It’s rare to see Bondi deserted in the morning. Not a surfer in sight nor a soft sander bakin’ laps. Rain and dark clouds dominated the morning as the howling ESE onshores tore the surf to shreds. Is everyone spooked by Friday’s shark attacked? or are the conditions just plain disastrous? The latter I should think.
Minced waves reaching heights of 6-7 foot broke out the back (3.8m swell currently)…but you’ll seriously need some southern cover from the wind – its wild. Suggestions are Manly’s southern end, Bronte in close, Nth Bondi (as this wind may kick around to the East providing shelter). From Tuesday there is possibility of SW winds (offshore) but it’s quite hard to predict clearly at the moment.
At sunrise today, the light rays in between squalls were something else … quite spectacular.
Shark Attack Update
Bondi has been the talk of the town for the past 3 days. Its confirmed, Glenn Orgias a 33 year old from Dover Heights was bitten by a shark last Thursday night around 8pm. He’s recovering in hospital where they are trying to save his hand. The online discussion from Friday on Aquabumps has been very active and you can see the comments listed here. Let’s hope for a speedy recovering for Glen.
At 10am today I checked the beach again…in the south end rip (where Glen was attacked) was a huge flock of birds feeding on bait fish. Now I am guessing that means a lot of fish in the bay so maybe steer clear from a dusk or dawn paddle amongst the fish. Have you been for a paddle since Friday? (crap weekend surf aside)
How about this 10 year old body boarder having his fin bit up the coast of NSW? Lots of activity in the water…read more
Here is my take on things:
I went out yesterday for a paddle at Bondi at 9amish and was only one of 2 people in the water. I went out at mid and the other guy was way down at south. As it was coming out of low tide, the water was really murky which made me really paranoid. Even though it looked like crap, i got every wave i wanted for 40 mins and boy there were some great left and rights to be had. At times water visibility was clean as any perfect day but the niggling thoughts in the back of my head were killing me. Every time you come off the board or duck give you want to get out of there asap. Even thinking that the lifeguards have got your back (as there was nothing else for them to watch yesterday) your mind is your biggest enemy. After 40 mins of cold weather, all the waves I wanted and having to deal with my own mind games I called it a day.
Having an 11 month old and wife not really working it makes you rethink going for a paddle. WOuld suggest people get life insurance if they are in a similar situation to me. God forbid you leave your family with nothing!
Anyway, promised the wife that I wont be surfing this weekend if we keep hearing about sharks as we are going on holidays next week – Next surf potentially in LA in 3 weeks!
Great shots!
Image 10511 looks like the sun shining out of God’s bum!
So what was the deal with the Westpac chopper + everyone out of the water yesterday arvo around 5.15pm? Another sharky?
Having sharks around makes for a great excuse for semi-learners like me to maintain their unco status 😉
I’ve been going all weekend. Its been fine!… the lifeguards have been circling on the jetski and dingy to scare the big fish off and despite the messy conditions there’s been a small crowd lined up on the Northern-middle part on Sat and Sun arvo!
…. It’s a bit like driving… can’t stop driving because there was an unfortunate accident on your street!
(Hope that doesn’t come across as a heartless comment, I feel really bad for the guy!)
I went out on Sunday around 2ish in the middle of Bondi, but first sussed out south Maroubra only to have a shark alarm going off as I was doing a surf check! Eeeesh
Surf was a bit blow out but actually quite fun still, and lots of waves to be had, but definitely in between waves, sitting on your board, you can help but think frickin shark bait!!! Lifeguards on jet skis and Nippers on rafts were out doing their thingr, so most likely scaring away all sorts of fishes. Plus other surfers out, so strength in numbers? Better feeling then being out on your own anyway.
What I thought unusual, for a shitty rainy day, was the number of people out on the boardwalk and steps watching, as though expecting something to happen! ha-ha Hopefully it will be at least another 70 years before another one. Anyway as with the last entry, i got a 3 month old and an amazing girlfriend, makes you think twice and sucks to feel that going out and doing something you love so much can pose such a risk.
Roland
I live behind the esplanade at North Bra and on Sunday arvo I had my wesuit on about to run down the south end for a pretty solid session of 5-6 foot washing machine lefts. Just as I was grabbing my board from the rack the bloody shark alarm went off, So I waited an hour or two to get out there but my lady was having none of it… blocking the door and wouldn’t let me out. I was stinging for a wave but kind of glad that it wasn’t me making the decision and therefore no guilt.
Just weeks ago there was a little gummy shark swmming around me in the line up nothing life threatening but made me concerned for my toes.
I was also on the news talking about another shark sighting at the bra about a month ago..It does make you wonder wether the media is hyping it up as much as possible or wether there is a legitimate increase in activity. The News Reader was pretty hungry for a story.
everyone needs to stop stressing, im only 16, have lived in bondi all my life untill last year (where i recently moved up to forster on the mid north coast), yesterday i surfed a solid 4-6 foot reef about 800 metres out to sea, the water was literally brown and black, you put your arm about 50cm under the water and it disapeared, there were fish everywhere, im sure there were sharks around and none of the small crew out got bitten, i saw a shark on saturday too and it didn’t do a thing
and unfortunatly for that poor bloke, shark attacks will occur, but i think everyone needs to chilllll out, sharks are everywhere, but the chance of getting bitten is that low, although they are probably alot higher at the moment considering the conditions, but believing nothing will happen is a slight bit of reasurance
I live at Bronte and haven’t surfed since early last week when the waves were good here. I was up the coast over the weekend and had a crappy surf at Black Head Point on Saturday morning with a mate from Bondi. It was overcast, windy and pissing with rain but we were desperate for a surf so went in anyway. After a bit we spotted a large school of fish in the water not too far from the break. We also spotted a turtle, some dolphins and heaps of blue bottles during that session. The school of fish kind of freaked us a bit and after reading about the shark bitten flipper at Seal Rocks (not that far south of Black Head) on Sunday morning I am even more freaked out by the current state of the ocean.
As most are probably aware the Shark alarm when off again last night in bondi at about 5.15…(15th Feb) Heaps of camera crews on the beach etc… a couple of blokes recon they saw something very large in the water but more importantly at about 6.30 there was a fishing boat with a camera man onboard burleying up the water with all sorts of meaty/fleshy goodies in the boot at South Bondi… It was insane… a massive slick running to the shores of Bondi Beach… Seriously I saw it happening and today my next door neighbour confirmed it this morning as he was viewing the whole scene through his binoculars… It wasn’t the normal shark net fishing boat either… it was a different vessel… I guess they were hoping to catch ‘the’ shark but seriously surely that would attracting more than just the shark in question…
I guess they want to catch it and kill it and completely know what they are doing…
So i guess the birds you mentioned in your report this morning were hanging around because of all the fish these so called fisherman were looking to bring closer to shore… WHAT THE &%#* ???
Do anyone else know anything about this?
ye about the whole thing, i was down at bondi on sunday yesterday and i saw like one bloke in like middle south of bondi by himsef just sitting in the sets in the cold merky sketchy waters…hes got balls being out there by himself (unless he was a tourist who had no clue that there was a shark attack out there afew days prior)
Hi Glen,
if you are refering to someone wearing a black wetsuit with white markings surfing on Sunday morning in mid with a blue board – then that was me. I am local been surfing for 6 yrs and was desparate to surf. Was expecting more people to be out there. Having the surf boat guys practising near me made me feel a bit better. But needless to say my mind got the better of me and I dont expect to surf anytime soon at Bondi whjat with all the action going on around there.
Ugios isn’t sneaking in work on the weekends is he? ;(