An unknown bloke sitting pretty in the bowl, circa
1993 - a sight we’re not going to see again any
time soon in the Seaway // Photo Luke Sorensen
N
ow a ghost and a part of local surfing lore,
the epic lefthander that used to break
inside the Southport Seaway was easily one of
the best barrels to have ever broken in South
East Queensland - it is now no more. The list
of notable hazards attached with surfing it
ran into double figures, with everything from
it being a couple of hundred metres from a
bull shark nursery, the ripping 10kt current on
the reverse storm surge outgoing tide (that
saw even experienced surfers end up a fair
way out to sea) through to the heavy localism
which could see you easily score a set of fins
to the head if you weren’t paying attention.
There was also the fact that this place only
broke properly around very powerful cyclone
and east coast low-pressure-system swell and
rain events, which also meant the probability
of contracting a debilitating ear, skin, or throat
infection was very real.
Bypassing the other half-dozen unmentioned
threats to your life, the wave was a total beast
- a throaty and demanding left that resembled
some kind of crazy Pacific island bowl
section, complete with the thickest of lips and
a few violently spitting barrels. On solid days
the take-off was a relentless paddle against
the rip, meaning you had to paddle as if the
wave were twice its size to begin with. Once
over the ledge it dropped below sea level and
into the vortex, which was a churning mess
of dark brown water and odd-smelling foam
spitting up at you from the impact point. If you
were lucky you wouldn’t see Doris or Wickas
lan F