banks on Holiday

Report - Decreasing 3m SW. Light offshore (morning). 7.04 am High Tide.

There isnt one decent bank between Lumpies and RSLs. At high tide you really should be able to get a decent wave, but the banks seem to have closed for the Xmas break. They were around last week, so how they can so quickly disappear?

Still at the end of the day (or rather beginning before the wind turns onshore) its nice to get out and get wet.

Crowds could be found today at Rebounds and Sandpits. Not many at RSLs.

The next few days look good for fishing or drinking.

Christmas Comes Early for Surfers

report - 3.5m SW swell. no wind (sea breeze later). 10.30 High (1.46m)

Wegde is cranking this morning. Its quite setty, but thats when the good ones roll in.

After 2 weeks of flatness, the swell kicked on Tuesday, but was too windy, however there was plenty of leftovers for Wed mornings high tide at RSL's. plenty of head high - ohead waves holding up and only a few out.

Thurs was way too windy again, but the swell is still good this morning.

Its really too big for everywhere else, so Wedge is quite crowded. Plenty of waves to go around with 5 - 6 wave sets.

Could sneak in another session before the sea breeze.

still lack of action

Its been so long without a decent wave that people are getting excited about 1 footers.

With howling onshores and flat seas lets just hope the prediction for friday comes true, but by then maybe we will all have forgotten how to stand up on a wave.

flat again

report - 1m SW swell. 20 - 25kt westerlies.

its been flat for a few days again.

Fortunately tasmania has more than 1 coast. So yesterday Boneyards was ok in the morning. Worth the paddle, just. Whilst being far from being as good as it can be, there were still some nice long rides.

The east coast also had some good waves yesterday and this morning.

Things are looking slightly better for the weekend, but not fantastic.

Down for the Count

Report - its raining, onshore and shitty.

This surfer has been down and out with a nasty head cold, so I have no idea if there are any good banks left or even how the swell has been this week.

The weather man says it will be pretty much similar conditions for the next few days so maybe its a good time to go Xmas shopping. (if there is ever a good time that is).

Hopefully things will improve next week

Rain

Report - 2m SW swell. Light onshore SE winds

Given today's conditions who cares when the tide is. No waves and onshore with rain almost all day.

Not a lot to report in South Arm recently. There has been a bit of swell, but the banks are not what they were.

This surfer even had to resort to North Clifton yesterday, where there are a few good banks and some nice waves.

The outlook for the next few days is not great, so may have to wait for the weekend before any decent swell arrives.

Waves again

Report - 2m SW swell, light SE - SW winds. 10.44 low tide.

The official report for swell seems at odds with what is actually out there. There has to be some east in the swell as there are some quite large waves coming in at RSL's, but seems pretty small elsewhere. Some of them were even holding up for a few turns this morning before the wind and low tide.

I suspect with the easterly that boneyards and maybe even swansea - orford had waves, but with too many responsibilities wasn't able to make it myself today.

Flat Spell

Report - 1m SW swell. Light N winds. 10.00 am High tide.

1m sw = dead flat. You could waterski on the South Arm beaches today, and there is no real good swell on the way either.

there has been a few decent waves at sandpits in the right tide and wind, but otherwise it seems the summer weather pattern is just about set in for a while. meaning small waves and long drives to spots that catch the swell better than round here.

Some waves today at Eaglehawk, but the NE swell should be dying out as well.

get in the car and go searching.

Windy

Report - 2.5 - 3m Sw Swell. Nw winds. 10.10am low tide.

Things were pretty flat and unsurfable up until yesterday, when the swell picked up. ENE onshore in the morning, but the wind swung to the north mid afternoon and there was good waves at Sandpits and Goats. At least up until it turned to an offshore gale.

For the Tasman and east coast the wind finally went westerly today with good overhead at EagleHawk.

The swell is increasing through tomorrow, with the trick being to get the right balance of swell and tide before the wind goes onshore. Then its predicted to stay SW for a few days.

Banks still around

Report - 3m SW swell, Light N winds (before seabreeze).

The public holiday saw quality waves on Thursday morning with a peak pulse at high tide and some 3 - 4 ft rippers. Unfortunately it also saw a big crowd.

Since then the story is pretty much the same each day, early good 2 - 3ft waves on the banks at Goats and Sandpits on the rising tide. Once the tide turns things go sour quite quickly, then once the seabreeze kicks in its definitely all over. Should be more of the same for the next couple of days.

banks come and go and come again

Report - 3.5m SW. Early NW winds then switching to SW late morning. 11.30 am low tide.

Been a while since the last update, but not much changed since then.

After a bit of a flat spell last week the banks at Goats filled in a bit, but seem to be making a small comeback after 4 days of kind of shitty weather.

Its all about timing at the moment, and getting in before the wind moves on shore.

Pity about all the rain as before Friday it was definitely feeling like spring.

Not much of a good outlook for the next day or 2, stay home watch tele, do your tax and hope the winds go northerly for a while.

Banks

Report - 3.5m SW swell. Light NW winds swinging W and increasing in strength. Low tide 6.12am

Following the large swell of 2 weeks ago and follow up swells, Goats beach has a series of banks at the moment that are the best I have seen in 10 years of living in Tassie.

Naturally they are better on a rising tide, but seem to able to hold anything up to a 4m swell, when you should really be surfing at Wedge anyway.

Early winds have been favourable all week and the banks don't look like disappearing anytime soon. Should be crowded on the weekend.

Best Wedge This Year?

Report - 3.5m SW Swell. Light winds early-30kt W later. High Tide 8.00am

If you managed to get up early enough the wedge was pretty much the best its been all year. Consistent 3 ft, with the occasional 4 ft set. The bank is so long and flat after last weeks points swell, that with the right direction the waves peel nicely along the beach, especially the lefts.

But, if you got there after 10am then bad luck the wind had ripped into it and whilst there was still waves, they just didnt match up to earlier.

Morning tides are good for the weekend. So dont sleep in too long.

post points afterglow

Report - 3.m SW swell. 30kt SW winds. 12.30pm low tide.

If you didn't get in the water Thurs - Sat then you missed out. There are photos and discussions all over the web as the swell hit everywhere from VIC - NSW and Fiji. It even featured on nightly news and the papers. So there really isn't any need to disect it any further.

In our relaxation, it wasn't such a problem that there wasn't alot worth surfing the past few days.

But now that the afterglow has subsided and people are getting itchy from all the fresh hot water of their showers, the wind is just not cooperating. The banks are there, the swell is there, but the wind is onshore and the waves are a lumpy mess.

catch up on homework, do some accounting and hope there is a break or change in the wind patterns.

How many is a crowd

Report - 4m West Swell. N - WNW winds. High tide 10.25am

There is really only 1 decent bank around at the moment and its in the picture.

The right handers are holding up nicely, the occasional short barrel is to had, with the occasional decent left worth watching for.

I thought it was going to feel a bit crowded with 6 people when I paddled out, but when it got to 12 things were getting crazy.

Fortunately a strong rip was keeping the numbers spread out and the less fit out of position.

Big things are predicted for next week, so the banks should all shift again.

Wild South East

Report - Southerly 2.5 - 3m swell. Northerly winds. 7.08 am High tide.

The swell really has a bit of east in it, as apparently it wasnt getting into Clifton but was quite big along the rest of South Arm.

After perhaps the wettest weekend in years, when it first blew NE then SE, Monday left us with a nice 2.5m SE swell and some of those rare but good points along the lower east Coast behind Freycinet and Maria Is were working.

I forgot to to take the camera, but did manage to score some nice waves and a well out the way spot.

I have had reports of other places being just as good.

Wedge was on again this morning getting the last of the dying South swell, which in the end lost the battle with the northerly winds.

Looks like there could be more on the way in the next few weeks.

Wedge is On again

Report - 3.5m SW swell. Light winds early, strong SW later. 7.25am low tide

If you got up early enough, before the wind hit - the swell is big enough for Wedge to on again.

Some 3 ft sets doing the classic Wedge breaking into left and right barrels. It was nice and sunny early on and no more than 15 people in the water at any 1 time

Unfortunately the wind hit at about 11 this morning and that was it for today.

Snap Frozen

Report - 4.5m SW swell. 30kt SW winds. 10.20am High Tide. Max temp 11

The max temp is fine if you are somehow sheltered from the wind and in the sun, but with wind chill its down to about 0. So if anyone is in the water today I hope they have an extra good wettie.

Not that there is anything worth surfing. Its all onshore and messy. Despite the old rule of if there is snow on the mountain then the points are on, the swell isnt big enough. The high tide and virtually non-existent low arent helping.

Wedge was on again Wed morning, about 2-3ft and more consistent than Monday, but backed off around lunchtime.

Still none of the long peeling lefts, which must be because of the westerly swell.

The banks will be getting all shifted around again today, so hopefully they will line up nicely for tomorrow.

Report - 3.5m SW swell. 20knot Northerlies. 8.35am high tide.

Some decent waves rolling in on the high tide today. With the low tide not actually being all that low, they should pretty well keep up for the rest of the day. The wind is getting stronger but RSLs and Rebounds are protected from northerlies so should be ok.

Yesterday Wedge got up to about 3 ft, with long waits between sets those wearing full rubber were able to stay out longer than most. It was closing out a bit, but still some nice barrels for the lucky few who got into it.

More snow on the mountain tonight, but the wind and swell should be quite west will just have wait and see if the points get up.

The water is cold so seems to be keeping the crowds away.

Big swells then nothing

Report - 4.5m SW swell. West winds. 10.25am low tide

The 4.5m swell must have a lot of west in it, as its not really producing any waves of significant size.

the west wind is also pretty much on shore and stuffing up whats around anyway. I certainly haven't seen anyone in the water this morning.

Maybe we are all still basking in the afterglow of the big easterly swell last week.

Since then the weather has been all bad, cold, snow on the mountains and no real decent swell that normally comes with it.

Bring on the points, come on.

South Arm Doldrums

Report - 3m SW swell. Light northerly winds. Low Tide 12.43 pm.

The combo of mid range swell and low tide is seeing glassy closeouts all along the peninsular.

Other than a rip at sandpits during high tide no other beach seems to be providing much worth surfing at the moment.

There were small waves about at Wedge over the weekend which provided some entertainment, but was far from epic.

Swells have been coming, but banks just seem to be not happening this winter.

Given the warm (well for Tassie in winter) weather sometimes its worth having a paddle out anyway. there certainly isnt any crowd to deal with.

Winter banks?

report - 3m SW. NE winds swinging to very light NW in the afternoon. High tide 2.44pm

Its really hard to find a decent wave to surf around South Arm at the moment.

Sandpits seems to have the only bank going, thanks to a strong rip just south of the carpark.

The swell has been disappointing, but got up a bit today and there were a few out taking advantage of the wind change.

The swell looks likely to continue for a few days, although the winds will be onshore. Maybe the early risers can beat the wind.

Water temp has to be around 10degrees, but feels like 0 after an hour or so. Rubber up.

Late points

Report - 4 - 4.5m SW swell. strong westerly winds. High Tide 9.40 am. Low Tide 1.30pm.

Strange tides today, no real low tide to speak of. in some places it would be considered a high tide.

Not sure about Clifton but the swell was already too big for the beach breaks this morning. Only 1 booger was out at Rebounds which was pretty well closing out.

After a wait, a walk around and a bit more waiting, I paddled out at Mays Point. It was pretty small, but had the occasional ridable wave. With the tide coming in, things weren't looking good, but as the sun got lower and the sky got darker the waves picked up.

the only other guy in the water scored a long barrel, and I got a few nice rides before it got too cold and dark. looked to be getting better. There are some guys with plans for a midnight/moonlight low tide surf. Good luck to them.

Hopefully there will be something still on tomorrow.

Out of Action

Report - 3m SW Swell. WNW Winds. High Tide 8.58am

Been under the weather of late and not so inspired by the waves. If you read the South Arm report on swellnet you would think that its been pretty good, but I haven't seen any banks or waves all that inspiring. Certainly the banks all the way from Goats - RSLs really just arent happening. This time last year, there was good banks all over.

Looks like other than yesterday the East Coast hasn't been all that great either.

There is meant to be a good increase in swell Mon evening, so just gotta hope it hangs around for Tuesday morning.

I good do with some Wedge type barrels.

Report -2m SW swell. Westerly winds. High tide 11.10am.

Still nothing happening locally, but with a 2m NE swell on the East Coast it was time to hit the road.

Unfortunately not enough swell and bad winds for Boneyards, but really good waves all day at EagleHawk.

About 3 -4 ft with the occasional barrel. Offshore the whole time and only 5 or so in the water at any one time.

For those who made it, the drive was well worth it today.

the swell should pick up slightly for South Arm over the next few days, but it isn't looking like anything real great.

Flat

Report - 2 - 3m Westerly swell. Light northerlies. 8.30am.

What good is a westerly swell, its not going to get in here. Bring back the south. No photos, who wants to see a flat sea.

The swell basically finished on Friday and hasn't comeback.

waves were had at the beach breaks, but Wedge was all over.

Send us some swell.

Report - 4m SW swell. Winds gone offshore again. At least for the morning. Low tide 8.45am.

So wrong in the prediction for today. The SW change was weak, oh so weak. Which meant the wind went back to NW and provided the total lack of crowd, being 2 grom gutsliders and 1 grom surfer, then 2 old blokes standing up with plenty of 2 - 3 ft peaks for hours before anyone else showed up.

Now the wind is supposed to swing again this arvo, but who knows, the swell is meant to pick up as well.

All you can do is keep checking. The sun is certainly warmer around this time of day.

Wedge is On.

Report - 4m SW swell. Moderate Nor west wind all day. 3.17 High tide.

Wedge has now worked in offshore winds 4 out of the last 5 days. It hasn't been properly big like it can get the swell needs to be 4.5 + for that. But it has been consistently producing barrels like the one in the picture.

Crowds tend to peak between 9.30 and lunch then it gets pretty quiet until 3 when the after work/school crowd shows up for a late arvo session.

As I write I can see the SW change coming which will bring onshore winds and ruin any more chance of getting pitted at the wedge for a while.

The only hope is that the change is a lot stronger than predicted and it generates enough swell for the points to get up.

Back in the rubber

report - 3.5 m SW swell, early light northerly winds, turning stronger WSW. Low 8.12 am.

Wedge is on, a bit smaller than yesterday, but still good.

After a few weeks of warm weather and even warmer water its back to Tassie. Luckily the swell is there for a good surf at Wedge. Not real big, but big enough for fun waves. It seems like the water temp has settled and hasn't gotten any colder in the last few weeks.

But you still need the full toe - neck covering with quite a few opting for hoods as well. I did notice that anyone without gloves and booties looked cold, seemed to shivering a bit and spent all the time between waves with their hands tucked into their armpits. The rest of us seemed to be handling ok, especially with the sun out.

Outlook for the rest of the weekend is not so good, but come Monday arvo things are certainly looking up. Just hope the predictions pay out.

I will try and get some good photos.

Leaving

Report - 2.5 - 3m SW swell. Northerly winds all day.

Something just isnt really working down this way lately. The banks seem to be gone, the swell is too big for beachies and too small for Wedge or points.

Here is a photo of Rebounds from above. Shows the rebound effect of how the 2 waves join up to form a peak. This one was a bit quick, but the good ones peel along the bank. Its still getting decent waves at high tide, but with school holidays in full swing it tends to get crowded with boogers.

Anyway I dont care for the next 3 weeks I am going to Fiji, where the waves are predicted to be big and guaranteed to be warm.

It never happened

Report - 2.5m SW swell. 2.20High tide. Northerly winds.

2ft waves around most beaches today. There was meant to be a swell increase, but as of 2.30 it hadnt eventuated.

Pretty clean conditions, but most places closing out in the morning. The good bank at Sandpits seems to have lost some of its lustre after last weeks flatspell.

Rebounds has been packed all day, but would be the pick of spots along South Arm at the moment. Now that its school holidays there are boogers all over it.

Hoping the increased swell hits overnight before the winds swing SW then south for the weekend.

Boneyards

Report - 0.5 - 1ft waves. Light northerlies.

Been pretty flat and not real good for over a week down South Arm way.

After being pretty much flat early last week, then being down for the count with the flu last week, then waiting another 2 days to get healthy over the weekend it was 8 days out of the water.

But I had a fair idea of what was coming and have spent the past 2 days at The Boneyards (yes another spot with that name) near Marion Bay.

As soon as the spot works epic waves are virtually guaranteed and working two days in a row, it didn't disappoint this week either. Not so many barrels as sometimes, but plenty of long walls along the almost perfect sandbank/rivermouth set up.

Bit of a current running this time, so it was pretty much a constant paddle, but also a really good workout and well worth it.

No photos as its about a 1km paddle from the beach. I can't even find any on the net. It does appear sometimes in Tracks magazine, but normally not named.

Good Times For Fishing

Report - 1.5 W Swell. No wind. 12.20pm Low tide.

As can be seen from the photo there is no surfing today. Some desperados could possibly find 1 - 1.5 fters but with the water temp so low its hardly worth it.

Its been getting a little smaller everyday since Sat afternoon, when there were plenty of good waves about all along the South Arm stretch.

the days have been so calm, yet the nights so cold. Almost no wind to speak of for 3 days now.

Kind of Slow, Kind of cold.

Report - 2.5m SW swell. Light NW - W winds. High tide 1.55pm. No photo today.

Rebounds seems to be the pick today, with the open beaches either closing out or being chopped up by the westerly wind.

However its still not all that great with the rebound somehow missing the main wave most of the time, so the wedge shape is not really forming on most waves.

It was much the same yesterday. Monday was real small, but a very nice day and maybe the last warm day in tassie for a while.

Its a good time to be working in the garden, fixing the car as the water is quite cold and its getting to the stage when paddling out just to get wet is not all that appealing.

Best thing to do is get on plane north like my friend George who just flew off for a break in sunny Sri Lanka.

East Coast On Fire

Report - 2m SW swell. Light NW winds all day. High tide 10.30am. Afternoon low almost non existant.

Doesn't often happen, but today I would say I was too worn out to surf. Actually had other commitments, but wasn't too stressed.

Reason being the east coast between Orford and Swansea also doesn't happen too often, but on the rare occasion with a direct easterly swell it fires.

After waking well before dawn and doing the 2 hour drive, we arrived at the river mouth of Little Swanport just as the sun came up. Its a fairly well known spot amongst Tassie surfers, due to the long left hand barrels that peel down the sandbank at at the entrance to Great Oyster Bay. Already there was about 15 people out, but with regular 4 -5 ft sets there was enough to go around.

As the tide came in and the time went by, the smaller waves were lacking the same punch as the big ones, the crowd increased and it was time for breakfast.

After a bit of a drive to check some other spots we settled on the location pictured in the photo. Whilst it no great secret for those Tasmanian's in the know, I would be shot for giving the location away on a blog, so no names or directions.

Upon arrival at the car park, there were already 10 cars parked there, which with some simple maths equals about 20 already out in the water, thats pretty crowded given there really is a limited take off zone. Think paddling straight towards protruding, jagged boulders on a steep, growing 4 footer and the thought of not making the drop is, well best not thought about.

After the 1/2 hour trek in, having passed a few guys on there way back, the crowd situation was looking better.

Cresting the last rise with a view of the spot, its was great to see another 3 guys towelling down and putting on dry clothes, not wetsuits.

That left 5 in the water. By the time I was wetsuited up and ready for the water, only my friend (who I came with) and 1 other guy were in the water. A quick jump off the rocks, a chat to the other guy "yeah I'm about to go in too". No worries mate the next ones yours.

That left only 2 of us in the water for well over an hour. Some longish lulls but with almost perfect 4 footers rolling in from the east it was on and on and on.

Unbelievably others walked in for a check, but of the 10 that did only 2 others decided to paddle out. Don't know what the others had seen that was better, but it couldn't have been less crowded.

So for the final 1/2 hour there were 4 guys guys in the water, plenty of waves and 4 big smiles.

Evening Leftovers

Report - 2- 3m SW (mostly west) swell. Moderate Westerlies.

Yesterday the Swell was on again, and after some funny wind shifts from an early northerly to onshore SE, the NW kicked in and everything cleaned up again. Plenty of good waves most of the day.

Unfortunately I missed most of it and only arrived late in the day.

There was this set just before I paddled out, a couple of small ones during the 1 hour I sat around waiting, then a bomb set just after I went in. I can't really say what happened after that, but given that the lulls were at least 15 min long, I doubt many waves were ridden again before dark.

Early on today the winds were ok, but the swell had dropped a lot. The wind went westerly at about 10.30am and it was all over for South Arm.

I saw a couple of ridable 2ft waves at Sandpits just before the wind chopped it up.

Sunset

Report - 4.5 m SW swell decreasing during the day. Fairly strong NW winds. High tide 4.40pm

The Wedge was working this morning, but a little on the small side. By lunchtime it was getting too small, however with the rising tide Sandpits, rebounds and RSL's were holding up alright on most waves.

Swell should maintain this size for the next few days, with winds being fairly consistent as well. High tides are late afternoon, so the lazy post sleep in surf may not be so good for a few days.

There's been enough photos of small Wedge, so this is one of tonight's sunset from the front porch. Not bad at all.

Snake Doctor

Report - Small 1 ft max. Good NW winds. High Tide 3.30pm.

With nothing happening locally me and a mate hit the road and were rewarded with light NW offshore winds and 3ft sets at Eaglehawk Neck.

for some inexplicable reason there was no one else in the water. So we had it pretty much all to ourselves.

Except for when the Snake doctor paddled out.

With only 3 guys in the water there were plenty of waves to go around. So why did this guy insist on snaking us?

We would have happily let him have his fair share, there was only 3 of us after all. But after being snaked a few times each, it was time for a bit of payback. So I would say that he probably missed out on some good waves that we would have let him have, if only he wasn't trying to snake us.

The wind started getting stronger and he obviously got sick of it and went in. Just after he hit the beach the wind died, the sets rolled in and we enjoyed a good 1/2 hour of 3 ft barrels with no one else around. Who says there's no justice in the world?

Eventually the tide got a bit high and the waves started shutting down, but after 3 hours, so many waves but cold water we were ready to go in anyway.

Some days you can drive for hours and not even get wet, but then it all becomes worth it again, when you score.

3 out 4

Report - 2 - 3ft in protected areas, 4 - 5 on the open beaches.Light NW winds, High Tide 2.15pm

Another day of barrels at Wedge. There was a fair wait between some sets this morning, but being a Monday after a weekend of good surf the car park was less than 1/2 full and the crowds weren't there. So still plenty of waves to around for those lucky enough to be in it.

That makes 3 out the last 4 days that Wedge has been on. Yesterday morning was very small, but apparently the swell picked up considerably in the afternoon. However it was also accompanied by a very strong Westerly, so Wedge should have been quite blown out.

Swell continues

Report - 5m Sw swell, Light - moderate N - NW winds. High tide 12.20pm.

Unbelievably and unpredicted the big swell has hung around for another day. making it 2 days in a row that the Wedge has been working in offshore winds.

Some even say that today was more solid than Friday. Both days it wasn't real big, but good fun waves about 2 - 2.5 ft.

maybe because it wasn't predicted, but crowds weren't that bad for most of the morning. Whilst there were some lulls, there was really enough waves for everyone to get some barrel action.

Unfortunately there is a lag time between pressing the button on my camera and when the actual photo gets taken. I would also rather surf than take photos, so the photo shows what ended up being a small barrel.

The swell is predicted to increase through tomorrow and Monday, with offshore northerlies and high tide Monday afternoon. So at this stage its looking good for 4 - 5 ft Wedge on Monday arvo.

After being disappointed by the points again on Thursday some solid Wedge waves will be most welcome.

Fingers crossed.

Maybe the King has lost perspective?

Report - windy as fuck. V strong 40 - 50 knot Westerlies, 7m westerly swell. Low tide 13.10 (but not that low)

With a 7m swell if you didn't live down here you would think that the waves would be enormous, but no the westerly swell just goes right on by.

Still some sets are getting in and Rebounds (pictured) is getting the odd 3 ft set.

Rebounds takes its name from waves bouncing off the rocky point and rebounding almost perpendicular to the main swell lines. If you can time it right you can take off on a very nicely formed steep peak. The rebounding wave really gives you some good speed, but you have to get to your feet very quickly. The larger waves have a tendency to close out at low tide, but there are always some rippers coming through.

The spot also has the advantage of being protected from any wind with west in it.

Overall its a fun wave.

Through being a member of Tracks online forums etc, I receive a weekly online mag update called "The Rouge Bugle", maybe I am old and out of touch, but I have no idea what that name refers to.

But that's not the point I want to make. In the last edition there is a short interview with Kelly Slater on his first session at Shipsterns. In it he describes how he had to change boards for whatever reason.

He goes onto say how much hassle it was to change and "my board was under all the other boards, and it doesn’t have any fins wax or logos or anything".

I can understand you might be a bit worried about control without fins or wax, but how can anyone possibly surf without logos?

Which begs the question, if a pro surfs without being in front of a camera, did he really surf at all?

Commercialism of Surfing part 3. What's Good about it?

Report - small 1 - 1.5 ft on open beaches. NW offshore winds. Low Tide 8.50 am

Old photo today, there are already enough photos of no surf in previous posts. This is one of a good day in winter last year.

The commercialisation of surfing has done a number of good things for the sport.

The main benefit being ongoing development. If people weren't making money out of it, then there wouldn't be funds to research and develop things like shortboards, thrusters, epoxy, new fins, those hydrofoil things in the movie Step Into Liquid and dare I say it bodyboards.

A case in point. If Simon Anderson was stuck working behind a desk at the local council instead of making a living as a pro surfer and shaping boards, would we ever have been blessed with the the thruster. Maybe some one else would have come up with the idea, but now 30 or so years down the track, we are still using them and even though there have been refinements and adjustments, they haven't changed dramatically since.

I have tried single fin boards, whilst it great for novelty I won't be going down to my local shaper and getting him to make me one up.

And thanks to all those shapers that continue to tweek designs try to get just a little bit better performance out of each board they make.

By directly leading to greater participation, commercialism has further helped development. ie more people=more ideas. With the exception of bodyboards most of the bad ones have disappeared over the years as they either didn't work or were just dumb to start with. There aren't too many people jumping onto the finless board or surfing goggles bandwagons.

The next great benefit is exploration. Whether driven by a desire to escape crowds, the need to camp overnight or fodder for a new magazine article, by having the time and money those making a buck out of surfing have gone in search of new waves in locations all over the world. It wasn't that long ago that Bali was an exotic destination. Now with the aid of various websites and travel companies you can plan a whole surfing trip months in advance and have a reasonable expectation of getting some swell. Its never guaranteed though.

How about the guy who thinks that his local break is getting crowded so decides to hit the road, or these days google earth and search out new locations that might work, possibly even better than where he lives and finds a break that no one has ever surfed before. Nowadays its very unlikely you will do this in California or the east coast Australia, but move to Africa or Siberia and you may have chance. At least you will likely find some spot that you haven't previously surfed yourself.

Sitting nicely alongside exploration is pushing the boundaries. Most recently this is in the form of big wave, tow in surfing. It seems that every month a magazine comes out with the biggest waves ever ridden. Without commercial funding how are these guys going to afford the plane/helicopter/boat ride to access these offshore reefs. then they need jet skis to tow them in on. 10 years ago no one was thinking about heading 20km offshore to surf some 50ft wave. It just couldn't be done.

Commercialism has brought surfing to a wider audience at the same time increasing the amount of participants. This has brought convenience. If you live near the beach in a well populated area, you won't have to drive more than 10 minutes (depending on traffic) to find a fully stocked surf shop containing everything and more that you might want for a trip to the beach.

An overseas surf trip to Indo used to mean major expedition. Now we can book a flight to Bali, jump on a plane be there in less than 6 hours and find accommodation on arrival. You could probably get straight onto a 10 day, all inclusive cruise of the islands as well. Thats convenience. There are hordes of motorcyclists all just itching to take you to Uluwatu for (even though you may be getting ripped off at local rates) what is really a very low price.

Does the good outweigh the bad effects?

Yes. If you want to skip on the crowds, have had enough of glossy magazines ramming photos of young up and coming next world champs down your throat then it can all be avoided.

Take a drive.

No one is forcing you to wear Rip Curl clothes, or even wetsuits- there are plenty of alternatives.

Don't buy a magazine, read the newspaper.

Report - Smallish 1 - 2ft waves on open beaches. Very light offshore NW winds. High Tide

Some banks holding ok at Sandpits. Not much action anywhere else.

The main focus of today's photo isn't the waves, its the plume of smoke in the background.

In its supposed "world's best practice" method of wiping out our native forests, part of the Forestry process is burning off all the leftover wood that hasn't been carted away for woodchipping. This is supposed to create a bed of ash that helps new trees establish and grow quicker.

In reality its a cost saving measure, and an easy way of getting rid of a pile of wood.

In these days of global warming, mass pollution and carbon capture its totally unacceptable.

There are so many other ways of disposing this stuff without creating a pall of smoke of the whole state, forcing asthma sufferers to stay inside and remind the rest of us what its like to live in a big city in China.

Why not -

- mulch it, then spread on the ground

- leave it to rot/compost and use to fertilise the area that was going to be torched

- sell it for firewood to heat homes

- use it to generate electricity

- don't knock it over/chop it down in the first place

I am not going to go into whats wrong with the rest of the forestry practices at this stage.

Decreasing Swell

Report - Light N winds, 2.5 - 3m SW swell, 12pm high tide.

There has been a small return to warm weather during the days lately with a predominately northerly airflow. However the nights are still quite cool.

The waves this morning aren't really holding up all that well, banks along South Arm beach aren't all that great after the recent big swells.

The swell has been slowly dropping off since Thurs afternoon when it peaked at around 5m SW.

The wedge was OK on Friday morning, but a bit small.

I don't really feel like analysing the surf industry today, so will do that next time.

Wasted Swell?

Report - 3.5m SW swell. 20 - 30knot SW winds

Low Tide 12.30pm

Don't be fooled by the photo this was the only wave that didn't close in 20 minutes of watching.

I have heard a few people talk about wasted swell in the past couple of days. Its really only wasted if you plan to surf locally. If however you were prepared to drive for an hour or more, then I know of a few places on the east coast that would be pumping and offshore in these conditions.

So what's so wrong with the commercialism and corporatisation of surfing?

In its roots (lets say once us white guys got into it, not way back when it was strictly an Hawaiin pastime), surfing was an adventure, sharing some fun with mates, getting some nice waves, blowing off some steam and generally enjoying yourself.

The waves weren't crowded, you mostly surfed the local and the only fights that broke out were against the cops or the clubbies.

How has this changed?

- Commercialism has taken away this innocence.

The surfing image has been taken up, branded with a logo and mass marketed to the world. If you were a surfer back in the old days, then perhaps you miss this innocence.

But can the blame be put totally on the companies and their marketing machines. All they have done is taken a perception that existed in people's minds and run with it. The work was already half done before they even got going.

Given time the sport of surfing would have grown all by itself. Surf industry companies have definitely accelerated the process through marketing and expansion into new markets and territories.

- Surfing has lost its soul.

What that soul may have been, one can only theorise. For me its the feeling of being part of nature, harnessing the power of the ocean for my enjoyment.

For others it might be something else. It still exists in many of us, but when watching a hotly contested heat or seeing 5 semi pros out flashing skateboard moves for the camera after jumping off the back of a jet ski, the soul seems to be missing.

- Everything is about the Brand.

As long as the products keep selling, the pros are going to spend the rest of their lives walking around covered in labels. Generally they will be forbidden from wearing more than the 1 label of their major sponsor, as they make every piece of clothing that can be thought of and stick a label on it.

- lack of responsibility

theres a bunch of guys and some girls who never have to work anymore. This isn't just surfing, its any highly paid professional sport. Exemplified at this stage in Australia by Rugby League players. The antics of these guys regularly make the headlines so keep a look out in your daily newspaper.

They aren't learning the real value of the money earnt. everything comes way too easily. With an entourage of yes men around them, they lose respect for others. This is best demonstrated by dropping in on just about anyone who they do not know in a line up.

- Environmental degradation

Most products used in surfing are plastics and chemical based. Starting from the bottom

the board you are riding, consists of fibreglass, resin, or epoxy,

your boardshorts are nylon (synthetic polymers)

your rashvest is lycra (polyurethane-polyurea copolymer)

your wetsuit is neoprene (most likely petroleum based)

If you want to know the actual chemistry then look it up on the web.

Then there's all the fossil fuels burnt driving or flying around looking for the best waves. I have driven over 300km's this past week, just to find the best surf. One day I didn't even go out. How many others are doing this each week? There's a PHD for someoone.

- dissillusionment

It doesn't take long for it to happen, the realisation is pretty quick on a paddle out into a crowded line up, that the old image of carefree times in the waves is almost a thing of the past. You really need to get off the beaten track by yourself or with only a few friends to experience that.

- every one wants to be the next world champ.

not strictly true, but there are enough people in the water hogging waves to make it a lot less enjoyable for others.

- crowds and all their associated problems

eg agro, accidents, injuries, no parking, missing good waves, break down of order and just the sheer number of people.

Doubtless other people will be able to think of more issues associated with the commercialism, but for me these are what I see as being the most prevalent.

Of course its not all bad. Next blog will be on the positive aspects of commercial involvement in surfing.

Surfing. Lifestyle Choice or Commercial Venture? Intro

Report - 0.5 ft. Northerly winds.

Its really small on the peninsular for the last few days. However the place to be is along the East Coast, with solid 4 - 5 ft waves coming off a good NE groundswell. I spent 4 hours in the water at Boneyards yesterday, with plenty of barrels to go around. No photos as its so far out to sea you need a super zoom lens, which I don't have.

You probably won't see it being debated in surf magazines, certainly not the big selling ones, but there is a lot of discussion on the forums on commercialism in surfing. Is this a good or a bad thing?

You only need to visit any city beach on a weekend to see how popular the sport of surfing has become. Compare what you see to a photo of the same location 25 - 30 years ago and its obvious that the growth has been exponential.

With such a large customer base, any company already in the industry, with good management can only do well. Add to to this the customers that surf part time or wear the gear because they think it looks good, sell it all around the world and you have a multi million dollar industry.

So its in the companies interest to get out and promote their products, as any business has to do to survive. Part of this promotion is pushing the image of surfing as cool, hardcore, fun or even rebellious. Although it is such a mainstream sport now that you would be hard pressed to argue the rebelliousness of it. With all the promotion you attract new surfers and new customers and an expanding revenue base.

So what is it doing to the sport?

Many years ago, certainly before my time, surfing was considered to be more of a past time or lifestyle than a sport. As history shows that as soon as more than 1 person does an activity its human nature that they will compete to find who is best.

Its also human nature to try and make money. Where there is a market, someone will step in and exploit that market.

By its very nature, the image of surfing is very appealing. To spend your weekend, or for the lucky ones amongst us, your week in the water and riding waves is the ultimate lifestyle. There aren't many sports are there where you come out feeling clean and refreshed instead of tired and dirty. Even in the days before mass marketing, the sport was growing in popularity all by itself.

With all these factors, its easy to put together a competition. To attract competitors you need prizes To pay for the prize you need sponsors. The sponsors get advertising, the competitors get paid, the sport is promoted. More people start surfing and it grows.

Such a market has produced definite commercialism and hyping of the supposed surfing lifestyle. Along with this, the top level of surfing become very professional. Its no longer good enough just to be talented. At the elite level strict training and dedication is required to win. With millions of dollars at stake, its worth it. Every grommet taking up surfing dreams of making it to this level.

At the same time those that have participated in the sport for many years moan the demise of what was once a chance to relax and have some fun.

The next article will examine the detrimental effects of all this but there is one undeniable fact, in the year 2010, if you are surfing at almost any well known destination around the world, you are going to experience crowds.

Goin Off at The Wedge

Report - 4 - 5 ft. early light northerly breezes, turning strong NE. Low tide 9.00 am. No photos, unfortunately this morning this surfer forgot his camera, didnt even remember the mobile phone to take at least a grainy photo with.

For the lucky few hundred that were able to organise time off this morning the swell reached that height where its too big for most beachies, too small for the points, but absolutely spot on for The Wedge. There were plenty of barrels early on before the wind hit.

The Wedge is a strange set up. It sits on an open beach, yet in the lee of an island. When swells get big enough they wrap around either side of the island before joining up again and forming (here comes an overused surf term) a series of A frame peaks along the beach in the protected side of the island. Hence the name Wedge.

If the island were of a different shape eg circular, this probably wouldn't work so well. However it is elongated, with the pointy end featuring tall cliffs facing the open sea, then forming an almost triangle and gently sloping towards the mainland with the 3rd side of the triangle, facing directly towards the best surf peaks. The tall cliffs tend to break up the swell quite evenly and channel it along either side of the island, before it comes around and meets up again, just offshore of the sand.

Largely because its protected from the worst of the swells by the island, the beach at this point, rather than being the normal concave shape (towards the ocean), actually turns the other way, which also helps left handers peel for a lot longer along the beach after they have rounded the island. While right handers tend to form a large, hollow and very fast barrel. It really is the perfect set up for days like today, with the early offshore breeze.

Of course being the only wave that breaks under these conditions it gets pretty crowded. Fortunately there are a number of banks formed, and the crowd can spread out along the beach, with different sized waves for everyone.

Like the name suggests, at the best of the Aframes you need to be quick to your feet, as the wave Wedges up very quickly and you will get left behind wondering might have been and floundering around in the whitewash.

Hope some others managed to enjoy it this morning as well.

Easter Bliss

Report - 2 -3 ft waves, light offshore breeze. Low tide 7.30am



With the rising tide and continuing light offshore wind this morning the later you left it the better the waves.
I surfed from about 9.30 to 11.30 and as the tide came in the waves certainly held up better, with a few gems like the one pictured if you were prepared to wait for them.

Its Easter Sunday and the crowds are out in force on this warm, calm sunny holiday. They aren't just in the surf, there are yachts, swimmers, fishermen, jet skiers and walkers all out from town and enjoying the peninsular today.

After the last few days when winter has been warning of its approach its nice to have a relapse back into summer. Should make up for day light saving ending as well.
The summer just gone, would have to be one of the warmest and calmest that I have experienced down here. Of course its no good for the rainwater tank, but who cares when the days are so nice.

Enjoy Easter.

Bare Earth

Report - 1 - 1.5 ft waves. Some bigger sets. Light SE Sea breeze.

There are good high tide banks at North Goats lately. I suspect they wouldnt handle the surf if it got over 3ft though. Still some fun to had on a mini mal or longboard in the smaller conditions.

Havent been in touch with the waves down here so much at the moment, especially over the weekend as we did a trip to the NW coast to check out the Cold Water Classic. For photos of that check the official website. We only watched the day of the final, but they were really blessed with perfect conditions for that day. 4 - 6 ft and offshore. In those conditions at Lighthouse Beach they get long fast peeling right hand barrels right across the whole beach. Its good entertainment and I can see the appeal in watching these contests. However I don't think I could sit through a whole week of it.

As can be seen from the photo, they are chopping down the old tree out the front of the house. Such a shame, it was the last decent sized one left in this area. It gets me to wondering, what is the justification for removing it? This street is the end of the line and for the council to issue the order, someone would have to complained about it. Sure it was overhanging the road, but as can be seen now all the branches were very healthy and not likely to fall down.

Now we have absolutely no shade in the afternoon.

What rights do those in council, or even those who don't want this thing have over those of us who appreciate it? How can we know before it happens that something is scheduled to be chopped down?

Do we have to lodge an application each month to not chop down certain trees, in case someone is thinking that it blocks their view?

It takes about 200 years to grow something that size. Only 1/2 a day to remove it. Bastards.

Close Out

Report - In the last few days the swell has been up and down like a yoyo. Small mornings, before an afternoon increase. the wind has remained fairly westerly

Thurs - 3.5m SW swell. Mostly light NW winds.

Low tide at 12.30 pm

The banks are still there but the tides have been all wrong in the mornings. Its not until late afternoon that the wind drops off enough for the waves to clean up a bit from the onshore winds.

Cooling Down

Weekend Report -

NW - SW winds most of the weekend. Tides 1.30/2.30 pm.

Swell SW at around 3.5m

The swell didnt actually hit until around luch time on Saturday, by which time the wind was getting into it and the tide was on the way out.

With early rain on Sunday morning, it was a case of get out in it, or if you are lucky just after the rain, but before the winds mess things up. The picture was taken on Sunday, about 1/2 hour before the wind chopped everything up.

Today there is still a fair bit of swell at the open locations, however its just closing out all along the beach.

Its a bit hard to get out of the wind, but some spots are protected from the westerlies. As normal the best spot in todays conditions is full of lid riders. I have been checking it out most days recently, and the bank that was there a month or so ago, seems to have been wiped out. Lots of closeouts now, where as before the wave was holding up quite nicley.

The air temp. has really cooled down in the last few days and people will be starting to think about getting new wetsuits, or pulling out the good winter one. Its almost time for the extra rubber accessories like booties and gloves.

Demise of Interesting content in Surf Media

Report - 0.5ft waves. Strong NW winds all day

Its not really surfable today

Recently I have been reading a few of the surf magazines available in stores. So to begin with I am going to have a bit of a rant.

It seems that they all pretty well have the same basic stories and content. The magazines obviously think this is what sells. A quick perusal of some the online forums will reveal plenty of opinions as to how this has come about. However I am not going to enter into that argument, for now at least.

What I seem to be seeing over and over again is some article about 4 semi professionals getting an all expenses paid trip to Indo. Granted sometimes they do go to other locations, but even then they have paid guides and the best pre-booked accomodation available. Of course these guys can all surf well, providing good pictures. Tracks even included a DVD as part of their Contrasts issue. But none of these guys had any personality. With the exception of Tom Carroll who gets respect as the living legend, their stories and lives just aren't interesting. Neither do I care if one of them has just lost his major sponsor. Are we meant to feel sorry for this guy?

Surely there must be someone out there in the surfing world who is doing new, exciting, interesting, dare I say it groundbreaking stuff.

The latest SW issue features nothing but stories on how the latest round of champions either won or lost. There is one story about a guy who lost out in the early 80's, but its still about professionals. Its all just comes across as a cross promotional piece by the big brand surf companies. I really struggled to maintain interest in these articles.

Then I came across "The Surfers path" This is UK produced magazine. I have almost read the latest issue from end to end and so far have only seen 1 reference to Mick Fanning which is an ad placed by Rip Curl.

The other articles are about everyday guys and their interaction in one way or another with the ocean. This particular issue features heavily on artists and their perspective on surfing and their work. I understand that your average 15 year old doesn't give a rats about art, neither did I at that age, still don't for the most part. However, these guys have interesting stories and lives which make the article readable.

Towards the back of the magazine there is a feature on coastline erosion. In previous editions I have seen features on the working of tides and their effects on surf. It all adds up to a better understanding of the beach, waves and the ocean.

Hopefully we will start to see more of this in other magazines.

Disater of a day

Report - 0.5ft SW swell, light N - NE winds.

Firstly today is Thursday, not yesterday as per the previous post.

Driving towards the local, hoping for at least some 1ft ers for the mini mal. Get distracted end up doing 50kmh through the school zone. For the 1st time ever there is the speed camera set up. Damn.

After checking a few spots and deciding that Norths Goats looks the best, did the long walk up the beach. terrible surf, looked ok, but being out there, nothing was working the way it looked from shore.

Didnt last more than 1/2 hour in the water.

Did the long walk back. Get to the car, no keys. Damn.

walk back up the beach, keys are all the way up the end. Some relief at least.

Head for home. Radar trap has gone. Doing about 70kmh in what used to be an 80 zone, now 60 pass a tree with the speed camera set up in a new location. Damn. Twice in one day.

Thats an expensive surf, that wasnt even that good.

You win some, you lose some.

Yesterday was a winner. Today was a loser.

Flat

Report Wed - almost no swell today. Certainly its so small as to be unrideable. No wind in the morning, light sea breeze for the afternoon.

Thursday Update - unpredicted and unexpected swell came in overnight/morning. Sets 2 - 3 ft. Morning winds light NE - calm. High Tide 10.05 am.

Wed - No surf pictures today, so there is one of the view from the front porch instead.

Such a calm day. There's still plenty of warmth in the sun and the water. After an hour so walking the harbourside beach with dogs in tow, I have put the day of rest to good use. Spent the day doing tax, and calculating finances, which got me thinking.

How long can this lifestyle be maintained?

Right now seems like a great time to enjoy life. My old man spent his whole life working day in day out, week by week, year by year to support his family looking forward to retirement. Then as the age of 65 approached and everyone had left home, he wondered what he was going to do to pass the time each day.
6 years on at 71 he's still working. Obviously he enjoys it, but at some stage between being a teenager and a pensioner he forgot how to relax and enjoy life. Of course the family appreciates it, but it makes me think what are we all working so hard for?

If no one worked, then society wouldn't function. So its necessary for someone to do it.
Up until this year, well I was one of those someones, but its an experience that on reflection is not as rewarding as it should have been. Spent so many years creating new blocks of land for some other guy to make money on. So many times the development was not needed, ugly, a blight on the landscape and caused the destruction of what used to be a nice piece of bushland.

So for now its surfing most days, some marketing and just hanging around on the others.
As far as lifestyle choices, coastal living for me is the optimum. Having lived in large cities, suburbs, small cities and rural areas, to be by the beach certainly stands out as the pick of the crop.

Thursday Update - Every now and again all the right factors come together at your local surf spot. The ones that turn it from being just an average wave to the kind that people publish photos of on wannasurf.com or surfingatlas.com
This morning was one of those times.
One of the advantages of flexible work hours is the ability to take time off at moments that best suit yourself.
Unfortunately this particular blogger left his camera at home, so no photos. He didn't forget his surfboard though.

Watersport Weekend

Report - Weeekend - swell backed off slightly, to about 1 - 2 foot with some slightly larger sets. Offshore in the mornings, onshore in the afternoons.

Monday - almost no swell. Strong offshore northerlies from early morning .

Finally some banks have formed along the beach breaks. However anything over 2.5ft is still tending to shut down.

Weather all weekend has been warm and fairly mild, meaning that other watersports could and were enjoyed.

Sea Kayaking off the beach on Saturday saw earthlinesurf getting out to some of the small rock outcrops and islands off the headland. Could be a break or 2 out there in the right conditions.

Later that day I tried, for the first time in many years to get on a sailboard. Managed to move along a bit, but will put that back in the to do basket for now.

How many sports can you have?

Some people I meet seem to fill their garage full of bikes, surfboards, kayaks, climbing gear, skis and weight benches. Who has the time to do all these things? Are they trying to compensate for something? You can't find fullfilment with possesions.

Personally I think pick a few sports, get good at them and enjoy them more. Give the others a try every now and again.

Sunday and after enjoying a surf in the morning it was off for some sailing on the harbour. A few hours in light winds and warm sunshine, such a pleasant day.

Monday, no swell left. Hopefully the banks will hold in place for an expected swell build up on Wednesday.

frustration

Report - not sure how the morning was, but by early afternoon the wedge, that should have been pretty good, going by the size of the swell was very small and boring. SW just started up about 12.30pm.

This particular surfer spent all morning chasing waves in out of the way uncrowded locations only to find that the swell from the previous day had dropped too much and whilst potential was there, nowhere was really happening. Just too small. Lots of miles covered, no waves surfed.

Back closer to home and the swell is at that annoying size where its too big for the beachies and too small for the points.

All adds up to frustration

Small Points

Report - Strong SW winds brought in enough swell for small waves at the points. the video shows a fairly typical wave for today. Low tide was at 12.15pm so if you weren't in at that time, you would have missed the best of it.

Its great being a small town location. even on fairly crowded days, things remain pretty friendly and the waves get shared around. If only someone would tell the young grommets to let some other people have a go.

Gale force

report - early Offshore NW. Consistent 2 ft sets. Later very strong NW, not real pleasant. late change to SW. Building swell through the afternoon

Got in an earlish one before the wind really started to howl.

First one in the water. Quickly followed by others. Seems some people can't go out without someone else being in the water.

Comes down to the sheep/crowd mentality I guess.

Tide was a bit low, but some of the smaller waves were picking up the rebound ok.

If you don't mind being launched into outer space, before hitting an almost dry sandbank and swamped by a hollow pit, then the larger set waves were also good fun.

Expecting a large increase in swell overnight, hopefully the point breaks will be working for low tide tomorrow morning.

Rain

Report -

wind has shifted to the east bringing rain and onshore winds. Swell has dropped right off to only 1 ft. Only the desperate are out today.

It doesnt rain here much, being situated in a rainshadow from the mountains. So really the rain is a good thing. It started early morning and has continued steady ever since.

What else can you say, good for watching DVD's

Been reading a post/thread on the swellnett forum.

http://swellnet.com.au/forums/1/topics/65

All I can say is thank god the pro's don't ever come here. Sure on its day the beach breaks can be awesome, and for 5 or 6 times a year that they work the points are world class barrel rides, but its not really enough to get those guys here.
You couldn't whip in at the points anyway, no room for the jetski.
These guys are obnoxious. Really no thought for other peoples enjoyment. So intrusive to an otherwise peaceful day/surf at your local.
Stay away

Clean Up Australia Day

Report - small 1 - 2 ft still coming in. Some larger sets. Light Offshore through to about 12.30pm. Turned ENE. Close outs couldnt be saved in time by high tide at about 3pm. Already too windy.
A warm day, up to the high 20's

Its clean Up Australia and me and the missus did our bit at the local clean up along the neck.
But maybe due to lack of awareness, the turnout was quite low and we only achieved a fraction of what should have been done.

regardless of that, the amount of rubbish along the side of the road is disgraceful. This is only 1 3km we are dealing with.
Who is doing this?
Stop it.
Its no great hassle to keep your empty bottles in the car until you get home. Everything looks so much nicer when its not covered in rubbish.

Day off

Report - small 0.5 - 1 ft. Almost no wind. Light SE onshore breeze, picked up around 3pm.

Big SLSC carnival on up the road.

day off today, After surfing all week it wasnt so bad to avoid the weekend crowds and have a day off. Like all small towns close to a city, the influx of weekend warriors begins early.

After early rain the skies cleared and with no breeze until late, the water was nice enough for a swim at the inshore beach. Its still warm this time of year. Gotta make the most of it.

the dogs love it as much as I do, impossible to keep them out of the water.