Silver surfers get a break
ON THE horizon is a whole new way of surfing for silver surfers with the prototype Surf Lakes in the final phase of construction in the Queensland town of Yeppoon.
Imagine 2400 machinemade waves an hour being generated across four reefs, each with a left and right-hand breaking wave; that’s eight breaks. The maximum wave height is aimed at a 2.4m face height. Each wave will vary in shape, size, length and difficulty. So, surfers can start off on the easy wave and then make their way around to the more powerful hollow barrels. Sound interesting? Queensland surfer Lincoln Chant, 60, reckons it’s a great idea. Since he turned 16, he’s been carving it out on Gold Coast waves. These days, he’s still working full-time, lives on the Coast and calls himself a fortnightly weekend surfer (and a bit more on annual holidays) but plans to increase surfing time in his coming retirement.
“When I’m retired, my wife and I’d like to do the Grey Nomad thing. Having a wavemaking machine at Yeppoon would probably see us include this experience in our travels.”
His quiver of seven boards, including his 1978 single fin, are used to ride a variety of waves and he thinks the surf lake might give him a chance to use them all.
‘‘ THOSE WHO FEEL CHALLENGED IN THE OCEAN ... WILL BE ABLE TO SURF IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AND IN TURN REGAIN FITNESS AND BALANCE ...
His wife Fay, a stand up paddler, envisions the beginner waves as providing the perfect learning environment
“I’d love to learn to surf. But at 57 years old, I’m not looking to get pummelled in any barrels,” she said with a laugh.
The idea behind Surf Lakes is to give everyone who wants to surf, learn to surf or – for some silver surfers – get back into their surfing, no matter what their skills, age, ability or surf craft a chance to get out there.
Surf Lakes media director Wayne Dart says, “The Surf Lakes mantra is ‘Everyone gets a break’. Longboards, short boards, bodyboards, bodysurfers; you name it, there will be a break to suit them. The nature of each break is such that a surfer can quite quickly improve and take on another of the more challenging breaks.
“Or, those who feel challenged in the ocean due to physical fitness or the like will be able to surf in a controlled environment and in turn regain fitness and balance and therefore tackle waves that they may have ridden in younger years.
“But, in the lake, the built-in rips make the return to the line-up easier and there will be regulated marshalling so that every person has access to their desired wave.”
The health benefits are well known and include: ● cardiovascular fitness from paddling;
● shoulder and back strength – these muscles will strengthen from the paddling; and
● leg and core strength – once you’re standing up on the board, strong legs and a strong core will keep you up.
But as every surfer will know, beside the physical benefits, it’s all about the ‘stock’, and if it comes from a wave making machine, Fay and Lincoln Chant say “so be it”.