My goal for the year was 250 surf sessions. I had 225 for 2011 when we left for our journey. I plan to keep track of sessions while I am gone.
12/31/11- Session 265- Last session of the year in the afternoon at D’bah on the DHD BM; 10-15 mph SE wind with a light crowd and head high+ semi-clean bowls with good end sections.
Session 264- Surfed Duranbah on the DHD BM. The waves were head high and super clean with perfect teepee bowls. I surfed for 2.5 hours and got tons of waves since the crowd was light. Tide was incoming.
12/30/11- Session 263- Late evening session from Snapper-Rainbow on the Thumbprint single; surfed for 2 hours until dark. It was inconsistent chest high with sectiony peaks. The crowd was light and a huge rainstorm came through in the middle of the session.
Session 262- Late morning sesh at Rainbow-Greenmount on the Thumbprint single with chest-head high clean lines. It was very crowded and lots of people dropping in. I surfed for 2 hours.
Session 261- Early morning session at D’bah on the DHD BM. There were lots of wash through waves and tons of duck diving. The waves were O’head and chunky, fun bowls. It was closing out a bit on the low tide. I surfed for 1.5hrs.
12/29/11- Session 260- Surfed in the afternoon from Snapper-Greenmount on the Thumbprint single fin. The waves were very clean, mushy, weak chest high lines. The wind was hard offshore. I was tired from climbing Mt. Warning earlier in the day.
12/28/11- Session 259- Surfed early afternoon at Snapper-Greenmount on the Thumbprint single fin. There was little drift, light crowd and the tide was high outgoing. The waves were inconsistent head high and mushy but the lines were incredibly long and allowed for 7 or 8 turns per wave. The wind was about 20mph offshore and it was sunny with clear water.
Session 258- 530am session from Snapper-Greenmount on the Mt. Woodgee. The waves were head high and a bit weak after the last few days but it was much easier to get waves. The wind was hard offshore and the lines were ruler edge clean and long.
12/27/11- Session 257- Rode the Durbo again at Snapper-Kirra and surfed for 4 hours. The wind went offshore from the morning and overhead grinders were reeling the whole way through. Some old guy told me it was a 9 of 10 for here. The crowd was insane but the waves were long and sick when you got one. There was a gnarly lightning storm halfway through the session but no one seemed to get out. Had one nice double barrel at Greenmount.
Session 256- Rode the Mt. Woodgee Durbo (my new board) early morning at Snapper-Kirra. The sweep was like a river and almost constant duck diving was necessary. There were long racers when you could get one but the wind was from the north creating lots of bumps and warbles in the lines.
12/24/11- Session 255- Surfed the DHD Bobby Monster for 3 hours at Snapper- Greenmount. It was very crowded and a few feet overhead and increasing. The wind picked up throughout the session. The waves were peaky with some bumps in the lines.
12/23/11- Session 254- Morning session from Snapper-Kirra on the DHD BM; I left the van at Snapper Rocks and drifted to Kirra twice. On the second drift I got out at the apartment, got Nug and we walked back to Snapper to pick up the van. Surfed for 3.5 hours with fun O’head walls and a sideshore wind about 10mph with an outgoing tide and fun sections.
12/22/11- Session 253- Surfed Snapper Rocks on the Thumbprint single fin. The waves picked up and were waist-head high with light sideshore winds and very long lines.
Session 252- 1st day in the Kirra apartment and I woke up early to surf D’bah with the sun coming up. It was choppy, weak and waist high. I wore a top and rode the Thumbprint single.
12/18/11- Session 251- Rode the Thumbprint single at the Pass with knee-thigh weak, long lines. There were 4-5 people on every wave and the only way to get one was to burn someone…before they got you. The water was a bit colder and I wore the top.
12/17/11- Session 250!!!!- Mid-afternoon float at the Wreck after a few hours hanging at Broken Head. The surf was micro thigh-waist high with some mushy, gutless rights coming off the wreck. I rode the Thumbprint single for about an hour before the brutal sun sent me in.
Session 249- Mid morning session at the Pass on the Thumbprint single. The tide was coming in and it was unbelievably crowded. The waves were weak and mushy but the lines were super long and the wind was howling offshore.
12/16/11- Session 248- Late morning D’bah session on the DHD BM with overhead bowls and a SE wind around 10mph. There was a strong current and it was closing out a bit. The tide was dead high so it was fat but it was uncrowded with some nice end sections.
12/15/11- Session 247- Afternoon float at Snapper and Rainbow Bay on the Thumbprint single in waist-head high lines with a light offshore breeze. The point was packed but the inside nugs were uncrowded. The waves were really fun and consistent and I got one sick micro barrel at Rainbow.
12/13/11- Session 246- Duranbah afternoon session on the DHD BM; Perfect micro teepees at waist-stomach but gutless and very inconsistent with a SE wind. The water was clear and the waves got worse as the tide dropped.
12/12/11- Session 245- Afternoon sesh at Snapper Rocks to Rainbow Bay on the Thumbprint single. It was unbelievably hot and not very crowded. Easy to get waves even at the top of the point with decent waist-chest lines that allowed for 3 or 4 solid turns. I paddle battled with 8yr olds since it was small.
Session 244- At Fingal Head again on the Thumbprint single. It was a repeat of yesterday but I was solo for the first hour until one guy paddled out. It was light S wind and I got one sick little barrel.
12/11/11- Session 243- Surfed Fingal Head on the Thumbprint single with sunshine and light onshore breeze. The waves were waist-chest breaking in clear shallow water with little shorebreak barrels. It was uncrowded and I took a nap on the beach afterwards.
12/10/11- Session 242- Rode the Thumbprint single fin at Burleigh Heads; it was about chest high and mushy with a N wind equivalent in murky water with a light rain. The waves were shifty and pretty much crap. It was a short session and a big change from yesterday.
12/9/11- Session 241- Rode the DHD BM and surfed Rainbow down to Greenmount; Tide dropped out substantially from the morning session, the waves were more powerful and the current was ripping. Head high to a few feet over and super lined up. Hard to get an empty wave but when you did the rides were several hundred yards and my legs were burning. Caught one of the best waves of my life from Rainbow to Greenmount but on my next 2 drops got smashed. Realized it was time to go in after a second 2.5 hr session.
Session 240- Rode the DHD BM and surfed Snapper Rocks…finally! Got pushed to Rainbow Bay after a few hours. Fairly peaky on takeoff but would wall up afterwards. Kinda fat with the full moon high tide. 5-10mph offshoures and Typhoon Lagoon style water. Waves were a few feet overhead and it was fairly easy to pick off waves. Surfed for 3.5 hrs before taking a breather.
12/7/11- Session 239- Rode the DHD BM and surfed Suffolk Park. There were peaks everywhere leading to long lines with strong offshore winds. Very shallow inside and there were long barrels but most were closeouts. The waves were head high plus with about 50 kids spread over ½ mile. Surfed for 2.5 hrs.
Session 238- Rode the Thumbprint Single Fin and surfed Broken Head from 7-930. Super clean chest-head high and a bit soft. The wind was offshore about 10mph and the water was clear. There were 15-20 people out but the waves were super consistent.
12/6/11- Session 237- Afternoon session at Broken Head on the Thumbprint Single Fin. We stayed at the caravan park and I walked to the beach. The waves were waist-chest with a strong SE equivalent wind. There were 5-10 people throughout the session. Clear, shallow water with rocks interspersed on the inside. Waves were decent if you were selective and I was able to catch a ton. Wore a springsuit.
Session 236- Flat Rock morning session while Nug slept; I rode the Thumbprint Single Fin and wore the springsuit. The wind was ripping but the cove was semi-protected. The waves were waist-shoulder high with a S wind equivalent. The current was strong and the water was murky and smelled fishy. It was rainy and grey. There were 2 other guys out. My foot started bleeding after 45 minutes so I folded.
12/4/11- Session 235- Afternoon session at D’Bah and I rode the DHD BM; It was almost uncrowded with a 5-10 mph SE equivalent wind. It was grey and overcast but the water was clear. The waves were shoulder to a foot O’head with good end sections. There were fun right suck up bowls in the rips.
Session 234- Morning sesh at D’Bah with the DHD BM. There were slightly O’head A-Frames with crystal clear water bowls. It was easy to open your eyes on duck dives. It was a super fun session that was crowded but easy to get waves as it was very consistent. The wind was light and variable.
12/3/11- Session 233- Afternoon session at Greenmount on the Thumbprint Single. It was basically flat with a knee-waist high bomb every 10 minutes. The water was clear and the waves were gutless. It was crap when I paddled out and got worse the whole time.
Session 232- Morning session at Duranbah on the DHD BM; The waves were clean and chest-head high. The water was like a pool. It was crowded but easy to get waves.
12/2/11- Session 231- Greenmount and I rode the Thumbprint Single. Waves were waist-shoulder high with long lines and clean. The tide was low and they were sucking up hard on a shallow sandbar. The wind was south and a bit cold. I wore a spring suit and was cold.
11/30/11- Session 230- Piha and I rode the Thumbprint Single. That was a mistake as it was several feet OH with crazy rips and 20mph offshore winds. The shorebreak was mutant and people were getting shutdown on the paddle out. I caught 6 waves and got pummeled repeatedly. The water was freezing and I wore my fullsuit. It is my last NZed session.
11/29/11- Session 229- Hot Water Beach and I rode a rented LB with pads on the front and back. The waves were knee-thigh and ruler edge clean with long lines. The water was clear but there was a lot of kelp. 3 people out and my first session after the foot f-up.
11/23/11- Session 228- Manu Bay early afternoon session on the Thumbprint Single. The waves were shit and I screwed up my foot. Waist-chest high choppy and weak but I was greedy. I caught a few waves but I went in after the encounter with Shamu.
Session 227- Raglan, Manu Bay on the Thumbprint Single Fin. I was out in the water by 630am as the sun was coming up. Emerald green NZed water and uncrowded early. The waves were chest-head high with bigger sets and the lines were long. I wore the fullsuit.
11/22/11- Session 226- Raglan on the Thumbprint Single. The water was freezing cold and I wore the fullsuit. It is my first session of the trip!!! The wind was onshore 10+mph and the waves were waist-shoulder high but inconsistent. The tide was low and it got better as the tide came in. The inside point huggers were the best.