As it got closer to lunchtime on Weds the 10th of Sept, a surprisingly energetic NE swell was beginning to make itself felt. By dusk it’d be 1.5-2.5 metres at close to 10 seconds apart. I shot for half an hour at Mona Vale just on noon – mostly of the main peak, but every now and then of the two or three people catching little fun ones in the Basin.

You can see the pictures I got here.

Swell was starting to come up

A few snaps for you taken between 1030-1045.
Mona Vale

Cooks Tce

Having fun on a little Cooks Tce shorey

Waist high sets provide diversion

Briefly interesting sections on the main peak

Various little dumpy shories scattered along the beach

Was up in Newport this morning and on the way back, grabbed a few views of the flatness. The view from between the SLSC and the northern edge of the carpark at North Narrabeen has been opened up too.

First surfer picture galleries I’ve posted in absolute yonks. We finally had good shooting conditions and sizable swell on the weekend of the the 16-17th. On Saturday morning I started at Gardens, then moved up to North Narrabeen and finished up at Mona Vale. Next day, I spent an hour or so shooting between North Steyne and Queenscliff before the wind got just too crazy!
SATURDAY morning, 16 March 2013

(above) Gardens, Narrabeen. 3-4 metres of east swell, incoming tide and light winds. Thumping sets that you mostly needed a tow to get into.

(above) North Narrabeen. Big sets, kinda all over the place, but some nicely weighty sections to be had by the crew.

(above) Mona Vale. Big too, but tide really starting to affect it. In half an hour only got a few shots… still, if you were out there, they might be of interest!

SUNDAY

(above) Between North Steyne and Queenscliff SLSC’s seemed to be about the best of it. Wind was picking up steadily as I shot between about 1000 & 1100. Quite consistent and lots of folks, so I got a reasonable number of shots…

Mona Vale was my last stop on this amazing surf day in Sydney. It was about as good as I’ve ever seen it too. Honing lefts, some going for well over a hundred metres, and lots and lots of thunderous barrels. The crowd on it was going nuts and needless to say my shutter button got a real work out.

Mona Vale 11 Aug 2010 – 1345-1445 – Images by Don Norris

Around 0815 there were a few makeable ones in the mix.

The short version is that there are sizable sets at Warriewood for the hardy band that have battled out through the relentless big windswell. Sets are into the overhead range and the wind’s not too bad right in the corner. However, as you come down the beach it becomes more of a factor. As a consequence, there is good size at the other end of the beach at Mona Vale, but it’s just too messy for anyone to have bothered to paddle out.

More observations soon…