West Island Left
Yeah, it's been surfed before - I know a couple of guys that have paddled from Kings (!) over the years, as well as a few crew who have gone out on skis or in boats. It's pretty sketchy though, needs to be really big to break clear of a large granite boulder (which looks smaller than it really is from the mainland). There's a seal colony out there too which doesn't do much for the nerves. Quite a speccy looking spot though.
Also re: TC surfing it - I'm not sure (I heard the rumour too) which was centered around the '75 Aussie Titles, one day of which was held at mackin' Kings. A number of guys were supposed to have paddled across the channel to surf it. I'll ask Tom next time I see him.
Thanks Ben. I was told that it was Wayne Lynch who paddled across the channel at the "75 Aussie Titles. Some of the older crew I know refer to the break as "Lynch's Left." I've never been sure of this. It would be cool to know. Still, hats off to those guy's that have paddled across that channel - it must be one of the spookiest paddle outs in Oz.
It would be interesting to know of any eyewitness accounts of the "75 Aussie Titles. It must be the only surf comp that ever had a day at Kings. There must be some photographic records of that day. I think Terry Fitzgerald was crowned champion. Can anyone add light to this epic day on the Fleurieau ?
Any update Ben ? Does anyone have any photos of the West Island Left ?
try weasel bedford or peter victorsen,andy inkster,ray or spider palmer, or corrie reiman he used submit pics and articles to tracks in the 1970s..
zambezi,a real scary paddle it would be..i know 2 chaps that paddled out to yanerbie bombie...can you imagine doing that paddle.
South Oz is the home of the spooky paddle. Imagine the paddle to Basanquet ? I'm being flippant, but, I've looked at West Island for the last 30 years and wondered at it's potential, particularly, in the age of jet skis. I've never seen anyone out there and I've never seen a picture of anyone out there. Everything I've heard about the break is second hand. Perhaps someone like Andy Blanchard would know.
It looks a little fat and more of a good looking wave from side on more than a long-walled left.
Here's a couple of shots..
Great photos Craig. Did you take them ? I've seen it better than this, but, like the photos, no one out. Any first hand accounts ?
Yeah I took them a couple of years ago.
I don't know of anyone who has been over and surfed it besides the accounts of Tom Carroll paddling over during the Aussie titles.
I've surfed another spooky left more towards Port Elliot and that was a bit of fun! Feel like a sitting duck though :o
Reading into the crypticness I think we are talking about the same place ;)
Was a good change up from the slow fat walls at Middleton and endless closeouts and rips at Waits, haha.
Yeah. Lets start a forum on secret surfing spots in South Oz. haha
Seriously.
There must be some photographic record of crew surfing this wave. Dave Kelly was a photographer from the past who took some awesome frames of the Almost Coast, including a fantastic shot of the Kings homestead with West Island in the background. This appears in Nat Young's " Surfing and Sailboard Guide to Australia". A mystery wave ...
if tc surfed it around the time of the 1975 aussie titles wasnt he only 15years of age in 1975. or was it t.fitzgerald who surfed it.?
s.a. secret spot forum---- i think i can hear the sound of shotgun shells being packed---
Southey,
I was told as a kid, by older heads, that it was Wayne Lynch who surfed it in "75. It would be interesting to know the truth. It must have been the only day that the best surfers in Oz surfed Kings. Perhaps Gerry Wedd might know ?
Victor,
Terry Fitzgerald won the "75 Australian Titles, so he was definitely there as well. I'm just interested to know who surfed it ?
Ben Colyer,
Nice shot. I like the way that the bus sized granite boulders are almost invisible. How do you post a photo into the forums ? I've got a few photos of West Island that a shutterbug mate took, but, I don't know how to upload them.
You have to upload the images to photobucket or Flickr, or some other image hosting site.
Then all you do is copy the image html code and post it here. Or just stick it between two [IMG ] [/IMG ] tags.
I like the way you could almost fit the bus size boulder in the wave.
Me and a mate surfed a mack'n day at Kings on an early morning in the later part of last year, best i have ever seen it, the only two out aswell. It was hard as a goofy footer staring down those gaping lefts off the island and not paddling accross. I'v since spoken to guys who have surfed it. Keen as fuck to get a boat out there next time it lines up and have a dig.
Probably just as long a paddle but, there's just something about that bloody dark water.
When Kings is reasonably sizeable, there are consistent closeouts across the bay just to make the paddle across even more interesting. One of my mates did it, he reckoned it took twelve minutes (that was 15 years ago). Imagine the paddle back after a couple of hours of surfing!
do they paddle across from kings break itself ? what is the paddle distance ?
That pulled back pano shot looking over King's and to the island is awesome!
I spoke to a few guys a long time ago who'd surfed the heaving left off Seal Rocks (the indicator, as you drive into Victor). Sounded like a pretty gnarly place - and not just for the waves either. Deep water all around with (surprise surprise) lots of seals on the rocky outcrop.
Anyone here heard of any stories from this place?
Is that you & me in that B&W shot above Thermal?..i havent surfed it since that day..you?
haha.. could be! I haven't surfed it since then either. In fact I don't think I've surfed anywhere on the Fleurieu Peninsula since then. Geez that was a good swell though, wasn't it? So many other spots that would have been epic that day too.
Have surfed all spots on many occasions except for the left off West Island - Kings more times than I can remember late 80s and all through the 90's (take off on the boils, fade and set up the inside bowl barrel and try not to get bucked by the inside out foam ball), surfed the inbetween bombie on a handful of occasions but not really a wave although some big chunks to ride (dodgy deep water). Surfed the "little brother" many times too, although its fickle and not uncommon to be sitting waiting for half an hour for sets unless the swell was really pulsing. Used to take supplies (muesli bars and other victuals) out there knowing we'd be sitting around. Longer right and square left with a fat right on the other side of the channel with a dubious sectiony left off the island. Heard from mates still in the area that boats and skis not uncommon now. They were one of the first to anchor a boat on the bluff side and had marine rescue out trying to save them as they didnt know they were surfing. probably early noughties that incident.
Thats a really nice shot Zanbezi, hows the spray coming of the top! was that taken from a boat?
A number of local boogs hit The indicators left when it's on - It picks up a fair chunk of swell. But it feels so sketch when you are out there!
amb,
I took the photo from the point where you paddle out. It was July last year from memory. Biggest swell of the year.
Ben - I've checked Seal Rocks indicators from my boat as well as west island left, indicators would be a better bet but its a right not left unless you're thinking of shore of the island it self. Indicators is a very thick wave which peels for a very long distance over the shallow reef. West Island sort of dredges and wraps inwards and any slip you'd be cactus on the granite rocks. It probably has more grunt than Shark Alley. Water depth on the sounder there is 25m where it starts but rocks stick out on the inside. I've dived just around the island a little to the south. Also dived seal rocks, very kelpy bottom. Some of the Pt Elliot lifesavers took a surf boat out the seal rocks indicator, played around swimming etc then just as they were about to row in up comes a sizeable pointer. Peter Dunn told me once he paddled across from Kings to surf the left on West Island. I remember the Aussie titles in 75, heats were held at 8+ ft Dump and later at middleton. I was out at Middleton and accidentally dropped in on Wayne Lynch and told to f** off which I did. That swell last July was as epic as the 75 Aussies but the crowd at Shark alley and off the Skate park at Victor was all time. I have video of rideable waves peeling past the Bluff jetty and into the bay - you only see that perhaps once in a lifetime. Yeah Pullen Island left and right could be rideable and Frenchmans has definite tow in potential on the right - there are no secret spots down at Victor.
Great stories Nat. I'm sure one of the guys told me the Indicator was a left, however I do recall seeing (with the naked eye, from the lookout) some gnarly rocks sticking up on the inside. Didn't realise there was a right off it too. I've heard the peaks between Wright and Granite Island are also becoming more populated now too.
And Dunny! Jeez, he's had some good stories over the years. A couple of classic white pointer encounters at Kings too, during solo surfs. Used to surf it with him from time to time.
@Zambezi..wow must of been thru a fair size lense
9@nat-old...any footage of the 75 titles at the dump?..i've seen photos looked pretty good..any chance you can up load thet Shark Alley footage to you tube..love to see it..
the other spot your talking about i think few people call it Yilky Reef.
thermal, can you get dunny to join up to share some stories with us. recall that 'skunk' broadbent may have surfed the island left.
Yilke Reef.
Another shot of Yilke.
@amb,
Canon EF 70 -200 mm F4L IS USM. Very versatile quality lens.
Shark Alley Slider.
One more.
The Pines.
As good as it gets ?
ha,ha I reckon thats me in the golden photo great shot.Surfed out there the night before when the swell jumped and again the next morning only the second time I have ever surfed out there and I have been living here for over 20+ years fickle to say the least.We hunted west island back in the early 90's but found it not really worth the effort when small to close to the island and when big it starts to break on a outside bommie missing the good formed reef altogether.It's great to mind surf though only if hey.Oh and seal rocks is a right the lefts a better shape but a huge suck rock is right in the middle of the best section.The wave with the most potential is a right that breaks on the left hand side of Seal rocks on only the biggest swells.Heard the Wayne Lynch story from Wayne Dale he had a go not during Aussie titles but when he was living here late 60's early 70's loved Waitpinga by all accounts.
Has the heaving left hander which breaks off the tip of West Island on the Fleurieau Peninsula ever been surfed ? I've heard stories of Wayne Lynch surfing it back in the 70's and Tom Carroll in more recent times. Can anyone confirm this ?