West Is Best: Epic Day In Western Australia

“Everyone’s home for Christmas,” says Jerome Forrest.
Just as well. If you’re from SW WA and you weren’t home this past Tuesday, you’ll hear all about it over Christmas lunch. Or Jerome, Jacob Willcox and many others who scored it will find a way to let you know.
For Jacob, it’s been a long year grinding through the Challenger Series, so coming home to good waves feels like a breath of fresh air. “I’ve surfed so many average waves this year,” he says. “I had a few good runs at the start, but the last four months were pretty wave-starved. So when that swell and wind lined up, it felt like a little blessing.”
But at water level, what did Jacob feel was special about this one? “You always get some swell in summer, but not from the west. It’s usually a lot of southerly wind. This time, it was different - straight east wind, and a swell with a bit of west in it. It made the last few months of surfing crappy waves feel not so bad.”
Or as Jerome puts it: “It’s awesome to have a session like that - everyone taking turns, trading waves, and catching up on the year.”
Coastlines are funny things-when the right swell and wind come together, every nook and cranny can light up. But it’s often all about one spot. Further south, Jack O’Grady was watching the swell build at North Point.
“At the start of the swell, it was windy and lumpy,” he says. “But that afternoon, the ramps were pretty sick. I always shoot water at North Point, but with the wild wind, it was tough. Sean Manners and Jacob were throwing these massive airs, and I thought, This is the perfect moment to pull back and frame it.”
The next morning, Jack and a few talented surfers woke with the sun and headed straight for Yallingup, hoping to find perfect, groomed lines. Instead, they were met with that familiar challenge every surfer knows too well. “We were all just standing there, watching it for a few hours - from like six to nine. It was looking weird - lots of water moving around,” Jack recalls. “You need the rip to go a certain way to really get the wave going.”
“A few people were towing in because there was so much water moving and the tide was super low,” Jack adds. “Then, all of a sudden, it started to get more manageable.”
By 9am, the conditions were perfect.
“It’s pretty rare for summer to be that good,” says Jacob. “It can get super slow, so you’ve got to enjoy it while you can.”
Filmed By Naomi Adbib & Salt Diaries

[@EeshaWilliams]

nice to see Taj! also bodyboarders were fun to watch

[@topcentrecommunications]

Awesome shots @saltdiaries keep them coming.

[@marksimpson4783]

Nice work, does anyone remember after cyclone Alby,surfed Mandurah and the sets were out of this world. 😊

[@catinthehat8412]

the hill snapping boards 😮

[@measures_of_distance]

Even Perth was pumping ! I was at work

[@RobertCulbertson-q9f]

East is least but West is Best!

[@surfinloco9612]

Best waves in the world !!!! But nothing like home sweet warm southern Cali!!!! God is good!!

[@johnsipolis]

Not good enough, you guys missed out.

[@tank_evans_and_ladies]

Shut up about God

[@allanlhall1991]

Wow western Australia

[@osmanhossain676]

California 🇺🇸 🌊

[@greenhydra2812]

not quite

[@StrangerThanDane]

Keep dreaming brahh!

[@johnsipolis]

You don't see clean waves like this in California, dirty water full of kelp with Great Whites lurking.

[@wkim3114]

애휴

[@dribblin_crap]

Plenty of whites down here too mate​@@johnsipolis

[@karipaturketo5438]

🤔I was at Scarborough on Wednesday alday in shorts .Waters like 23c these guys in streamers the math isn't mathing. 🤷‍♂️

[@denisderossi3498]

WA is pretty big. This is probably on southwest

[@0warami_7oo]

Winds fresh , la kooks don’t know

[@joshsmith7999]

SW is pretty much the same temp until you get around the cape towards denmark etc, I still wear a 2mm steamer for wind and sun/reef protection​@denisderossi3498