Full Circle, Vol. 5: Imagination Rewarded

A beautiful empty right hander breaks off into our imagination. Photo: Shaun Devine

Follow Surf & Adventure Co. crewman Shaun Devine on his surfing adventure through New Zealand. Words and photos by Shaun Devine.

Middle morning in Dunedin and I’ve just been futzing around drinking coffee and checking up on friends’ whereabouts via spacebook and instaslam. The swell looks so-so and slowly building with the incoming tide. Basil pops in from helping a friend sand a sailboat and I ask him if he wants to surf.

He gazes out the window of our beachside flat and with a not-so-thrilled look in his eye replies, “Meh, it’s onshore.” But I’m thinking, “Yeah? So what? The wind is under 10 knots and there’s definitely swell in the water and worth a grovel.” Being from the East Coast, you’re used to days on days of onshore wind and you certainly strike while the iron’s hot. After a little nudge of encouragement like, “Let’s just go have a look,” we’re in the car and off to Bluebridge.

There’s a few cars in the parking lot and upon first glance it looks pretty fun. You check Bluebridge from a cliff, so if it looks semi-fun or has size you’re in for a good time.

Shaun Devine taking advantage of the uncrowded, onshore conditions. Photo: Rebecca Blackwood

Across the car park, I notice a recently aquainted friend I had met up in Auckland about six weeks earlier. As we’re changing into wetties and gearing up we noted how small the world is, or in this case, the country is and have a quick yarn. She happened to be shooting photographs of the session and just like that were off in chest- to shoulder-high onshore waves.

‘Hey Basil, check out my twin fin!’ Photo: Rebecca Blackwood

After a two-hour session we’re in the parking lot about to head home when then wind starts to switch offshore. With that note in my hand, we’re back to the house to refuel. Basil has some prior commitments to attend, but all I’m thinking is, “I need to get back out there!”

Ted to the rescue. He hadn’t surfed yet and is frothing on a session. After a few quick slices of vegemite and cheese were back off to Bluebridge. It’s now straight offshore and cracking.

‘When we came back the second time, the wind was straight offshore and really cleaned the conditions up’. Unknown local cracking a Bluebridge left. Photo: Shaun Devine

Different sorts of waves break during different tides at Bluebridge. Here is a classic little A-frame. Photo: Shaun Devine

Occasionally the left off Bluebridge point barrels good, I mean, real good. Photo: Shaun Devine

With a bit more East in the swell, Bluebridge becomes a picturesque left hand point break. Photo: Shaun Devine

Since it’s summer time we surf well into the latest hours of the day and well past 9 p.m.

We had some really nice evening light. Another empty insider down the beach. Photo: Shaun Devine

The water was moving a bit and the swell was shifty but when you caught the peak you were in for a nice long playful wall. Photo: Shaun Devine

Plenty of consistency in the swell. Photo: Shaun Devine

On the ride home I couldn’t help but think that all the time spent on planes, trains, automobiles – customs agents and passport lines – metric conversion and currency exchanges – was worth every second. It’s days like today that the imagination is truly rewarded.

Photo: Ted Whitaker