Moringing Shift at D'Bah

I surfed Duranbah again this morning before work. It has turned out to be my favorite wave in Australia so far as I am a big fan of beach breaks yet, this is no ordinary beachie. The bottom is not too shallow and it is constantly fed sand from the Tweed River dredging pump that is just up current from the break that not only feeds D'Bah but creates the sand banks at Snapper Rocks, Greenmount and Rainbow Bay. Literally, hundreds of thousands of metric tons of it every month.

A North East facing break D'Bah is open to almost all swell that comes to the Gold Coast, and in the summer months the prevalent SSE wind means it blows offshore most of the time. The jetties and Point Danger that line both sides of the break act like a funnel, refracting swell onto the soft, shapely, sand bars. The result, glassy, punchy, tubes up and down the whole beach, bigger than everywhere else on the coast and more consistent.

It is a legendary spot on a legendary coast and is home to many of Australia's biggest surf stars. I have surfed there twice but have seen a good portion of the ASP top 16 in the lineup at anyone time.

Sunday I was out and saw, Danny Wills, Luke Steadman, and Joel Parkinson who is ranked #4 in the world at the moment.

This morning I saw none other than Mick Fanning, the current ASP World Champion and surfed about ten feet from him. He seemed like a nice enough guy too. Once a guy paddled up to him just to shake his hand and to thank him for bringing the title back to Oz, he smiled and said thanks and seemed genuinely thankful for the compliment. Watching him surf you got the idea that his title is no accident. He seems to surf with focus determination, quietly sitting away from the pack, in his own world. He takes off on a wave and you can see the drive in his face, like he is surfing a heat in his head, desperate for a ten pointer to clinch the heat. I was really impressed.

I got one wave and came up after it to see him flying through a barrel, heading right for me. He was obscured in foam and I am sure quite blind. I stared saying to myself "please don't make it" as if he came out he would have hit me for sure. I was neck deep in water with my board next to me and would have had no way to get out of his line. He did not make it and I can say I saw Mick Fanning get shacked.

Other notable legend sighting; Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholemew, ASP 1978 World Champion and now ASP tour director.

Duranbah was super fun today. Head high and off shore, kind of crowded but enough waves coming through that I got my share. I got the best wave I have had in Australia, a head high gem that screamed down the line, emerald green and clean. I am starting to get used to the new board with the increased water time I am getting with the car and it was the most fun I have had since I got here.

I love this place.