Pluses and minuses

Bit each way this morning.

The pluses

Swell has come up
Wind is offshore
Water is crystal clear
Sun is warming the air

Minuses

The banks have all gone
There is a fair bit of north in the wind
The swell is inconsistent

The Reef is the only place that is throwing up anything worth pulling a wet suit on for and only just.

It might get better later but with no banks left I doubt it.

Smaller

The swell has dropped a little but the waves are still coming in around chest height. The tide is pretty full and only the bigger ones are breaking and are bit fat.

The right out of the rip at Juniors is the pick.

Surf : 2 -3
Wind : SE
Swell : 0.48 @ 12 and dropping
Quality : bit fat and a bit fast
Recommendation : worth the paddle for one or two decent one in the session

Still cranking

Consistent head height sets at Juniors, the reef and the groyne. There is truckloads of power but most waves are short or not makeable. The crowd is big and the skill level pretty low, making it hard to get a proper read on the quality.

Surf : head height
Swell : 0.67 @ 12
Quality : smashing
Recommendation : look and judge for yourself

Swell won't quit

Another bump this arvo. The wind was onshore and the shape pretty marginal but there was the odd one between the dumpers. People were out all the way from Juniors to the groyne.

Should drop a little tomorrow but more off shores early and then surge again Sunday.

0.73 @ 12

More waves

Still cranking this morning.

Get out there before the weekend we I can get out so it will be flat.

Dark

Really black clouds and plenty of rain on the horizon this afternoon but I don't know if much will hit us.

There was a little rip bank off the rocks at Juniors this arvo in light onshore conditions. You can tell how inviting it was by the fact that three people were out and another five were trying to find reasons to pull on the wetsuit.

0.71 @ 12

JJ

John Florence has just beat Parko in the final by going to the air.

John John is the full package and has been a standout all contest. He can find a tube anywhere and throws massive airs.

With Slater a no show and everyone above him falling earlier Parko has gone to the top of the ratings.

The waves weren't good no matter how the sponsors talk it up. Billabong had pulled out of the WCT at J-Bay but could find the money for Rio. This event should have been down graded to a six star and J-Bay left alone. The ASP suffers from being controlled by the big surf companies and this is an example of putting sales before the sport.

Nearly over

First semi in the water. Parko vs Mick in glassy waves. Plenty of closeouts but some barrels and ramps.

Second semi John Florence v Josh Kerr.

Watch it on FuelTV and the net.

CCC

Cold, clean and cranking.

Get out there as it is likely to clean up a little more during the morning. Plenty of swell and some corners in between the close outs.

Do it

but quickly.

Basically no wind and really glassy conditions at BP. The swell is hanging around and it looks like a proper surf spot.

There are two guys out and I watched one get a fat-ish take off that then sucked across the bank giving some nice wall and a decent length of ride.

I wouldn't wait to long because the wind will probably be in soon but should only be light.

Size : 2 -3 foot
Wind : calm
Swell : 0.81 @ 12 and holding
Quality : glassy and walling
Desperation level : low
Recommendation : go right now

Yadin out

Yadin Nichol has been beaten by C J Hopgood in Rio. Yadin had a four and one plus. CJ had nothing until he pulled into the only real tube of the heat and got an eight. Parko was calling the heat and pointed out than today an eight is worth twelve.

Everyone is hoping they can it at the end of this round.

Men on in Rio crap

Shitty waves for the Billabong Pro again today. There is a bit of size (5 foot pro size) but is is messy, wobbly, rip filled close outs. The first couple of heats had the odd decent little tube but with the dropping tide they have disappeared.

The last three heats were all won with less than a 10 point two wave total. They have been close but thats because no one can get more than a four. They are talking about running round three because there is swell. Hopefully they will wait to see if the waves clean up and become more contestable.

FuelTV has the broadcast and their is a webcast as well.

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) lost to Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) beat Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) beat Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) beat Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) lost to Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) beat Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) - in the water now
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 11: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)

Bang

Lots of swell coming in last night. I was down just as the sun was coming up this morning to see a solid lump of swell close out from Barnacles across Juniors and past the reef. The wind was trying to be offshore but was more side shore. Half an hour later I went past again and the push was still around but the maccas were fairly scarce. Nothing surfable of course.

The temp was weird. It was like there was a line at the BP carpark. On the ocean side it was southerly and  18 degrees, on the harbour side it was cold easterly and around 11. You could almost find the spot where one side of you would be warm and the other cold.

The swell has hung around although it has dropped from over a metre to just over 0.8. The wind has been wrong all day. Tomorrow looks like a carbon copy of today with winds and temps the same. Although WSW is forecast their might just be the slightest window very early but I wouldn't bet my house on it.

Girls done

Sally Fitzgibbons has won the women's Billabong Pro Rio in more crappy beach break dribble. She beat Coco Ho in a close final. Both surfers got decent scores on waves that normally would be scored a four but got beefed up with the conditions.

This is her second win of the year and she is again a serious contender for the title again this year with just two more events left (France and the US Open).

Hopefully the men will get better waves but don't bet on it. Round two surfers would be getting a little nervous.

Swells up

but its crap.

1.06 in the harbour but cold on shores all day and lowish tides. No waves.

Might be bad for a few days but again look for the windows where it will be ok

Disappointing

The swell is still around but the tide, wind and northerly drift have killed it.

Two out at Juniors struggling and a group at the groyne being blown to South Africa. The waves look ok if you were able to get them but no one can.

It is possible that the conditions might improve but i'm not confident.

Surf : 2 foot sets
Swell : 0.46 @ 11
Winds : strong easterly but with a northerly drift
Quality : below average
Desperation level : pretty desperate but no one will laugh if you go out
Recommendation : watch

Don't wait

still waves. Bit of a crowd and a bit fat but worth it and not just because its Friday.

Steady 0.53 at nearly 12

Priorities

Work can wait. Get out there.

Clean waves with a little punch at Juniors. The tide and the rip are making it hard to get in the right position but when you do there is a decent wall to work with. Hell of a lot better than the crap the sent the women's CT out in in Rio last night.

A dropping tide will help and it should be fairly good all morning. No one was on them but there looks like some beachies as happening at BP as well. And the reef has a couple of lefts for the goofies.

Sorry

I planned on blogging the conditions when I first got to work but as usually was under the pump from the get go.

It was wobbly and offshore first thing with only two a long way out. There was a reasonable slice of size and some runners if you could get the right one

Late this arvo there was still plenty out. The wind was onshore but just making it crumbly. Plenty of waves and some little walls.

The clam is starting to form a bank and sand has moved around at Hungry Hollow. A rip is allowing some shape out the front of Extensions.

Should be clean tomorrow and maybe worth a sickie.

0.60 @ 10

Rio on

The Billabong Pro Rio has started with Men's round one heats in some decent beach breaks. The waves look tricky and are breaking out of a weird sidewash take off from a rocky headland.

Taj has just won his round one heat ins board he basically has never ridden.

Big news is that Slater pulled out a few days ago with a leg injury. That gives some else a chance to be number one after the event.

The webcam and results are down at the moment but it's live on FuelTV.

Brazil isn't good for us time wise and usually the surf is pretty crap. If the heats start early enough you can get through a few before bed but the bulk will be for night owls only.

Back

Rain's back but luckily not the wind.

The swell has dropped from its massive 7 metres during the height of the front but there is still waves. BP looks pretty crappy but a few have tried their luck. I probably would have in the past but too fat and lazy now.

The forecast is for light winds over the next few days with the possibility of offshore from tomorrow. The blow and the tides have moved plenty of sand around so their could be banks everywhere (or close outs).

Swell : 0.68 @ 11

I wonder

On days like today what Bunbury would be like if a massive clean swell hit. There are some huge waves capping and breaking way out and some big walls amongst the carnage.

The harbour buoy is 1.19 metres and Naturaliste is just a touch under six. Winds have been gusting in the high 30 kph since early this morning and as high as 50 at times. Augusta is being smashed as usual with winds getting close to double our worst.

Wouldn't be planning on getting wet for a few days (excluding getting caught in the rain). Neither Fraggles or the wall have decent banks yet but this front will help.

Don't bother

The surf is as you would expect - onshore mush. There isn't much size and very little shape.

A few have paddled out over the day but no one has really got anything worth the effort paddling.

Not looking good for a few days but there might be a window here and there if you're quick.

0.75 @ 12 from the WNW

There's

A bit of swell showing but no shape. Might be worth keeping a eye on if you don't have anything pressing to do.

If you can get down south and out of the wind a little it should be good all day.

0.49 @ 14