Update 17th January 2012

Thanks to an overnight onshore breeze we have got a mush pit of waves this morning. I headed to Maroubra early in the hope of capturing a few young guns tearing up the 2 – 3ft ENE windswell. However it was only the man grommets out in full force getting their quota. There is a few sections to hit but it looks a bit fat and weak. All the groms must be taking advantage of their last few weeks of holidays sleeping in and waiting till all the old farts head off to work! 

The wind will freshen into the afternoon from the E/NE and so will the swell getting up and over the 3ft mark hopefully. There should be some good ramps around for the late afternoon session. Maroubra or Tama will be your best chance of a fun wave today. 

This is hilarious. Video

Have a great day – Brad

Update 16th January 2012

Ordinary is the word for this morning. It must have rained 5 times between dawn and 8am. I spent as much time in the car as I did trying to shoot photos. It definitely makes for an interesting sky to shoot though.

If there are two things that always seem to make it rain, it’s planning to mow the lawn and arranging a shoot with a top 44 WCT surfer. I had plans on both, the latter I achieved but the lawn will have to wait and that’s fine by me.

Central Coast charismatic pro surfer Matt Wilkinson was back in town over the weekend, hanging out with friends and tearing up 2nd ramp with some stylish carves and a few big punts, showing why he is #20 in the world right now.

There are still some waves to surf. The tide is low right now but as it fills in, there should be a few little peaks to bash. Don’t let the dreary weather put you off, the water is warm and a little paddle always makes the day seem better.

Have a good one!

Billy
 

Update 13th January 2012

What a fantastic start to the day. Loads of rays and a light offshore breeze kindly sweeping across 3ft of goodness, leftovers from yesterday's increase from the south. I was surprised that it didn't get bigger. It seemed to be the talk of the town and expectations were high but by nightfall I decided to give up on the idea of pumping waves. Next time, next swell! 

As I mentioned it's a cracker out there. Plenty of fun waves around, an air temp of 26 degrees and again just perfect in the water. Bondi had some fun punchy waves early on the lower tide and could even be better on the high. So keep your eye on it. Bronte looked slow and weak.

Sunday will be your best bet for a wave. Looks like we'll have a pulse from the SE and light winds early.

A big happy b'day to Sarah Glover! That's her with the big love heart on her longboard!

Enjoy the weekend. – Brad

Update 12th January 2011

A south swell has been delivered to our door step as forecast. At the moment it's hitting the 3 – 4ft mark but it looks set to get bigger through the day. 

At Bronte earlier, there was a good crowd of 25 – 30 in the water making the most of the slight SW wind before it swings to the SE. There are plenty of waves but the quality just isn't there. It looked fat and wobbly, and finding a good one looked like hard work. Regardless there are some real waves to be had if you're lucky enough to jag one. 

Today's main shot is of young grom Ethan Davis from Bronte. In the space of only a few weeks his surfing has progressed considerably and he was pulling off some good turns this morning. Keep it up Ethan!

Dr Rob Brander's "Essential Beach Book" can be bought online as an ebook for just $4.99 through the ITunes Store. If you want to know more about rips, waves and sandbanks then this is the book for you. It's a great read and very informative. 

Back tomoz! – Brad

Update 11th January 2012

After driving 4,000km across Australia over the past four days I've returned to the East Coast and I'm back behind the lens. There wasn't much photography going on in W.A. My time was solely focused on maintaining the smooth operations of the luxury yacht that I look after – Gen sets, air con, refrigeration, watermakers and 2 x Cat 1500Kw donks were a handful of the boat's onboard systems that required constant monitoring, for, if any of them go wrong you're literally stuck up shit creek without a paddle. 

After playing roo dodgem and sweating it out driving through our vast interior, I decided to hit the water at Bondi this first morning back – and wasn't it just amazing! I hear it's 22 degrees in and boardies are the order of the day. There is a slight East swell running but with a massive high tide of 1.8m mid-morning it will be all but gone with too much water. Try later on in the day for your best chance of a wave. I suggest taking a longboard or similar.

If we are lucky this evening's sunset will be as spectacular as last night's, with Jonas Liebschner capturing the burnt oranges in the fading summer light. Nice shot Jonas!

Looks like some waves tomorrow. Expect the south swell to crank right up throughout the day. Hold onto your hats though or find a protected corner out of the wind. 

Great to be back! – Brad