Curl Curl in the summer

Storm Scroll.

Woke to a moody old Bondi this morning—wind whipping, horizontal rain, and a soupy grey sky swallowing the coastline whole. No golden glow, no glassy waves, not even a lone jogger doing laps of the promenade. Just inside-out brollies and a frothy ocean throwing a full-blown tantrum.

Bondi’s a ghost town today… and let’s be honest, not much to shoot out there.

So, yep—you guessed it. I’m digging into the sunny-day stash to bring you some gold from better times. A few frames to remind you summer (just not today).

Looks like it’s going to be a soggy week ahead—especially up the mid-north coast. Buckets of rain coming.

Cheer up. Do some work. Perhaps buy my book.
:: uge

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B O N D I ! @Icebergs

Bondi Drizzle

Fridays around here are usually full throttle — but not this one. It was mellow, almost sleepy. Maybe that 6am drizzle had everyone reaching for the snooze button instead of the swimmers. The beach was quiet, the lineup even quieter. The south corner’s still got some energy, with waist-high sets and the occasional bigger pulse. […]
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Icebergs in a Liquid I.V. Skin

Fully Hydrated

It’s a bit of a cliché, but Bondi was fully hydrated this morning—rain, rain, and yep, more rain. And it’s not easing up anytime soon. The current weather pattern looks set to linger, with showers and cool temps hanging around for the next few days. On the bright side? Rain usually means swell. Silver linings, […]
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How many in the water you reckon? And that's just North

Urban Rush

After a grey start, Bondi has flipped into a stunning, sunny Autumn day. It’s sitting around 21 degrees at lunchtime—pretty ideal. Heads up, though: there’s a chance of a shower around 4 p.m., so maybe bring the washing in early. The wave machine has eased off. Just the occasional shoulder-high runner pushing through, but mostly […]
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Fraser Dovell, blow tails and hugging the shoulder for safety

Clean Sets, Dirty Etiquette

The decent run of swell continues, and Bondi was looking the goods at sunrise—clean lines, waist to head high, with the odd freak set throwing a little more grunt. But while the waves were playing nice, the crowd? Not so much. It was absolute carnage out there this morning. A weird mix of beginners going […]
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Fraser Dovell, full commitment to frontside jam

Drenched Dreams

Yep, still raining. The skies have forgotten how to do anything else. This week’s forecast? It’s more of the same – wet, grey, and moody. But with these unstable systems comes an upside: swell. And plenty of it. The ocean’s been generous, and we’ve had a decent run of waves. Stormy? Sure. But there’s gold […]
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Joel Pilgrim on the other side of the curtain, Bondi

Into the Deep End

Looking out the window now, you’d never guess how magic the morning was. Gloomy, onshore, and junky this arvo—but at 6:30am? Glorious sunshine, silky offshore winds, and two-foot peelers folding neatly into the corner on high tide. Warm water, too. Proper autumn gold. The southerly’s kicked in hard. It’s 3–4 foot and pretty wild now. […]
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Surfing is popular at Bondi! 7am

Midweek Micro

It’s smaller than yesterday. Actually, it’s way smaller. We’re teetering on lake-like conditions down here at Bondi this morning. But don’t pack away your board just yet—change is coming. A fresh south swell is on the way and should start pulsing around lunchtime tomorrow. We’re talking a leap from ankle-biters to overhead sets by the […]
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Lucky shorey frame, right place, right shutter speed, right light

Waves & Shutters

I’ve not taken photos in the brine for a while, as the conditions haven’t been right. Shooting in the water is my favourite type of photography, even better than dangling out the side of a helicopter. Especially on sublime Autumn mornings, when the water is crystal clear and warm, the sunlight crispy and golden. The […]
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Water sculptures, South Bondi

Glow & Go

It was a very picturesque Monday to kick off the week. Colourful hues ignited above Ben Buckler whilst 1-2 footers peeled into the bay from the East. Yesterday was an incredible Sunday – everywhere was pumping with no wind, plenty of swell and sunshine. Bondi was fantastic, with enormous crowds feasting on 4-5 foot piping […]
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All electric on the beach, EV9 Kia our newest partner

Rain Dance

I spent the morning seeking sanctuary from the rain under bus stops, Icebergs overhangs and giant Norfolk Pines. It was not the most photogenic morning down at Bondi! I believe there’s a direct correlation between my cameras being out and rain squalls – the rain dance! Need rain? I’ll pop over with my cameras, I’m […]
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Thursdays, with some new paint

Never-Ending Shower

Did someone forget to turn off the tap? Oh boy, it’s been wet in New South Wales lately. Trying to polish up these grey, stormy mornings is quite the challenge. Chilly as well, 25 knots of southerly will do that. Max 18 and low of 14, you’ll feel the coldest you’ve been in quite some […]
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Little Viking dropping into a hollow one, Bondi 7:30am

Clearing Skies

The sun is out, let’s party! Oh, don’t worry – the rain will return by 2 p.m., but at least you had a dry half-day. The waves were clean as the onshore flow finally dropped. It’s decent, 3-4 foot and well worth a paddle. Over the years, Aquabumps has helped lots of people. You’d be […]
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