Lauries biggest wave of her life.

we woke in the morning to find the surf much bigger at oakura. we then drove to sky williams and mangahume . Well we found surf. It was huge, sets were double overhead. Phil and laurie were first to get in the water. Lorna thought it was too big and decided not to go out. I took my time and decided to get a surf in.

I watched phil and laurie make a nice entrance into the surf and paddle out. I on the other hand did everything wrong getting in. I saw laurie catch a huge wave. The phil caught one, then laurie again. I paddle out to meet them. The waves were so big i could not see them and thought they left the spot for another one. i was cursing them both in my head. These waves were huge.

at sky williams there were only 4 people out. phil,laurie, I and guy. it was scary. Once i met up with them, i was not a happy camper. these waves were big mamas and i was out of shape. Plus right when i got there , laurie told me, "don't get caught in the washing machine" , what the heck is that. Phil called outside, my least favorite word, and i looked up to find just 5 monsters rolling our way. what did i get myself into.

I paddled my heart out but i did not make it, and i just ditched my board, cursed laurie and phil, out loud and in my head, thought how smart lorna was sitting up on the cliff taking pictures, and then i dove down as deep as i could, felt the wave over me, my foot being dragged back by the leash, and then trying desperately to make it back to the surface, thinking this may be the day i drown. But relax andrew, relax. back to the surface for air and looked again down the face of another mama about to break on me. again , i dove. This was a 5 setter so , five dives. I saw phil again, and i said WTF.
phil said to think positive thoughts. i flashed him the bird.
laurie was swept away and it was phil and i out in the middle of this bay with huge surf coming. i turned on a few waves but i was scared. ten minutes later laurie showed up again. who knows where she goes when she gets washed away. she said the washing machine got her.

laurie caught a few more, before no goodbye, no warnings she just paddle off to another spot. phil asked me where she was going, and how did she have the strength to paddle so far. i just shrugged my shoulders. i told phil i was going in, and i went for a big wave. i caught it and i was off to the races. i was flying down the face of this wave, i finially got up, got about three seconds of wave and then lost control doing a flying face plant in to the wave. its all on film thanks to lorna. i got to replay my facial and sinus cleansing when i got back to the car. i then got stuck in the washing machine. f laurie and phil a few more times, paddled into the middle of the bay and slowly made my way in. i then saw rocks under neath me and thought oh boy. made it to shore, kiss the ground and waited for phil who followed in. we then saw laurie catch a huge mama at the other spot called mangahume and then saw her get washed around till she came in .
lauries description of the biggest wave of her life " i started paddling for the wave. i was going, it was my turn. as i was paddling i heard two guys start whistling like this was a big one. i felt the wave jack up and i started flying down the wave, my goal was to do a bottom turn and ride back to the top. instead i shot down the face and when trying to turn was shot forward even f aster and then was shot into the whitewash. no turning for me. i just road it out. I then tried paddling back out but gave up since i was heading for the rocks. "
Laurie came out so stoked, that she ran back to the car and cracked a beer. she was just glowing and singing its good to be alive. she was giddy.
we then went to breakfast with lorna and phil. we saw the great pictures lorna took. lunch was good. we decided to check out another spot. When we got there, phil and i backed out, too big, lorna was not in either. Laurie was in her wet suit and paddling out before we could say wait.
i made tea and coffee for us land lovers.
we watched laurie as she paddle way out to sea . she caught two great waves. one was a very long wave. the spot was called arawhata. we said are goodbyes to our new life long surf friends . we heard the strait was going to get bad from wellington to picton so we needed to get down there. it was sad saying goodbye. but lorna and phil were planning on going to peru soon and they needed to stop in los angeles. surf club get ready .
we drove through the night getting to wellington at 9 pm. we found this parking lot to stay in. paid our 12 dollars and went to bed.