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Dave Wylie passed away! Post your Wylie stories here
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:44 pm
by Doc Turbo
David Wylie has passed away a couple days back in Bali. David is one of the first surfers I met in Indonesia back in 1983.
Plenty of Great stories about Dave Wylie, a bigger than life and true character.
My prayers for his family.
Guys
Heres the info on Daves funeral .
"Hi All ..FYI The Cremation Service for Dave Wylie will be held at Mumbul Crematorium At 12.00 Tuesday . Around 4.00 there will be a gathering at Satgas Pantai Kuta next to lifeguards for a Sunset Paddle Out and Surfers Ceremony with the spreading of Dave's ashes . Please bring your most classic board and there will of course be a few drinks and tall stories afterwards as would be Dave's way ......all welcome
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:02 pm
by RW
SIP:Surf In Peace Dave.
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:31 pm
by Mike Fernandez
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:46 pm
by Doc Turbo
yes that is david alright.
I first met him he was carrying a long board, with flowery board shorts, bald head, telling tall tales, about surfing Sumba, and riding horses with the tribe members (later found out it was true)
This this fat bald aging man paddled out into the surf at Cimaja, I was about to laugh, until I saw the magic of Dave in the water, unbelievable. One of the best water man I know, knew.
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:16 am
by griz
Seen Dave weave that same magic numerous times at Sanur through the 80's but his rep preceeded him long before that .
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:26 am
by tomway
I've heard so many of Dave's stories over the years. For all of his bravado and bull, Dave was a really kind hearted guy I believe. As Stephen says, many of the most fantastical stories turned out to be based in truth of a sort. He lived the dream, chased the dream, and probably beat the dream to death half a dozen times when most people would've packed up and gone home.
A few memories. About ten years ago my best mate Q and I got malaria camping in the jungle in west sumba. We managed to crawl out and with some help from locals got to a church clinic where they started to treat the malaria. Then we both came down with typhoid.
10 days later, with just enough strength to charter a knackered mini-bus across the island, we arrived at Dave's ramshackle group of huts in the East. Dave took one look at our skinny, pale, dilapidated frames and bulgin eyes, laughed and said 'I know exactly what you need.' He came back 15 minutes later with a huge ham and cheese toasted sandwich. After 10 days on nothing but unsalted rice porridge, this still remains the most delicious meal I've had to date!
Another year, I turned up out of the blue at the end of the wet-season. Dave was in Bali and the surf was smallish at the point so I took out one of his favourite 'short-boards', an 8ft single fin that Rusty Miller had shaped him. It was a great board and Dave had previously told me how much he loved it. A sneaky set came through and went top to bottom as I duckdived on the shallow first section of the reef and snapped the board clean in two. With my tail between my legs I walked back up to Dave's to explain what had happened. His face fell for a few seconds and I thought I was in for it (he had a lot of weight behind him at that point in his life!). Then he sighed and said 'Well, at least it was being ridden,' and went off to the kitchen to prepare an enormous Trevally feast. He never brought it up again.
That's another thing, Wylie was a damn good fisherman and knew how to prepare a hearty feed for a hungry surfer.
Dave is widely credited with discovering Java spots like Cimaja (Steve maybe you can confirm this) and he gave Green Balls in Bali it's name.
I think what blows me away the most was that he found his slice of heaven in Sumba more than 30 years ago, on horseback. Sumba is still a pretty crazy place. Back then it would have been insane.
RIP Dave
Dave's place
One night Dave told me about this left that 'was longer and hollower than g-land'. The hunt for that mythical wave started my journey around Indonesia that has now lasted more than 12 years. I have him to thank for hundreds of empty barrels at spots like this.

Dave Wylie passed away
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:25 am
by stevea
Very sad ,very sad indeed
Thanks for posting Doc n Tom
I was just getting to know Dave and enjoyed immensely his stories every time i bumped into him ,mostly at a favourite coffee shop .
A truly amazing character and very influential in the evolution of surfing in Indo
Gone but not forgotten
R.I.P Dave
what he looked like
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:47 am
by Doc Turbo
[albumimg]31574[/albumimg]
OD found some rare vintage photos of Wylie