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Australia’s Weirdest Waves

We know there's more, but here's a few to get you psyched for a novelty session.

By now you’ve probably checked out Puerto Rican surfer Dylan Graves Weird Waves episode set in Lake Superior. Good, wasn’t it? It had us thinking about some of our own weird waves. Novelty has always peaked humans’ curiosity and surfers are no different. Now these might not contain three degree water and deranged Americans, but they have a good claim to being Australia’s weirdest waves. 

Tweed River 

“Riding the inside wall of the southern groyne of the Tweed Bar, the river rats dangled their toes amongst the bull sharks and fetid waters for a few chocolate carves and brown barrels.” So wrote Tracks Editor Luke Kennedy on the Tweed River wave that breaks every couple of years when the sand builds up next to the breakwall. “It doesn’t happen very often so it’s kind of special when it does,’’ says Tracks photographer Swilly. “It doesn’t have as much push as other waves, but it doubles up and breaks next to the wall and you can still get barreled.” <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/uMcc1HEFUEQ” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

Mandurah Wedge, Perth, Western Australia

A rare, but sometimes spectacular righthand wedge with the odd left, “The Medge” is located behind the southern groyne of the Dawesville Channel. Here, abnormal lumps of backwash and sidewash ricochet off the breakwalls and into the funneling swells causing warping wedges and all sorts of wave abnormalities. It is a booger favourite, but any time it breaks expect to see a slew of locals trying to get pitted before being blasted sky high. 

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/NCwxX2u6A4s” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

Angel Island, Dampier Archipelago  

The image taken by Salty Wings indicates that this might be some type of mythical dreamtime inspired Pass-like righthander, of which no human has ever sullied its pristine surface. Yet the reality is a little different with surfers from nearby Karratha frequenting the very inconsistent “mal wave” for years. Still, as a rare wave in one of the most isolated patches of Australian coastline, it deserves a start in our wacky waves list. 

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;”></div></div></div><div style=”padding: 19% 0;”></div><div style=”display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;”><svg width=”50px” height=”50px” viewBox=”0 0 60 60″ version=”1.1″ xmlns:xlink=”https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink”><g stroke=”none” stroke-width=”1″ fill=”none” fill-rule=”evenodd”><g transform=”translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)” fill=”#000000″><g><path d=”M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631″></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style=”padding-top: 8px;”> <div style=” color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;”> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style=”padding: 12.5% 0;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;”><div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: 8px;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: auto;”> <div style=” width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);”></div></div></div></a> <p style=” margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BqriNp5B1we/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading” style=” color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;” target=”_blank”>Beautiful lines in the Pilbara &#55356;&#57098;&#55357;&#56491; . . . #saltywings @australia #seeaustralia #justanotherdayinwa @westernaustralia</a></p> <p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”>A post shared by <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/saltywings/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;” target=”_blank”> SALTY WiNGS</a> (@saltywings) on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-11-27T10:21:06+00:00″>Nov 27, 2018 at 2:21am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script>

Kendalls Bombie, South Coast NSW

Not really a novelty wave in that it is neither a novelty or even really a wave. That hasn’t stopped various madmen like Dom Wills and Mitch Kenyon (below) from attempting to tackle its 16 steps and 24 lips. No one ever seems to have any success surfing the abomination, unsurprisingly, but as long as it continues to upload on itself it will no doubt continue to draw madmen into its clutches.

<iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/226726164″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/226726164″>Surfing The Bombie</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user3137478″>conor hegyi</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Nightcliff Beach, Darwin

Only breaking in cyclonic weather with massive tides and offering weak, brown water closeouts, infested by crocodiles and box jellyfish you can understand why Darwin’s wave-starved surfers clamour to hit the city beach every time it breaks. These magic conditions only happen a handful times a year however, making Nightcliff’s allurers all the more addictive for their rarity. 

Nielson Park and Dobroyd Head, Sydney Harbour

Shark Beach, located at Nielson Park, near the posh suburb of Vaucluse is Sydney Harbour’s prime location for the annual “You won’t believe where these crazy surfers are surfing” nightly news segment. Obviously needing a ginormous North East swell to get through the Heads when the two-foot lines eventually dribble around the rocky bend they are usually met by a pack of 30 novelty wave fetishists, all desperately trying to get their wave shown on Channel Nine News. Meanwhile, on the other side of the harbour, big south swells aim themselves at Dobroyd Head, where a lurching left can actually break with legitimate size. Just park your yacht in the channel and get out there.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/nWZBSvc4hOI” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

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