As the mercury climbs and healing continues, it’s been great to see people slowly returning to the beach. The waves, however, are still taking their sweet time. Huey — this is your cue. A few healing waves would be very welcome. Surfing half-a-foot is getting a bit old. Yesterday’s day of reflection filled the beach […]

This morning, the Bondi community came together the way it always does — on the water. A quiet paddle-out at sunrise. Heads bowed, hearts heavy. We showed respect, love and solidarity with the Jewish community, and with everyone affected by the horrific attacks last Sunday. Bondi is built on community — on looking out for […]

Like many of you, we’re still in shock after what happened last Sunday night. We want to let you know that our team and our family are safe — and we’re deeply grateful for the many messages checking in with us. Thank you. I’ve received hundreds of messages from all over the world, and they’ve […]

It’s rare for us to wander this far inland — properly inland — but here we are, deep in Djungan Country. Remote bush, Far North Queensland style, where the days hit 38°, the dirt glows red, XXXX replaces Peroni, and everyone’s keen for a yarn under an Akubra, decked out in R.M. Williams. We’ve landed […]

Pauline Menczer is one of Bondi’s quiet legends — a world champion who rose from an incredibly tough upbringing to reach the absolute pinnacle of her sport. In 1993, she was crowned Women’s World Surfing Champion, beating the best on the planet. Yet despite the titles, the grit, and the history she made, Pauline walked […]

Last night I had a poke around the big smoke (the city — not the bushfires). A little glow-up over the skyline, a nice reminder that this is a pretty special place to live. Back at Bondi this morning and the waves have done exactly what the forecast promised — dissipated. We’re down to 1-footers, […]

For the next three days, enjoy the comfy weather before Thursday rolls in with some rain. Friday raining too. This morning we had a little sprinkle and a ceiling of dark, moody clouds… but at least there were a few waves on offer. Waist to shoulder-high, a bit on the junky side, but rideable all […]

We’re lucky to live here. Just look at Bondi this morning—silky, glassy, not a wave in sight but begging you to dive in. I tailed the Salties on part of their bay crossing at sunrise… never easy lugging a weight belt and water housing, but a bloody good way to kick off the day. A […]

I love taking photos. You already knew that. It’s the daily ritual that keeps my compass straight. I especially love shooting from way up there in the chopper and way down here in the brine. Swimming my camera brings joy you only get when you’re in the scene, shoulder-to-shoulder with your subjects, ducking waves, inside […]

I did a whole lot more swimming than shooting this morning — it happens when the rips are on turbo. Ramp Two was churning like a white-water ride, and I knocked out a few hot laps before finally finding sanctuary (and firm ground on a shorey bank) long enough to connect a few frames with […]

It jumped from 2 foot to 4 foot while I was shooting Bondi this morning — a pretty impressive burst of energy. The 18-knot southerly was messing with the surface but keeping the crowds way down. Add those winter-style temps and it was actually really peaceful down there. We’re only hitting a top of 20 […]

You know it’s summer in Bondi when you paddle out and bump into people who can’t swim sitting out the back… foilers threading their blades through packed line-ups… clubbie IRBs slicing through the chaos like cheetahs on the hunt… and, of course, the Ferraris, Lambos and Harleys smoking up Campbell Parade. Global tourism rolls in, […]

There was a little wave out there this morning — hiding among the masses — but yeah, it was looking a bit weak and floppy. A very Bondi 2-footer. Still, a glorious morning with a huge hive of dawn-goers swarming North Bondi more than the south. We’re heading for 27 degrees today with a gentle […]

A foggy start out there today — must’ve been that hot air and cool air having a little wrestle. The waves were tiny at sunrise and that low tide was a punish, but if you were keen you could log a sneaky waist-high peel. It’ll improve as the tide pushes back in. Now? Glorious. Sunny. […]

It’s really heating up around here as we creep into the 33-degree range. The sun’s on turbo, it’s offshore, and there are some tidy little chest-high peelers rolling in right now. Sunrise, however… was not the time to surf. The banks are cooked on a low tide, and the crowd factor? Next level. Oh boy, […]

The forecasters nailed it — we woke to a proper swell jump. Overhead and flexing. Shame the banks are average… that 5:13am low tide had most sets shutting down like the Beach Road at midnight. Every now and then a drainer would wedge up on the sand, but mostly it was a foamy with a […]

Interesting week ahead… it’s about to get proper hot as we wrap up the final days of spring. Tomorrow hits 31º, Wednesday cranks to 35º and it’s basically bluebird skies until Friday. Redemption for last week’s gloom. And good news — the swell drought is officially broken. Tomorrow and Wednesday should serve up fun waves […]

Hmm, it’s no oil painting out there today. Horrendously onshore, rain, and Bondi looked like it was on lunch break. Pretty rare for a Friday — normally we’ve got DJs cranking sunrise sets, run-club-athons, PT torture sessions, and the almighty swarming salties filling the bay. Not today! Jumpers are back on, coffees are double-parked, and […]

I was up very early, scanning the horizon for a sunrise setup… wow, what a fizzer. Grey, 0ft, and onshore — probably the worst combo for Aquabumps photo journal magic. The whole east coast has been deprived of waves for ages now. Is it making you cranky? Just a little? Tomorrow might be a fraction […]

The world’s most consistently breaking average wave is deep in a lengthy flat spell. Once again, it’s micro out there — the ocean’s gone full Mediterranean mode: calm, glassy, barely a ripple. Apparently there’s a touch of NE windswell somewhere, but it sure isn’t showing its face on south-facing Bondi this morning. We’re heading for […]

There was promise of an overnight swell bump, but I’m pretty sure the 7:48 am high tide swallowed it whole for the sunrise crew. There’s a wave if you’re riding a 100-litre aircraft carrier, and yes—three banks are technically “in operation”—but wow, it is BUSY. After a long run of tiny surf, everyone’s twitching for […]

There are eight major beaches in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, but the two headline acts are Bondi and Coogee. Bondi takes the crown as the most visited beach in Australia, while the flat-water lovers tend to drift toward the calmer shores of Coogee. For a small beach, Coogee packs a punch: four ocean pools (Wylies, Ross […]

Some days are harder to shoot than others… like today. A pretty mundane, overcast morning with completely blown-out 1-footers and a nip in the air. Not exactly the stuff of Aquabumps dreams. So instead of polishing a potato, let’s digress… Meet our latest piece of surfable art — something you can ride or hang on […]

As predicted, the swell has fallen off a cliff — we’re down to dribbles. A feeble bump rolls through every now and then, just enough to remind you there was surf yesterday. The nor’easter is already puffing, giving everything that summery, beach vibe. The water’s still on the chilly side…I’m stubbornly hanging onto the wettie. […]

Freddy Carmody definitely took out the heat this morning. Not sure what Emma’s feeding him for brekky, but I’ll have what he’s having. I counted — he was catching a wave every 45 seconds to a minute. One-footers, three-footers, close-outs, fat burgers… Fred was slaying the lot. Full pace. Quite the display — some of […]

5 a.m. starts again — early! But worth it. The high cloud caught all the colour this morning — a spray of pinks and purples over Bondi that lasted a few sweet minutes before the light flattened out. We’re wedged between two south swells right now — smaller than yesterday, but at least it’s sunny […]

Not much to surf lately, hey? It’s been a pretty flat, onshore stretch — so if you’ve been pacing the shoreline, desperate for something rideable, today’s your day. Head-high peaks, clean faces, and a proper NW offshore cleaning it up. Finally, a reason to wax up and paddle out without procrastination. Whilst we’ve got swell, […]

I thought there was meant to be a little bump in swell today — but it ghosted us. Bondi’s doing its best impression of Lake Como: glassy, calm, and barely a ripple to shoot. Under moody skies, the crowds still turned up. Can’t blame them — even flat days look good down here. Confession time: […]

The wave machine’s back on — we’ve actually got rideable surf down at Bondi! Still running off that ENE low-period dribble, but a sneaky little 180-degree south bump at 12 seconds is giving it some backbone (all very fun-sized though, so keep expectations in check). Ramp Dos Left was once again loggers’ paradise — feeding […]

A stunning, crisp morning out there — but no waves. Like, zero. Even if you’re frothing, you’ll struggle to find a ripple. The ocean’s on pause… stalled. Rare sight around here, given Bondi breaks nearly 90% of the time — possibly the world’s most consistently average wave. Not a cloud in sight — 100% clear […]

Few places on Earth serve up such easy waves as Bondi. It’s a beginner’s paradise out there — especially today. You couldn’t script it any softer: light, crumbling, multiple peaks running along all 900 metres of beach. And all this, just seven clicks from a global city centre. The 100-litre foamie army was out in […]

Combo swells from the east and northeast are in town — though Bondi’s serving up the tiniest, most inconsistent offerings. The light Monday crew were on duty, perched on 100-litre boards, picking off the odd set every 15 minutes and catching up on weekend gossip between waves. A foggy, overcast start to the week. It’s […]

Do you think Attorney General Pam Bondi is actually from Bondi? You know, like a nickname – Bondi Tony and his salubrious burgers kind of thing? Pam’s golden locks look like she’s done some time in the brine, getting shacked and sun-bleached. Probably not much surf time these days though, seeing she’s knee-deep in Senate […]

After the rain, the shine. The sunshine’s back, and it bloomed into a cracker of a morning around the beaches. A sneaky 5 a.m. shower must’ve scared everyone off — the regulars scored an empty beach, empty peaks, and clearing skies by about 7 a.m. The surf? Bit of fool’s gold. Bondi had some rip […]

These are the days to make the cultural pilgrimage to Bronte — wander the coastal path, see a hundred sculptures while the wind whips through your hair, and enjoy it before the weekend hordes descend. Thin crowds, easy parking and quiet times. We haven’t had a cool day in yonks, so the jumpers are back […]

Yesterday’s long-period south swell (14 seconds!) had us frothing — proper grunt, long lines, and fun peaks. This morning? We’re on the leftovers. It’s shrunk to about a third of the size, and in true long-period fashion, the gaps between sets are big enough to make a coffee, and still paddle back out before the […]

Bondi was heavin’ this morning — wall-to-wall humans all chasing that end-of-week fix. A dip, a few waves, a gym sesh, then a java hit to round it out. Tunes, sunshine, and good energy all over the joint. Fridays are a big hit down here, and lucky us — there are waves today. Two-to-three-footers with […]

Before the cool change rolled in, it was still steamy, and we had a small window of fun waves. Shoulder-high on the sets, with those little nuggety wedges at Bondi — home of the great rip bowl! The onshores have since kicked in, and it’s now a full-blown junkyard out there (yep, I checked before […]

So where is it?This so-called 38–40 degree heatwave that’s been hyped all week? Feels more like a mild summer’s day to me. My phone reckons it’s 36, but I’m standing here at what’s meant to be peak heat of the day, and honestly – not so sure. Warm, sure. But not fry-an-egg-on-the-footpath hot. Regardless — […]

The winds were up early and blowing straight onshore when I hit the sand. Combined with a high-tide sunrise, the shorey was looking pretty undesirable — fat, weak, choppy. The breeze also dragged in cooler temps — a one-day reprieve before we bake into 38 degrees tomorrow. Yep, 38! Whoa. Work day today; surf looks […]