Sunny Monday but

0705: if you have the right equipment, you can catch 'em.

Hello Friends,

This morning starts out calm and small. But the wind is set to pick up steadily and build into the 25-35 kt range by this afternoon as a ‘vigorous front’ (to use the Bureau’s expression) heads our way. So, it’s going to be something of a replay of Saturday’s toasty conditions, but maybe not quite as warm.

Surf settings continue to bump along at flat to just barely surfable. There were a couple folk on standup paddleboards motoring into knee to waist high things at Dee Why beach. I didn’t see anyone else in the water, but I suppose there might possibly be a little peak up toward the pole. To the extent that it can be described as a swell, what we have is coming from the east at about 6 seconds and is only about a metre high out at sea where the MHL buoy bobs on the less than bounding main.

As we’ve been saying for the last few days, it does look as though we might get a brief south pulse late tomorrow and into Weds morning. But the models continue to say it will only be around the 1.5 metre mark and coming from the south at a marginal 8 seconds apart. Thereafter it seems that Spring will prevail with generally tiny NE windswell about the only thing on our menu through next weekend.

There continues to be a steady supply of intense low pressure systems in the far southern ocean, but the models show them all being bumped away from Sydney’s swell window by a succession of highs. If you want waves, you need to get yourself some decent rubber and head to the exposed coastlines of western Vic, SA and Tas – or jump across the ditch to Kiwi land where their west coasts are going pretty well. So it goes, I guess.

Anyway, it’ll all come good again, so go forth and have yourself a top old day!

One for the older surfers…

Hi all,

Just a bit of amusement for those of us who can’t avoid the fact that we’re now senior surfers – check this thread in our forums:
does your surfing change as you get old(er)?

Oh, what a day. Shame about the surf.

Amazing day out there today. Feels better than the majority of Sydney mid-summer days–sun’s out, 25C, low humidity.  Oh to be in the money with no cares…(yeah, I did see a few folks wanding around this morning appearding to be in that state…, but there ain’t many of them around…)

Narra had some nice banks and small 1-2ft waves but Dee Why is pretty much flat.  As The Don has already highlighted, some serious wind on the way later from the NSW as well as rain. Sadly, nothing on the horizon bringing any swell with it.

Saw this in the SHM this morning. Looks interesting, but shame it’s not happening somewhere closer to the beach…

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/stay-in-touch/oh-what-a-beautiful-morning/2008/09/21/1221935445640.html

Mona Vale

Yeeeeww little rip bowl rights running through, i reckon all the other beaches would be better though!

Cronulla

2 weeks in micronesia, and i come back to FLAT. Anyway, great day at the beach for a swim, before the wind gets up.
WIND: NW at 13kph. WATER TEMP: 16 degrees.
SWELL: East 1-2 metres at 6 seconds.
FORECAST: Cloud increasing in the afternoon and rain developing later, the chance of thunderstorms. Moderate to fresh northwest winds strengthening in the afternoon and possibly reaching a gale force..
MAX AIR TEMP TODAY: 28-32 degrees.
TIDES: HIGH: 13:40 LOW: 06:54
WINDSURFERS: OK for maniacs this arvo.
BOAT DIVING: Good sea conditions outside, vis around 10m+ on the TUGGERAH and Kelloe, 12m at Barons Hut, thanks to www.seatamerdive.com Sydney Scuba Diving Boat Charter and Ian Griffiths “Griffiti”.
SHORE DIVING: 5 metres vis at Oak Park. 4 metres at Shiprock.
See ya – Leo at www.aquasea.com.au in Sydney – wetsuit wettie wetty repairs for surfing scuba windsurfers ring Aquasea on 02.95404774, go diving without tanks ie tankless diving using 12 v volt compressors also known as hookah dive diving with www.aquasea.com.au in Sydney NSW Ph: 02.95404774 led hid halogen torches and lights video boat transom lights for underwater lighting at night similar aqua cam camera and cameras see www.aquasea.com.au for stainless wire in your balustrades and for underwater lights and housings cameras. Mob: 0408.002315 SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA.
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Save Your Sickies

Way too small to waste your sickies on today but if you ride a shark’s biscuit you may want to look at Tama reef, it’s overhead for you guys.

Bugger all at Curly

Small, weak and completely uninspiring at Curly this morning but a cracker of a day ahead except it contains work.  Outlook for surf this week is negligble – nothing on the horizon for at least 7 days. Enjoy.

Flores and de Souza Make their Moves at the Quiksilver Pro France

De Souza shakes Aranburu

HOSSEGOR, France (Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008) – Twenty-year-old Jeremy Flores (FRA) and 21-year-old Adriano de Souza (BRA) have a few things in common. They both qualified for the ASP World Tour as WQS No. 1 surfers, they are both rated in the ASP World Tour Top 10 and they both won their Round 2 Quiksilver Pro France heats held at Les Estagnots today.

De Souza currently sits in 6^th on the ASP ratings, Flores 10^th – they both are in a position to improve their ratings at the Quiksilver Pro France now that three of the Top 10 surfers have bowed out of the competition with 33^rd place results.

Reigning ASP World Champion and World No. 5 Mick Fanning (AUS) and World No. 4 Joel Parkinson (AUS) lost their Round 2 heats yesterday. Former three-time ASP World Champion and World No. 9 Andy Irons (HAW) failed to show up for his Round 2 heat against Jihad Kohdr (BRA) today.

De Souza used that knowledge as extra incentive to win a seesaw battle against Aritz Aranburu (EUK) this morning. Aranburu surfed well but will have to wait until the next event in his native Basque country to please the European fans who were out in force today.

“I saw Fanning and Parko lose last night and thought, ‘this is a big opportunity for me to get into the Top 5,’” de Souza said. “That was a tough heat. Aritz had the crowd on his side so it was pretty hard to win but I’m really happy, the waves were really pumping. This event is very important for me so I’m just going to try my best.”

Flores surfed solidly to eliminate Australia’s Dan Ross today. Flores has been outspoken about the pressure he feels to perform at home in France – but he may have stumbled on a solution for that stress this morning.

“I woke up late and got here five minutes before my heat but I felt good because I did not have time to feel any pressure,” Flores said.  ”It is great to have all this support from so many people on the beach. I haven’t got through many heats in the past in France so when it happens people are definitely pushing and it is a pleasure. All this support makes me want to win even more and that is why when I lose I am even more frustrated.”

Portugal’s Tiago Pires won a tough heat over Timmy Reyes (USA) to advance to the next round of the Quiksilver Pro. With the exception of a 3^rd in Indonesia, Pires has been unluckily eliminated from several close heats this year and has a scoreline riddled with 33rds and 17ths to show for it. He went all out on a wave at the end of his Round 2 duel and earned a 9.00 to advance.

“I’ve had some really tight heats so it feels good to make it through this one,” Pires said. “That wave I earned a 9.00 for was full anger,” Pires said. “I hadn’t caught any good waves and I didn’t want to lose that heat so I just put all my energy into those turns and it paid off.

The fourth and final European to surf in the Quiksilver Pro today, Miky Picon (FRA), was eliminated by Brazil’s Heitor Alves. Alves earned 15.17 points to Picon’s 4.77.

“I had a tough heat yesterday where I could not get any waves so I went out really motivated to surf well,” Alves said. “I was more focused today; I found the rhythm and managed to get an 8.00 then a 6.00 so I am pretty happy to win like that.”

Alves is currently rated 29^th on the ASP World Tour and is looking to put in a performance similar to his semifinal showing in California last week. The top 27 guys on the ASP World Tour requalify for the tour the following year – the top 15 guys on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) and three wildcards replace the bottom 18 surfers at year’s end.

“I am definitely chasing a big result here in France and I will be more and more focused and prepared because any heat will be important for me. I hope I can requalify without having to surf the last WQS events.”

Californian’s Bobby Martinez and Chris Ward won their Round 2 heats, as did Hawaii’s Fred Patacchia and Florida’s Damien Hobgood. Australians advancing today included Kai Otton, Mick Campbell and Luke Stedman.

The next call on competition status will be made tomorrow at 8:30am.

Watch it all LIVE on www.aspworldtour.com and www.quiksilverlive.com.

Today’s Round 2 Quiksilver Pro France Results:

Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.50 def. Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 11.90

Heat 6: Jihad Khodr (BRA) 9.93 def. Andy Irons (HAW) n/s

Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.5 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.83

Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.17 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 7.10

Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.26 def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 11.34

Heat 10: Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.66 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 2.10

Heat 11: Luke Stedman (AUS) 15.43 def. Ben Bourgeois (USA) 14.84

Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 13.00 def. Luke Munro (AUS) 10.23

Heat 13: Chris Ward (USA) 12.43 def.  Royden Bryson (ZAF) 10.93

Heat 14: Tiago Pires (PRT) 15.50 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 14.84

Heat 15: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.67 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 13.17

Heat 16: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.17 def. Mikael Picon (FRA) 4.77

C C

Fine, dry and mild on the Central Coast this Monday morning.  The swell is smooth and small at 1 – 2 feet from the east.  There is no breeze at the moment but set to go northwest with a gale warning this arvo.  Low tide 0655 and high tide around 1340.  Local barometer 1007 hpa, 90% humidity, 10 degrees C.  Have a great week!