Greg Woodward was a WA surf photographer and writer from 1966 to 1974. He shot surf photographs in Perth, Mandurah and Cape Naturaliste region and contributed photos and articles to the OZ surf magazine ‘Surf International’.
Greg is now retired and lives with his wife Anne in Perth.
Image #1. 1970s Greg Woodward with his surfboard and Austin A40 sedan. Greg Woodward pic.
Greg –Have you ever wondered aboutthe soul / personality of Yallingup Bay surf break? Every surf break has a personality all its own created by many factors and influences. Sometimes friend and lover, sometimes enemy, sometimes indifferent.
Image #2. Yallingup main break viewed through the Melaleuca trees. Craig Hitchens pic.
Greg – I asked long-time Dunsborough surfer Craig Hitchens, a regular at Yallingup, what he thought of the surf at Yallingup bay and what sort of personality it has now in 2018.
Image #3. 2017 Craig Hitchens with his single fin surfboard at Yalls. Bruce King pic.
These are Craig Hitchens’ answers to Greg Woodward’s questions about Yallingup surf break.
Brief history of surfing in the bay – who, why, when?
Craig – I only know as far back as Kev Merrifield and those guys who originally found and surfed it way back when, in the late 50’s I think.
What are you looking for when you pull into the car park?
Craig – A parking space mostly! Haha. These days Yallingup is a pretty popular place to be “seen”. You have surfers, walkers, mums with kids, yoga practitioners…you name it, they’re down there early! Mostly I am looking to see how the wind is set and how often and big the sets are. This lets me know if I am surfing Yalls today or somewhere else.
What year did you first paddle into the bay what sort of experience on the wave?
Craig – I first surfed Yallingup in around about 1986. My mates and I; Wal Beckett, Nev Beckett, Hartley Cromow, Jason & Andy Coppard, Patrick Redman, Dene and Evan Hammond and Darren Brearley all paddled out at “The Cove” to surf some fun peaks. Prior to this we mainly surfed at Smith’s Beach. I had surfed down here before then at Margaret River mouth, Windmills, Farm, Big Rock and Lefties in around 1983/4. I used to stay down here with my brother Phil Usher and attempt to surf where he did. Got flogged a lot but had fun hahaha!
What is happening under the surf – reef, rock, sand, fish, ghosts etc?
Craig – Yalls is a weed covered reef break. Lots of fish, some with teeth occasionally. There’s rock that sits up and sucks out on lower tides on the inside of the right hander and a couple of table rocks on the left on the inside. Plenty of fins to be found around those! The left hander that breaks off the point; “The Bubble” has a tricky little inside section that gets very shallow very quickly but is still makeable on the right tides. Not the place to straighten out…sharp reef!
Image #4. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Was there ever a river running into Yallingup bay originally?
Craig – As long as I have surfed here there has always been a stream that runs into the south end from off the hill.
What sort of influence does the sea bed have on the wave shape?
Craig – There’s a main reef area in the middle of the peak and there is also a secondary strip of reef that reshapes the wave going right depending upon swell direction and tide. There’s also a few reef heads that create boils that do some odd things occasionally too.
How does the bay create the wave and direct it into its character?
Craig – Yallingup is really tide and swell direction sensitive. Too much south in the swell means big close outs on the rights and a hard day at the office, you will still get a few lefts but they have a long paddle back. And they are generally a bit on the fat side. The bubble is generally better on a south swell. Run out tides create a rip current that drags you out to sea and makes staying in the right spot tricky. Bit more west in the swell and the place lights up. A frame peak going both ways both at the Cove and Yalls main break with a nice pitchy wall and tubes if the tide and winds are behaving. Wind is also a key factor at Yalls. SE – E is nice anything NE or remotely northerly means choppy lumps and dodgy take offs!
Image #5. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Does the wave at Yallingup improve with a big swell or is it just a different wave?
Craig – Sometimes! Not often though. If the swell direction is right you can get some absolute crackers but if it is just a little bit too south, major poundings trying to stay north or inside enough to get the good ones. If it is west enough, it can resemble Sunset Beach in Hawaii I reckon! Hahaha.
On a huge swell can it be surfed using the tow in technique?
Craig – Yep has been before. I haven’t but Rich Myers, Geoff North and others surfed it a few years back when there was a big, big swell. Gotta know your stuff though.
What is the best swell and weather conditions for Yallingup bay surf to shine.
Craig – West swells, mid tides, swell anywhere from 2m to 3.5ish m with an ESE wind below 15kts. Much windier than that and it gets a bit hard to see.
Image #6. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic
You’ve just dropped into a wave out back at Yallingup. Can you describe the sequence of surfing the wave as it breaks –some parts hollow, some thick, some dangerous?
Craig – Depends which way you go. Right from the main peak is generally a nice steep drop, bottom turn, bank off the wall or run it out into a cut back. Next section usually stands up a bit so you can do a top turn or run out and hard rail cut back into it again. Next section gets a bit hollower and racier and you can generally get another turn in or hit the oncoming section.
Inside right section is generally punchier and faster. So bottom turn top turn combos and cut backs, floater sections etc. Tubes too on the right day.
Going left off the peak you will get a bottom turn and just a wall to do banking turns and cut backs on till the wave dribbles out into deep water. Popular with the Mals and SUPs.
Bubble is a suck rock foam take off into a flattish wall that then double sucks into a walling pitching left. You bottom turn here and hit it hard and tight. Do not straighten out…bad things happen hahaha! Can get a cover up or generally into next section for a cutback then run the tricky bit along the reef edge to a closeout reo section or just kick out.
Cove is a mini version of the main break with a left and right peak. Really fun little spot on the right day. Lefts are generally longer. Not the spot to be on big swells as it closes out.
How do you deal with the paddle – out on a big swell – degree of difficulty, obstacles and so on?
Craig – Generally I have a little spot I jump off near the inside of the right hander that drags you quickly into the current and I then point slightly away from the break and paddle hard and straight. This usually gets you where you want to be as there is a bit of a dip in the reef there. If you do get a big bomb come at you, going under it here is better. On big days I jump off further south towards the point and paddle around out deep. Yalls is one place you are NEVER going to get out there with dry hair mate! Bomb set caught inside paddleathon capitol of the world! South sets are straight handers and pack a punch on a swell over 5 ft and catch everyone out. Yalls is not the place for beginners or novices on a swell over 4 ft (Just over head) really. Even on a 4 ft day you will get a least 1 or 2 sets that will be bigger and land on you hahaha! There is a strong current that sweeps south to north often and that will see you washed into the twilight zone and hammered relentlessly if you are not a decent paddler. If that happens to you, point your board at the beach go in and start again! Honestly it will just drain your energy.
On smaller days 3ft and under it is great fun for long boarding and kids. Much gentler and easy going. Just gotta watch out for the rocks a bit that’s all otherwise all good.
Image #7. 2015 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
If Yallingup bay SURF was a person what sort of personality would it have?
Craig – Smiling assassin! Hahaha. It can start out looking so fun and joyful and often times it is but every so often you get an unpredicted swell bump and it can go from 3-5 ft of fun to 6 – 8ft of seriousness that has you going “bugga should have brought out a bigger board!”. Mostly she is a gem though. Always fun either way. Always leave the water feeling happy and healed. Good crew around here and generally, outside of full on holiday season, the vibe is fairly laid back.
And yes, then there is Rabbits surf break – now being surfed!
Craig – Rabbits is great fun! I don’t surf it a lot these days but when everything lines up properly it is a proper tube ride with plenty of punch that I really do enjoy. I am a little fussy, I like it to be just right, not too big not too small, bank in the right spot etc, then I’ll head for a few. Otherwise it can be a bit unforgiving, but the younger fellas love it.
Why did they have to put those bloody apartments where Surfside Café was, what a stuff up!
Craig – Mmmmmmm well. Money talks I guess. Happening in many other places too. Byron, Lennox etc have all been victims of it to their detriment and I guess it’s our turn now. Personally I loved the old surfside that I remember. It had character and was a fun spot.
Image #8. 2015 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Many thanks to Craig for his insight into Yallingup surf break and Greg for his questions.
Greg Woodward was a WA surf photographer and writer from 1966 to 1974. He shot surf photographs in Perth, Mandurah and Cape Naturaliste region and contributed photos and articles to the OZ surf magazine ‘Surf International’.
Greg is now retired and lives with his wife Anne in Perth.
Image #1. 1970s Greg Woodward with his surfboard and Austin A40 sedan. Greg Woodward pic.
Greg – Have you ever wondered about the soul / personality of Yallingup Bay surf break? Every surf break has a personality all its own created by many factors and influences. Sometimes friend and lover, sometimes enemy, sometimes indifferent.
Image #2. Yallingup main break viewed through the Melaleuca trees. Craig Hitchens pic.
Greg – I asked long-time Dunsborough surfer Craig Hitchens, a regular at Yallingup, what he thought of the surf at Yallingup bay and what sort of personality it has now in 2018.
Image #3. 2017 Craig Hitchens with his single fin surfboard at Yalls. Bruce King pic.
These are Craig Hitchens’ answers to Greg Woodward’s questions about Yallingup surf break.
Brief history of surfing in the bay – who, why, when?
Craig – I only know as far back as Kev Merrifield and those guys who originally found and surfed it way back when, in the late 50’s I think.
What are you looking for when you pull into the car park?
Craig – A parking space mostly! Haha. These days Yallingup is a pretty popular place to be “seen”. You have surfers, walkers, mums with kids, yoga practitioners…you name it, they’re down there early! Mostly I am looking to see how the wind is set and how often and big the sets are. This lets me know if I am surfing Yalls today or somewhere else.
What year did you first paddle into the bay what sort of experience on the wave?
Craig – I first surfed Yallingup in around about 1986. My mates and I; Wal Beckett, Nev Beckett, Hartley Cromow, Jason & Andy Coppard, Patrick Redman, Dene and Evan Hammond and Darren Brearley all paddled out at “The Cove” to surf some fun peaks. Prior to this we mainly surfed at Smith’s Beach. I had surfed down here before then at Margaret River mouth, Windmills, Farm, Big Rock and Lefties in around 1983/4. I used to stay down here with my brother Phil Usher and attempt to surf where he did. Got flogged a lot but had fun hahaha!
What is happening under the surf – reef, rock, sand, fish, ghosts etc?
Craig – Yalls is a weed covered reef break. Lots of fish, some with teeth occasionally. There’s rock that sits up and sucks out on lower tides on the inside of the right hander and a couple of table rocks on the left on the inside. Plenty of fins to be found around those! The left hander that breaks off the point; “The Bubble” has a tricky little inside section that gets very shallow very quickly but is still makeable on the right tides. Not the place to straighten out…sharp reef!
Image #4. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Was there ever a river running into Yallingup bay originally?
Craig – As long as I have surfed here there has always been a stream that runs into the south end from off the hill.
What sort of influence does the sea bed have on the wave shape?
Craig – There’s a main reef area in the middle of the peak and there is also a secondary strip of reef that reshapes the wave going right depending upon swell direction and tide. There’s also a few reef heads that create boils that do some odd things occasionally too.
How does the bay create the wave and direct it into its character?
Craig – Yallingup is really tide and swell direction sensitive. Too much south in the swell means big close outs on the rights and a hard day at the office, you will still get a few lefts but they have a long paddle back. And they are generally a bit on the fat side. The bubble is generally better on a south swell. Run out tides create a rip current that drags you out to sea and makes staying in the right spot tricky. Bit more west in the swell and the place lights up. A frame peak going both ways both at the Cove and Yalls main break with a nice pitchy wall and tubes if the tide and winds are behaving. Wind is also a key factor at Yalls. SE – E is nice anything NE or remotely northerly means choppy lumps and dodgy take offs!
Image #5. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Does the wave at Yallingup improve with a big swell or is it just a different wave?
Craig – Sometimes! Not often though. If the swell direction is right you can get some absolute crackers but if it is just a little bit too south, major poundings trying to stay north or inside enough to get the good ones. If it is west enough, it can resemble Sunset Beach in Hawaii I reckon! Hahaha.
On a huge swell can it be surfed using the tow in technique?
Craig – Yep has been before. I haven’t but Rich Myers, Geoff North and others surfed it a few years back when there was a big, big swell. Gotta know your stuff though.
What is the best swell and weather conditions for Yallingup bay surf to shine.
Craig – West swells, mid tides, swell anywhere from 2m to 3.5ish m with an ESE wind below 15kts. Much windier than that and it gets a bit hard to see.
Image #6. 2013 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic
You’ve just dropped into a wave out back at Yallingup. Can you describe the sequence of surfing the wave as it breaks –some parts hollow, some thick, some dangerous?
Craig – Depends which way you go. Right from the main peak is generally a nice steep drop, bottom turn, bank off the wall or run it out into a cut back. Next section usually stands up a bit so you can do a top turn or run out and hard rail cut back into it again. Next section gets a bit hollower and racier and you can generally get another turn in or hit the oncoming section.
Inside right section is generally punchier and faster. So bottom turn top turn combos and cut backs, floater sections etc. Tubes too on the right day.
Going left off the peak you will get a bottom turn and just a wall to do banking turns and cut backs on till the wave dribbles out into deep water. Popular with the Mals and SUPs.
Bubble is a suck rock foam take off into a flattish wall that then double sucks into a walling pitching left. You bottom turn here and hit it hard and tight. Do not straighten out…bad things happen hahaha! Can get a cover up or generally into next section for a cutback then run the tricky bit along the reef edge to a closeout reo section or just kick out.
Cove is a mini version of the main break with a left and right peak. Really fun little spot on the right day. Lefts are generally longer. Not the spot to be on big swells as it closes out.
How do you deal with the paddle – out on a big swell – degree of difficulty, obstacles and so on?
Craig – Generally I have a little spot I jump off near the inside of the right hander that drags you quickly into the current and I then point slightly away from the break and paddle hard and straight. This usually gets you where you want to be as there is a bit of a dip in the reef there. If you do get a big bomb come at you, going under it here is better. On big days I jump off further south towards the point and paddle around out deep. Yalls is one place you are NEVER going to get out there with dry hair mate! Bomb set caught inside paddleathon capitol of the world! South sets are straight handers and pack a punch on a swell over 5 ft and catch everyone out. Yalls is not the place for beginners or novices on a swell over 4 ft (Just over head) really. Even on a 4 ft day you will get a least 1 or 2 sets that will be bigger and land on you hahaha! There is a strong current that sweeps south to north often and that will see you washed into the twilight zone and hammered relentlessly if you are not a decent paddler. If that happens to you, point your board at the beach go in and start again! Honestly it will just drain your energy.
On smaller days 3ft and under it is great fun for long boarding and kids. Much gentler and easy going. Just gotta watch out for the rocks a bit that’s all otherwise all good.
Image #7. 2015 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
If Yallingup bay SURF was a person what sort of personality would it have?
Craig – Smiling assassin! Hahaha. It can start out looking so fun and joyful and often times it is but every so often you get an unpredicted swell bump and it can go from 3-5 ft of fun to 6 – 8ft of seriousness that has you going “bugga should have brought out a bigger board!”. Mostly she is a gem though. Always fun either way. Always leave the water feeling happy and healed. Good crew around here and generally, outside of full on holiday season, the vibe is fairly laid back.
And yes, then there is Rabbits surf break – now being surfed!
Craig – Rabbits is great fun! I don’t surf it a lot these days but when everything lines up properly it is a proper tube ride with plenty of punch that I really do enjoy. I am a little fussy, I like it to be just right, not too big not too small, bank in the right spot etc, then I’ll head for a few. Otherwise it can be a bit unforgiving, but the younger fellas love it.
Why did they have to put those bloody apartments where Surfside Café was, what a stuff up!
Craig – Mmmmmmm well. Money talks I guess. Happening in many other places too. Byron, Lennox etc have all been victims of it to their detriment and I guess it’s our turn now. Personally I loved the old surfside that I remember. It had character and was a fun spot.
Image #8. 2015 Craig surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Many thanks to Craig for his insight into Yallingup surf break and Greg for his questions.
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