Postcards: Crescent morning

Hello Friends,

After an overnight rain shower or three, woke up this morning to find glassy conditions and only a dozen in at the point. It was knee to waist with the odd chest high set wave, so the choice was easy – grab the mal and get out there. Water was warm and waves were getting smaller and steadily less consistent, but we jagged a few tasty little runners. lotta fish action too, and at one point my board was a FAD for a tiny bait ball of 1 cm long fry. Poor little critters were getting hammered by the 10 cm bigger ones. But those guys were getting chased by 30 cm tailor along with the odd passing Tern. Life and death struggles going on all around.

Had planned to make for the far north coast today, but a close examination of the forecasts makes me think we’d be making an effort for onshore and very tiny and weak waves. So, will try again  next week…

In the meantime, some pictures from this morning…

Slow roller 0645

Typical set

Spectacular sky effects

Do-able looking little line at Crescent Head this morning

Postcards from Saltwater and Crescent

Hello Friends,

Got in the water around midday at Saltwater. Set faces were in the chest to shoulder plus range, wind was light, water was warm and it wasn’t particularly crowded. Swell was rather weak and slow, which made me glad that I’d opted for my mal…

Set wave up the point at Saltwater

Cruising one at Saltwater

Picturesque little waves at Saltwater, early afternoon 

We got into Crescent around 1545 and discovered that getting in at Saltwater earlier had been the right move. Swell was getting around the top of the point and there were a few keen types getting amongst it, but the waves were knee to waist high and quite inconsistent. Also, as at Saltwater, they were very slow too. Not overly hopeful about tomorrow morning’s prospects…

Smoke pollution to start the day

Hello Friends,
Taking off on surfari today, but hoped to have a pic to share of conditions posted before I took off. Unfortunately while the skies along the beaches were clear higher up, a strong inversion layer was trapping so much smoke pollution in the first 200 m or so that I couldn’t see the beach from RealSurf HQ. Can’t imagine how these conditions are for people with respiratory problems.
So, I’ll have to make do with the data points for now and hope that I’ll be able to sling a pic up from my travels later.

Wind was light westerly as of 0740 and out at the MHL buoy off Sydney, there was 1.5 metres of 10 second SSE swell. That’s up just a touch over yesterday at this time when south magnets were getting the odd waist high set. Tide was low at 0400 and will be back to a 1.3 m high at 1050.

Curses, hoped for waves this morning

Hello Friends,

From nearly 3 metres yesterday morning to 1.3 metres for Sunday’s early session saw wave faces back in the knee to maybe waist high range at Dee Why. Swell was close to 11 seconds apart, but dead south and not very consistent. A couple of bods in the water at the point when I checked for the first time around 0800, but they didn’t catch anything and along the beach it didn’t look much more promising. Wind was 8-10 kts from the west. Tide is currently heading toward the low at 1000. It’ll be back to a 1.28 high at 1630. Beachwatch says water quality’s good and temp is sitting on 22C.
Outlook is for it to stay really small today, but it might bump up a little tomorrow – when your correspondent will be on surfari and heading up the coast. Expect more postcards!

Back to tiny at the point

Knee high at Kiddies – on sets

Up the beach it’s good for paddling 

Swell at last

Hello Friends,

Swell looks to be peaking for the early. Set wave faces are into the shoulder to head high range. At 0500 the Sydney buoy was seeing 2.6 metres of 10 second dead south swell. Judging by the reports south of us, the current peak size will only last a few hours before dropping back to around 2 metres. Longish waits are the order of the day and the best spots are well populated. Swell is hitting south spots but not doing much elsewhere. Wind was light SW before 0700 and with luck won’t go too hard later. Water’s about 22C.

Should get sunny later too.

Although the swell is set to fade back into the waist high range tomorrow, wind is set to be offshore, so it could be a fun one in a low-key sort of a way. And, with luck, the small-but-surfable conditions should hold into Mon-Tue. And, depending on the model you look at, there seems to be some hope of little waves for the rest of the week.

No Mans 0645

Busy at the point

Not super consistent but fun size on the bombs

Well attended at the point 0645

Outside Kiddies

Smaller ones in the mix

Near the Pole at 0640

Long Reef

Maybes at Northy

Zippo on the surf front this morning

Hello Friends,

We’re still in a holding pattern. There’s a strong wind warning for later in the day, but it’s not going to improve the surf situation. Out at sea the bump is under a metre and coming from the SSE at 10 seconds. But inshore, as the pictures show, it’s in the ankle to shin high range. Tide was low at 0800 and will be back to a 1.2 metre high at 1400. We’re due to reach a 28C high today which isn’t record breaking but is around 10C above historical averages.

If you’re wondering about the week ahead, may I defer to the deep wisdom of the Goat

Have a great Friday everyone!

Another microscopic morning at Dee Why

Out for a paddle up the beach

The Goat’s Surf Forecast

The Goat’s Surf Forecast

Surf forecast issued Thursday 25 April 2019: Seven day outlook for Sydney:

Fabulous weather for ANZAC Day and great to see ever increasing numbers taking a little time out of such a beaut day to pay their respects for those who’ve served their country at Dawn Services and later Commemorations…

Water temp is a very pleasant 23 ish – great for a swim before or after, but not so great fro a surf with very small to nothing conditions.

Tomorrow morning expect something similar first off, then not a lot resulting from a SW change.  Coming up a little through the week – not a lot – at places that are open to dead South, but quality may not be all that great.

Friday: similar to Thursday at first then even more ordinary

Saturday: coming up into the 1-2 metre range at dead South places only

Sunday: a lot of due South in it so could be going straight past.. 1-2 metres

Monday: 1-2 metre range dead South, with some sets

Tuesday: 1-2 metre range  South East with more getting in

Wednesday: going down to around 1 metre or so East

Thursday: down more 1 metre or less East.

There you go.

TG

Up in the Sky

Winds

https://www.windy.com/-33.855/151.216?-34.373,151.216,8,i:pressure,m:cIJaknc

Down in the Sea

Water temp is around 23ish ..very pleasant

Tides

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/maritime/usingwaterways/tides-weather/tide-tables-2018-2019.pdf

Weather from the BoM

7 day Town Forecasts

Precis Icon	Location	Min	Max
	Sydney	17	27
	Penrith	15	28
	Liverpool	14	27
	Terrey Hills	15	26
	Richmond	14	28
	Parramatta	14	27
	Campbelltown	13	26
	Bondi	18	26

Fine and waveless for Anzac Day

Hello Friends,

A perfect morning for the Anzac ceremonies in Sydney. Wind was coming faintly from the west before 0800. The MHL buoy was seeing 0.8 of a metre from the east at 9 seconds apart. As the pictures show, the consequence at Dee Why was smooth but flat conditions.

The forecast says we can expect sunny conditions all day as we go to a high of 25. The ocean is 21C according to Beacthwatch and all beaches are suitable for swimming. Tide was low at 0705 and will hit a moderate 1.24 m high at 1300.

The Goat should be along later with an outlook for the week ahead. I hope he sees something encouraging because it’s been a dire start to autumn after an equally dire summer. We’re all getting lots of practice on tiny waves and it’d be nice to have something more challenging…

Go well with your Thursday!

Micro at Dee Why

Smooth sea 0730 

Beautiful morning but not if you want a wave

Hello Friends,

Home again for a few days, and hoping for a wave like everyone else, but it looks like we’re outta luck. Ocean at Dee Why looks to be ankle to knee high – on the bigger ones. Swell is about a metre from the east at 8-9 seconds. Wind’s out of the WNW as of 0830, but it should go around to the NE soon.

Be interestng to see what the Goat says about our prospects for the coming week. His words of wisdom should be up by this evening.

Have a top old day, and if you go looking for surf, may you find more than I’m seeing right now!

Tiny wavelet peels into the beach at 0800

Dee Why basking waveless in the sun 

On the way home

Hello Friends,

Stopped in Batemans Bay and got up to find the weather clearing but no sign of any surf prospects. Headed north and checked Golf Course/Mollymook (see below), then Bendalong. No waves at the former, and small but starting to blow out at the latter. Given wind and swell combo decided to check in at Shallows. Haven’t been there this century, so it’s changed a fair amount around there since. Like the farm, it’s getting carpeted with development. But the break’s the same and it woulda been good if we had even 50cm more swell. But we didn’t. So off home again…

Shallows

Shallows: soft sets every 10 mins or so

Bendalong getting chewed by the wind

Path

Golf Course Reef too tiny to surf