THE paddle-out at Town Beach in Port Macquarie held on Saturday afternoon after the funeral in memory of Zac attracted hundreds of surfers, keen to pay their respects to a fellow surfer and popular member of the Port Macquarie Body Boarders Association.
Organised by Dave Malvern of the Christian Surfers, the paddle-out started with just Zac’s father and close family spending a few minutes on the water by themselves, holding hands in a circle as they remembered the young man they had so loved.
Then the other surfers joined them, turning the sea white as they waded out through the surf, forming a huge circle around the family and then joining in smashing the water and yelling and cheering as two wreaths were held aloft.
The circle broke and the other surfers moved in to surround the family, enveloping them in fellowship and more cheering and shouting as they beat the water.
“That was truly amazing,” one of the surfers told the Independent afterwards.
“I have never been involved in anything like it. The love and spirit and fellowship were incredible.”
Flags were lowered to half past at the nearby Marine Rescue base out of respect.
