Gallery: East by north-east
Most eyes were on today regarding the peak in wave size, as this is what the virtual buoys were reporting across all forecast sites, even ours. But herein lies the value of the Forecaster Notes and identifying that today's apparent spike in swell was on top of a large, easing easterly groundswell from Monday, and consisting mostly of poorly aligned, localised southerly swell.
One look at the buoys and beach yesterday morning and visions of June 6th, 2016 (the Black Nor'easter) sprung to mind. Very similar but just a tad smaller.
On the weekend a strengthening coastal low saw an infeed of strengthening east-northeast gales on its eastern flank, aimed directly at the southern NSW coast. Such systems result in a rapid increase in size as the strengthening fetch develops on top an already active and growing sea state.
The first signs of life were on dark Sunday with building sets to 4-5ft out of the north-east, but come Monday, the low had slipped south, swinging winds offshore across the Northern Beaches as consistent and strong 10-12ft sets focussed in on Manly.
The only spot really handling all the energy was empty at 8am, but on grabbing some moody photos I spied three paddlers in the mist, taking a very wide line out to the Bombora. This included Jarrad Howse, Brent Symes and Kevin Tucker, followed by one late straggler..
I only hung around for two waves before the rain set in and I had to head to work, but the first ride of Kevin's was late and committed (9’6” Webster, Black Hula), while Jarrad's menacing as it peaked up but more of a shoulder ride as the surfers were still trying to find their position.
Kevin Tucker (and in following sequence) late and committed
Incoming, with Jarrad Howse picking off the end section
Below I've also attached some footage of rides seen through the morning, unknown on the first and Brent Symes on the second bigger bomb (first vid).
Comments
First shot and fourth shot really do it for me.
Well done once again Craig.
That's what I get for drinking wine on a Sunday night -missed opportunities on a Monday morning.
Well done lads, looks like it was probably a short session with the rain squalls??
Well done mate. Johnny-on-the-spot.
Loving these swell recaps and accompanying photos/vids. Some crackers in there. Cheers!!
Me too.. wow all around.
Looks a bit like Bells. Just warmer and not this year.
Yeah, not quite. Deep water, fast moving bombora and top to bottom, not a slopey, slower wall.
Wait for the Bells option a decent length ride not just a big drop and a shoulder (although occasionally it is )
Hahah you a funny guy vl
and not so far from there around midday- the jaws of a different beast!
Insane photo! And you can see the swell direction there..
That almost looks architectural.
Murder, bloody murder. Worse than it looks too!
Quite the mutant there suchas!
beautiful pics - craig
Unreal pics Craig.
I recall popping in for a multi-cam between tasks, and on the right I had Newcastle at the top and Manly at the bottom. I wish I had screen-grabbed it. It was like two completely different worlds with a solid set coming through at a good 10 foot ( I saw some bloke riding one of them) whilst Newcastle was struggling at probably 4 foot. Deffo 'whoa' moment.
Epic waves for Sydney / East coast (6-8ft WA though), only a matter of time before nic carroll puts up an article up somewhere about him charging POV. Back to back swells like that must be best winter in a long time for that side of the island?
Just another day in W.A
Howse on a Webster it looks like.
Craig is it a shifting peak? They were a fair way on the shoulder in that sequence, that set may have just broken deeper than the last though
Yep, big, big playing field. They'd just gotten to it and were playing it safe and likely went deeper as the session went on. There's a deep peak and a wide peak but some 50m or so apart? Maybe more. Wouldn't want to get caught inside by a bomb.
Yeah me either, looks like there’s lots of water in them.
Some swing wide, some allow a deep take-off. Not as perfect as the photos make it look. And sketchy too.
Did you give it a crack Billie? From other comments I've seen you post seems like you live for these days.
Nice meeting you on Monday am, Craig. By the time I went home (literally around the corner) to get my 7’2 (severely undergunned) and paddled out from the northern corner, everyone had come in. I learnt the split peak and wide takeoff zone the hard way, not knowing where to sit in case I copped a 10 footer on the head.
Lesson for next time around: don’t spend so much time checking and watching!!
You too Hamo, ah bummer re everyone coming in by the time you got out there. Least you've had an introduction for next time! See you around.
Webster’s instagram account - Kevin’s board 9’6 x 21 x 35/8 77 L Black Hula
Looks like Sydney got the bulk of the swell, here on the Mid Nth Coast was probably 6ft+ on the sets with offshores all day. It has been a GR8 winter so far with some consistent back to back swells.
I flicked over to the Manly cam at about lunchtime on Monday too and it was insane. A macking set rolled through at Bower while I was watching and the Bombie was breaking regularly, but I couldn't see any bodies in the water except for one lone paddler out at North Steyne. He was just paddling for a big one when the cam timed out and by the time I'd refreshed, the angle had moved to the south and I didn't see him again.
Meanwhile, I paddled out at Middleton yesterday. It's hard to conceive that both activities are called surfing - there's just so much space between the two.
Winter Wonderbombs blowin' our tiny minds.
That’s a fairly truncated post there man. Not what we’ve come to expect from the truebluebasher psychedelic vortex. Could this be the start of a completely new zeitgeist for you, or maybe just a momentary flirtation with conciseness?
and the 3 x clubbie ski guys out there at Bombora Tuesday who got cleaned up and then plucked out of the ocean by a police boat with two choppers hovering overhead.....snapped ski right in half. Big dollar rescue spend