COMMITTING TO THE CAPE

After swimming out, I float in the ocean, looking back on the rugged sandstone coastline while finding my position. Every wave at Cape Solander is slightly different and the initial impression the first wave makes usually determines the mood of the session that’s about to unfold – will it be fearsome and ominous, or more forgiving and fun? I watch in awe as a deep swell rises out of the ocean and unloads onto the reef. Being eye-level with the breaking waves and shallow slab gives you an even keener appreciation of the consequences, especially when you’re taking off headfirst with nothing more than some fins and a handplane.

I grew up in the small