Sad news to report.

A plane crashed at North Curl Curl around 1000 this morning.

One person fot out of the aircraft okay and has been taken away by ambulance.

I went up to get a picture or two and watched as a couple divers jumped off the police boat bobbing around just south of the pool.

After awhile they resurfaced and they seemed to be towing something. As I took pictures it became apparent that it was a person.

The boat moved out to sea as soon as the divers were back aboard.

 
Above diver departs the police boat off North Curl Curl to dive to crashed aeroplane.

 
Above: divers return with the body of a person who died in the plane crash off Curl Curl beach at around 1000 on friday morning 2 Sept 2011.

Overview of the North Curl Curl plane crash site. The plane went down about 100m from the pool.

Will post a picture or two in a bit.

We had a fair amount of east swell on Friday 5 Feb, so yours truly got out and about with the camera.

I ended up shooting at Curly in the late morning, then North Narrabeen in the early afternboon and finally, at Dee Why point as the sun was going down. In all three cases the swell was dead east at about 9 seconds apart and with an average height at sea of 2.5 metres.

If you were in the water during any of these sessions, you’ll find a link to a gallery of all the pics I took below each slideshow. If you want to buy a shot, just follow the relevant link below the slideshow (prices start at just $12.50).

North Curl Curl  (1100 to 1120)

[slideshow id=21]

See all 100 North Curly shots here

North Narrabeen (1256 – 1325)

[slideshow id=22]

See all 70 North Narrabeen shots here

Dee Why Point (1814 – 1905)

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See all 70 Dee Why point shots here

0920: tough to catch the little weak ones at south Narrabeen

Went for a little wander to check out the conditions. The dominant feature at 0900 was the chop. The SSE wind was chewing up pretty much everywhere I looked. Far South Narra was probably the least affected, but the waves were weak and around waist high at best. Dee Why was lumpy and junky looking, so I didn’t even bother grabbing a snap.

Around 0900 there were a few fat sets rolling into the north end of the beach.

Over the hill at Curly, the swell was much more evident, but frustratingly for the very few people in the water, it was just as weak, slow and junky as everywhere else. The north end seemed to be a touch smaller than the south. But we aren’t talking a huge variation in size. Figure on waist high with the odd shoulder high set, and you’d be about right.

About the biggest waves seemed to be at Sth Curl Curl, but junk city too.

Next tide is a low around 1:16 this afternoon and by then, the wind could be around to the E-NE at 10-15kts and that might be a good thing for the northern ends.

Go well with your Sunday!

Breaking pretty close to the sand 0740

Curly’s not curling too spectacularly. Hardly anyone in the water up the north end and just two mad bodyboarders trying to dash themselves to death on the rocks south of the pool at south Curly. Sets at North Curly were struggling to get to waist high at around 0740. The only catchable ones were breaking pretty much on the sand. Surface conditions were similar to those at Freshy, ie lightly chopped but nothing to put you off if you’re keen.

Here are the bodyboarders…

Bodyboarders hang in the impact zone in front of the rocks at South Curl Curl

When the waves bounce off the rocks at South Curly, you can catch them out to sea and into the oncoming swell - assuming you're crazy!