In the mid 60s Peter ‘Dyso’ Dyson of Dalkeith was a junior member of the Cottesloe Board Club.
These are his recollections of early surf exploration north of Perth.
In the mid-late 60’s the Cottesloe boys were heading south to Miami & Avalon and later Gearys Shack & Tim’s Thicket in search of waves. Some of my mates & I broke away from the Cottesloe surf scene and went north instead.
Images: 1960s Peter Dyson and his Cottesloe Surf Board Club membership card. Peter Dyson images.
The Spot
You had to trespass across property owned by tycoon Alan Bond to get to the surf break called the Spot near Yanchep. My mates & I were amongst the first to surf the left hander. We would sneak past the gate to get to the waves.
Photo: 1976 Unidentified surfing the left hander at the Spot. Ric Chan photo.
I was dobbed in to Bondy by the guy who managed his property. Later at a party, I met the guy who dobbed me in and he told me “I was the only bloke that never got booked”. I told him nothing happened because the Dyson & Bond families were friends!
Lancelin
It was Mick Layzell who first introduced me to waves at Lancelin. Mick had an East Coast surfboard & was a very good surfer.
Don McDonald and I used to travel to Lancelin with Tom Cullity. Tom’s family owned Cullity Timber and he could afford the petrol.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing Edward Island with clinker hull dinghy in foreground. Peter Dyson pic.
We used to surf Edward Island, South Passage and back beach. Then we would hang out at the Lancelin food shop.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing Edward Island. Peter Dyson pic.
On one trip we run out of fuel a few miles out of town. The wind was strong so we rigged up a beach umbrella as a sail and rode in to Lancelin on a skate board. I remember the road was rough with blue metal stones.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson bottom turn at Edward Island. Peter Dyson pic.
Another time it was so big at Edward Island Hume Heatley, Don McDonald and I looked like ants on matchsticks.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing at Edward Island with a crayboat in the background. Peter Dyson pic.
We used to talk to deckies on crayboats at Lancelin and they told us about other waves further north. Eventually other waves were discovered up the coast at Wedge & Abrolhos Islands.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson leaving the surf at Edward Island. His McDonagh Surfboard (NSW) has a reverse dork fin. Peter Dyson pic.
Many thanks to Mick Layzell for introducing me to uncrowded fun waves at Lancelin.
In the mid 60s Peter ‘Dyso’ Dyson of Dalkeith was a junior member of the Cottesloe Board Club.
These are his recollections of early surf exploration north of Perth.
In the mid-late 60’s the Cottesloe boys were heading south to Miami & Avalon and later Gearys Shack & Tim’s Thicket in search of waves. Some of my mates & I broke away from the Cottesloe surf scene and went north instead.
Images: 1960s Peter Dyson and his Cottesloe Surf Board Club membership card. Peter Dyson images.
The Spot
You had to trespass across property owned by tycoon Alan Bond to get to the surf break called the Spot near Yanchep. My mates & I were amongst the first to surf the left hander. We would sneak past the gate to get to the waves.
Photo: 1976 Unidentified surfing the left hander at the Spot. Ric Chan photo.
I was dobbed in to Bondy by the guy who managed his property. Later at a party, I met the guy who dobbed me in and he told me “I was the only bloke that never got booked”. I told him nothing happened because the Dyson & Bond families were friends!
Lancelin
It was Mick Layzell who first introduced me to waves at Lancelin. Mick had an East Coast surfboard & was a very good surfer.
Don McDonald and I used to travel to Lancelin with Tom Cullity. Tom’s family owned Cullity Timber and he could afford the petrol.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing Edward Island with clinker hull dinghy in foreground. Peter Dyson pic.
We used to surf Edward Island, South Passage and back beach. Then we would hang out at the Lancelin food shop.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing Edward Island. Peter Dyson pic.
On one trip we run out of fuel a few miles out of town. The wind was strong so we rigged up a beach umbrella as a sail and rode in to Lancelin on a skate board. I remember the road was rough with blue metal stones.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson bottom turn at Edward Island. Peter Dyson pic.
Another time it was so big at Edward Island Hume Heatley, Don McDonald and I looked like ants on matchsticks.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson surfing at Edward Island with a crayboat in the background. Peter Dyson pic.
We used to talk to deckies on crayboats at Lancelin and they told us about other waves further north. Eventually other waves were discovered up the coast at Wedge & Abrolhos Islands.
Photo: 1960s Lancelin Peter Dyson leaving the surf at Edward Island. His McDonagh Surfboard (NSW) has a reverse dork fin. Peter Dyson pic.
Many thanks to Mick Layzell for introducing me to uncrowded fun waves at Lancelin.
——————————————————–
Share this:
Like this: