Nathan and Shannon Ducker >> Esperance and Beyond
With the long weekend ahead, we studied the long range forecast. A heat trough on the west coast often means good things for the south coast in Western Australia. The forecast was for big waves south of Margaret River but the winds were going to be too offshore for kiting. Esperance, on the other hand, was looking perfect and the wind looked light which suited me fine because I had just picked up a new 10m Catalyst to try out.
We packed the car ready to hit the road after work, picked up a new camera on the way, then made our way up and out through the Perth hills into a land of long country roads and small farming communities where a tractor shop and a petrol station signified a town. We drove about half way then stopped to camp. The next day we got up and drove the rest of the way, only stopping at the local surf shop to get wax. We headed straight for one of Esperance’s most renowned kitesurfing locations.
I pumped up a brand new 10m Catalyst which received a bit of attention on the beach. The waves were first class and the cool water was totally refreshing after the long drive. The 10m Catalyst is one of the sweetest 10m kites I’ve used. It provides smooth, consistent and totally controllable power. In the surf, I appreciate something that goes where I want, when I want and this kite does it exceptionally well. It’s super light, responsive and from the first flight it instantly feels comfortable and predictable. There are no gimmicks and there’s absolutely no need because the design and quality of the entire setup is outstanding from the start.
That night I talked with a good mate who knows the WA coastline better than many know their own backyard. He told me of a place we had never heard of. I found myself challenging him to justify that it was better than some of the most amazing surf locations in the state. By the end of the night I was convinced that it was worth the extra drive to have a look. The next day we made our way through some of the most amazing National Parks and scenic coastline in the country. We spent the last half an hour driving along a deserted beach. The waves got better as we drove along the beach. It hooked around at the end to form a scenic headland. The wind was light and blowing cross/offshore. Super keen, I pumped up my Catalyst wondering a little bit about its ability to relaunch in light offshore winds and a little bit about the deep dark sharky ocean. Being so close to the Great Australian Bight, I couldn’t help think about the big Australian Great Whites! The clean, glassy waves were more than enough to take my mind off the unlikely possibilities - and the kite relaunched without an issue. The surfing experience was amazing but I think the attached photos will tell it better than my words could.
Exhausted from the day we made the mistake of eating from a fast food caravan that was totally rust coated except for where the large twin exhaust fans spurted out a constant stream of grease and fat. Needless to say, we struggled to get up the next day, made our way out to the local break, then bailed early to make our way back to Perth to recover before another working week.
Nathan & Shannon Ducker
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