That was fun!

The Bower lining up around 11.30 – 12md.

I drove from Collaroy to Manly and no where was handling the swell, although the southern part of Manly was nice and clean but closing out. About 3 – 4 foot.  I just caught the last wave of a tow in on the Queenscliff Bommie but decided to head for the Bower.  About 10 blokes out getting a few double over head waves.

Snappin’ again: Bower & Manly

Hello Friends,

Went for a splash under the lowering grey skies this morning. Headed to the Bower just because it’s one of those waves I never tire of and I figured there’d be enough east in the swell for it to be showing something. I was right – as were a fair number of other folks. Tide was low during the session, so I now have a sore knee after Huey tried to shift a barnacle encrusted boulder with my hapless limb. Still, like everyone else out there, I chalked up a few fun ones.

After I got out of the water, I came back along Manly beach front. Tide was still pretty low, but the onshores hadn’t had a chance to work it over too badly, so I stopped and grabbed a few snaps to share. Almost no colour in the day, but never mind, they should give you a rough idea…

Came back via Dee Why and Curly. The latter was forgetable, but the old Dee Why seemed to still be in the shoulder high range on sets. Sadly the onshores were becoming noticeable.

My hunch is that this little pulse is on the fade, so finding something not too trashed by the SE wind might be the plan today, and getting in for the early tomorrow also looks the best idea.

Finding a line across the inside.

You could win a contest with a move like that!

Surge fun (Cisco pic!)

Low tide gets interesting at the Bower.

Surging Surge makes it interesting.

Cisco cranking it over at zee Bower this morning.

Another surge moment

Manly snaps…

Beachbreak option being exercised at Manly around noon.

Driving down the line SUP style at Manly around midday.

Swinging through a cutty at Manly, noonish.

Shorey snaffles another victim at Manly around midday.

Swell kicking in

Hello Friends,

Was busy in the middle part of the day over in town. Got back to the beach around 1400. Checked the Bower to see if the wind was tearing it up. Chop wasn’t super bad, but it was too messy to tempt anyone out. Some sizable sets coming in too.

A few people were out along the Manly stretch, but it really looked like a lot of work to get out there and the bomb sets were pretty frequent. Wave faces were into the three metre range on the bigger ones.

Same story, if not a bit bigger again around at Curly. But no one in the water. Just too much of a struggle to get out and there weren’t any obviously consistent peaks.

Around at Dee Why the crowd was starting to gather on the point. A couple bods over in the beachy, but it looked rippy and hard work. The point doesn’t really like east swell, but there were some very makeable and slabby things coming in every now and again. The biggest sets were looking crazy though. I only saw a couple that didn’t shut down and for the most part folks were jumping on the little ones (wave faces in the 2-3 metre range).

Had a look at the Collaroy Narrabeen stretch too. Nobody in the water until you get all the way up to the north end. It kinda looked tow-able in the south, but you probably wouldn’t try paddling out. Northy was very well attended, but did not seem to be as consistent as Dee Why. A couple folks were playing tow-ins at Turimetta too.

The chop was present along all the south ends, but it wasn’t really bad.

Swell is currently in the 2-3 metre range with a whopping 12-13 sec period, so this is not a day for beginners!

Outlook for tomorrow is north to NW wind tomorrow morning and although the swell seems to have peaked up north, I’d be astounded if it was dramatically smaller on Weds.

Have yourself a good one!

If you didn't mind wearing the bomb sets, it was possible to jag the smaller ones too.

The queue lines up for a turn

The bigger set waves just a little nutty.

Pocket rocketing at Dee Why around 1400

Some sizable sets mashing into the point mid-arvo.

On a balcony in Redfern today.

Afternoon wrap (Bower, Dee Why)

Hello Friends,

Just back from a shooting session at Dee Why. Light was pretty ordinary, but I shot a lot anyway because it was so big. You’ll find the pics below the Bower shots…

In the meantime, here are some snaps I got from a sesh at the Bower this morning. It was pretty setty and the light was fairly dull, but I did get a few okay pics (still having issues with the camera focus mechanism). Waves were pretty fun too. But man did those sets have some clout. I think we all got worked at one time or another…

Frank jags a sizable one on his deluxe veneered bellyboard.

Checking the lip.

The Bower was producing a few worthy ones for the biggish crew.

And here are a few snaps from Dee Why late this afternoon…

It was just nuts at the point this afternoon.

Deportment lessons with Ms. B.

That ain't no short board either.

Set looms on the horizon at Dee Why point.

The champ taking a hard line with one of the sets.

Out and about on a swell day

Hello Friends,

Bit of a mixed bag this morning. I started my survey of options with a visit to Manly. Not many in the water along the beach but looked like a fair few at the Bower early. Beachy was producing some very, very nice looking set waves, but you’d be doing a bit of work if you got caught inside and as a consequence it was not excessively populated. Looked to be waves from one of the beach to the other.

Bodyboarder finds a pocket.

Patience is rewarded with some Manly cleanness.

Mr Aquabumps preparing to shoot at Manly this morning.

Not looking too big in this shot, but some larger ones getting in.

Didn’t check Freshy, but did have a look at Curly. Couldn’t see anyone in the water from the middle of the beach south. Too glarey to see the north end but I’d be surprised if there was much quality given the look of the rest of the beach. Big, but disorganised and chaotic looking for the early.

Over the hill at Dee Why the situation was much the same. Swell was overwhelming the point and the beachy just looked messy and big and confused. Every now and then you could jag one of the medium size ones at the point (too big and they just close out across to the top of the super peak). Only a small crew in the water for the early.

Mid-size ones were most makeable for the early.

Up at Collaroy things were pretty ho-hum. You could get a left back from the pipe, but the swell needs more north to really get going. Nothing much getting into the Kick. A sole tow-in was working out at Centuries…

Just him and a mate with a jetski doing tow-ins.

Last stop on the run-around was a visit to south Narrabeen. Only a couple bods in the water there and for good reason. Very high percentage were shutdowns and they’re big and quite heavy so you really don’t want to be in the impact zone for any length of time. Had to wait 10 minutes to get a shot of a person on a wave – and then I forgot the autofocus wasn’t on… d’oh!

Looked like quite a crew up at Northy as well.

One of the few makeable ones at south Narra this morning.

Bower sesh

Hi evening folk,

Hope you got a wave or two today. I had one of those will-I-won’t-I days. Finally gave into that familiar itch. You know the deal, I’m sure. You know there are waves and you could go… but for whatever reason you put it off. But the antsy feeling finally wins out and you toss the board into the car…

I got there about half an hour before the northerly breeze turned into wind and the little chop turned into big chop. Still, I got wet and I got a few snaps. Very friendly crew out there too. A number of people said “hi”, a couple had a yarn (I always like a yarn!) about this and that. Saw a pod of porpoises too, and a little penguin and a gannet. I’m one of those folks who just digs seeing the creatures who live out their entire lives in and around the sea.

Not great conditions for picture taking, but I have the test sample Panasonic FT-1 waterproof camera to play with for a bit longer, so I figured I might as well grab a few snaps. I still haven’t figured out how to get clean shots every time with this camera. When it’s good, it’s very good, so I’m persisting.

BTW, a few of the folk in the water asked if there would be pics available on the site. The answer is yes, but I have to nut out an easy way to do it first…

Here are a few snaps for you. Have a top old evening!

Not huge, but they were worth the long paddle out.

Photo of a photog!

Porpoise has a look around at the Bower.

Lining up a section

Little section at the Bower.

Before the wind got into it (around 1400)

A few snaps from the Bower at midday

Hello Friends,

Jumped in the water at the Bower  for a bit of the swell. Had a waterproof Panasonic camera (the DMC-FT1) to play with, so I grabbed some piccies for you… Anyone who’d like a high res, just use the feedback link in the top menu to let me know.  I was having issues with the focus (probably not set correctly) so not all the other shots are sharp enough to use. But there are other shots.

Surfrider

About to plant the paddle and pivot back up the face for a snap.

A few good size sets to keep things interesting at the Bower around midday.

Arcing one around at the Bower around midday

Stepping over surge

Yo Kev!

Mal person at the Bower around midday.

Surge claims another victim...

Foam and spray

The best one I got of ya mate...

Recoiling for the next move at the Bower around midday.

At zee Bower around midday.

A few piccies from this morning

Hello Friends,

Here are a few snaps from my run-around this morning:

Getting the day started in a good way

Few bodyboarders poaching little ones at Fairy Bower on hightide.

One stands up on the inside at Queensy earlier today.

Bit fat and full to start at Manly this morning.

Catching some size with nothing more than a pair of flippers.

No one out for some strange reason.

Ah, the old Dee Why point...

Lotsa shutdowns - as usual - but the odd rather nice one too.

Waiting for the tow-ins to arrive at low tide?

Evening post

Hello Friends,

A brief Monday evening update for you. Went out and about this afternoon with the intention of getting in the water. But the swell was still settling in and nothing really took my fancy. I’m sure you know the drill – you drive around looking, but you just can’t get enthused, or you run out of time or both.

Dee Why point was one of the better options in my view, but the folks I saw in the water at Curly and Manly as well may have begged to disagree. The wind was lightly onshore, so it kind of gave everything that slightly lumpy, unkempt look. Swell angle is SSE at the moment. It’s a touch over two metres at 11 seconds apart.

This afternoon, the period was mostly shorter than that, so it was farily setty. PB and I went down to Manly to see if the wind was a little less onshore. Wasn’t really much less affected than Dee Why. Went out to the Bower and watched a little group of bodyboarders playing around at Winki. Nothing much was getting around into the Bower, but every now and then someone would jag a waist high thing.

Another crunchy one courtesy of Huey.

Not exactly all time winki, but there were a few moments for the bodyboarders on it.

After tiring of watching and shooting at the Bower, we went back to Dee Why point. As I was walking down the steps for a better angle, I saw RealSurf forum identity Coops take off on a pretty reasonable one.

Fin man flying through another fin test.

Solid looking set wave gets ready to do the slab thing.

Fun cutty at the point.