The day started with blue sky and a honking westerly wind.. Perfect for our first attempt to cross the bay from Pt Cook to Sandringham Marina.

This is looking across to Pt Cook from Sandy.



We drove across to Pt Cook in Cams car with our two Naish 17s and Pete and Roscoe had Naish 14s.. The forcast was for 20-30 knots true west and that's about what it was already.



We unloaded the boards and the wind didn't seem all that strong but the direction was perfect.



Pete fitted his home made GoPro mount on the tail of his 14.



Here's the two old farts ready for a great adventure.. We're both in our mid fifties and loving the down-winders.



Getting ready to head off.. Come on guys.



We could clearly see our destination by the tall tower on the hill behind Sandy.



Here's a map of our coarse.. The wind was true west but the swells were coming from a more south west direction (green arrow) .. Not perfect but still ok.



Aaaar.. That feels better.. I had been drinking heaps..



Roscoe just ahead of me.



Cam just to the right of me.



Time check.. 11.15.. I'm thinking about two hours without falls.. So probably it will take about two and a half hours..



Roscoe with the sun behind him and the wind seems to be getting stronger.



Let the fun begin..



We'd been paddling about an hour or so and heaps of runners.. I had Roscoe and Cam just ahead of me and at times I'd link a few runs together and get right onto the back of Cam but it just took one fall and the gap would open up again.

That's either Roscoe or Cam directly ahead.. Sure it's just a dot in the distance but the slightly wide angle lens makes it look further than it is.. Anyway it's time to catch up again before the gaps get too big.



Now the wind really starts to kick and the waves start to get serious.



I started to fall just a little too much.. It was like get up and fall straight off again and after doing that a couple of times in a row it's time to just sit and rest for a minute to re compose.



Once up and going again I could just see Cam and Roscoe in the distance and it looked like they were sitting on their boards and waiting.. I'm thinking great.

I put together a few runners without falling and it seems like I'm not getting any closer.. I then realize they're not sitting they're still paddling and I'm not getting any closer to them.

It's just when you really don't want to fall that you often do.. Bugger!



I put my paddle across my board as I climbed on and it slips out of my fingers for a second and the wind blew it about ten feet ahead of me.. Bugger!



I got on my knees and paddled after my paddle and the wind flipped it off the water and it flew about twenty feet ahead.. Double Bugger!



I was now up and going again and starting to get my confidence back with a few great runs and the waves were starting to get huge.



There was a great section before the shipping channel were it must have got real shallow because the colour of the water changed and the waves were jacking up and so steep.. Just looking at the from behind was amazing.

I now couldn't see the guys ahead and I could see Fawkner Beacon in the distance and It was time to stay on the board.. Link the runners together.. and see just how quick I can do the final leg of our trip.. and also try and catch the others before we get to Sandy.

I got a few high speed runs with the nose of my 17 well under water and it was cutting through like a hot knife through butter.. Great fun.. I was having a hoot..

I was thinking I need to get back more more on the board to keep the nose from pearling on the steeper drops and when I did on a huge runner I fell off the back of my board and I was going so fast the leggie pulled hard on my board to slow it down and I thought for a second about my hook on the end of my leggie.. Glad it held then.

Next minute I'm swamped by a huge wave and I hadn't even started to get back on.. When I surfaced the next wave hit.. My leggie pulling on my board pulled it backward through the passing wave and with the last couple of feet of my board sticking into the air the wind caught it and spun the through the air dragging me behind it.. and then it happened.. the tension was gone on my leggie and I thought 'Oh No'.. I dropped my paddle and swam hard for my board thinking (wishing) 'no you don't'.. and it did.. It flipped again.. The wind caught it and it was off spinning through the air and landed about 50 feet away.. I knew that if I was going to get it it had to be now before it flipped again.. I swam hard only to see the next wave lift the tail and it was off again.. I watched as the very next wave it was off again.. I had no hope of catching it.



I watched hoping it would stop.. I took that pic.. ( btw that's Fawkner beacon on the far right of the pic on the horizon.. It's huge so it was still a long way off).. I thought if it stopped for long enough I'd start swimming again.. but it tumbled across the water like it was on hard sand.. I turned to see if I could see my paddle.. I though I might be able to use it to wave for help.

I saw a wave break top to bottom and going over the falls was my paddle.. Great I could see it and I swam back to it.

I tied my paddle to my camera strap and started to swim for Fawkner beacon.. It was now about 1.15pm.

DJ