees and nature prepared me for enjoying the surf. In contrast, when I go west and slightly southwest, I'd drive through or across San Francisco and South San Francisco. Driving through these cities always decreased the enjoyment of the surfing adventure. It seemed unnatural to me to go through a city on my way to nature.
billie

Jaffa,
let's tick tick CA and OR off of your bucket list in 2014. I'll take holiday while you are here. We'll go to San Diego, Orange County, hang in Santa Barbara at my home, then go north to Santa Cruz and farther north above San Francisco. Because you surf better than I ever can, bring a buddy or we'll be sure to connect you with some of mine. In San Diego, we'll say hello to the Math Teacher. After NorCAL, maybe we can go north into OR and say hello to tony g. He has a cool surf shop there.
billie

Hey Billie,

Me and the mrs are trying to move to tassie (she needs to get a proper job first...) so when we're down there, I'll check out shipsterns for you, and feel free to pop in if you're in the (very remote) neck of the woods.

Drowning,
Thank you for well wishes. You just taught me something. Didn't know Tamania is refrred to as "Tassie." Best of luck for wife's job hunting. The US is a mess for job hunters. Australia seems to be hiring heavily. One of my buddies took a nice job there and another turned an offer down. If we'd never moved to Santa Barbara, I'd rush to it, too. Thanks also for the invite. We're saving for the trip. This year we have a big trip planned to the Continent to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with family and friends. We're using frequent flyer miles. Otherwise, we could not afford to go. It's going to be a while before we recover from buying our home in Santa Barbara.
Billie

drowningbitbybit wrote:Hey Billie,

Me and the mrs are trying to move to tassie (she needs to get a proper job first...) so when we're down there, I'll check out shipsterns for you, and feel free to pop in if you're in the (very remote) neck of the woods.

Hi DBBB, the move to Tassie is interesting, for a number of reason, most of them good,
But some thoughts, much colder and rainier ( Not quite Oregon level) but can snow at any time of year, surfing is a little less pleasant but some great spots and uncrowded, a thing to think about is the money issue, buying up in Tassie is easy, your mainland cash will buy a good spread you will have the cost of moving down there but should you choose to move back to the mainland, it is worse than reverse to your cash!

The comment I've heard is if you can last three winters you'll stay

Interesting and great wilderness country everywhere

billie_morini wrote:Jaffa,
let's tick tick CA and OR off of your bucket list in 2014. I'll take holiday while you are here. We'll go to San Diego, Orange County, hang in Santa Barbara at my home, then go north to Santa Cruz and farther north above San Francisco. Because you surf better than I ever can, bring a buddy or we'll be sure to connect you with some of mine. In San Diego, we'll say hello to the Math Teacher. After NorCAL, maybe we can go north into OR and say hello to tony g. He has a cool surf shop there.
billie

Congratulations on the 25th wedding anniversary coming up, PM me if intend to end up in the Salzkammergut area of Austria, I know my son would be pleased to meet you, ( he's a knee boarder ( we call them cripples))

I showed my wife this post, and both she and I are interested. It will take a little bit of engineering financially as although we can go where ever and when ever we like as there are no work commitments, the funding has to be carefully planned, but with the high Aussie dollar easier than before!

These is in the think tank and being nurtured.
One question , the recommended time of,year?

Hey when you come to Australia, you'll get to meet Jaffa lollies( candy) vegemite, decent size prawns and a whole,bunch of marsupials and monotremes no bear, wolves raccoons or mountain lions.
Cheers to,the crew on the west coast!

*DBBB pushes thread off topic...*

jaffa1949 wrote:Hi DBBB, the move to Tassie is interesting, for a number of reason, most of them good,
But some thoughts, much colder and rainier ....

We've been obsessively tracking the tassie weather since we made the decision about a year ago. We even went there last winter just so we could see how cold and dark it was... and it was!

But me and the other half (who's from scotland originally so its still warm to her) really love the place and we're happy to give up some of NSW's warmth for the tassie's space. I surfed maroubra a couple of mornings ago with 44 people on one peak.. I really need some more space!

jaffa1949 wrote: much colder and rainier

Oh yeah, and Hobart is drier than sydney

So Hobart is your aim, we looked at south arm for a farm and house, great prices and good opportunity for a Chiropractor but the far south coast won. And I'm glad it did 18 years of good business, surf and friends achieved. And four genuine seasons per year my wife,who is half Scottish half Austrian, schooled in England and a dinkumised Aussie . BTW there are a few SW forum people in Tassie!

Oh, goodie! Mr. and Mrs. Jaffa coming to California! We'll look after both of you. You two are always welcome.

Thanks, too, to all for wishing us congrats for 25 years of marriage. Most of the credit goes to Mrs. billie morini.