Day Eight 31/12/12

Seems I started a day earlier than previous years, not that the surf makes it worth adding a day.

Today is flat again. This has been the most disappointing seven days. Usually I get a couple of surfs, with at least one being clean Juniors and one onshore bash. This year I got nothing except a few just ok hand board sessions.

Roll on 2013.

Day 8 - 31/12/12 (6.00 m)
Waves : zilch
Wind : E - 6 kph gusting to 6 kph
Swell : 0.35 @ 13
Quality : 0.3 out of 10

Day Seven 29/12/12

Bump in the swell but the period is huge. There are two guys out at BP reef sharing the single wave sets that are coming in ever 15 to 20 minutes. The waves are small and short but clean.

I chose Barnacles again. It was about the same size as yesterday but you waited for ever for shorter waves.

Day 7 - 30/12/12 (2.00 pm)

Waves : knee height eventually

Wind : E - 11 kph gusting to 17 kph

Swell : 0.40 @ 14

Quality : 3.8 out of 10

Day Six Part Two

Had to get wet so took the handplane to Barnacles. The tide has helped just a tiny bit but it was minute and not suitable for stand ups.

It might have been small but it was enough to break my handplane. It looks like it just needs to be re-glued which is no big deal. That rail gets most of the work and flex so if it was going to fail it would be there.

Day 6 - 29/12/12 (2.00 pm)

Waves : Just knee height

Wind : W - 11 kph gusting to 15 kph

Swell : 0.28 @ 12

Quality : 2 out of 10

Day Six - 29/12/12

Hot, sticky and flat. Thats about all I can say.

Day 6 - 29/12/12 (8.00 am)

Waves : Ankle height

Wind : S - 7 kph gusting to 9 kph

Swell : 0.27 @ 12

Quality : 1 out of 10

Day Five - 28/12/12

Little ripple this morning on a better tide. Not really surfable but I did get a pre-work handplane session. The waves were really week and barely knee height however it is a nice way to start another scorcher of a day.

It's ideal for micro-gremmies who got their first soft board for Chrissie and to stay cool but not much else.

Day 5 - 28/12/12 (6.00 am)
Waves : Shin height
Wind : SE - 2 kph gusting to 4 kph
Swell : 0.30 @ 11
Quality : 3 out of 10

Day Four - 27/12/12

Even worse than yesterday. The tide is so low that I was able to walk out to the far edge of the reef without getting my knees wet.

There has been a little kick in the swell on the buoys but not necessarily in the water due to the direction. It could reach 2 metres at Naturaliste overnight but is forecast to drop out pretty quickly.

Day 4 - 27/12/12 (6.00 am)

Waves : Ironing board

Wind : SSE - 9 kph gusting to 15 kph

Swell : 0.15 @ 12 (@ 6.00 pm 0.25 m)

Quality : 0 out of 10

Day Three - 26/12/12

No good news today. Even flatter than yesterday and when the overnight wind wobble disappears it will be flatter again.

The tide is super low but on the plus side there is some nice looking banks hanging around. The sand is quickly filling in around the groyne and is nearing the tip.

Day 3 - 26/12/12 (6.00 am)

Waves : Ant sets

Wind : S - 11 kph gusting to 17 kph

Swell : 0.15 @ 11

Quality : 0.2 out of 10

Day Two - 25/12/12

All I want for Christmas is a bit of swell.

I must have been naughty because it was flat this morning although the conditions were nice for a swim  or micro groms to paddle their Chrissie presents.

I chose to take the SUP out after a very big breakie with the family and the wind had swung. Still mastering it so ended in the drink a couple of times.

Merry and safe Christmas to you and your family.



Day 2 - 25/12/12 (11.00 am)
Waves : Foot slappers
Wind : WSW - 15 kph gusting to 20 kph
Swell : 0.22 @ 11
Quality : 1 out of 10

7 Waves in 7 Day 2012

I end every year by taking a photographic record of seven days in the life of Juniors and BP (click here for previous years). It was an idea I stole from an Australian Surfing Life video. Today is day one.

The surf is a little disappointing. The wind is offshore and quite strong and tide is good but the swell that was around in the poor weekend conditions has disappeared. It might be worth keeping an eye on but probably not.

Day 1 - 24/12/12 (6.30 am)
Waves : Ankle slappers
Wind : E - 11 kph gusting to 20 kph
Swell : 0.41 @ 11
Quality : 3 out of 10

Day Seven

Last chance to surf in 2011 and there is swell but no waves. There is a little pulse in the water but the tide and banks means its just surging and dumping.

Bit overcast and sharky as well.

Day 7 - 31/12/11
Waves : 9 inches
Wind : SSE
Quality : 1.2 out of 10

Day Six

Bit of thunder, dribble of rain and south winds. Nothing wave wise this morning but a few little peaks this afternoon. Two guys were tempted out at Juniors but it was way too small to ride.

Day Six 30/12/11
Waves : 8 inches
Wind : moderate southerly
Quality : 1.1 out of 10

Day Five

Just as flat and hot. The wind has moved to the north and by evening it has clouded over.

The forecast has gotten a little better but it isn't showing in the water.

Day four

Flat and hot. The end.

Day Three

Read days one and two but think smaller and not as windy.

Three more sharks were seen yesterday including one believed to be up to five metres long. Imagine Luc Longley standing on Luc Longley's shoulders and that's about the length.

Day Two - Part Two

The wind swung onshore this afternoon but not very strong. There was some chop but no waves.

Day Two - arvo
Waves - 7 inch wind chop
Wind - moderate SW
Quality - zip

Day Two

Still flat, not that it matters because the tide is so low. There is reef sticking up everywhere.

The pluses - there is just a trickle of swell and it's offshore, very offshore.

Day Two - 26/12/11
Waves : 6 inches
Wind : strong offshore
Quality : 0.9 out of 10

Seven waves in seven days 2011

For the past three years I have been documenting the last seven days of the year at BP/Juniors. This year I'm going to try and do the same.

Looking back we should get at least one clean small swell but the forecast isn't that great.

Today started as a dud. No Christmas swell or even an afternoon onshore bash. The wind was offshore all day swinging strong SSE late.

Day One - 25/12/11
Waves - less than 6 inches
Wind - SE turning SSE late
Quality - 0.5 out of 10

To see the previous year click the 7 waves in 7 days label on the right side of the page.

Day Seven - 31/12/10

Last day of the year.

I wS so disgusted this morning to find the swell had dropped to 0…11 that I didn't even bother looking. Imagine my surprise at about 3 when I found that the swell had jumped to 0.4 and was rising. The wind was even sse.

As I got my first glimps of Juniors a set was closing out across the reef and the beach. What was left was a mass of boils and sand clouds. Juts off shore the southerly change was marching in.

As I had a board still in the car I rushed out to see if I could snag something. The swell was very inconsistent but seems to be building. The wind is messing it up and most waves are close outs but every now and then there was something that made the effort worthy. And it is the last chance to surf in 2010.

Friday 31/12/10 (3.30PM)
Waves - 2'+
Wind - Southerly
Quality - 4.5 out of 10 (size but no shape)

Day Six - Part Two

Little ripples this afternoon. The wind swung south west but the moved back southerly leaving small but pretty clean waves.

However the size dropped away very quickly and in the ten minutes it took me to get a board and suit up it changed drastically. I ended up sitting for a long time for a handful of takeover.

30/12/10 PM (5.00)
Waves - 1 foot
Wind - SSW
Quality - 4.5 out of 10 (would have been better if I went with my first instinct and rode a mal)
Fun factor - 3

Day Six - 30/12/10

The swell "event" was pretty short lived. The harbour buoy has dropped to below 0.2 and is on the slide. No waves down the beach with a southerly drift.

Looks like the wind is starting to move onshore.

30/12/10 AM (10.00)
Waves - none
Wind - southerly and swinging
Quality - 0.0001 out of 10