Hello Friends,

Sunday morning saw lots of folks paddling around looking for something to catch. For days now we’ve been watching the models and hoping for the swell train to arrive. And it has. Sort of.

Do you like having plenty of time to day dream between sets? Well, you’re going to like this morning’s offerings around the place. It was grey, gloomy and drizzling as things got started today, so my pictures are pretty grainy and uncolourful. I started with a look at Northy, but it was pretty hard to make out much detail from Collaroy Plateau. Seemed to be a long wait between waves being caught and down the beach toward Gardens it was clean but endlessly shutting down. Northy was smooth and I saw a couple shoulder high plus sets.

According to the MHL data for 0900, the primary swell direction is south(!) but from what I saw it was looking E-NE. The average size is around the 1.5 metre mark and period was sitting on 10 seconds, with the odd longer period 12sec rogue.

The unusual swell direction and period combo was providing a few sets for punters at spots you rarely see break. There was a little group chasing waist to chest high sets inside of Makaha. A few were hanging around at Whiterock and some stand up paddleboarders were working the reefs that lie north of Makaha. Again, very long waits were the order of the morning.

Over at Dee Why there were numerous bods at the point and a substantial scattering from kiddies to north of Dee Why centre. As with everywhere else this morning, the wind was not a factor, but wave consistency certainly was. I waited quite awhile to get a snap of someone taking off at the point and in that time I didn’t see a single wave caught by those bobbing around off the beach.

From the latest run of the models, it’s looking as though the swell will bump along at the current level through today and then, peak up a bit for tomorrow morning. After that, it seems we’re in for a return to small conditions by around Wednesday.

Tide was high at 0600 and the low will be along at 1300.

Weather Situation

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 northwest of Norfolk Island while Tropical Cyclone Zelia is intensifying over the northern Coral Sea. A weak southerly change associated with a low in the southern Tasman Sea is over the central coast. A stronger southerly change is expected Sunday night and into Monday associated with another deep low passing south of Tasmania.

Forecast for Sunday until midnight

Winds: South to southeasterly 5 to 10 knots tending east to northeasterly around midday. Winds becoming northeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northeasterly 2 metres.

Forecast for Monday

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots ahead of a southerly change of 15 to 20 knots around midday. Seas: Below 1 metre increasing up to 1.5 metres by early evening. Swell: Northeasterly 2 to 3 metres.

Forecast for Tuesday

Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots tending 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Up to 1.5 metres. Swell: Easterly 2 metres.

Hello Friends,

I’ve found myself a little corner of the Freshie SLSC to tap out an abbreviated report before I go beach cleaning with the Surfrider crew.

Surf situation is similar to yesterday, only glassier. The swell is 1.5 metres from the east. The period is starting to ramp up though and as I write this is currently showing at about 9 seconds. Quality was not great when I looked around though.

There were a few bods in waiting around at the Bower, but I didn’t see anyone catch anything. The Manly stretch is seeing the swell but like everywhere else after months of mainly small to flat conditions, the shutdown to rideable ratio is off the scale. Expect 10 straighthanders for every makeable section I’d say.

Freshie is very, very busy and from a surf standpoint, not terribly interesting. More shutdownitis. It’s the same story around at Curly where there are plenty of bods chasing some fairly uninspiring lumps.

Outlook is, as the Goat said a day or so ago, for a steady increase in wave energy as a longer period NE swell starts filling in. It’ll hit up north first obviously, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few sets in the mix for us by late this afternoon.

We’re headed for a low tide around midday, so the shutdowns will almost certainly get more nasty. On the other hand, it looks as though the wind will be fading as the day goes along and by tomorrow we could have NW for the first time in awhile. That could work with the swell at some spots…

time to go make myself useful picking up rubbish. Catchya later!

Weather Situation
A high pressure system near New Zealand is maintaining a ridge to the far north coast of New South Wales. Tropical Cyclone Vania is over New Caledonia. During today a deep, slow-moving, complex low pressure system will move south of Tasmania, where it should remain till Monday. An associated weak southerly change will affect the southern half of the coast on Saturday, with a stronger southerly change expected Sunday night and into Monday, as this low moves further east.

Forecast for Saturday until midnight
Winds: Northerly 10 to 20 knots tending north to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots around midday then becoming northeasterly up to 10 knots later in the evening. Seas: Up to 2 metres decreasing to below 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Easterly about 2 metres.

Forecast for Sunday
Winds: Northwest to southwesterly 5 to 10 knots tending southeast to southwesterly around dawn then tending northeast to southeasterly up to 15 knots around midday. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northeasterly 2 metres.

Forecast for Monday
Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots tending northwest to southwesterly up to 10 knots during the morning then tending east to southeasterly up to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Northeasterly 2 metres.