Frustration

Still wet from an attempted surf at the Bay. Everything looks good but the waves were basically unsurfable. Even the body boarders were having trouble.

The Clam is busy but looks just as bad and the tide is too low at BP.

Still plenty of swell for the weekend.

Down south was meant to be epic but that should be taken with a grain of salt.

LAGO Tow Ins

The boat tow crew were back at the Bay this afternoon. The board didn't seem to work right but they were having fun.

The boat driver was a star and drove it like it was someone elses. Jet skis are for wimps !!!!

Click the header and watch the video.

Another Calm Day

Well the wind was calm but there is still plenty of swell. This morning wasn't great but the swell jumped a little in the afternoon. The tide was a bit low and the weed is still hanging around but there was a mass of groms just south of the surf club.

A few guys were out at BP and the Bay. The boat tow in guys were at it again.

Conditions look similar for the next few days so make the most of it. I'm sure winter hasn't disappeared forever.

Aussie Takes Japan

Harley Ingelby has started this year like he did last by winning the first round of the World Longboard Tour. However, unlike last year, he know there is more than one event so won't have to spend months wondering if he will be world champ or not.

Was a big day on the beachy with the event running all the way from the remaining round 1 heats to the final. The waves for the final were okay and Harley was the deserving winner.

Harley's two best waves included a couple of big backhand reos, flying floaters and carving cutbacks. He even chucked in a stall and 5 for the traditionalists.

Hopefully he can back it up with good results in the other events and get a deserved World title.

World Longboard Tour Starts Today

The first event of the World Longboard Tour started today in Japan. The waves are onshore crap and barely contestable.

Longboard events can be a little hard to watch. It is difficult to enjoy watching a Brazilian who obviously isn't competitive on a shortboard try to surf a longboard like one. There are too many tail surfers, ridiculous attempted chop hops and barely touching cheater fives. Usually the waves are not mal friendly and lots progress through heats by lucking into two waves rather than good surfing.

However when you get decent waves there are some surfers who know how to surf a longboard, using the whole length and mixing traditional moves with shortboardish smashes. Josh Constable, Harley Ingelby and Bonga Perkins are all worth watching.

Having said that, there is a webcast and I'll be watching.

Clam Firing

The Clam has entered that really short period each year where it sits in the middle of its usual default state (ie: waveless or closing out).

People have been on it most of the day and there is a fair crowd this afternoon. Winds have been light and will probably stay that way for a few more days with a high moving through. Mornings have been the best with today presenting a rolling right as I went to work.

Get in Quick

There are a few waves around Bunbury. The swell seems a little smaller but the conditions are calm and glassy.

My dawn patrol partners dropped out but there are a few out at the Clam which seems to have a nice peak.

The groyne at BP is working but weedy and the banks are still out the front of the surf club.

The forecast is for the wind to be fairly light all day but it will be onshore when it does kick in.

US Open of Surfing

The US Open of Surfing has been going for the last few days. It is probably the biggest WQS event as it includes men, womens, juniors, trials and longboards as well as BMX, skateboarding and a surfboard expo.

There is a WPS All Stars tow in expression session, which is scheduled for the middle of the night here. The surfers were selected by Hurley and voted by the public. The All Stars are -
Kelly Slater
Mick Fanning
CJ Hobgood
Andy Irons
Bruce Irons
Dane Reynolds
Rob Machado
Taj Burrow
Jordy Smith
Yadin Nicol

Good to see two WA boys in the lineup.

The main event is down to the round of 16. With a mid-season break for the WCT more than a couple real pros have entered this event. Some because they were there for the all stars event and others because they may need to re-qualify via the 'QS. Nine 'CT surfers are still in the event with the rest being basically seven of the top 10 or so from the other tour. Five Aussies remain including Mick Fanning, who will go up against fellow Gold-Coaster Julian Wilson. Slater is against Nic Muscroft with Hurley legend Rob Machado facing Tahitian Michel Bourez. All these are heats worthy of a WCT event.

In the womens Steph Gilmore was knocked out in the quarters by a unknown Hawaiian. Despite there being an Australian in each quarter final, only Laura Enever made it to the semis where she will meet Gilmore's Hawaiian.

The live web-stream is showing highlights on a loop and will stream the event if your still up. Otherwise there are plenty of video highlights.

Waves Today

With light winds there were waves if you were keen.

The dawn light showed some swell pieces and some banks with no wind and the glassy-ness taking some of the brown-ness out.

This arvo saw a few out in front of the surf club and one booger getting some barrels at the Bay.

Get into it early tomorrow before the south westerly kicks in.

Calmed Down

It finally calmed down and stopped raining about nine this morning.

The swell has dropped quickly but it is still a solid 5 metres on the Naturaliste buoy and about a metre in the harbour. That doesn't translate to waves as it is still slightly onshore and the ocean is a messy mud pit.

The mid range forecast looks okay from Saturday to next Monday with light offshores. There might even be the chance of an early on Friday. Hopefully when the currents settle there will be some banks.

Strap Yourself In !!!

If last night's weather wasn't enough for you, a stronger front is hitting as I write.

Winds are at 44 knots on the harbour buoy with a swell over 1.7 metres. Winds have been between 30 and 40 kph all day with gusts up around 70. A gust on the buoy was around 70 knots !!!

Naturaliste buoy is at 6 metres and the gales are continuing.

Tomorrow looks slightly better weather wise but not surf wise.

Hope your roof stays on.

How Desperate Are You ?

There is a few just surfable waves in Bunbury if your desperate. Its probably the most surfable it has been for the last few days but its not great.

The only place people are out at the moment is around the Surf Club. There is the odd takeoff but it is pretty full and messy.

The Bay has the same problem, full and onshore. There is the very odd steamer at Fraggles but not worth the wait.

The water is brown and there are lots of strong rips around so be careful if you are just starting.

The cleanest waves I saw were off the tug boats !

Avon Descent scruitineering is on at the surf club. They will be hoping it continues to rain like last night in the Avon catchment to make it a paddling not walking race.

Severe weather warning has just been posted for this evening so this might be your last chance for a few more days.

Wild

The beach is wild and wooly at the moment and surfing is a no go in Bunbury.

There are waves on the Dunsborough side of the Cape and they should clean up a little when the wind swings more west and the tide drops.

PK was ok but not really breaking how it should. And it was crowded. There was a little wave at outside Meelup and Castle Rock was small and messy but could do it later with a slight change of conditions.

Just watch the school holiday crowds.

Parko Rules Again

For the third time this year Parko has smashed his way into first in a WCT event. Parko started the final with a 9.47 and backed up with a 6.5. Damien Hobgood was chasing at least a high 8 from halfway through the heat and spent the 3 minutes in combo land.

Parko deserved to win and had been on all contest. He had two 10s and two of the ten highest heat scores. Only his semi-final was close

Yesterday was a classic day of contest surfing. The waves just got better and better and almost everyone was going off.

Slater was unbelievable in his round 2 heat against Nic Muscroft. He scored 18.84 out of 20 and had a throw away score of 9 ! If you only watch one heat on demand then make it this one. In round three he got a total of six and his 10th title might be on hold till next year despite there still being enough events.

Dane Reynolds just missed the final by a smidge but as a consolation won the hugely expensive Nixon watch for the highest heat total. One of his round two waves was so long he got dropped in on by a free surfer way down the line.

Not surprisingly Occy won round two of the Icons clash by less than a point. Just gives them an excuse to try again at Mundacca, a left.

The next event is the Hurley at Trestles in the US from 13th September.

Jennifer Smith from the US won the WLT title for the second time at the Roxy Jam in France. She beat Chelsea Williams in the semis in waves that looked fun but no more special that a pretty average beach break.

Round 2 and onwards

Round two at J-Bay is on. The waves are really good but not that big. They are a little inconsistent but there are long, long, long walls and some great barrels.

So far Taj has lost to a local wildcard after spending much of the heat in combo land. This is his second 17th so he will have to have excellent results for the rest of the year.

2008 WQS Champ Nathaniel Curran has finally won two heats in a row.

Mick Fanning just gotten beaten despite holding an 9 and a high 8 in the highest scoring heat so far.

Parko was on fire but is so smooth he hardly looks like he is trying.

The next heat is a killer Jordy Smith vs Dane Reynolds, the battle of the next generation. Both have smashed their first waves with huge carves, barrels and floater. 8.50 vs 7.83.

Slater will be in the heat after. It will be interesting to see what he rides.

In round one of the "Clash of the Titans" Curren beat Occy. The next heat is just before the final. Bet Occy wins for one all.

J-Bay On

The Billabong Pro has started in clean but small waves. It is offshore and quick but with the odd barrel and big whacking sections. If we rocked up to these conditions you'd be frothing but for the Pros you'd probably question if they would have run today if the waiting period wasn't disappearing so quick.

Round 1 is elimination. No surprises so far and no real outstanding heats.

The Roxy is also running. WA's Georgina Young was knocked out and the only remaining Aussie Chelsea Williams beat the current world champ. She comes up against the other Australian in heat 5. The video from yesterday showed the usual small but clean French summer conditions, ideal for longboarding.

Another Layday at J Bay

Waves are even smaller but they forecast is for a new swell tomorrow. They will need to start running heats tomorrow just to get through in the waiting period.

The Roxy Jam has just started for today. No webcast but you can follow live scores and results if that floats your boat.

Like Summer

Mid-arvo check reveals no real drop in the swell and light variable winds. The wind is a little onshore but not enough to really make much of a mess of the waves.

Out the front of the surf club seems to be the pick of the spots. Two out at BP Groyne and a couple of dolphins surfing the reef.

Get Out There

Nice day, if still a little cold, and there are waves.

Just about everywhere is worth a paddle. The Bay is very full but some wedges for the lids that are out there.

There are banks up and down the stretch from Extensions to the Clam and around Hungry Hollow.

Bigger ones are coming through at the Clam but they are closing out a bit more.

Swell is around 0.6 and dropping and the winds very light southerly. They should stay light most of the day.

The second week of the school holidays should start with some waves and the get wet later in the week.

Contest News

Another lay day has just been called by J-Bay contest director "Snips' Parsons. The waves are up to shoulder height but too inconsistent to run the first round. Tomorrow arvo seems to be the next likely start time.

The positive is that they will now run the new contest format and dump the losers in the first round, whilst the top seeds go straight to round 2. Less time to wait for the decent surfers and heats.

If you want a contest fix or your female, the annual Roxy Jam starts in France today. Girls riding mals isn't for everyone but it can be a good way to spend a slow night. Especially if Kasia Meador is commentating.

The contest is the World Womens Longboard World Championship and will run the first round elimination format. Seems women longboarders, most who earn little or nothing from surfing, are a lot less precious about the risk of going home after one heat than the so called elite back half of the men's WCT.

There is only one seeded Australian and a total of three in the event, including WA's Georgiana Young who draws a Hawaiian in round 1.

Mid Arvo Check

Still plenty of swell with the channel buoy showing over a metre. The wind has picked up and is a freezing, side-shore southerly. The odd big one is coming through but there are plenty of rips and with the lowish tide plenty of close outs smashing on the banks.

Plenty of cars at the Bay and a few out around the surf club.

The weather for tomorrow looks okay early (but cold) and there should still be swell around.

Waves Around

There are a few waves around but pretty lumpy and hard to catch.

From the surfclub to whippies there are waves and people. Saw a spitting death tube reel along the bank.

BP has waves with a few sneakers. The Bay has groms out but the waves look really hard to catch. Fraggles has the odd wave but no one out.

Winds are meant to stay light all day so could be ok later.

Lay Days at Home and Away

No waves at J-Bay and choc-milk coloured froth locally.

Crappy

Crappy, rainy and onshore.

Good day to be at work or in Bali

Shoulder Shrug

Its that sort of a day. The rain has just come back after some midday sun.

The waves are sort of northerly wind swell. Its probably ok if you are really desperate but only just.

J-Bay WCT Starts This Week

One of the best WCT events of the year starts later this week. The Billabong Pro usually scores decent waves on most days and they are perfectly suited to the styles of Taj, Parko, Mick, Jordy and Slater.

Unlike the last event, the webcast for Billabong events is always top class, as is the website and heats on demand. Click here for the web-site.

The organisers have added a special heat - OCCY v Tom Curren. Both were fierce competitors at the height of their competitive careers, both drifted off the circuit in the middle and both won world titles on their return. Also they have both won 8 of the 16 heats they have had against each other.

You don't have to search far to see that both are still surfing at a very high level and if there are decent waves this will be an exhibition you won't want to miss.

Messy

Day two of the school holidays is showery and windy. Although the odd grom is attempting a paddle out here and there, the open beaches are no goers.

The Wall has a small and very inconsistent wave but might be worth a desperation surf as the forecast isn't great.

Cold and Clean but Small

The dawn patrol showed a little swell.

Juniors is the pick of the spots with the odd left at BP reef.

The Bay has size but just isn't breaking.

Now the the sun is starting to warm up it the crowds have started to arrive.

Probably the last chance for a few days.

Nice but small

Still small waves around in Bunbury with nice weather and winds.

The swell continues to drop away but the banks were still holding some little waves for the desperate or weekday workers.

Get into it while you can. Tomorrow looks even smaller and then rainy and onshore from Monday afternoon.

Is Slater Back ?

Kelly Slater has won his first WCT event of the year and ended his worst start to a season ever. With six events including the Slater hunting grounds of J-Bay, Trestles and Pipe, maybe getting his tenth this year is not out of the question.

Last night he rode his fourth board for the contest, a fairly standard 5'9" squash tail Merrick and he just seems to be able to pull that one manoeuvre that makes you shake your head.

The other finalist was Brazilian Adrian De Souza, who was in his second final of the year (losing to Parko at the Quikie Pro at Snapper Rocks), is having his best year yet. His surfing was worthy of his place in the final.

The waves were ok but most scoring rides were a fairly similar mix of vertical re-entries and the odd floater. This resulted in most heats being fairly close. Interestingly despite the waves being mostly lefts on one goofy footer (CJ) made it through to the quarter finals. This may have been because the waves tended to make backhand snaps look better than forehand re-entries.

The change of date seems to have worked and the event fits better in the middle rather than towards the end of the title race. Nothing has been worse than a World Champ decided because his competitors couldn't find any waves in two foot onshore closeouts. Only the photographers would have been disappointed as they wouldn't have been able to fill their quota of Brazilian G-string bikinis.

Slater has jumped into the top 10 for the first time this year. Parko remains at one but De Souza has moved to second with Fanning and Taj falling down a few spots. CJ and Parko are the only members of the top ten to not have a 17th as a throw away. Unlike last year everyone has managed to get through at least one heat.

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:

1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3876 pts
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3206 pts
3 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3072 pts
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 3050 pts
5 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2940 pts
6 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2625 pts
7 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 2532 pts
8 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2486 pts
9 – Kelly Slater (USA) 2430 pts
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 2342 pts

Contest On

Despite a forced re-start when no waves came though at the start of heat one the waves are starting to flow through in Brazil.

The surfing has already been two steps higher than last round. Bede has cranked out two massive waves to have two 8+ rides whilst Damo Hobgood has a 7 and 6 but still needs more than 9.

Good way to spend a quiet Friday night.

Waves All Day

Swell has hung around and despite the tide there were still waves.

A few were out a BP groyne and I joined a small crew of body boarders at the Bay for the late.

First wave on my new Yahoo surfboard and I sprayed my mate on a cutback. Feels like a skate board and goes like lightning.

Waves should hang around for the weekend but next week looks wet for those on school holidays.

Round 3 Done

Another full day of action in reasonably good waves. Most of the early heats were a bit slow but the surfing was good.

Most top seeds got through. Jermey Flores beat another Frenchman with a 7 plus in the last 30 seconds and Jordy was beaten in a slowish heat. He was one of the few that went right but they were fat and he missed out. Slater rode a swallow tail epoxy and has now ridden something different each heat.

Last night's commentator indicated that with the dropping swell and a poor forecast the rest of the contest might be run tonight. All round 4 match ups look good, hopefully the waves will hang around.


HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 4: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Chris Ward (USA

Still Waves

And still cold.

There is a little swell around and the guy brave enough to tackle the Clam this morning in 4 degrees probably got the best of it so far.

The wind is quite strong and with a heap of north but it is still offshore.

Hopefully it will glass off later.

Round 3 on

Round three has just started with Aussie Bede Durbridge through in the first heat.

The webcast is a bit patchy at the moment so it is a bit hard to tell the conditions. Looks like a 7 is a really good score.

The better heats are late tonight. Parko should beat Neco Padaraz, whilst the waves should suit Taj but also his competitor Nathaniel Curran. Slater takes on Ben Dunn which may be harder than it looks.

Waves All Day

Might have been freezing cold this morning but there were waves all along the Bunbury coastline.

The LAGO was very popular with people out everywhere from Fawlty Towers to the BP groyne. The Bay was empty despite being the biggest.

Small Waves

Nothing local and the swell is diving quickly. Its already under a metre in Bunbury and below two at Naturaliste. The wind is still strong and onshore.

Surfed the log on a very small but clean PK this morning with only two girls out. Waves were really inconsistent but every now and then there was a zipper allowing a long five. You could see the swell disappearing as decent waves got longer apart.

Rocky Point looked ok from a distance.

Capel cut is mud and while the swell was getting in, so was the wind.

My optimism for a weekend of waves is waning as fast as the swell.