Swell Is Coming!!!

OMG, it might be a bit unwarranted just yet but looking at some of the forecast charts for this weekend is getting me excited.  After a weeks of really nothing over 3-4ft and mostly a lot smaller than that there is something kinda solid from a very sweet direction in the forecast!  Just hope the southerly wind holds of a bit longer than presently forecast.

Fingers crossed. It’s been a lake around here lately.

No chance!
It’s 7 days out, and with seabreeze its generally ocean swell not surf.
I half anything they predict. But love their live wind readings.

As I’m sure you know swell period is far more important.
Would rather 2’ at 11s than 5’ at 7s.

I have surfed a wave over 3’ in over 18 months.

Latest forecast model has scaled it back a fair bit, I was so hoping it would come off.

There’s lots of weather activity around, anything could happen. Maybe a solid ground swell from a cyclone up north.

Mmmmm northerly cyclone swell is the best!

I once drew up a basic map of swell spots dependant on cyclone position allowing for shadowing by islands (like Lord Howe and the Barrier Reef), the coastline, ocean trenches and submersed islands - I filtered out the best East Coast spots and ideal places for a cyclone to sit.
I followed this map for a few summers and surfed as far up as Bugara Manmade Reef near Bundaberg while a 6’ swell (10’-15’ ocean waves) hit the outer reef, it was only 2’ but it was the best small wave I’ve ever surfed (standard shortboard)!
I scored epic waves most of the time, all the way down to Jevis bay - just following the map I created with a ruler, pen and ocean floor map. The highlights included 10’ Lennox Head, PERFECT +6’ Burliegh Point (I mean perfect), Angourie, Port Mac. Nth Wall, The Pass, North Narra, DeeWhy, Middle Harbour (yes-Sydney Harbour), Dunny Bowl, Nth Scarbs, Thomo’s, Headies and epic Sandon Point a few times.

Surfing is the ultimate exercise in frustration when you wait for waves to come to you. Chasing waves brings much more reward.
I wish I could chase the waves again, this is a good island to do it on.

I’ve never looked into the coastal bathymetry much although it really is hugely important when it comes to predicting how much swell will get into a certain area or which beaches will focalise the swell so it will be larger than other beaches etc.  I would be interested to see that map Spaz or is it just purely based on distances to the continental shelf moreso than localised bathymetry?

Spaz I just signed up for Bouyweather 15 day trial, they are calling for a 6m ENE average wave size with a 7.6m max for wave heights with 11-12sec period on Monday arvo, so happy in pants right now!  I have that tingling sensation all over, pumped, so pumped, there’s a few spots I’m keen to go try with that swell wind combo especially with that swell size! 

Jez you want to tow me in up this way ha ha!

North Swell from the end of June 2001 is still the craziest swell I’ve ever seen and surfed. I was only relatively new to the ocean then, but I think I’ll be very lucky if I ever see another swell event like that one again!

NBG that forecast is for wave/swell size not surf

size.
I love the 11-12sec period and direction I expect 3’-5’ surf.

This swell has a fetch of over 5000km! the wind generating the waves is feeding two tropical lows (one was a cyclone for a few hours) both in North Queensland. With a southerly expected to just nudge some warm weather up as far as Sydney and give us opposing wind (to the swell) it should clean up nicely and we’ll have some nice powerful lines.

I think it will be a bit more NE but wont crack 8’ on the sets.

I generally halve the size they call on bouyweather, still it’s been upgraded to 9.5m max so over 4m surf one would hope.  Stop trying to kill my excitement dammit, from the looks of it this swell will be at least twice as big as anything I have seen since I got back in the water after my ear op that I can think of.  Actually about 2 weeks ago I think it was about 3-4ft but every half an hour or so something bigger would come through.  Nevertheless I am pretty much always an optimist when looking at stuff like this and I’m hoping it gets over 8ft, I haven’t pulled my 7’0” out for a long long time.

Oh shite! I’m gonna have to get busy and finish repairing my 7’2” and start a diet of pure cement. This is looking solid.

With my lack of surf fitness or getting in the big stuff, I better take my board and get a wave in tonight before work, stay at the beach tonight and take on the rising swell tomorrow.
Monday might be a morning of filming and photo’s. I should buy a floatation vest and some fins so I can get water shots!

I have a big job deadline on Tuesday and a busy weekend of work at the bar/restaurant.
But if the waves are good I’ll have to reschedule the deadline to next weekend

wah! I know where I’d be headed for the late session tuesday followed by the early on wednesday morning if I was on the correct continent!

actually I know where I’d be headed on sunday and monday, too.

I took my old mans 10’3” gun for a paddle out to the end of Newport Reef yesterday and took off on a few tiny ones.  I haven’t ridden that board in almost 10 years and that was at Waimea ha ha!  Will depend on the wind more than anything but if it’s got any south in it that’s probably where I will be!