Vote for our sponsored surfer Noah Lane for the WQS comp - on now!

As some of you may have heard, there is an online competition at the moment enabling one surfer to win the chance to compete on the WQS for a year and as a result earn themselves a handy 50k.

Our sposnored surfer, Noah Lane started his "online heat" today and the surfer who recieves the most votes goes through to the final and potentially win the grand prize.

We would love it if you could take a few seconds out of your day to jump on the link below and send a vote his way!

You can vote once a day from any one computer and the main thing that has helped the past winners of their heats has been voting every day. So jump on the site every day for the next week and really make your vote count!

http://www.jimbeamthebreak.com.au/profiles/noah-lane

Update from our sponsored surfer Bijou Busse - after Hawaii!

Hey hey!!

So checking in.. I have made it home after my 5 week North Shore, Hawaiian Surf adventure. Rather battered, scraped and bruised. But safe, happy & content none the less.
This trip definitely has taken the cake for one of the best trips i've done thus far!.. Increadible location, powerful, challenging waves & amazing people! Truely blessed & greatful for the experience!
Here are a couple fun shots from my pal Sacha Spex! Will get together the rest of the shots & swing them your way.

Also wanted to say thanks to you guys! You really helped me out with this trip. I really appreciate it!

Be in touch soon!!

Bij :)

If you are a keen surfer, I'm guessing you probably like to go to places with big, empty waves. This is not always easy to get at your home breaks, so you will need to travel the world to experience isolated waves and consistent waves that can be found around the world. Once you have booked your surf trip, many people simply forget about one of the most important essentials of their holiday - travel insurance.

No matter how safe you think you are, there are always chances for accidents to occur. Especially if you are planning to travel abroad to an unfamiliar land with waves you have not surfed before. Since the best breaks for surfing are usually located off islands and remote locations far from major cities and of course decent hospitals, acquiring medical help can be difficult. Imagine if you might need an emergency helicopter to airlift you from an island to the mainland to get to a hospital, and then look for a doctor who can treat you? What if your injuries require you extensive hospitalisation and your best option for recovery is to be returned to Australia for treatment - but you are required to return home with an attending doctor and nurse on a flight in your hospital bed - meaning they have to rip chairs in business class to cater for you......don't laugh - I've heard of it happening twice before - and the cost was unimaginable. This kind of thing is unlikley - but do you want to risk it? It could leave the average person bankrupt - or even worse.....

Of course, you could avoid the more secluded areas, but surfing can generally be dangerous anywhere, and being close or having easy access to a good hospital does not always cut out much of the expense.... Hospital accommodation, doctors, surgeons, operations, treatment....

Health reason are not the only reason to get insurance. Generally most surf trips have to be booked fairly well in advance. You cannot predict the future, and having to cancel your trip due to an unforeseen circumstance such as illness or accident BEFORE you go can result in you losing all the money you have paid on your trip. Insurance will cover some cancellations and help you recover this lost money.

There are many other reasons for travel insurance - but these two are the most common.
Ask your travel agent for more information!

What to pack for your International Surf Holiday

You’re all booked and confirmed and paid in full with your surf travel agent, and now the time has come to pack your bags – you’re going on holiday!  But a surf holiday is different to just any ordinary holiday – there’s so many more things to think of.  If you’re a veteran surf traveler, you’ll already know all the tricks…but these can take years of trial and error to learn.  I want to save you all the trouble and give you the best surfers tips and tricks to make your next surf trip a breeze.

First, the essentials…..the things you can’t or shouldn’t even get on the plane without.  Passport, airline tickets, travel or accommodation vouchers, and travel insurance policy.  Other than your passport, all of these should have been provided by your surf travel agent.  You will be confident knowing that you will be looked after should anything go wrong on your trip, ie flight delays or cancellations, natural disasters, or in the case of sickness or injury.  Make sure you have policy numbers and 24 hour emergency assistance contact numbers for your travel insurance in case of emergency.

Regarding your passport, make sure it has at least 6 months validity from the date you are due to return from your trip and at least 2 full pages empty in case you need a visa at your destination.  You should always take a couple of copies of your passport with you as well – keep them in a separate place, in case you lose your passport…this may help at the embassy.  You may also be required to give copies to your accommodation or boat charter operator.

It’s a good idea to have taken a copy of all of the above and left it with your spouse or a close relative at home in case of emergency.  Travel itineraries will normally have accommodation/contact phone numbers and they will show dates of where you will be and when – should anything happen at home while you are away.

Money - you won’t survive long without this.  Options will differ for each destination.  Local currency cash is the obvious choice, but you don’t want to be carrying around too much cash for fear of getting it lost or stolen.  Best to just take enough to get you by for the first couple of days, unless you are going somewhere remote with no ATM or credit card access.

An additional essential you might need for your surf trips could be an International Drivers License, although most countries will let you hire a car just with your normal drivers license from home.  Best to check before you leave though as it needs to be obtained from your home country. 

Health and medical history records are a good idea if you have any health issues that might be a problem on your surf holiday, particularly if you are required to take specific medications with you.  Some countries also require to see your vaccination certificates – especially yellow fever.  Check these out with your doctor.

Next – carry on luggage on the plane.  Generally most airlines will let you take about 5-10kgs carry on luggage (check with your airline or travel agent).You should always pack all of your valuables in your carry on bag, as you do not want these in your checked luggage.  They will not be covered by your travel insurance if anything happens to your luggage in transit, and lost luggage is very common!  As well as any jewellery, keep cameras and video cameras , laptops and ipods with you.  You should carry a pen for filling out forms as well as reading material in case the movies are boring or your flight gets delayed!  And don’t forget your munchies/lollies for the plane!

Check in luggage can be anywhere from 15 – 30kgs in economy.  Some low cost airlines don’t even include any checked luggage – this has to be added onto the ticket price or prepurchased at the airport, again check with your airline or travel agent.  Suggestions on what to pack here will depend on your destination – but generally for most surf holidays you will want to take : boardies/bikinis, tshirts, sarong, hat, sunnies, thongs, other shoes for when thongs are not appropriate (ie the plane, hiking, remote villages), a fleece for areas when it can get cold at night, a waterproof jacket for boat charters when it can get rough and wet, a pocket knife, ear plugs (in case of snorers), sunscreen, and your toiletries.

If you are heading to surf areas with Malaria, it is a good idea to also take light cotton long pants and long sleeve shirts to keep the mozzies from biting.  Don’t forget to see your doctor regarding any medications suggested for Malarial areas or areas which might have other vaccination requirements.

With regards to surf gear, again what boards you should take will depend on the destination for what will be best.  You’ll also need to check the airlines as to any limitations on lengths of boards they may have.  If you are going on a surf boat charter, you should also check with the boat or your surf travel agent as to any limits on the number of boards you can take – due to storage limitations.  It’s a good idea for most destinations to take reef booties, and depending on expected wave heights and heaviness, you might want to think about a helmet, especially if you are going to be surfing bigger/heavier waves than you are used to.

Standard items to remember are spare leg ropes,  wax and wax comb, Vaseline for chafing, long and short arm rash vests, duct tape and a ding repair kit, snorkel, mask and fins, and spare board fins and fin key.

Generally most surfers are also keen fishermen, so if this is you, don’t forget to take your favourite rod and lures etc.  Don’t rely on existing equipment that might be at your destination as it is generally well used or not enough of it to go around when there is a number of people wanting to access it from a resort or surf boat charter.

Last but not least, a first aid kit.  It’s a good idea if you are travelling in a group to get 1 person to arrange this for the group.  It is generally unnecessary for each person to have their own and it can take up quite a bit of room.  You should consider : insect repellant, pain killers, diahorrea tablets, gastrolyte rehydration tablets, seasickness tablets, antibiotics to fight infections, betadine for reef cuts, bandages, waterproof bandaids, hydrogen peroxide for cleaning wounds, aqua ear eardrops, tweezers and scissors (make sure you pack these in your checked luggage as you will not be allowed to take them on the plane in your carry on luggage), after sun gel, stop itch cream, thermometer, cotton buds/wool, antiseptic wipes and safety pins………  I’m sure this doesn’t cover every situation, but it should cover most!

Most of all pack your sense of humour, sense of adventure, respectfulness for the locals and make sure this is the best surf trip you have ever been on!

The Perfect Wave sponosrs Dee Why Boardriders end of year contest

Check out the stoked winner of The Perfect Wave's $500 voucher! 
Tom Zieglur is the winner of the Under 20's division of the Dee Why Boardriders end of year contest held this weekend.  Congratulations Tom!
Tom will be able to put his $500 towards his next overseas surf trip booked through The Perfect Wave to the surf destination of his choice.

Noah Lane - pro surfer sponsored by The Perfect Wave

The career of an accountant is very different to that of a pro surfer. One consists of crunching numbers in an office, the other travelling the world to compete in the most idyllic locations.
21-year-old Gold Coast local Noah Lane is currently studying accounting but at the same time surfing his butt off for the best result in the WQS.  Imagine how hard it is studyng accounting - and imagine how hard it is trying to get on the circuit - and Noah is doing it both!

After a promising junior career, Noah was left to think about his future.
"Finishing the juniors is kind of like finishing school, you're kind of left feeling like ‘where to next'.
I've been working and toughing it out as a full time student. There are a lot of talented guys out there who just can't afford to travel and compete.  It's very expensive to do the WQS, you really need a major sponsor to back you."
The Perfect Wave helps Noah out with discounted flights and marketing incentives - but he is talented enough to warrant a major sponsor - just waiting for the offer!


Based no an interview with Swellnet - for your surf reports and forecasts.......

Update number 2 from our sponsored surfer Bijou Busse from Hawaii!

Sunday 28th of Nov saw small surf here on the north shore.. But when your in such an incredible place, surrounded by your best mates, you know that your in for some fun. Regardless of the conditions! 

My friends Rosy Hodge, Nikita Robb (womens WCT surfers), Sacha Specker (Professional photog/video-og from ZAF) & I spent the day out and about. 

In the morning, visiting the local Haleiwa markets to pick up some fresh produce! Then in the afternoon we hit Off The Wall, getting creative. We rode fun boards, boogie boards, body surfed & swam with turtles!!! 

Then Wrapped it up with a beautiful sunset & glass of wine!

The swell looks like its on the rise over the next couple of days, so stay tuned for whats next!!

Bijou

The Perfect Wave client feedback

Hi Rhonda

Ive been meaning to thank you for the brilliant job you did organising all our flights & connections and accommodating the last minute changes.  We will wax lyrical to all about the quality of your work. 

Warm regards

Mark

Update for our sponsored surfer Bijou Busse from Hawaii!

Just a Quick up date.. Life on the rock is amazing! Am surrounded by great friends and epic waves! The swell has been consistent and pumping! The surfing highlight so far was three days ago; a solid Hawaiian 8ft+ swell arrived. The whole strip was firing. I spent the entire day out at Pipeline. Waves surging through from the second reef, it was LARGE to say the least. I caught some memorable waves, even copped a 3 wave second reef set on the head! That single experience has had a really positive impact.

Also must pass on that all my besties (Guys and girls from the tour) have been asking about The Perfect Wave.

Anyway its time for breaky & to get out for a surf!

Hope all is well, be in touch soon!!

Cheers

Bijou