Time check 5am.. and loading the 14' Glide ready for a big day on the water.



First stop Macca's for a couple of egg and bacon muffins to give me energy for what's ahead.





I get to Stony Point and looking across to French Island it's nice and glassy.



I loaded my little esky with cold drinks, food, chocolate chip cookies and phone.. but after thinking about doing a French Island, Phillip Island paddle all alone I decided to just paddle across to French Island and back so when we come back as a group we will know how long it takes to paddle across.. So I took the esky off and just left my little PFD.





There were lots of these little stingrays in the shallows as I headed off.



Time check.. 7.45



Looking across towards French Island.



Time check French Island.. 8.30



That didn't take long so I decided to explore French Island a bit.. the water was crystal clear.. and pretty shallow.





I carried my board across this skinny strip of reef to save paddling around.



This is the south end of French Island and I decided to get off and explore a bit by foot.









This is looking towards Phillip Island from French Island.



This is looking back towards the skinny reef that I carried my board across.



I left my mark in the sand.



There were lots of these cool little rocks.. I think they're rocks.



Also lots of these sticky little sand flys that know just were to bit you on the legs where you can't see them.. On the back of the calfs.. The buggers.



The view for up on top of French Island made Phillip Island look so close so I decided to go for it.. More pics soon.

DJ

Big day!

tha dogman said...

nice pics DJ

whats goin on tomorrow

Maybe.... Tassie...

DJ

I see where BJ is coming from but likewise I think calling it pimping is a bit strong. To my mind DJ doesnt pimp he just takes photos of his equipment which happens to have stickers on it. Its not like hes coming out and saying "Go and buy XYZ brand, its the best" in each (or in fact any) comment.

I also enjoy DJs posts and yes there is a lot of branding in his photos but thats the nature of surf sports where logos are everywhere on boards, shorts, Tees etc. Short of removing the stickers from his board and paddle there is no way to avoid the "pimping" whether it be intentional or unintentional. DJ puts pics and stories like this up because he has a genuine love of the sport, not because he wants to favour a particular brand. Face it we live in a branded society. You could just as easily criticise him for pimping Tag-Heur, MacDonalds and Suzuki but I'm pretty sure he doesnt have an interest in promoting them.

Personally I dont think he should have to remove the stickers or adjust his camera angles to obscure them. If you take that school of thought to its logical conclusion then anyone who puts a pic up would have to be peeling stickers off, photoshopping logos out etc. That seems unreasonable to me.

Standupzone has a disclosure signature at the bottom of each posters comment about who they are affiliated with. Something to think about.

earplugalug said...

Great post Dave and only 6 pimps for SHQ.

You are a great poster Dave (4097) but your obvious forum pimping for SHQ cheapens your stories and turns them into advertorials.

Any body else doing the same thing wound have their post pulled by Laurie.

The only reason someone has a shop brand on a product like a paddle or board is to advertise them, paid or unpaid it is still pimping.

Not very UN biased for the president of SUPVIC, more like a paid marketer.
4097 posts and over 500 pics of an SHQ logo.

I am sure everyone will come to your aid and call this reply sour grapes, but the rules are rules and how can one man keep doing this and no one says anything.

So i am asking you DavidJohn, how about you stop pimping for business and just write great stories about the wonderful things you get up to.

Naish is a brand (SUP related)
Kialoa is a brand (SUP related)
Oakley is a brand (sport related)
Seabreeze is a forum (sport related)
SUP VIC is a SUP club (SUP related)
SHQ is a shop that sells equipment to people for $$$$ (Business related)

I am sure you will come back with "not me, i don't know what you are talking about, blah blah"

More great posts please but with less promo for the brands, would be nice!

BJ

i don't know what you are talking about, blah blah"... Really.. .. re the pimping thing... I guess that's one way to look at it.

I try and get my board/paddle or something SUP related in most shots otherwise pics could be taken from anywhere and posted.

Also.. being a big fan of a particular brand or product and being proud to use/wear them is one thing and being paid to do it is another.. btw I'm a big fan of Coke also.. .. and I don't see the SupVic relevance.

btw.. you forgot my hat.. Roar Industries.. After meeting Jacko at the Mambo he sent it to me and I appreciated it.. It's SUP related.. btw.. I also have a Naish hat.. Kialoa hat.. Da Kine hat.. Nike hat etc.. It's just what I chose to wear today.. I guess you could say I'm pimping Roar Industries as well.. even though they would be in competition with SHQ.

My good friend Jonathan has been going to join me do this paddle for ages (and I'm sure we'll do it again together soon)..anyway.. Jonathan is on the Starboard team and if he was with me it would have been equal Naish and Starboard pics.. in fact there would be far more starboard pics seeing it's me taking most pics.

I honestly had not thought once during (taking or posting) this anything about SHQ.. I like the look of my stickers on my paddle and board.. My friend Jonathan does not.. in fact he even pealed the Kialoa sticker off his Methane paddle and I'm cool with that.. It's his choice just as it is mine to have them .

When Balin helped me make the half coiled leash I said have you got any stickers because I'd like to stick some on my board and paddle.. thinking of it more of a conversation starter.. If someone asks what's with the Balin sticker I'd explain how they helped develop this style leggie for me and I recommend them if you're thinking of buying one.. etc.. I feel the same with SHQ/Naish/Kialoa etc.

I'm not sure if I've explained myself very well and I appreciate any comment like yours..good or bad.

I'm happy to try and not take pics that show a brand name (even though it would be hard sometimes).. but I'm sure most people don't really care that much.

I took a lot more pics than the ones I posted and what I chose to post was not logo related (or pimp related).. It's just what I thought was a good pic.

Cheers..

DJ

keep up the good work, dj, and to heck w/ the naysayers, especially ones w/ only two posts to their name. no good can come from starting off as such a nabob of negativity. ugh.

Great post DJ.

It always amazes me that someone has to try and hijack a post with a negative comment.......well, you did that to me the other day to come to think of it ! LOL.

Great work mate, I'd have never known the place existed let alone paddle it had it not been for this post.

Stoked bro.

BTW, I bet Macca's didn't give you the Egg & Bacon McMuffin for free knowing it was a product shot chance ?

(Great pre race diet supplement too).

I see where you're coming from BJ but I'm still not sure I agree.. Maybe I don't fully understand what you mean.

First I didn't know there was a 'law'.

Also if someone buys a new board and posts pics of it so others can see it does this 'law' stop them doing that?

I posted something about these cool wet suit material car seat covers once and posted pictures of them.. Is that also breaking the 'law'?

If so what a boring place this would become.

DJ

[

Hey DJ, does this mean you can get me a discount on a TAG watch?

DavidJohn said...

No? How about an egg mc muffin?

DavidJohn said...

Great post and Pictures DJ.BTW if you are pimping in your pictures its not working on me,Ive seen hundreds of your shots and the only thing ive bought thats been product placed is a Maccy Ds, OH and a coke and some crocs.

Although Ive got to say ive been pricing up holidays in Melbourne.Ian

Looking through all the pictures that I took that day I found a few more that some may find interesting.

While up on top of the bluff on the south end of French Island (btw it was a bit of a hike to the top and much higher than it looked from the water) I was glad that I wore my Crocs because the climb up was slippery and the ground was covered in holes.. I think from mutton birds nesting... Just walking around the ground would often collapse under my feet.









This is the view from the top looking the other way.



I thought for a second that they might be snake holes.. and freaked out when I almost stepped on this.



Sticking my camera up a hole I could see a bird or something and an egg.



I loved the shine on the water heading towards Philip Island.



Once at Phillip Island I looked around Cowes looking for something to eat.









The skinny little beach just off Sandy Point was so nice.











Those pelicans were hanging around the fishermen cleaning their fish and throwing scraps to them.














That's about it.

DJ

did you get any free food from the pasta pizza shop,you should have because when i go to phillip island i am going to tell them DJ sent me.
have a happy and prosperous new year DJ and may all of your pictorials continue to be entertaining,oh and i hope you get a paid position with tourism victoria you deserve one