ISD Part Two

It was still yesterday in the northern hemisphere when four of us braved the cold and headed south this morning. That means it was actually International Surfing Day still (somewhere).

It was ****ing freezing, starting at 2 degrees when we left Bunbury and not hitting double figures until mid-morning. There was plenty of swell but the wind needed to settle a bit, well that was our excuse to get a coffee at van at the bottom of Yallingup hill and procrastinate for a few minutes so the sun start its job.

We drank watching big Rabbit Hill and from the top look out could here Jay Davies board snap after his huge air. We saw him in the carpark a few minutes later and realised it was the second one he had broken already that session.

Smiths was our wave of choice and over the morning we weren't alone. The crowd was big but manageable with lot of girls ripping and some freaks.

There were basically four spots to surf, Supers, the reef and two banks on the beachies. The beachie was probably the pick but each had its moments. Plenty of wall, plenty of power and some clean pits.

When we came home BP looked like it had been ok as well. The onshore was in but light and there are some weird and shallow banks around. A few hours later the LAGO was looking very nice and there were a few getting amongst it.

Tomorrow looks ok as well, once it warms up !!!

Arvo

Still plenty of swell but massive lulls. When a set does come at least two of the three waves is a close out. BP Reef does have a few rideable ones.

A spy tells me that Yallingup was pretty huge. The Naturaliste buoy is showing 2.3 after maxing at three last night.

Size : big 2 foot
Wind : NNE
Swell : 0.58 at 14 - dropping from a mid day peak of 0.7
Quality : ok if you get the rare one with a wall
Desperation level : about 10 degrees cooler than it is
Recommendation : wag work and go south for an early

Mushy

Mushy onshore conditions by the time I got to the beach. A few out at Yalls and Rabbits but they were just paddling and getting cleaned up.

Smiths was cleaner but the swell was a bit small for it to any good.

Sun and southerlies

Finally some sun, even if it did make the morning freezing cold (1.7 at 6.00 am). The swell has dropped to around three metres and the wind have swung into the south.

Went down south on the off chance that PK would be working but it wasn't. The swell was wrapping in as far a Rocky Point but I was disappointed again. I have got to that age where I surf the waves that will be the funnest not the best and often decide to go to a place because that is the type of wave I want to surf and go away dry if that place isn't on despite waves elsewhere.

The trip across the hill to Yallingup revealed double overhead conditions with only a five guys out (and a whale). The wind was cross shore and there were some decent walls to carve if you caught the right one. One guy caught a long, long left and ended up coming in at Rabbits because that was closer than coming into the reef.

Smiths had some nice conditions and a few people dotted amongst the beach break. It looked like the people shooting the Tim Winton film were out at Supertubes. There were a couple of jet skis but not much action.

Day 3 - 27th December 2010

Unbelievably flat. The harbour buoy was showing six centimetres and the Naturaliste buoy was only 0.6. I can't remember it ever being that flat. The wind was lighter with a touch of north in the east.

I had to work and drive to Augusta and back. It was flat everywhere, including the easy to get to swell magnets. The only waves I saw were in Augusta. They were onshore, dribbly and about gut height but after the last few weeks I was spewing I didn't have a mal with me.

Marges was dead flat. I have never been there when there have been no waves at all. The river mouth looked like Bunbury, Smith light Diamond pool and Yallingup suitable for water skiing only.

This afternoon the wind was a  little onshore southerly but it hasn't brought up the swell.

Nearly

Nearly waves again this arvo. Still offshore but with a fair bit of south and BP Reef was so close to being surfable that its not funny any more. Little waves were breaking inside the inside suck up but rolling nicely with backlit lips and transparent blue faces. Only problems were all the fin loving rocks along the line.

The Weather Bureau are forecasting a heat wave in Perth this week. Apparently that means three days in a row over 35 degrees. If it happens it will be only the fourth time since they started counting. We won't be that hot but might hit 30.

Surfalert is forecasting a couple of kicks in the swell for the Yallingup area, one tomorrow and one on Thursday. The harbour buoy is already showing a quick rise since lunchtime and Naturaliste has climbed to over two metres. With offshore it would be a good day to call in sick and head south.

Home and away

Quick note as I'm at work. Too a trip with some work mate south today to match up with the predicted three metre swell.

Yalls was clean but not that big. There were a couple out at the Bubble including a mal. Scoot around to Smiths and it doesn't look that nice although it is offshore with a bit of swell.

Decide to check Inji. There is a wave but the tide is a bit high. Three guys out but with others waxing up in the carpark. The Point was just too far away !

Back to Smiths and the reef was an almost exclusively lay down area. A group of body boarders were sharing some super clean suck pits. They were all very polite and shared it amongst everyone (including one of us). A couple of shortboarders went out here and there but couldn't take off deep enough to really get full benefit from the waves.

It was too sucky for me so I chose a little hand plane session on the beachie.

Sausage roll and a doughnut from Tass Bakery in Dunsborough, a check of the free boards at Yahoo and it was home for lunch and work. Well that was the plan until we stopped at Capel Cut just in case.

With a couple of guys packing up in the carpark and the odd little runner coming through the two of us who didn't go out at Smith hit it on a fishy shapes. It was a little inconsistent and hard work but both of us go a few little fun one on the inside reef.

Then it was work time but I'm not super enthused !

Yesterday

Heaps of swell yesterday morning at Yallingup and light offshore winds. Had a hunt around. The Farm had a few but the tide seemed to be coming up and the swell dropping a little.

Ended up at Capel Cut. Nice waves, head height and walling to the beach.

Front tonight. Very messy this arvo in Bunno.

Only One Thing Could Ruin Today

Offshore winds - all day
Swell - solid
Surface - glassy
Weed - gone
Sun - present
Banks - straight

Bunbury was basically a single close out from Mindalong to the Bay. However that hasn't stopped a pile of people going out. The dumpers were better suited to body boarders than stand ups and one guy at the Bay was getting nicely barreled this afternoon.

One surfer tried his hand at Fraggles and every now and then got a freak wave. There were even waves right of the end of the Wall. Ok not surfable waves but waves.

Didn't check but I'm sure that Capel Cut and Binningup had waves.

My spies from down south tell me that everywhere had swell but some wonky sand build ups and the swell direction made some places less than "all time". Apparently North Point was the spot or so the 40 who paddled out thought. About 6 foot plus with two massive tubes on each wave.

South Point was less crowded but good. A tow crew was out on Cow Bombie. Yallingup was big but Yallingup. The whitewater up the coast seemed to indicate that Bears would have been pumping. Even the Farm had surfable waves.

Tomorrow looks offshore but the wind could swing by Sunday and it is forecast to rain for most of next week. Great start for those groms on school holidays.

Big Yalls

Well middle size Yalls anyway. Yallingup this morning was a consistent head height and a half with the usual 8 foot sneaker set cleaning everyone up.

The waves were hard to catch and the crowd kept building over the morning. Isn't it strange that as the waves get bigger the crowd gets older and balder ? More proof that testosterone and baldness are connected.

Smith had swell but not much shape. Only one guy out and he was at Supers.

Closer to home there were some nice waves at the Capel Cut after you have gotten past the islands of weed. Only one guy out in the late morning and he was getting nice rights as quickly as he could paddle back out.

Conditions are still good. The winds are light but continuing to move more north.