Vissions From the Tube

Mark your calendars, today will always be known as the day that Mike Johns got barrelled. That’s right ladies and gents, today I surfed a wave that peeled over my head. Albeit my time in the tube was short lived, I lived known the less. Let me set the scene. It was at Cylinders Beach, a point break that seems to like an eastern swell. The waves were chest to head high and offshore (the wind was blowing from the shore out to sea). The offshore wind carved a perfect face, and the point break enabled it to peel along for at least 2 football field lengths. When I arrived at the beach at 8:30 this morning, there was no one out. Imagine that, perfect head high waves at a point break with offshore winds at about 10 knots....and NO one out. You will never find such conditions in California.


I got out a little late today, I was waiting for the air to warm up a bit; it’s starting to feel much more like winter in the land down under. I caught a few waves which I thought were epic, given the weather conditions and the lack of crowd. Then...there was wave #3, the new best wave of my life. It felt like overhead, but in hindsight it may have been more like head high. Anyways it was perfect. The wave was going well, when suddenly it started to feel some shallow water, and pitched up suddenly in front of me. Before I knew it I was in a tube of water. The sound of the wind and white water around me dampened. All I could here was a low rush of air from the tube unfolding behind me. It sent a spray of water across my path, and showered over the face in front. My first time in the tube; something I will remember forever. It didn’t last long, but it was worth it. Hopefully tomorrow the sea will provide the same merit of waves as did today.

It was a good day for birds as well. As I go out of the water this morning, a flock of Australian White Ibis flew by above the beach. I’m told by the local that Ibis’ in Australia are like Pigeons in the US, but they are still new to me. These were all well and good, yet it still doesn’t beat the tube nose (birds from the order Procellaridae) sightings I had this afternoon during my late shift up on Mt. Olympus. While watching for whales, I spotted what looked like a Northern Giant Petrel and a Shy Albatross through the theodolite. These are birds I thought I’d only be able to see on an offshore voyage, and yet the strong south-easterlies that have been hindering our viewing of Humpbacks probably forced these strictly pelagic species closer to shore.

What a great day. Now I’m drinking some beers while watching Titanic with my fellow volunteers; I’m waiting for the sinking scene before I pay attention. We had Kangaroo for dinner; they look much better than they taste. I’m loving life down here, and I can’t wait to come back and see all of you. I have no idea what’s going to happen next, or how I’m going to pay for it, but I can’t wait to experience it. Well Titanic is about to sink, I must be off.