This morning’s fog was thick at sea level as the offshore pushed it out through Sydney Harbour and into the sea. The cliff spills in sections along Vaucluse were super cool 😎💨
Big swell hidey-holes, like Shark Bay at Nielsen Park, become a major attraction for Sydney’s Southside surfers when there’s nothing else available to ride. It’s usually always during a storm which is hammering the coast at the time, so it’s usually windy, and more often than not raining. The gloomy conditions though never seem to deter surf punters from paddling out. Even with the ever present Bull Shark risk that Sydney Harbour is well known for.
There’s a lot going on in this image; 4 surfers on 2 waves, while kids climb the shark nets and play in the shore break on the inside.
I used to surf here when I was young but completely give it a miss these days, preferring to shoot the action instead of being a part of it. It’s not so much the shark threat because the ‘safety in numbers’ aspect out here these days is phenomenal. For an average novelty wave, this spot has become extremely popular.
Richie Vas, deep within city limits. Been shooting this guy since he was a micro grommet. Now in his mid 40’s, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down much, still frothing and charging whenever the swell is up. Thanks for giving us a call the other morning, Rich. You always put on a good show.
#richievas #swellnet #surfing
@jake___s loving the east ones hugging the rocks last Monday. Shame there was a South swell in there to play a little havoc, plus the wind came early, but every day at Cape is always exciting…
Central Coast’s, Justen ‘Jughead’ Allport, assuming the Cape Solander position yesterday. After almost killing himself a decade ago at this wave, in what was arguably one of the craziest and deadly big wave contests ever held, Red Bull Cape Fear. Great to see you still charging mate, you maniac! 😂
#capesolander #jughead #bigwave #surfing
SYDNEY SLABs #2 - BRONTE REEF & The CEMETERY
Bronte Reef is another semi slab wave with that typical broken up bottom of sandstone pieces, collapsed or worn down from the cliffs over the millenniums. It’s one of the main waves in the area and is often crowded. I hardly surf there anymore, most of the local goofy’s hate it. 😂 But the Cemetery, or ‘Cemo’ as it’s aptly named, doesn’t get surfed that often. This wave lies two to 300 m to the south, out around a high cliff headland and it needs a fairly big swell to break. It’s a set indicator for when you’re surfing Bront Reef. You know the waves are coming when you look out to the Cemo and see waves cap or break. The reef out there is also separated from the mainland, a deep channel separates it from the cliff. As each set wave hits the cliff face, it sends rebounding backwash back out towards any further set waves approaching. It creates learning A Frame takeoffs on the outside peak and warping square barrels on the inside ledge when it’s smaller. The outside peak is the wave that gets surfed and not many people have taken on the hollower, inside barrel as it often warps and pinches. The outside is a peak, though not many people go left as it runs in pretty close to the cliff face. I’ve seen some good lefts though. It’s a strange, unique wave, a bit like a mini Waimea but with more backwash and the locals treat it little like Waimea as well, often taking off in tandem to share the ride experience. I never saw anyone ride it until probably my late 40s. I’ve even noticed a few of the younger generation, just groms, taking it on. It’s become a right of passage almost to wax up your 8.0’s with your mates and paddle out. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anyone from another beach surf out there, except for maybe Clint Kimmins. I know he’s keen to have a crack at the hollow inside section but that’s really tricky and right in the backwash zone. You do see some crazy ones in there though.That’s the weird thing about all these B grade reefs. Back in the day, you never saw anyone try and surf them but today, people are venturing out to give it a go.
SYDNEY SLAB #1 Jamie Reid, surfing ‘The Southie’ inside Wedding Cake Island, Coogee.
Lately, all through February to be exact, I felt frustrated, impatient with the meager swell pattern we were getting and constantly thinking, when’s Autumn gonna kick in? I hope it’s not gonna be a shit winter. Negative thoughts. And then all of a sudden it was just like someone flicked the switch and the swells just started coming! Well, two of them anyway, back to back, which made it a hell of a week!
It’s been slowly dropping the last few days and with the forecast supposed to be smaller today it was a nice surprise, when I found that it wasn’t and that the left I’d been surfing the last few days in the south corner of Bondi, was even bigger and firing on the high tide. I’m hoping this small long period swell never ends! Autumn has finally started and it’s been really fun!
I’m going to post a few local slab reefs shots over Easter, a couple from this last swell and a couple from others in the past. Little backwashing, seaweed covered nooks and crannies that not too many people surf, well maybe a couple. It’s such an interesting coastline around the Eastern Beaches of Sydney, I’m thinking mainly where I live on the south side of the harbour but the north side is very similar, thousands of years of eroded worn down sandstone, creating weird little shallow reefs. Small underwater islands that just don’t break the surface any more. They come in strange shapes and are often close to Rocky headlands. Remnants of rock structures that have long been removed by the elements. Sometimes I ponder on what it would’ve looked like eons ago, when the coastline was another hundred metres or so further out to sea. There would’ve been completely different reefs and then I find myself wondering what they would have been like… Happy Easter 🐰🐰🐰
