Hello Friends,

Have a look at the MHL data for Sydney (below) and you can see why this morning is back to small (but not absolutely flat) again. At lunch time yesterday the swell was almost east at two metres, now it’s dead south. But more importantly, the period slumped from a juicy 14sec to our usual 8s. There were a couple folks in the water patrolling the point at Dee Why and for their trouble were getting the odd waist high thing near the rocks. Another few bods were scattered along the beach where they too were winkling out the odd rideable section.

Hope you were among the many who found a wave to play on over the last couple days!

It looks from the chart as though we’re in to a declining swell pattern for the next couple days. The latest run of the models for our region is currently showing a slight bump upward on Thursday. At this stage it doesn’t look as though it’ll be spectacular, but if it plays out as forecast, we should get something in the waist to chest high range at spots that like s to se energy. We shall see…

Go well with your day!

Late arvo update

Well, did you score anything before the southerly chewed it up?

Yours truly spent a less than satisfying time in the water at Dee Why point this morning. There were sizable sets, but they weren’t easy to get into because the rip was roaring out through the break and the swell was not as clean as it could’ve been. Many attended but only a few found worthwhile waves (and there were some of those). After lunch at Curly (hopeless mess), I went down to Manly to see if the Bower was of interest following the arrival of the south wind. There were dozens and dozens of punters on it, but the swell which peaked around about 0800 was rapidly declining so the sets were further and further apart. Being the Bower, there were some fun looking waves coming through, so I’m sure a couple patient hours out there would’ve rewarded you with something. My last stop was south Manly where I watched a smallish crew chasing occasional sets in the head high range. Again, there were a few fun ones, but you were doing lots of waiting. Seemed to be some bods out up the beach toward North Steyne, but when I rolled by later, it looked like shutdown city.

This evening the swell is still showing at a couple metres on a 10 second period from the SE. But a 15-25kt southerly is whacking anything that’s not really well protected.

The Bureau says it’ll be southerly again tomorrow and they’re still warning of large easterly swell breaking dangerously close in shore for the early. The models reckon it’ll be half the present size and I’d say at the rate it’s dropping, that’s entirely within the realm of the possible.

Have yourself a good one!

Hello Friends,

At about midnight the swell swung around to the east, built up to a touch over two metres and, as of 0700 was powering along at 14 seconds apart. There’s significantly more energy on tap now and with the changed swell direction, the surf options are also in flux. There were a few people out at Northy for the early, but the while the waves were sizable, the high tide was making some of them look kinda fat. I presume because of the relatively small numbers in the water, that it can’t be too easy to battle your way out the back.

Down towards Gardens it looked like it might possibly be tow-able, but you’d be pretty confident in yourself to try paddling out. No one was in the water and as with elsewhere this morning, the surface conditions are smooth.

Dee Why point was densely populated but after watching for some time, I saw only a couple waves caught. It looks almost as though the rip has pushed right over to the end of the beach and is running out through the break. So the surface is choppier and the waves don’t have the brushed clean quality of other spots.

Wind is supposed to be light until around midday when a southerly is set to develop and get up to 20 kts in the afternoon.

It’s hard to say for certain, but it looks from the latest MHL data that the swell has peaked and will now be gradually declining. Emphasis on the word “gradual” though. I think there’ll be substantial sets all morning and maybe until dark. Tomorrow could be back to the sort of conditions we had yesterday – ie still pretty surfable.

I was out and about shooting yesterday afternoon, so expect a couple fresh galleries to appear later today with my pics from Dee Why and Northy.

Have yourself a good one!

Tides: H @0650, L @1345

Weather Situation from the Australian Bureau of Meterology

A high pressure system near New Zealand is maintaining a ridge to the far north coast of New South Wales. Ex-tropical Cyclone Vania is west of Norfolk Island while Tropical Cyclone Zelia is intensifying over the northern Coral Sea. A southerly change is expected from early Monday associated with a deep low passing south of Tasmania. An onshore airstream is likely to redevelop by the middle of the next week under the impact of a ridge strengthening in the south and a trough lingering over northeastern NSW.
Forecast for Monday until midnight

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots decreasing below 10 knots during the morning then tending northwest to southwesterly up to 15 knots around midday. Winds tending southerly up to 20 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre increasing up to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: Easterly 2 to 3 metres. The chance of thunderstorms offshore late this evening.
Forecast for Tuesday

Winds: Southerly 10 to 20 knots tending south to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the morning then tending east to southeasterly by early evening. Seas: Up to 1.5 metres. Swell: Easterly 2 metres.
Forecast for Wednesday

Winds: Easterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly about 1.5 metres.