Kev
Ross,
DIY Factory, kneeboard
Kneeboard
Surfing Victoria
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Kev's Sunshine Coast surf trip in December 07 -
brought to you by Kev
Updated 12 January 2008
Again back at Mum
and Dad's place at Bokarina on the Sunshine coast cos it's cheap !
For the first few days, the swell was small but clean. A great improvement over my last trip in August when things were plain, dead flat. Light off-shore winds in the mornings and onshore sea breezes in the afternoons. So I hit the water to make the most of it. I've found that I don't like surfing and being wet in board shorts. Things just feel strange. Being a Victorian I'm just too used to wearing a full wetsuit and having the protection from water, sun and the abrasions is reassuring. The warm water here in summer does loosen the skin up to such a degree that for me, the rashes and cuts and abrasions are extreme. On top of that is the sting from the sun.
I already had a Peak Vest (no sleaves) that
I wear under my 4/3 on the very cold days in Victoria, that is when I'm not
wearing the Hooded Vest.
So first purchase up here in summer was a pair of Peak Neoprene Shorts. I think
they had been in the shop a while as they already had an old look. The shorts
cured the rash around the inside leg and they feel less draggy in the
water. Perhaps a simple John or Long John would have made more sense. Well it
gets better. Although I have worn flippers without socks on many occasions,
the warmer water here or the increase in water-time and the daily surfs have
left my feet cut and screwed up. So of to the shop to get some Flipper Socks,
more money.
The best, or worst bit, is the effect on my knees. No not the part of the knee that comes in normal contact while riding a wave as a kneeboarder but the area above the knee. Not sure if this is from repeated duck diving or from rubbing on the lower deck grip or the velcro section of the rail saver/leggie while paddling. Whatever it is, my upper knees are stuffed, with what could be the worst abrasions sores I've ever had. Perhaps cold Victorian water and a full length wetsuit is not that bad after all.
Seriously considering a full length steamer to keep the UV off and to cure the various abrasion sores I seem to be getting. However with such warm water up here it will have to be very thin or I'll ... cook.
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On the left are the knees after that extended session and on the right is the
very sore knee after one week.
When I got out of the water the left knee was bleeding
Below are some stills extracted from a Panasonic SD/HardDrive Video Camera.Mpeg2 based so they are not the most sharp. Thanks to Mum for her first attempt at pointing a camera at the beach in strong sunlight (even though it was overcast) and of a moving object without a tripod. The overcast conditions are a sign of the low off the Queensland coast and conditions were not going to remain surfable for long.
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too much fun so back out to do it all again
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Things were soon to change as a deep low centred off the Queensland coast.
It had Fraser Island evactuated and most beaches closed from Noosa to Tweed
Heads.
Point Cartwright looking to Maloolabah (left) throught to Alexandra Headland
(right).
you can see one of the river mouth Groins.
Point Cartwright at the north end of Kawana looking south down Kawana
towards Caloundra. A SE wind is straight in your face here.
North end of Kawana (the pocket, below the lookout)
you can see the rock base being exposed
usually this is a very soft sandy area
Kawana errosion
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... and a week later more errosion had takedn place at Bokarina Beach
more King Tides and even though the swell had calmed down
the the water kept eating into the sand cliffs ... nature's way
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also a week later, the left knee was still painful but the right was looking
much better
yet another week later and the left knee is still far from good
but after another week finally some relief as things look much better
this page is still under development
and more will be added
brought to you by Kev and the DIY Team at :
www.diyfactory.com