Marley’s finally woke up from its summer coma on Friday the 19th, and the place didn’t disappoint. That wave is a cocktail of fun and fear, fast little runners, a rip that doesn’t quit, and two reef slabs waiting to tattoo your body if you get lazy. Tempting, right? Well, we did see some blood too!
Marley’s is a sketchy but perfect stepping stone from beginner to intermediate, but only if you’re down to work for it. That current doesn’t let you chill. Stop paddling and you’re halfway across the bay. And then there’s the reef. Sharp, nasty, and with zero sympathy. George learned that the hard way. One set, one bad landing, and boom: a shortboard you can stick your finger through and a leg that looks like it fought a cheese grater. He’s one of the better surfers out there, too. Trophies earned, Captain. Respect. (But it’s not quite childbirth, as we’ve learned aye)
The usual suspects were slicing it up, Flynn, Sky, Valerio, Luiz threading through a heavy lineup while dodging the chaos of first-timers. Early doors, the girls owned the spot, getting dialed in with some tips from Coach Valerio, who knows this wave like his own backyard. Pro tip: don’t paddle out here blind, you’ll regret it. Marley’s was great, even if we needed to dodge sea slime and our hairs stank of canned tuna after! Yours truly got his first wave there too, and I can’t remember the last time a surf session left me grinning ear to ear. I think the moment I peered down and saw a shallow ankle-snapper of a rock right under my board just had me in giggles. Tantalising stuff, and my ankles are still intact as I ended the wave well.
It pumped all day. Yeah, sure, “it was better earlier” (when isn’t it?), but the softer afternoon still delivered smiles and the odd ripper. The real trap? Riding it too far in. Don’t. Unless you like the taste of reef and ankle-snapping depth. Pull out clean, or get pulled out messy. (Now, where have we heard that before?!)
PG-13
The next day was PG firing… for one guy. Hadrien Meyer had the place to himself, pulling into a spot that eats people alive. It’s not for tourists. Hell, it’s barely for locals. Heavy water only, kids: don’t even think about it. The girls crew had a nice tour of the spot, with Valerio showing them where he himself had fallen an insane height on the way to the spot, barely escaping injury. The walkway is eroded almost completely and that site will soon only be accessible by boat. Infact, maybe that is a perfect way to keep the crowds away! We’d love to protect this site as much as possible, as it really is not for new newbies and can’t hold the numbers.
Sunset, Beers & Pizza
By Sunday the island went flat, dead flat. So we swapped our boards for beers and pizzas. The crew parked up at Ghajn Tuffieha, traded wax for guitars, and sent off summer with a proper sunset session. Beers, pizza, smokes and stars. No waves, no worries. We literally had a live concert under the stars, unplugged by Myles, Juli and Liam. This is when the island really shines and the lifestyle it gives us humbles us all. F*cking sweet. Oh and seeing the new BOMBA tank tops in the wild was dope too! Looking good dudes, can’t wait to show you the new bucket and fishermen’s hats! With hoodie season also creeping in, check out what’s in stock in the BOMBA shack!
Summer’s done. It was fine, nothing epic, nothing tragic. One good start, a dead middle, a cheeky pulse at the end. But who cares? Autumn’s here. Bring on the cold, bring on the wind, bring on the mountains of water. That’s when it gets real.
