Passengers:
Simon Millett, Chris Payne, Pete Royce, Mark Goin, Gary Koch, Nick Rendic
Captain 1 John McGroder
Captain 2 Mark Coleman
Captain 3 Albert Taylor
"The sound of the lip rifling down the shallow reef driving the surfer to daylight. Pure, clean barrels·day after day. No-one else to worry about. Practising our tube-riding. That's what we've been doing. So much fun. Now our bodies are burnt out, tweaked, and tired. The waves have been good to us."
With the advent of the Bali chaos, many people understandably cancelled their trips to Indonesia. We were left with 2 guys from Wales (Simon and Chris) who were still keen. A decision was made to combine charters with the Nusa Dewata, and we all headed out on the Barrenjoey, which would end up being the most relaxed surf filled charter since the last one.
Highlights being:
Watching the Welshmen find their feet, having waves that Simon describe as "just like being inside a surfing magazine", or "simply smashing".
An electrical storm that exploded palm trees on a beach quiet close to where we were anchored.
The Halcyon manoeuvre of surfing the right and then the left, and then the right day after day.
The lack of wind.
The lack of crowds.
The friendly nature of the other boats that we run across, particularly their beer consumption enabling even less crowded waves than we thought imaginable.
Nusa Dewata's Americans, Pete, Mark, Gary and Nick·.their keenness, prowess in the line up.
Our first flash of a Mahi Mahi across the deck of the BJ.
Having 3 Captains aboard and all contesting their spots.
Telling stories and the lack of radio conversation as there was no one to talk to.
Nick's face plant onto the reef turned him into a bloody ugly duckling.
Mark's suture job on Simon's leg - ten good stiches to leave him a special Mentawai tattoo.
Mark Goin loved testing his home made quivers, one learns a lot about board design from riding these waves, we reckon he did, especially on the big day·.an apt saying on one particularly "heavy" wave that smashed his board to smithereens "Going, going, GONE!"