{"id":126169,"date":"2026-05-11T07:55:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/?p=126169"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T00:42:46","slug":"good-trip-bad-trip-with-harry-bryant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/good-trip-bad-trip-with-harry-bryant","title":{"rendered":"Good Trip, Bad Trip with Harry Bryant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Surf trips have a way of distilling the good, the bad and the completely unhinged into a handful of moments you\u2019ll never forget. One day you\u2019re chasing waves with your mates in the most remote corners of the globe, the next you\u2019re sleep-deprived, half-starved and questioning every decision you made to get there. That tension, between euphoria and chaos, is what makes surf travel so addictive and unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our newest series Good Trip, Bad Trip <\/strong>is built on that contrast and who better to kick off with than a surfer who doesn\u2019t mind a bit of a chaos \u2013 Harry Bryant. Haz thrives when things get a little loose \u2013 whether that\u2019s pushing his limits in some of the most remote slabs in the world or venturing through unfamiliar territory overseas. His best trip is a love letter to South Australia which features some of the country\u2019s most remote landscapes and gnarliest waves. His worst? A reminder that you need more than good waves to make it a score and on this occasion an unwelcoming reception at a Moroccan left contributed to a full blown physical and mental breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eithan, Wade and Harry deep in the desert while on location in South Australia for Motel Hell. Photo: Tom Robinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Good Trip \u2013 Slab Hunting and living out of a swag in South Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy best trips have come while travelling within Australia. I feel so connected to so many parts of the country. Getting in your four wheel drive, hitting the road and going camping with your best mates \u2013 nothing beats that for me,\u201d said Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One particular trip that stands out to Haz came while filming for his Motel Hell project in remote South Australia. Harry was joined by free surfers Wade Goodall and Eithan Osborne, along with filmer Dave Fox and photographer Tom Robinson. The five of them, plus Harry\u2019s dog Barry, piled into his Troopy Carrier and drove 28 hours across state lines from New South Wales, through Victoria and into SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very raw and remote part of the country with some of the gnarliest waves on offer,\u201d he said. \u201cThe water’s cold, you\u2019re miles away from civilisation, there’s no warm or cosy meals, you\u2019re camping in the dirt and fending for yourself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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South Australia is slab country. Photo: Tom Robinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They set up camp and within a couple days Haz said they started going ‘feral’ – charging as hard as they could, eating whatever they could and doing whatever it took to get by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We started hearing whispers around the town that a huge swell was coming and that a crew was heading down to tow it,” said Harry. “We were like, \u2018We\u2019ve been camping in front of this wave for two weeks straight, we’re going to hold it down and we\u2019re not letting anyone tow around us.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One element of survival mode and a way to pass the time when in the desert. Photo: Tom Robinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The wave in question is well known amongst the country\u2019s seasoned slab hunters. Kipp Caddy listed it in the sketchiest setups he’s ever surfed.<\/a><\/strong> It draws from deep water before doubling, tripling and occasionally quadrupling up onto a shallow and sharp pinnacle-shaped reef. It\u2019s the same place that left Dylan Longbottom with four broken ribs and a punctured lung<\/strong> <\/a>while a 12-hour drive from the desert to the nearest airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we woke up on the morning of the swell, it was like 10 to 12 foot and practically closing out the bay. The waves were doubling up like crazy and Eithan claims it\u2019s the gnarliest waves he\u2019s ever seen,\u201d said Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur crew just started going wave for wave, the session was a full blown head-to-head battle with mother nature. It was such a sick feeling. The crew who turned up for the swell were like, \u2018those boys are going nuts.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a real mongrel approach to surfing. We were out there doing it purely for the love and to push our skill sets to the limit. The result was the most rewarding feeling I\u2019ve felt in surfing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eithan pushing the limits, a world way from his California comforts. Photo: Tom Robinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harry believes his true colours shine brightest when he\u2019s surrounded by remote landscapes and forced into survival mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of the best times of my life have come while surfing in those environments. When we weren\u2019t surfing, we were chopping wood for the fire, collecting water, it was full on survival and I love that aspect of travel and exploration. It feels like you have so much time when you\u2019re out in the middle of nowhere and it gives you the chance to form some really strong bonds, whether it\u2019s with the boys on the trip, the icons you meet in the country pubs or any of the characters from these remote towns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, it wasn\u2019t without consequence. During one heavy session, Wade had a near-death experience that still rattles Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wade throws the fins free on a more user friendly wall. Photo: Tom Robinson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWade got stuck in a cave after a really bad wipeout and almost died,\u201d he said. \u201cHe was underwater and his surfboard was blocking the exit to the cave. He had to kick his surfboard in half to escape, it was the most psycho thing to experience and thankfully he was okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the chaos, Haz rates it as his most successful trip to that zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done that SA run a fair few times but on this occasion we got so lucky with the waves,” he said. “It was amazing having Eithan down there for his first time properly exploring Australia. It\u2019s so far removed from what he is used to in California, he had never done a surf trip like this before and it was just amazing to see how mind blown he constantly was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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