Nathan & Shannon Ducker >> Where waves peel for a long, long way…

Exploring NW WA – Where waves peel for a long, long way...

Years ago we surfed a place on one of the most western parts of Australia. It was quite remote and known only for the amazing fishing. This year we decided to avoid the Easter holiday crowds and give it another go. As we drove over the final sand dune the hot desert setting opened up to a wave filled bay surrounded by rugged cliffs. We were super surprised to see a lone wave kiter setting up and he was pretty relieved to see us turn up just for the safety aspect of kiting in such a rugged, remote area. We shared the place scoring loads of clean, lengthy waves. The wind was gusty cross-offshore and it was pleasing to have a quiver of Catalysts that performed exceptionally well in the challenging conditions.

Later that day we ventured out to the headland and stood on a 15m high cliff overlooking the bay. A couple of fishermen were camped there and they listed some of their marine life sightings for the last few days which included mackerel, tuna, marlin, a 5.5m tiger shark, a whale shark and even a humpback whale which passed right beneath them.  We were happy not to have become a part of the food chain and ventured east the next day for some epic flat water kiting.

After the Easter crowds had subsided we made our way further north to one of our all-time favourite locations. This place is known for its surfing and windsurfing, though fairly hard core and even less friendly for kitesurfing. The launching area is surrounded by razor sharp rocks and barely provides enough space for one kite and there is no room for error. The headland creates a super turbulent cross-offshore wind and if you do make it out, the reef is razor sharp as you will certainly see on a low tide. There have been a few times when I’ve come in looking like I’ve lost a fight with a giant cheese grater.

This place has plenty of stories and over the past years we have heard quite a few firsthand including a windsurfer who got launched into the air by a breaching humpback whale, hurling him in one direction and snapping his board in the process. I’ve been surrounded by a pack of bull sharks and a guy once had his board chomped by a shark in exactly the same area. A good mate was bitten by a deadly king brown snake last year and promptly finished his beer before starting the two hour drive to emergency. The conditions can get quite extreme and tragically some have paid the ultimate price.

In contrast, for this trip, conditions were quite tame. The waves were about head and a half high max and the tide was fairly high all week. With our quiver of Catalysts and C4s, we managed to get on the water every day. The early sessions had long empty waves and glassy faces. It was a great way to end the WA season. Here are some photos to share the fun.

Good wind and waves to you all  :)