Dawn Patrol

Down for a very dark and scary early this morning. A huge thunderstorm was flashing and booming away in the distance but luckily moving away. It then drifted off to leave a quite clear day.

Surfed some nice zippy lefts off BP reef with just me and my mate out. The conditions were perfect, light winds, glassy and the just the right amount of water over the reef. The swell was a bit north so gave it an extra bit of shape.

We had had our fill before the later risers started to come out after nine.

There were a few groms out a the Bay which looked ok.

Later the wind was blowing on, off and side shore all at once. Juniors was the only thing with shape and I saw a softboarder pull into a nice cover up.

Saturdays

Swell looks like it is wanting to build a little. Wind from the north and is sort of onshore and offshore at the same time.

Few groms out at BP reef but the weed is just killing it. The Bay has a handful of lids who are still getting some good wedges and the odd cover up.

Might be worth keeping an eye on later but it is a bit hard to tell at the moment.

Popping the Bay cherry

After more than 10 years in Bunbury I have finally surfed the Bay. Never could quite be bothered walking around the fence and was satisfied by Juniors.

The waves were small but fun. There is no such thing as a bad Friday surf but the little wedges were cold, clean and back lit.

Can't wait for my new board. The 7'3" Yahoo hybrid is just a smigen long and I haven't ridden it in anger for ages.

Lets see what the weekend brings.

Another nice arvo

Still a little swell and perfect winds. A few guys were sharing a couple of nice but wobbly ones at the Bay.

Back Beach was a little less busy than yesterday but the waves were smaller. The banks still look ok though.

Hopefully the swell will hang around for those who can get away for the long weekend (if you have a long weekend !)

Don't you hate

Everything is set. The board is in the car, your mate is ready, wetsuit is dry and your off work early. Just need some swell and the sneaky check just before knock off shows a rising swell and offshores. You can't miss.

Then your mate drops out - has to look after the baby at short notice. Bugger him I'll go myself.

Hit the carpark and don't even look. The wetsuit must have shrunk over summer because it is strangling me. Leg rope, where is my leg rope ? It was here yesterday .......... before I took it out and left it at home. Doesn't matter, didn't look that critical half an hour ago when I checked last.

Check the newly re-set fin on the mini-mal. Hang on there's another ding there and another there.

Run down the beach. Shit the waves look bigger and suckier at beach level. Perfect for the new board I haven't got yet, not for 7'6" on mini-mal. Which bank will allow me to get out and get a few corners without losing my board. None probably so I'll go out here.

Fifty metres of thick, clumpy weed hiding the reef. Great if I lose my board I will have to swim through this. Better choose waves wisely.

Duck dive - freezing cold.

Just as I suspected, the waves would have been great for a shortboard but the vertical takeoffs are just to much for a mini-mal without a legrope in cold weedy water.

Try inside but just get smashed on a duck dive.

Ride a foamy one in without standing up and go home.

Don't you hate best laid plans ?????

Where did the swell come from

Pumping this afternoon. There are waves up and down the Bunbury coastline and the wind is offshore. There are plenty of people out enjoying the clear sky and waves.

There's a lot of north in the swell and the waves are a bit zippy but worth the paddle. BP has three or four decent banks but lots of weed. The waves are about chest height on take off.

The four lids at the Bay are sharing left hand barrels and an air end section. One guy got two clean and legit barrel on the one wave.

Sidewash is packed and I saw a mini-mal ride get a quick cover up at the Calm.

Afternoons are better

This morning was small and mush.

In the arvo the northerly blew in some small but walling out to sea right handers. Just south of the surf club seemed the best with a few groms all over it.

Swell has dropped right out and the period is massive.

Next bit of weather is coming on Sunday but doesn't look significant.

Devil Wind

The morning sickness hasn't burnt off and the north wind is into it.

Nowhere is surfable (and I'm desperate so that tells you how bad it is). Capel is flat and weedy, Back Beach is flat and weedy and the only decent bank at BP has formed from weed.

The only bright spark is that I have picked up one of my damaged boards (although it now has different coloured fins) from Yahoo Surfboard in Dunsborough and the weather was crap down there as well.


Think I will go to work.

Wonky

A bit wonky and fat first thing. Should clean up later.

Watch out for the weed and the beach erosion.

Still Surf

Apologies to anyone who read my previous entry and stayed home (like me).

The wind never did really kick in and as the sun was setting there were still waves (although the tide was lower) everywhere.

The Clam had a nice little barrel.

Waves

There are waves. The wind is offshore and the tide is high. There are little banks from Hungry Hollow to the Bay and quite a few having a go.

They seem a little fat and there is a heap of weed everywhere.

By the time you read this though the onshore should have set in and it may not be that great.

Still looks like the weather and swell might keep some interest for those with a day off tomorrow.

Choc Milk

Rain has gone but the freezing onshore wind remains. The water has gone to that familiar Bunbury brown and there is weed everywhere.

This morning was solid with a couple of lids at Fraggles and the Bay.

Late this arvo the wind swung a little more south but no one was out for the LAGO

Massive

The fronts keep coming and smashing everywhere.

With an out going tide and gale force south westerlies the Cut was a washing machine, Wall breaking parralel to the rocks and everywhere else out of control.

One brave soul was trying his hand outside the Surf Club and a couple of others near Fawlty Towers.

A spy tells me that spots on the eastern side of Cape Naturaliste had waves. Bet tommorrow they'll have waves and huge crowds.

I Love Fronts

Big front crossing today. Bunbury is a wash of big, onshore waves.

My spys tell me that there only place between Margs and Bunbury any one has tried is a Meelup !!!

Hopefully the swell will stay after the wind moves on.

First Winter Swell

Finally a winter swell and it should get bigger over the next few days. Thursday looks very nasty.

A few were testing themselves against the head height sets at back beach and up by Fawlty Towers. The wind was from the north but was more off than onshore.

No daylight saving in winter so wasn't a hell of a lot of light after work.

Looks like plenty of sand moving so could be set for a few good days early next week.

Is Winter Coming

First rain for somthing like 45 days overnight but not much.

Light onshore this arvo with a few taking on closeouts at Juniors and BP reef. Not that great though.

Big front due on Thursday.

Sad in the Afternoon

What is worse than flat ?

Flat and onshore. Welcome to worse !

Again Groundhog Day Again !!!

What a waste of perfect weather conditions. Still offshore, crystal clear and even the tides are good but still no waves.

Hopefully next weeks fronts will be the start of a decent winter.

I'm back to work next week so you can bet the waves will get better.

Groundhog Day Again Again !!

Slightly colder and slightly flatter. Lots of disappointed groms along Bunbury's beaches.

A handful of lids at sidewash but they aren't getting anything.

I remember the days when you had to go out for hours regardless of whether there was surf or not !

Groundhog Day Again !

Slightly colder, slightly smaller but just as few waves.

The weekend doesn't look any better but hopefully the front that is meant to be coming in on Monday or Tuesday does something.

Should really have been going south each day but can't be bothered !

Groundhog Day

Another cloudless, mid-twenties day without any surf. There is still some swell around but not enough for waves in Bunbury.

The only ripples at BP were just big enough for the Grammar kids to learn on their soft boards.

Apparently Bornaup was good yesterday, about 2 - 5 foot but with a lot of water moving around.

Everything but surf

Offshore winds - check
Mid tide - check
Sunny cloudless sky - check
Swell - too small

On another annoyingly perfect day the little ripples of swell are way to small to break in Bunbury. No waves at BP or the Bay and the back beach is like the middle of summer minus the people.

At least my friends who went south today will get waves for a change

Not Quite Bunbury

Stopped in at one of my favourite spots 4th Groyne, Mandurah on the way to and from Perth,

The mid-morning session was frustrated by a very high tide. There was enough swell but it wasn't breaking well. Add in sidewash and the take off on the odd set was a killer.

The arvo session was a little better but the swell had backed off. The tide was still full but the odd one was giving some of that speed wall you get on the good days. One wave sets were very, very inconsistent and I blew wave of the day.

Still, it was way better than nothing.

Beautiful Morning

Nice light this morning.

Some very small waves at BP with great conditions. Still really full tide.

Lots of groms out for a pre-school bash.

Afternoon Report

Spent the afternoon at Yahoo Surfboards in Dunsborough putting two boards in for medical attention to missing fins caused by low tide BP and deciding if I should get the 6'6" Dhu-fish off the rack or wait three weeks for a custom 6'9". I went the 6'9".

On the way back checked out Capel cut. A few locals out and the odd little wave. Didn't look great but it would have been a nice way to end the day.

Swell doesn't equal waves

Looking a big sick this morning (bad sick not good sik). The swell has picked up (0.6 on the channel marker) but there are no waves locally.

The super high tides have continued and the swell is just marching over the reef and dumping on the shore. With a touch of north in the swell, a southerly drift and a wind from the south but with a touch of east the ocean is more than a little confused.

It might clean up a little later but more likely it will just turn fully onshore.

Another Poor Weekend

No swell in Bunbury combined with north winds means the closest you'll get to surfing is watching the Sunday session on Fuel TV !

Currently strong north west winds which may blow in some swell next week and help move around some sand. But don't hold your breath if your waiting for it to be anything but desperation surfing.

Access to the Bay Open

The Bunbury Port Authority has opened up access to the Bay in time for winter. The BPA have run a fence along the edge of the road allowing pedestrian access to the beach.

A number of years ago the BPA closed access. They claimed it was as a result of ongoing problems with damage. However even if it hadn't been done then with the current restrictions due to the terorrism laws it would have happened anyway.

I would like to think that the new access is due to a recognistion of surfing but suspect it simply was a result of the cruise ship activity. Regardless of the reason surfers (especially body board groms) no longer have to break the law and dodge security guards and big trucks to get waves.

Undoubtedly this will increase crowds but as a bonus might reduce crowds down at BP. Its still a decent walk so lots of people won't bother.

Goes without saying (hopefully) if you use the path make sure you do the right thing, don't park in the weighbridge (they have put bollards up anyway), keep to the path, take your rubbish home with you and have a go at anyone who doesn't follow the rules.

Lookout at BP

The Bunbury City Council is seeking submissions about the erection of a viewing platform at BP. The structure will be similar to that at the Clam and be at the end of the footpath.

It should help stop some of the dune erosion but you can expect some of the Marlston Hill residents will kick up and want it stopped.

Details are at http://www.bunbury.wa.gov.au/ in the public notices section. Submissions close Tuesday.

Small Waves for a Sunday

Summer like conditions for the middle of Autumn. A bit nippy but still no steamer.

BP had some clean hip height waves today with four guys out. There were long waits between the "sets" but it was glassy and clear.Nothing spectacular but better than housework.

Juniors has given up for the summer and turned into a close out. There is the first indications of a bank forming at the groyne.

For the second surf in a row I have had fin dramas. This time I have pulled out an FCS plug on the softest touch of the bottom on a pull out.