http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/ OceanGybe en http://www.surferspath.com/ Copyright 2008 2008-05-12T08:05:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/vanuatu-the-land-of-cannibals-cargo-cults-and-active-volcanoes Vanuatu or Ripablik Blong Vanuatu (Republic belonging to Vanuatu) features about 83 islands running approximately 1300 km in a north-south line. Vanuatu means the " Land Eternal" has a rich, dark and very very interesting history. These lush green islands sit on the the western edge of the Pacific Plate, right next to the 8000 ft deep New Hebrides Trench. The trench marks the boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the pacific plate. As a result of this subduction zone, Vanuatu has some of the most accessible active volcanoes on the planet. Sitting in the anchorages, one can watch the smoke and sulphurous eruptions light up the night sky. 2008-05-12T07:05:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/vanuatu-the-land-of-cannibals-cargo-cults-and-active-volcanoes http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/a-tribute-to-jess-and-thea-christened-blue-water-sailors For seven days we have seen nothing but endless horizons and blue water. Now, with less than 100 miles to go, the anticipation of land and all it's pleasures (a good night's sleep on a flat surface!) is building fast. Thea and Jess have had a marvelous passage, and in hindsight I must admit that they have experienced a very apt cross section of the passage making experience. 2008-05-07T06:11:01+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/a-tribute-to-jess-and-thea-christened-blue-water-sailors http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/cold-front Yesterday we donned our wet-weather gear (hopefully) for the last time as a nasty cold front passed over us with 25 - 35 knots of wind. Fortunately it only lasted about 10 hours, but they were a very uncomfortable 10 hours! 2008-05-06T07:22:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/cold-front http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/cruising-along Wow, I'm basking in the glow of a hot super-coffee while watching an incredible sunrise on my first 6am shift! Incredible! 2008-05-03T07:21:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/cruising-along http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/the-highs-and-lows-of-passage-planning A brilliant sunrise wafted over New Zealand the morning of 21st April, 2008, accompanied by an ice cold South West wind – a perfect wind to blow Khulula northwards. North, away from the encroaching winter, into the balmy island paradise that is the South Seas. Names like Tanna, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia beckon to us, urging us to drop the land locked umbilical cord and take the 1800 km jump across the stormy ocean north of New Zealand. Our meager equatorial wardrobes are beginning to fail miserably in trying to hold back the cold. We all feel like ducks out of water, as each passing week brings more chill, more cold, more rain. The sails, bimini’s and other cover aboard Khulula hang limply in the New Zealand rain, and if you look close enough, you can almost see Khulula silently shivering as she floats in the chilly water. 2008-04-28T06:44:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/oceangybe/the-highs-and-lows-of-passage-planning http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/vince-deur/go-green-by-helping-to-keep-it-blue For as long as I can remember, I have been mesmerized by water. As a young boy growing up on the Grand River -Michigan's largest river was my backyard. I would stand in awe as the early spring currents would move swiftly past me. “Where was that water going,” I used to dream, “where could it take me?” Later in the summer, I would watch the waves from the gravel barges break in perfect symmetry across our beach. On our family boat trips, I would be in the stern, eyes locked for hours on the endless curl that peeled from our wake. It was this fascination with waves that really took hold of me as a teenager and continues now into adulthood. 2008-04-25T06:55:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/vince-deur/go-green-by-helping-to-keep-it-blue http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/jaw-dropping-surf-photos The latest installment from Nico's album... 2008-04-24T14:10:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/jaw-dropping-surf-photos http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/more-from-nicos-album Surf photos from Portugal's finest. 2008-04-17T14:07:01+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/more-from-nicos-album http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-masters Margaret River lit up for the last few days of the Drug Aware Pro at Surfers Point last weekend. Crew awoke to a growling, 5.0m SW groundswell first thing Friday morning with solid waves up and down the Margs coast. Open ocean waves were suffering a lumpy hangover from windy conditions the previous day but were exposed to the full brunt of the swell. Margs was breaking at a wonky 10-12 foot for the contest - tough conditions for the competitors. Protected bays and points were the pick for the free-surfers. 2008-04-16T12:47:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-masters http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/the-kids-arent-alright We are the antithesis of cute. We fall asleep whether tired or passed out from chemicals on coarse filthy city concrete and awaken, zombie-like, begging you for food and money and cigarettes with crusted scabs on our cheeks because cement is such a rough fuckin’ pillow. 2008-04-12T07:12:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/the-kids-arent-alright http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/nicos-waves I'm Paulo Brito Nicolau, aka Nico, a longboarder/photographer from Lisboa in Portugal. 2008-04-10T14:01:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/paulo-brito-nicolau/nicos-waves http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/arsen-brzostek/sup-the-next-step-part-6 California provided a nice dose of life and added insight into stand up paddle. Al Merrick, as previously mentioned in this series blog, unfortunately had business to attend while I was out there and didn't make it for our interview and action footage filming. 2008-04-07T09:41:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/arsen-brzostek/sup-the-next-step-part-6 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/mark-patterson/feel-the-embrace-of-spring It's happening. Along with yeller forsythia buds, the lineups are starting to come to life again. The evening light is here again till October, and with it, surfers of all abilities return to the water in increasing numbers. People complain about summer surf crowds. Personally I don’t mind. Great to renew friendships in the water, and to feel the embrace of full Spring. Life enhancing for sure. 2008-04-04T13:49:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/mark-patterson/feel-the-embrace-of-spring http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/wild-gone-wild-spring-break-edition We’d been trekking through Royal Chitwan National Park with our two guides for the last few days. A lot of walking, but seeing a lot of cool stuff. Dozens of huge crocs, exotic birds and monkeys in trees, barking deer, and of course, rhino sightings/chasings which were paramount. 2008-04-01T14:32:01+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/wild-gone-wild-spring-break-edition http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-goldy-transmission It’s been pretty small on the Goldy the last few days, but even when it’s tiny there is usually something surf-able floating around. Duranbah is the Gold Coast’s small wave saviour. 2008-04-01T14:13:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-goldy-transmission http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/rhino-chasing It’s all fun and games until the bushes fifty feet in front of you explode into a charging rhino and the low sound of galloping mixed with a twisted snorting is getting louder and louder. 2008-03-31T14:30:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/rhino-chasing http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-easter-gold While the top 45 duked it out at the Bells WCT event over at Torquay, Sandgropers embarked upon their annual Easter pilgrimage to Margaret River to chase some sun and surf of their own. The roads were chockers on the way down and back as expected. I’m telling ya, the Mandurah bypass is going to be a welcome relief as WA’s boom-time population continues to explode. Main Roads projects aside, the waves were good all weekend. 2008-03-26T15:15:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-easter-gold http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/india-part-two First awakening from an overnight sleeper train coming from Bombay, I rubbed my eyes as they adjusted to a creeping dawn and quickly noticed a drastic change in landscape. This looks like desert. 2008-03-15T14:25:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/india-part-two http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-autumn Autumn arrived with a bang last weekend in the south west of WA. A solid groundswell infiltrated the Margs coast for the duration of the long weekend. Couple that up with fresh offshore winds and you’re guaranteed to score some good waves! Some of the waves in these parts are a out of the way and require a bit of a walk in providing a good opportunity to snap off some shots. 2008-03-14T14:59:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/hugh_davis/the-weekend-warrior-autumn http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/welcome-to-my-world A long time ago when I was young, I overheard a conversation my dad was having with one of his friends who had just returned from a trip to India. The guy-Tom- was one of those spritual-jack-of-all-trades guru types; I guess he had gone to India for some enlightenment seminar or what not. 2008-03-11T14:21:00+00:00 http://www.surferspath.com/blogs/beau-flemister/welcome-to-my-world