TIMO
Newgale was easily one of the heaviest beachbreaks I’ve ever sailed in my life. I think the combination of the swell height and the short wave period made the wavesailing way more difficult than it maybe should’ve been. It really was a battle just to make it out, constantly getting hit by endless logo-to-mast-high whitewater. Normally at spots such as Gwithian this isn’t normally such an issue but, for some reason, this break packed a punch that I will never forget! What looked initially like a fun logo-high conditions turned out to be a day of pure survival. The sets were much bigger. I guess some were coming in at way over mast-high. The problem was that if you really attacked the waves and hunted down the lip you knew in the back of your mind that you were facing another energy-sapping 30-minute slog back out through the impact zone!
Despite the brutal conditions I managed to snag some real good waves. One of the positive aspects of heavy surf is the fast powerful rides, so if you timed it right you could score up to 8 full-on, high-speed turns. I had a couple of real memorable ones that were well over mast-high and peeled right the way down the beach. I’d say this place must be amazing on a smaller swell, as the sandbanks make it so powerful. I think a perfect day would be lighter winds and head-to-logo-high waves. It was great to share the day with all the local West Wales crew. Lewis was ripping as ever proving he more than deserves his place in the Pro wave fleet this year. I’d say he’ll be progressing well beyond the early heats!
When the sailing was over we had to face reality and make the call whether to stay or go. With Jim and his crew already packed and ready to drive straight to their fabled point break it just seemed impossible to turn down the offer to join them when we were already so close to the Holy Grail. My two options were a 7-hr drive to the south coast and home by midnight or, straight to a Welsh pub further up the coast where beer could be in my hand within the hour. A no-brainer really! We all took turns calling our better halves to inform them of the news we were staying-put!