Thomo bay hook ups, Rottnest island

It’s a wrap…

Firstly I hope everything is OK after last night’s violent hail storm in Sydney. It was truly unbelievable. Worst hail storm since the famous 1999 lashing that took down many insurance companies. I was stuck at home whilst the tin roofs lit up like firecrackers. Also in 1999, I started Aquabumps – nearly 20 years ago! (anniversary […]

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CP taking the log for a spin

Flipside

Ok, we’re back on regular programming today. The sun is out, the waves have returned, and it’s a sensational beach morning. Two sandbanks were putting out waist to shoulder high waves this morning. We’ve still had dregs from that NE swell, but a new SE swell seems to be filling in, which suits Bondi Beach’s orientation. […]

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Stampede, North Bondi

Highlights Reel

It’s not the prettiest beach day in Sydney. Tiny waves, grey and rainy. The water is even a murky brown/green colour to match the sky’s dullness. You’ve probably got something better to do today, like Chrissy shopping or end of year luncheons. Big day in Hawaii yesterday as Medina takes the title and Pipe Masters in […]

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Mykonos, loved the water there so much going back in 2019

Distractions

The allure of watching a surfing world title go down this morning was far more significant than shooting a stormy, grey, junkie, high tide 12-inch shorey. Yep, there’s so much going down on the North Shore today, with Parko retiring, Slater blazing back into competition, Gabs pulling 10s out of a hat and Jules having a […]

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Mist and golden light - blown out at North Bondi this morning

Home Straight

Nearly there… For most, this week is the final week of work before setting off on holiday. You may have already checked out early, sitting in your cubicle watching the Pipe Masters online… (I am…Medina is surfing right now – it’s crunch time on the tour) Back to Bondi – there’s some surf out there. It’s […]

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Oh yes, motorized foil boarding - it's a thing!

Dear Santa…

What’s on your Christmas wish list? A motorized foil board? A big east swell and offshore winds? Oh, I got it…an Aquabumps artwork from our gallery. Of course! We have plenty in-stock ready to go. Here are a few gift ideas: A long sleeve wettie jacket for summer from NCHE $170. Surfboard – 7s Double-Down summer […]

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Family swim, Clovelly

Sans Sand

A beach without sand (sans sand) is Clovelly Beach! Clovelly is a narrow bay situated North of Coogee. It was actually called Little Coogee until 1913.  During The Great Depression, Randwick Council filled it up with concrete to make it more accessible for swimmers – and – provide work for the unemployed in dire economic times. If […]

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Bronte, hued and relatively quiet this morning

The Cutting

Mostly a grey morning with a hint of colour. Not really any surfable waves, a small crumble at Tamarama, a log 1 footer at Bondi. You’d be OK if you hit the snooze button and slept in. The good news is there’s swell coming tomorrow which will build over the next few days. It’s all […]

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Best clouds of 2019, Bondi

Heavens

The forecast was for rain this morning. I wasn’t expecting much of a sunrise…and thought it could mean a lazy sleep-in (rare for me). 5:15 am I could see through the blinds that the weatherman had it wrong and the skies could fire up into a blaze of colour. It’ was pretty good! See my Instagram time-lapse, […]

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Summer silly season is here! Bondi kicking it up gear on the weekend

Transition

You can feel the change coming. The southerlies were in early and rain is due tonight. After a week of sunny beach weather, this week is looking quite grey. Tamarama was full of fish at sunrise, and all the surfers were called out of the water by the Drone Shark App Spotters. Four sharks were feeding […]

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My little fella Jet (7) stoked on his new view.

Succession

There is something very rewarding when your children start to show interest in your passions – like surfing + photography. My little fella came out this morning for a few tandem slides with old mate Joel Pilgrim from Waves of Wellness. He’s 7 and can surf on his own these days out the back, but I […]

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Berg's sunrise, before opening and filling

Circadian Rhythm

They say getting up early and exposing yourself to first light, the warmest light of the day is good for your circadian rhythm. It kicks your body clock into gear and helps regulate your sleeping patterns. I’m actually writing about a topic I have no real knowledge of so let’s just leave it at that! I […]

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The good old Bergs

On-slaw

It’s onshore and surfable. It’s grey and warm. Nothing special, just a stock standard Bondi morning with junkie 3 footers. Apparently, it’s gonna disappear fast, so the morning sess is best. Born out of one man’s passion for the ocean and handmade in his garage – the perfect gift for every ocean lover. Spend more […]

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Outback, Bondi Beach

Morning Salt

Good morning. It really was a good morning down the beach, earlier, but cloudy now. A small shorey had some pockets on it – I’d surf it – but there was a big crowd up early. Yesterdays shortlived 3-4 footers have faded, as we wait for the next swell  – due tonight. (yes, bonus!) My mate […]

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Bondi - very busy yesterday

Relent

Oh boy, that was a big weekend around Bondi. Whenever the hot westerlies blow off the desert it feels like the whole of Sydney hits the coast. 35 degrees yesterday – and then POW! – the flanking violent southerly hit town with a bang. Fortunately, it’s gone back offshore and it kicked up some 3-4 […]

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North Bondi gold plated

Golden Fridays

G’day. What a day! The surf and weather have aligned to give you a great excuse to get down the beach. I kinda blew it though, I didn’t realise the swell was so East and Bondi isn’t cranking, like other exposed east facing beaches. Bra, Manly, Whale, Narra, gosh…the list goes on, should all be proper […]

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Home. Looking at this, a lotta people live here!

Bucketing

It looks like we’ll hit the quota of 120 millimetres of rain today! Oh man, it’s bucketing down. Think of the good side – the Bondi Parking Cops won’t be patrolling, the garden is loving it and I’ve put my car out on the street for a free wash. The downside – I just can’t […]

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3 lucky girls enjoying the sunrise burner

Fiery Start

A storm is coming! Enjoy today as it’s going to be mostly dry (but cloudy) –  at midnight tonight it will pour, and pour, and continue for two days. We could get up to 120 millimetres! Bring in the washing, fertilise the garden, clean out the gutters…Sydney is going to get a good rinse. Today we […]

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Pool light play, Bergs

Blown

Plenty of swell, just too much onshore wind. Bondi was a blown out mess after an early southerly arrival. You need to seek some cover – something like Manly. We’ve had a good run of swell – the weekend was pumping and today it’s a new swell (4-6 foot). Wait until it calms down a […]

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Bronte Pool, a magnet for early-birds

Fresh Batch

Fresh new SE groundswells, shark sightings, dust storms, Aquaman kidnapping, offshore winds…and…massive crowds. It’s all happening down the beach this morning. I was up around 5am and there were plenty of people up a lot earlier than I. When I rocked up at Bronte Pool the car park was pretty full (5:15 am), and Instagram […]

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Unusual clouds and light this morning at Bondi Beach

Formations

A very hot muggy morning in Sydney – 22 degrees at sunrise. Cloudy at first, then started to clear with some very unusual light/cloud combinations. Beach was packed early. Always is on these hot ones. Expect 29 degrees today. Waves – yep, there’s some. It looked full on a higher tide. Should improve on the […]

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Early, very.

Fluid

Sydney’s a good joint to live in. There are not too many places in the world that have such liveable and surfable conditions – most days. This morning was very enticing. Hope you got down there. The show began with a colour spray at 5:30 am. In the brine we had 1-2 footers peeling. It […]

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Sage blowing tails and up early for once. Bondi

Eureka

Surf forecasters were calling only 1-2 foot for this morning, but it was better than that I reckon. I saw a rare head high set, clean, sunny, warm water – ah yes, that’s a good combo. NE winds are blowing, tomorrow the water may cool right down again. Have a great day, uge

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Bondi junkyard with whackable random sections

Grey Suits

Yesterday Bondi Beach was closed due to multiple shark sightings (a big one apparently). A few of the local boys exited the water – screaming! Wow. Also, there was a rescue yesterday at North Bondi with a man in distress. Hence 3 emergency helicopters in the bay after lunch. All action down here yesterday. All […]

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Grayson Hinrichs, frontside blow tail with tweak

Window

It was so good to have a few waves this morning. Sets were up around head-high and it was clean and offshore very early. We’ve got a destructive southerly in town now, and it looks like the leftover NE swell has dropped a few gears – so if you didn’t paddle out early, it looks […]

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Bondi Beach, 5:40am this morning

NE

We’ve got a nice clean morning, burner of a sunrise and small peaks at South Bondi. Around the corner at Tama would be much better due to it’s orientation to the swell source. I saw waves mainly in the 1-2 foot range at Bondi. It’s hollow as there’s a huge rip in the south. (Heaps […]

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Rowan round house

Pulse

The waves pulsed a little this morning. At sunrise it looked tiny, but as the morning progressed the waves picked up – maybe even a head high set! NE winds are going to increase. The gale will flatten the swell and bring an NE wind swell. I’d expect 25 knots later. North Bondi will be […]

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Weeties, rip

Splash

Bondi, the most consistent (average) wave on the planet. There’s nearly always something to paddle onto down there. This morning was no exception. It’s only one foot, maybe two, but you’ll still get to your feet and slide down something. Don’t expect to stab out any turns or get shacked, but you’ll feel great for […]

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Log-heaven, The Pass, Byron Bay

A Day in the Bay

Cheer up. Slow down. Chill out. Yes, I’m in the herbal regions of Byron Bay today. The most ironic thing about Byron is that it’s manic – it’s busier than Bondi! The most easterly point of Australia juts out into the Pacific – with an enormous bay on one side (Byron Bay). This unique setup […]

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Tough day to keep the pool clean at high tide, Icebergs

Moods

I spent the morning chasing light rays around Bondi. From 7 am we were morphing from a grey, multi-layered, dark cloudy morning to brilliant sunshine. Some spectacular moments so I cranked up the medium format 100-megapixel bad boy and shot some slow shutters. There is plenty of new swell. Waves are breaking in the 3-5 […]

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Marie Lebourgeois

Embrace

After a hot night sometimes it’s tough dragging yourself down the beach in the morning. You’re half asleep, meandering down to the water’s edge – then Boom! Once you’re underwater you feel like a million bucks. Studies show that a swim in cool water can give you mental clarity. (Yes, I do believe it needs […]

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The old boat ramp, a treasured spot at sunset

RED CARDINAL

I’m backing the Red Cardinal in today’s Melbourne Cup. Only because Bondi Beach (who came 2nd last year) isn’t running. Who are you supporting? It’s going to be hot and muggy (31) for your Cup luncheon today. No, you’re not missing any action down the beach, it’s very overcast, sticky and 1-2 foot on the […]

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Board training, Friday 2 October 5:30pm

Groundswell

There’s a groundswell hitting Bondi, both on the land and in the ocean. It was a massive weekend around here. One of the first hot ones combined with the sculptures. Thousands of humans powered into Bondi… even the cafes that are usually empty were full! Today I swam my regular south corner at sunrise and waves broke […]

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Bondi Beach 6am, coloured skies

Hot hot hot

Flick the out-of-office on; you’re done for the day. It’s too hot not to go to the beach. There’s a huge mass of hot air creeping into Sydney from inland Australia. It’s gonna hit 37 degrees today. Yep, you read it right, 37. Waves – yeah, there’s some for the logs. 1-2 foot, peeling at 6 […]

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What's the time Uncle Joel?

Irriguous

Hot and muggy one, and it’s only getting hotter. That’s something to be excited about. Good to see loads of crew enjoying our weedy waters down Bondi. Small waves, dribbles really, yet contestable. Take a high volume surf craft. Tomorrow, oh boy, tomorrow…hot hot hot! Water has warmed up as, shed some rubber. :: uge, […]

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Morning rituals, Icebergs, Bondi Beach

Warmth

The mornings are getting warmer and the crowds growing as we slide in summer. Bondi is nuts in summer. Just watch the TV show! To my surprise, we have half decent waves in Bondi this morning. Its a junkie confused ocean, a lil’ onshore, with swell coming in from all directions, but there’s a head high […]

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mood

Soak

Sunshine – yes – soak it up. Waves too, much smaller than yesterday. 2-3 foot, clean. Yesterday I was surfing with a just a couple others. This morning at sunrise – gridlock. WOW. Packed. A ding repairers heaven. Have you checked out the slabby new surf lake in Queensland? Looks fun. :: uge

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Francoise surf check

Blanket

Under a blanket of thick morning cloud, we have waves! Hooray! I’m calling it 3-4 footers. Winds are currently offshore and surfaces are clean. I’d surf it before the winds swing light onshore later today. A higher tide seems to make it hold up better also. This week we have some great weather coming – […]

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Foil reef, South Bondi

Where’s Bob?

Another action-packed Friday morning down at Bondi Beach, Australia. Nah…no motorcades, no royal couples this Friday. The prince of the shaping bay was meant to come down, 74-year old Bob McTavish, but I think he must have got stuck in traffic or couldn’t find a park. So it was just me, the Fluro gang, Lifeguards, a […]

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Weetman puttin' the foot down

The Slow Shutter

Good to see some fruit in the bowls at Bondi this morning. Pumping? Sadly not. Surfable – correct. After a few days of slim pickings, we have surfable 1-3 footers. Clean at high tide this morning, but the onshore has always begun its disturbance. Do you know I’ve got 14 years of Aquabumps daily archives […]

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