With the board ready to go a test ride was on the cards... but the last few occasions I hit the Great Ocean Road & Torquay the waves were off with mainly onshore winds. Things were different, a small swell but offshore winds gave some clean waves and a tip from one of the shop owners in Torquay saw us head for 13th Beach.
First time on a new board always brings a mixture of feelings - excitement and nervousness; I was hoping the board suited, wishing I'd catch a few sweet ones and mindful not to go home with any dings!
Its a bit like starting all over again when going to a new country - you've got a whole coastline to get used to... the breaks, tides, reefs, sandbanks, winds, swells, etc. but I guess thats part of the beauty of surfing; discovery.
With the new board set to go I hit the water and found it comfortable. Caught a few semi clean ones and then... out back I noticed something in the water. For a split second I saw what I was sure was a fin, I was pretty confident at the time that it could be a shark - not 30 metres away. I quickly turned for shore and was lucky enough to catch a sweet wave on the way in.
I mentioned it to my girlfriend in the water with me and being from this part of the world she knew that sharks were common enough arround this coastline.
The 'fin' was small and if it was a shark it was only a metre to metre and half long I'd say. Who knows it could have been my imagination, a bird, a shadow in the waves but I was out of there!
I really wanted to catch a few more waves, so after giving it a few minutes and no more sightngs I slowly crept out further and surfed a little while longer.
A surfer was attacked by a shark at this beach about two years ago; news story on it here.
I guess these are the things I have to put up with living in Melbourne, the sunshine and warm water are a nice bonus though!
