Near perfect conditions on a Saturday afternoon at south Narrabeen. People were in the water from Mactier Street almost all the way to Northy. I only had an hour or so to shoot, but I made the most of it. Sets were into the head high range and it was offshore and sunny too. Lots of waves were unmakeable, but people didn’t mind the old take off and die strategy – because sometimes it paid off.
Just click the pic below to visit the entire gallery of pictures.
Hello Friends,
Cold and grey this morning along the beaches. But early on the wind was out of the SSW at 15-20kts and it was pretty clean as a consequence at Dee Why. Sets were into the shoulder to head high range too. The MHL buoy went offline yesterday shortly after the swell peaked, so I don’t have objective numbers, but based on observation and the other buoy data, I’d say the average swell height is somewhere between 2 and 3 metres at sea with an average period of around 8-9 seconds from the south.
I’ll try to add a few remarks on the outlook later today… go well.
Weather Situation
A complex low over the Tasman Sea is expected to continue moving towards New Zealand with winds gradually easing along New South wales coast. A high south of the Bight will move very slowly eastwards over the next few days with a moderating southwest to southerly airstream over NSW. Over the weekend the high should be centred near Bass Strait with winds tending southeasterly over the state. A trough of low pressure is expected to develop off the coast on Sunday.Forecast for Thursday until midnight
Winds: Southerly 20 to 30 knots decreasing to 20 to 25 knots around midday then tending south to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots by early evening. Seas: Up to 3 metres decreasing to 1.5 metres later in the evening. Swell: Southerly 2 metres.Forecast for Friday
Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 20 knots decreasing to 10 to 15 knots by early evening. Seas: Up to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southerly about 2 metres decreasing to 1 metre during the evening.Forecast for Saturday
Winds: South to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots tending southeasterly during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Southerly about 1.5 metres.
Hello Friends,
No sign of the forecast big swell as of 0700 this morning. But the Bureau and all the models agree that we should have up to 4 metres of south swell this afternoon. Unfortunately the wind call is for SW’ly at 25-35 kts, so I don’t know how many places will be holding the swell while still being surfable. The models are showing average periods of around 8-9 seconds, so it may not refract into the most protected corners with much size.
As of 0700, the MHL buoys for the Eden to Sydney region are showing average swell heights of about a metre in the south to near 2 metres off our shores. But periods are only in the 6 second range in the south, while we’re seeing 9 seconds locally.
So, no real sign of giant swell yet…
It looks as though tomorrow will be the day for experienced surfers. The swell looks likely to peak overnight but still be solidly overhead and the ferocious winds of Saturday should have moderated. I’m planning to be at south Curly with the Surfrider crew for a couple hours of beach cleaning starting about 0830. By the time we finish it should be just about the right size for me!
Speaking of Curly, I managed to get a few snaps there yesterday around noon, so expect a fresh gallery shortly.
Go well with Saturday and yes, I plan to update later!
Tides: L @1110, H @1740
Weather Situation
A low is moving across the Tasman Sea and a strong high pressure system is southwest of the Bight. A cold front is expected to affect New South Wales Saturday with a vigorous southwesterly airstream. The high should move into the southwest of the state on Sunday in the wake of the front, moderating the southwesterly airstream. The high is expected to remain over southeastern Australia well into next week with generally light to moderate southwest to southeasterly winds along the coast.Forecast for Saturday until midnight
Winds: Southwesterly 25 to 30 knots increasing to 25 to 35 knots during the afternoon then decreasing to 20 to 30 knots later in the evening. Seas: 2 to 3 metres increasing to 4 metres during the afternoon then decreasing to 3 metres later in the evening. Swell: Southerly 2 to 3 metres increasing to 4 metres in the afternoon. Large swells breaking dangerously close inshore in the afternoon and evening.Forecast for Sunday
Winds: Southwesterly 20 to 30 knots decreasing to 15 to 20 knots during the morning then tending west to southwesterly up to 15 knots during the afternoon. Winds decreasing to west to southwesterly up to 10 knots by early evening. Seas: Up to 3 metres decreasing below 1.5 metres during the morning then decreasing to below 1 metre by early evening. Swell: Southerly 3 to 4 metres. Large swells breaking dangerously close inshore.Forecast for Monday
Winds: West to northwesterly 5 to 10 knots becoming westerly up to 15 knots during the evening. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Southerly 2 to 3 metres.
Hello Friends,
From the weather forecast last night, I thought it might be cloudy and showery by this morning. But no, it’s really quite nice looking down at Dee Why as a couple metres of south swell at 9 seconds delivers the odd shoulder-head high set. Seemed to be a bit of a wait for them, but it wasn’t too bad. The wind was out of the west to SW around the beaches of Sydney, so I’d say south swell spots ought to be going along pretty nicely. Tide is dropping too and water temperature has climbed to 23 degrees (well, out at the MHL buoy off Sydney anyway).
I’d be getting into it if I could as tomorrow looks as though it might be wind affected thanks to 15-25 kts of s to se’ly.
Will try to check back later today if the schedule permits. Go well!
TIDES: L @1145, H @1800
Weather Situation
A slow moving high pressure ridge southwest of Tasmania and a low moving east across the southern Tasman Sea will combine to direct south to southeast winds along the New South Wales coast into the weekend. As a high shifts slowly east into the Tasman Sea on Sunday and Monday, winds will turn north to northwesterly in the south early next week.
Forecast for Friday until midnight
Winds: South to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres. Swell: Southeasterly 1.5 metres. The chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.
Forecast for Saturday
Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 25 knots increasing to 20 to 30 knots by early evening. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres increasing to 3 metres by early evening. Swell: Southeasterly about 2 metres. The chance of thunderstorms, mainly offshore.
Forecast for Sunday
Winds: South to southeasterly 15 to 25 knots easing to 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres decreasing to below 1 metre during the afternoon. Swell: Southeasterly 2 to 3 metres easing to 1.5 metres in the evening.
Hello Friends,
Went for a splash this morning at Long Reef with lots of other fine folk. Gee it was busy out there. Quite a wait for the decent size sets and although they were into the chest to head high range, there was a lot of softness going on thanks to the high tide. Water’s still kinda cool and the gusty SW wind reinforced the point. A shout out to the amazingly friendly chap whom I brutally ran over. Such sunny cheerfulness in the face of such abject incompetence (first time I’ve done that in decades).
They switched the data back on at MHL and we can now see that the swell went south at about midnight and got up to about the 2 metre mark at close to 10 seconds. It’s now dropped back a touch in both departments, so the predicted weakening is already underway – apparently. Still, with any luck, there should be some little ones around at south swell spots again tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, the Bureau says we can expect onshores from the SE to NE from daybreak (going to the NW by evening though…)
After I got out of the water, I grabbed my camera and took a few shots for my galleries. If you end up wanting to buy one from any of my galleries, then enter the coupon code HAPPYSURF and it will take 33% off the bottom line for ya. Enjoy!
To get a picture from the gallery
Go to the picture you like, click on it so that you see the big version, then look up top left for the button that says “Add to Cart” and click on that.
Click on the size you want.
And then, if you just want the one, click on “Add and Checkout” at the bottom of the window – or if you want another, click on “Add to Cart” and go back to select another.
Weekend warriors weren’t put off by the somewhat junky conditions mid-morning at No Mans and Long Reef on Sunday 29 August. Sets were into the shoulder high range and there were lots of people having a go. I set up just south of the Dee Why lagoon entrance and grabbed a few shots of people catching the softish but occasionally fun waves on offer before the wind became too much. 
No Mans-Longy Sun 29 Aug 10 1000-1100 – Images by Don Norris
Hello Friends,
Ah, now that is interesting. I was hoping we might see a little energy come our way later today, but first light sees some nice looking corduroy effects at Dee Why and a glance at the MHL Sydney data shows a couple metres of 9 second period swell from the south. Wind is out of the WSW at around 15kts on gusts.
The Bureau says it will go more southerly as the day unfolds. Looks like the plan will be to get in early if you can.
Outlook is for this little pulse to weaken gradually over the next 24 hours as we slump back into a stretch of more marginal conditions.
A good mate of mine is out from California atm, so we’re going to make a quick surfari north to see what we can find… if we find anything, you’ll hear about it!
Go well with your day.
Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Tuesday until midnight: Wind: South to southwesterly 10 to 20 knots tending southeast to southwesterly up to 10 knots during the afternoon.Sea: Up to 2 metres decreasing to below 1 metre during the afternoon.Swell: Southeasterly about 1 metre tending southerly 1.5 metres during the evening.
Wednesday: Wind: North to northeasterly 5 to 15 knots tending northerly 15 to 20 knots around dawn then increasing to 20 to 25 knots around midday. Winds 20 to 30 knots later in the evening.Sea: Below 1 metre increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres during the morning then increasing to 3 metres by early evening.Swell: Southerly about 1.5 metres.
Thursday: Wind: Northerly 15 to 25 knots tending northwesterly up to 30 knots during the morning then tending west to northwesterly 20 to 25 knots during the evening.
Late arvo snap for you…
Hello Friends,
Another chilly start to the day’s proceedings in Sydney. But the wind is offshore and we have a couple metres of south swell pushing in. It’s 9 seconds apart on average, so the sets should be into the head high range on the bigger ones at exposed spots. Judging from the buoy data down south, the swell is probably near it’s peak as I write this and is then likely to weaken very gradually across the day.
The wind forecast says it should be southerly but decreasing. However, before 0800 it was W to WNW across the Sydney region’s beaches. Early risers had to put up with the cold to get those offshores. Later arrivals may not be so fortunate as that wind should settle into a southerly by lunch.
Outlook is for a gradual decline overnight to small but not flat for Monday.
Go well!
Offshore and brisk to kick off this morning.
TIDES L @ 0720, H @1325
Forecast for Sunday
Fine apart from the chance of a shower or two near the coast, more
likely in the evening. Partly cloudy. Light west to southwest winds
tending southerly in the afternoon, fresh a times along the coast.Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Sunday until midnight: Wind: Southerly 15 to 20 knots, reaching 20 to 25 knots offshore at first, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots in the evening.Sea: 1 to 2 metres.Swell: Southerly 1 to 1.5 metres.
Monday: Wind: Southerly 5 to 10 knots tending east to northeasterly during the afternoon.Sea: Below 1 metre.Swell: Southeasterly 1 metre.
Tuesday: Wind: North to northwesterly 5 to 10 knots tending west to southwesterly up to 15 knots during the morning then tending south to southwesterly up to 25 knots during the afternoon.
Hello Friends,
When I checked it on dusk last night, I was worried that we might be waking up to more of the same this morning – ie grey, sideshore and messy. But we have a glorious sunny Sunday morning and comparatively tame winds for the brisk early. Fair number of bods on it of course. Patience is definitely required as the swell is pretty straight south at a couple metres with a 9 second power setting and therefore only the optimally aligned sets are pushing the bar up into the shoulder high range.
Wind was lightly out of the west as things got started this morning, but the forecast is calling for it to swing around to the s-sw later. With luck, that should mean reasonable surf conditions through to lunch time at south swell spots.
Latest run of the wave forecast models doesn’t look too cheerful for our region. There should be small waves around for a couple more days, but the trend is predicted to be downward toward flatness around midweek. Here’s hoping they prove to be unduly pessimistic.
For now, it looks like a day to be a weekend warrior. Enjoy!
TIDES: H @0850, L @1420
Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Sunday until midnight: Wind: South to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots reaching 25 knots at times.Sea: 1.5 to 2 metres.Swell: Southerly about 1.5 to 2 metres.
Monday: Wind: South to southwesterly 15 to 20 knots tending west to southwesterly 10 to 15 knots during the morning.Sea: Up to 1.5 metres.Swell: Southeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres.
Tuesday: Wind: Westerly 10 to 15 knots.
Hello Friends,
The cold wind this morning had me pulling out the steamer for the first time this year. But when I started wading out, I immediately wished I’d gone for the springy. The water is still very warm. I reckon it’s not far off the peak temps we get in summer. The MHL data says its 23 out at the buoy.
Dee Why point was pretty crowded, but I went out anyway, calculating that I should at least be able to get one wave. Happy to say I did a bit better than one, even though I was hanging in the photographer zone. Lots of multi-person takeoffs happening, but I’ve been in much worse crowds.
Biggest sets were into the head high plus range, but for the most part the two metre south swell was mostly giving us chest high stuff. No complaints though Huey! Appreciate your work as always.
Wind will probably chew it up this afternoon, but so far nothing’s persuaded me that we won’t have a steady supply of wave energy through to Sunday evening.
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