White Bikini

I read this great New York Times article that studied the actual physical demands of surfing…interestingly, only 8% of our total time spent out in the water is actually riding waves. 54% paddling and the rest just bobbing up and down like a tea bag. Well… looking at the conditions today, I’d dispute that study […]

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Lake Bondeye

By now… after seeing an image of a building in the top spot today, you’ve realised there is no surf today. Welcome to Lake Bondi. This whole week has been pretty average for surfers. Thankfully the weather remains perfect. (max 22) Surf on Sunday – looks good…that’s if you’re not hanging out with Dad. R […]

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Good times

If you find any swell, let me know. Rarely do I say this, but Bondi was unsurfable today. Pretty much flat with a shorey slappin’ on the beach. To make up for the loss of swell the sunrise was good. Nice clear skies, no fog or early cloud smothering the sun. Can you feel it? […]

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Morning DeBrief

Outstanding morning. Plenty up early doing their morning rituals down the beach. There’s a little wave on down at Bondi. Got some strange banks at the moment that require a specific tide. Most waves feather out the back, fizzle out in the middle, before a slap on the beach. Just position yourself somewhere in the […]

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the lost swells

The weather has been real nice but how about some swell? Today’s the same as the past week, waistline chuggers best suited to surf craft over 9 foot. I have to ‘fess up, my pics make it look much better than it actually was down there. Best day this week to surf – Thursday. Have […]

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Mini

It’s still microscopically small and dead calm. The sun was out and warm, but the wind was icy and offshore. The crowds were non-existent and there’s a shallow, good bank in the south. Just nothing to break on it. Calm conditions will dominate over the weekend – but it will be cold. Don’t forget its […]

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Memo

Didn’t you get the memo? Today’s a beach day…100%. As I write this I see it has hit 28 degrees. Ok, there is a possibility of a thunderstorm later, but right now, oh boy, it’s a perfect day to get your towel out and go for an invigorating swim. The water is still cold. Surf […]

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Twenty-5

What a day aye? Sunny and 25. Just perfect. Little left chuggin’ into Bondi. Good for the big mals. Waist to sometimes shoulder high. Friday should have a little wave. Other than that – it’s going to be small for some time now…which normally comes hand in hand with good weather as a high pressure […]

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Lighthouse

The swell has backed right off but the Australian Surfing Festival is still running today up at Port Macquarie’s Lighthouse beach (Watonga Rocks). The short boards are now out there and they’re making the most of the trying conditions. Not many beaches along the East Coast would have a wave at all today. Lucky the […]

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Port

G’day from Port Macquarie where the Australian Surf Titles are currently under away. Did you know the Aussie titles have been running since 1964? Longest running surf event in Australia. The titles cover longboarding, shortboarding, Alaia, Single fin and now Stand Up Paddles (SUP). The contest is mobile and can show up at any one […]

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Wag

One of my most loyal readers, my mother, has been getting up me about bad grammar and spelling in my daily updates. She’s disgusted at the sight of a t!ypo@1 and wonders why she spent all that money educating me. Obviously I was heavily distracted at school. I spent most of the time hiding in […]

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Eco Beach

130 kilometres Southwest of Broome is Eco Beach, a unique laid back eco retreat basically in the middle of no where. Perfect for a time out. It was recently in the news for hosting the David Jones photo shoot with Miranda Kerr. Beautiful place, again, the water colours are just off the hook. The Kimberley […]

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Kimberley Colours

The colours found here in the Kimberley are jaw dropping. The water is a hue of blue I’ve not seen before, not even in Fiji or Tahiti. The water is clean, so clean that it’s where the best pearls in the world are farmed. Then there’s the dirt. Red stuff. Rich in minerals and manages […]

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Broome

I’ve arrived at the pearl farming town of Broome today. Some 2,200 kilometers north of Perth and completely the opposite side of Australia to Sydney. It’s summer here…yep…thawing out in the 32-degree heat whilst checking out the main beach, Cable Beach. Cable Beach was named in honour of the Java-to-Australia undersea telegraph cable, which connects […]

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B-Sides

By the time you read this update I will be on an early flight across the desert to the red dirt and warmer temperatures of Broome, WA. Last week was a good one for shooting pics, well before that big storm hit. Plenty of good light, calm conditions and sunrise colour. Here’s 7 shots that […]

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Gusty

The forecasted storm only just hit. (10:40am) It’s 35 knots of howling wind ripping Sydney apart. I look out the window and can see junk blowing down my street. The pram just blew over with my 16 month old son Jet in it. He’s ok, no need to call DOCs. This morning at sunrise it […]

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Now and Then

Take a look at the beach now, as the next 24 hours it is going to erupt. Today’s timid west winds will swing south overnight and blow, hard. Those flimsy knee to chest high sets of today will transform into triple head high tomorrow…yes…triple. Saturday will host the biggest waves of this storm swell. Some […]

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Golden Hour

I love the winter light. When the sun is low on the horizon it puts out a rich, warm hue that is pretty special. It’s a good time to go for a dip, swim out the back and watch the day kick off. Enough herbal rant. Down to more factual observations of the morning… There […]

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Squinters

Good morning. The left bowl down at South Bondi looked quite fun this morning. Plenty out as the sun crept over Benny Buckler. I’d say it’s the best it’s going to be all week long…see…tomorrow it’s going to be smaller and Thursday very very small, but Friday will be huge (triple head high) and seriously […]

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Silky

In terms of water conditions, this morning was perfect. Silky smooth surfaces with absolutely no wind. The only ingredient missing is swell. It’s microscopic. Today is the smallest day of the week and it will gradually build to a big day on Friday (sorry, but it will be windy also). Plenty of surf days in […]

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Flame Up

After a week of rogue waves, you can finally return to the water as the ocean has settled down. It’s head high at Bondi now, clean and looking quite good. Wow, what an excellent sunrise, one of Sydney’s finest. A perfect thin ceiling of cloud hovering above Ben Buckler, lit up from the bottom as […]

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Beefcakes

I wish there was more on offer when these giant south swells come to town. There is just nothing rideable around here when it’s like this. Today is the last of the big stuff. From here on the winds will be lighter and our little sand banks will be able to manage the swell. I […]

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The Big Boys

We have a giant rogue swell in town…it’s hitting the breakwalls at the back of the beaches. I’ve seen waves this morning up around 8-10 feet. I’ve also spent around 3 hours in the car driving around, stalking rideable swells, but really…it’s not on – too windy.  A couple of mates surfed a bombie out […]

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