The huge south swell that hit the East Coast today peaked at eight metres on the Sydney waverider buoy - impressive by anyones standard. Unfortunately, the swell came with 25 knots of relentless onshore wind and limited the surfing opportunities on most of the exposed coasts.

The swell was so large however, that a few mysto waves inside Sydney Harbour - some that lay dormant for 364 days of the year - came to life for surfers seeking urban adventure on an otherwise unsurfable day.

Craig Brokensha scouted around Sydney's harbourside suburbs, dodging Mercedes and mariners, to take these photographs. //STUART NETTLE