Gallery: Cloudbreak's Season Starter

While all eyes were on pumping Bells a couple of weekends ago, the same swell moved its way up through the Tasman Sea, landing on Cloudbreak’s door later the following week.

Conditions were pristine under moderate east-southeast trades with the swell coming in at a perfect though still challenging 6-8ft, with the rare bigger cleanup as Vaughan Blakey got to experience first hand.

Fabio Silvestre captured these incredibly sharp images from the channel on what hopefully is just a taste of what’s to come this year.

A couple more words from Fabio..

"From the jetski, you could see straight down to the reef, like the ocean turned into a giant aquarium. Two and a half days of non-stop action, with all the breaks around lighting up.

It was the kind of swell that gets everyone buzzing. Laura Enever was out there charging, Occy still has that classic style, Craig Anderson flowing as smooth as ever, and Andrew Jacobson threading some ridiculous barrels. A bunch of good surfers from Australia, New Zealand, and the States flew in last minute to chase it — and it paid off big time.

There was such a good vibe in the water. No egos, just everyone frothing, taking turns, and making the most of perfect Cloudy. As a photographer, moments like this are gold. The combo of the light, water clarity, and pure energy in the surf — it’s what keeps everyone coming back."