Surf’s up at the Reef
Boardriders carve up in secrecy
THE Great Barrier Reef doesn’t spring to mind as a top place for surfing, particularly when you consider the dangers: sharks, crocodiles, deadly jellyfish and sharp coral.
But local surfer Darryl Strugnell reckons some of the waves he’s carved up with his self-made thruster, offshore from Cairns, are as good as anywhere else in Australia.
For the past seven years, Darryl has been running Cairns Reef Surfers, a small group of dedicated boardriders who are prepared to drop everything whenever the surf’s up on the Barrier Reef – even if it’s only a handful of times each year. They are known to travel up to 150km in a round trip for the chance to surf the types of waves that put those rolling onto beaches in other parts of the country to shame.
Just don’t ask where these waves occur – the location of these GBR breaks is highly classified information.
“You get good waves here – great barrels and no crowds,” Darryl said.
“The adventure is the advantage of it. It’s kind of a secret club though. It’s no good for tourists – you’ve got to be ready to go the next day.”
When ex-Cyclone Penny blew through the Far North last week, it whipped up headheight barrels for about five days straight, providing perfect conditions for surfing on the Outer Reef.
As for the dangers, Mr Strugnell said wiping out on coral tended to be more of a problem than sharks, saltwater crocodiles and marine stingers.
“I’ve had a few cuts, but you do everything you can to avoid damaging coral,” he said.