First Day In Margs

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, my WA host Dave Delroy-Carr is borderline suicidal when it comes to where he chooses to surf. If there is even the slightest opportunity to get barrelled, Dave is keen no matter what the risks. Along with Mandurah lad Jerome Forrest, Dave led us on a death mission for my first surf in the Margaret River region in 2009.

Suiting up in pouring rain definitely set the tone for the next few hours. The 20 minute walk in to our destination was freezing, with the light cross / onshore wind freezing our rain soaked wetsuits. The wave itself is borderline unsurfable, so much water draws off the incredibly shallow reef that the section you paddle into is almost stationary and waist high, it then grows and warps into a think barrel section before blowing out into a super deep water channel. The heaviest part about surfing the “****** Slab” is your surroundings, especially when we surfed it. The water surrounding the reef is super deep, with seals and all sorts of marine life doing their best shark impersonations. We tried not to think what could and was most likely lurking in the dark water below us, but when Delroy rode a wave in and left me in the lineup on my lonesome I genuinely shat myself. A rogue set destroyed me when I made my way to the inside in a desperate attempt to snag a smaller one in. When I finally managed to beach a frothy burger, I had never been so happy to ride a wave.

Once on the beach all I could think about was my pure stoke on life.

In a true example of his well established insanity, Delroy was already making plans for our next near death experience that he calls surfing.

Why do I always end up coming back for more?
Because I love it.