"Stay happy and you'll be perfectly fine" - Jack Norris

Mid-arvo: rain, wind, building swell

Hello Friends

As promised I went out to see if I could grab a few pics for ya. Not the most photogenic conditions unfortunately. First stop was the Bower and it was looking just plain crazy out there. Lots of water in motion, sets in the 2x or bigger range and only a couple mad people tossing around in it. Saw them get a couple but mostly it was just maintaining through the choppy surface conditions on gradually diminishing shoulders.

A small group of equally demented surf persons were rocking off in front of that boat shed just north from the shops at Bower Lane. Some of the sets were doing some unpleasant looking things amongst the rocks too. The surfers would then paddle out and around to south Steyne where there were some very big and generally messy looking peaks. Again, as with the Bower, the main point seemed to be to get in the water and catch a few on a really big day. Not much in the way of performance surfing going on.

Headed north to see what was happening up at Collaroy. There were a couple folks battling their way out to Brownwater and I even got a picture of one bloke on a wave. Collaroy looked totally out of control, ditto the kick.

Then the rain really set in, so I decamped up to Mactier street for a squiz at the far southern end of Gardens. The rain was bucketing though and I had to wait awhile for it simply to lift enough to grab a snap of the seriously heavy stuff sweeping down the beach from the north. Not surfable by anyone in their right mind. But impressive power and I wonder how it’ll go for the beachfront places along that stretch tonight when the high tide and swell look set to peak around the same time…

If possible I’ll try to get out for one more look at things before close of play today…

Stormy and crazy at the south end of Manly.
Stormy and crazy at the south end of Manly.
Throwing seaweed and sand right up to the Bower lane cafe's doorstep.
Throwing seaweed and sand right up to the Bower lane cafe's doorstep.
Over the falls at south Steyne around noon.
Over the falls at south Steyne around noon.
The Bower was mostly a diabolical heaving mess at high tide.
The Bower was mostly a diabolical heaving mess at high tide.
Like name like nature. Near the chair at Brownwater 1300ish.
Like name like nature. Near the chair at Brownwater 1300ish.
Those are a couple hundred metres away, so it ain't small at Mactier St.
Those are a couple hundred metres away, so it ain't small at Mactier St.