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In brief, there was no chance of a surge as high pressure engulfed southern england but prevailing south-westerlies gave a slight push, and the search was on to find some good waves. Probably wisely, the Welsh Longboard Club did not show (there would not have been enough room for everyone!), but we were pleased to be joined by one of their main men, Toots (aka Paul Preedy), for the weekend, and a couple of his mates, Simon(?) and Andy for one session each. The east-coast crew, Keith and Dan (Dwarfie) were down, and we finally got together with newcomer Dave B.
Waiting For The Bore, from left...Dan, Dave, Tomo, Toots, Steve and Keith
We also finally got together with Steve for a surf at Newnham, and I think he enjoyed it as much as everyone else, even after 18 years of experience!! There were lots of old stories to hear as well... |
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Friday 2nd June
So, the first sign of a wave in the Newnham channel was a small 6" shoulder breaking towards the spit of the sandbank. It was over a 200 yds up the channel before it finally straightened its course and started to wall up. Matt had been hanging in prone on the piddly shoulder but now was up to his feet. However the wave continued to pull towards the bank and die in the middle, then reform (similar to refraction though recurring), so Matt was up and down like a sprinning 'Roo!! Even though the wave was so small, I began to get slightly concerned as he disappeared into the morning mist somewhere towards Garden Cliff! Unable to see him get out I decided to race on up there in Pegasus to pick him up. After searching the narrow lanes I resolutely returned to the White Hart totally prepared for what I would see...Matt drying off with a big grin on his face. He did nearly reach the cliff (over 2 mile ride!!) and had decided to walk back around the bank! Doesn't say a lot for my vision!
Friday evening the real fun started...
The tide was slightly bigger than the morning with a slight sw breeze and the barometer sitting around 1010mb. Quite a crowd of us amassed at the White Hart in preparation, Dave, Dan, Keith, Liam and me, with Donny on camera duty, and Steve leisurely soaking up the sun on the sandbank, having walked out from Arlingham. Poor ol newcomer, Dave B, had arrived late at Newnham, paddled out there, and as we drifted down we had the amusing sight of him three times chasing ahead of the wave, then paddling only for the ripples to wash over his back! I think the picture (by Mr Birch) shows it all!
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 Dave B chasing the tiny Newnham shoulder (Courtesy Mr Birch) |
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The wave appeared around the kink and showed reasonable signs of walling up to a couple of foot. I a moment of inspiration and totally against Dave's better judgement, I paddled down towards the wave to try and pick up the outside. But the wave that was building just didn't build! Steve and Toots (now suited up) put in the paddle work and earned the shoulder which tapered off from a good two foot. Dave had heeded past experience and sitting well up he joined the other two after a brief battle with turbulant white water. The wave went around the bend and Toots was there until it died off after another couple hundred yards.
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After everyone had dispersed, Dan and I gave Steve a lift back to Newnham only to send him off into the darkness with what appeared to be a fast flowing ebb! (Don't try this at home!!) We couldn't believe it to here the next morning that he had got out right by his van! Then it was our turn to seek out food, ending up at the Cinderford kebab house...Mmmmmm!
Saturday 3rd June
Toots and Simon headed on to Minsterworth to give more room at Secrets, which was wicked of them, while Dave had to shoot off. But only Dan bagged the wave, along with Steve who was using the more accessible boat option. Similar size again but just walled up slowly.
With the general exhilaration of the bore chase we thought what the hell and headed up to Over to have a look. Things were looking up, the river was well over a foot lower at the banks than last time we sat out here. True to form though it walled up slowly, and there was not enough face for Toots, Simon and Matt sitting further down. Especially as Dave Lawson was already tucked into the bank on at the critical point. I paddled like hell and was surprised to feel the board propelling and as I popped up I realised the next obstacle was Liam in front. Again just managing to avoid him I hung in only, to my surprise, to see him also pick up the face and pop-up! Liam's board is only 8' so I don't know how he planed in, but boy was he stoked afterwards. The ride was short but it was good to see Over starting to work again. And Steve also picked up the wave on the west bank for a couple of hundred yards - haven't seen that since spring 1998!
Saturday evening we had arranged to BBQ it. Dan, Liam and I were feeling worse for wear after an afternoon surfing the strong tidal push at Porthcawl. But Dan found enough energy at the last minute to get the food in - good work! While Liam decided to take it on at Broadoak again, Dave, Dan, Keith, Dave B, Toots, another mate, Andy, Steve and I headed on down to Boats. The wave was pretty identical, but slightly bigger and a much more pronounced ledge formed in the bowl. Only Keith failed to pick it up, and the rest of us rode the whitewater like The Magnificent Seven! There was a bit of rough and tumble as we went along but we all managed to keep each other in the wave.
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Dave and I, hanging-in on the edge of the shoulder, lost the wave entering the bowl, while the others once again surfed over the lagoon towards the sand spit. This time it was Andy who chased the wave and got a decent ride on up the channel. Liam meanwhile was too far out at Broadoak to get into the wave and soon returned to Newnham with BBQ in tow. As we stood around chatting someone pointed out a black blob on the sand bank, east side, way up towards the bend. We all suddenly realised that Dave B, who was on the inside at Boats, had got caught in the current and been carried a fair way up river! He eventually made it back to the car park and seemed too stoked with the ride to be bothered about the paddle.
Again we decided to split-up up-river, and while Dave, Toots and Andy went to Secrets, Keith, Liam and Donny prepared the barbie, Steve suggested he show Dan and I an extra special secret. This spot we can only name 'X'. It is somewhere between Newnham and Gloucester - good luck!! And, man, it was wicked! By the time the wave arrived dusk was becoming dark, and we barely saw the face pitch up to near four foot in a huge section. Sitting out in the river Dan and I both had plenty of space on the face to move around or just feel the power of the wave at this point. This wave will be awesome when its big again! The guys got a good rise at Secrets too, and Toots went further, nearly reaching the bend to the lower Minster straight.
After all the rushing around everyone was well hungry, and it was great to arrive back to a sizzling barbie. We may have gone overboard on meat slightly, but there was plenty to go around and plenty of time for some of Toots' classic stories - especially one involving a beer drenched encounter with Nat Young, caused by Guts perhaps!? The night finished with a showing of Donny's footage from the day by which time everyone was dozing and Keith (after all his paddling) was long gone!
Sunday 4th June
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