This time of year, it’s cold and the wind is icy. Getting out of bed is a mission, getting up for a wave before dawn almost unthinkable. On the south coast of Australia, Winter is wave time. It starts in late Autumn when the Easter swells turn on and the water only gets colder and less crowded after the Bells Pro.

If the Bells car park is packed, you can bet the water will be too.

The water was so cold, I got brain freeze duck diving. The waves were beautiful, clean and steel grey. It’s weird how the colour of the water can make a place you’ve surfed a hundred times before seem scary.

Big teal mountains like steam trains, roaring toward you.

Paddling towards a set and seeing an even bigger teal mountain rising behind it and an even bigger one behind that. The same grey colour as the sky, so you can’t really tell how big it is.

I took some photos of the water after I got out, but they didn’t give it justice.

This picture shows exactly what it looked like.

(I found this picture on wannasurf.com)