Surfing Bondi this week is a bit like being all dressed up with nowhere to go… We have heaps of supply, south swell galore, but the banks don’t seem to be handling it. There are lots of holes and fat sections that’ll ruin your flow down the line. It’s sunny offshore, cool start but warming […]

Oh boy, it’s cold! Well, it was this morning at sunrise, especially for Spring time. The puffer jacket got a run. The winds have been howling, big time. Yesterday, gusts struck 40 knots. All that wind kicked up a thumper of a swell, which today is a shade smaller but still chunky. I saw sets […]

We all got a bit excited with the recent hot, warm weather. Today, however, reminds us that we’re not clear of winter as the roaring southerlies smother Sydney. Strong winds have brought chunky swells and waves breaking 4-5 feet at Bondaka. A small crew is game to tackle a cold morning and large volumes of […]

Wow, I changed the background colour to black and some fonts on this daily email template, and all hell broke loose—more finger-waggin’ and raised voices than a Trump vs. Harris debate. Now that the riots have calmed and the cars stopped burning, we’ve listened and changed the template back to a white background…thank you for […]

Everybody around here comments how many groms there are surfing every day at Bondi. Some say it with great disdain (I think they forget two of them are mine) – but others smile with stoke, as the future looks bright for surfers at Bondi competitively. In my whole 25 years of Aquabumps (yes, 2-five), I’ve […]

South-facing swell magnets woke to a bump in size; Bondi looks fun! Sunrise saw a pulse, and as I rode down, I saw 4 or 5 very dreamy-looking sets, unexpected for Bondi (the world’s most consistently average breaking wave). There is a very active, enthusiastic crowd feasting at ramp 2. Getting a wave is a […]

Hard to believe, looking at the beach right now (circa 2 pm), but there were waves this morning at sunrise. Promise. Quite good ones, too. But if you missed it, you really missed it. They did the phantom. It’s flat as now. Cooling SW breezes with a microscopic east swell – with glorious spring sunshine […]

Spring is here; you’ll know it because all the brands kick off their activations in Bondi. This morning we had several things going, and there’s still stages being built for the weekend’s Festival of the Winds (which always gets busy around da hood). Waves – yeah…actually, nah. Not much is happening. Tiny dribbles and this […]

It’s much smaller but immaculate. It’s warmer as we head to 27 degrees, a fine spring day. Bondi has waves around waist-high, smaller crowds (but still busy) and cold water. MAKE A WAVE / SURFAIDFrom September 1st to the 30th, rookies and pros alike are encouraged to surf for 30 days straight to make an impact for […]

Crazy times down at Bondi as the waves were on the cook this morning. Plenty of super-fun 3-4 footers peeling into Bondi, flanked with an enormous morning crowd – one of the largest crowds I’ve seen this year. Some decent sets rolling through from out the back. Must be plenty of sand out there! 23 […]

OK, OK, I might have got a little excited yesterday calling 8 foot today, but it has come up a lot – say 4 foot. That’s double head high for the little tykes at least. It’s plenty for the adults too – especially when all the groms are at school – yeeeehaw. Sunshine galore and […]

What an interesting Monday! Firstly, it’s going to blow an absolute gale—25-35 knots of WSW. Wow. Then it will hit 25 degrees today as the bay remains flat, like a lake. You could water ski across it. Tomorrow will be totally different. It will be cold (top 18) and 8 foot waves. Yes, 8 foot. […]

Fridays are always very busy, but 30-degree Fridays are simply hectic. The city is empty as our workforce works from the lounge or beach. The lineup, cafes, swim squads, and outdoor gyms were overflowing at sunrise. It’s going to be like a summer’s day. The waves looked super fun, head-high sets – just too many […]

Yesterday was flat with gale-force winds; today, it’s 3-4 feet and calm (earlier). A new south swell has arrived and is looking good under offshore conditions. The swell interval is 12 seconds; plenty of waves are on a couple of peaks. Lucky, aren’t we? The forecast is for a subdued 23 degrees today, but what? […]

Sydney was gifted a blaze of colour at dawn – it was pretty special. It stopped everyone in their tracks, phones out, selfies galore…you’re probably still swiping through the sea or sunrise content from today. What was impressive was that it was a full sky curtain of super intense pinks. Often, we get bits and […]

The good times continue, with a small bump in swell size overnight. Waves are breaking in the chest-to-head-high range. It’s fun—a bit fat, but enjoyable. The waves will fade, and this afternoon will be smaller. A large hot air mass from central Australia is providing us some warmth for the final days of winter – […]

I shot late and found the blues of a Bluebird day mesmerizing. It’s a cracker, warm, windless and semi-surfable. Bondi had little log chuggers in the south, with a light Monday crowd. The Bergs was peaceful and calm after peak hour had passed. 17-year-old Erin Brooks won Fiji (her first comp on the big stage)- […]

It was a comfortable morning with sublime sunshine, warmer weather, early light, and small yet surfable two-footers. Fridays are chaotic around here, so you need a positive outlook to paddle out – there’ are humans everywhere! I mean, EVERYWHERE! It’s 22 degrees today, just superb. Light winds and endless clear skies are coming up. This […]

Our little Bondi banks continue to pump out fun-sized rippable waves this morning. It’s been a great run. Most of the swell’s energy has eroded, leaving some peaks for the groms. Overcast skies, no rain and offshores. Warm weather – I’m in shorts. The Fiji Pro has kicked off, looks like some fun waves. :: […]

It’s a 23-degree cracker of a day in Sydney. Perfect for outdoor activities, including surfing, as a south swell is spitting out 3-footers under well-groomed northerlies. A huge sunrise crowd was up early, feasting on anything moving at Bondi. It would have to be one of the most crowded surf breaks in the world on […]

The conditions aligned for a large Bondi crowd this morning. Quite a special morning with lots of waves, everywhere I swam. The golden winter light was the icing on the cake! So good! This fresh batch of south swell will only get bigger as the period jumps to 13 seconds. Hopefully, it won’t get too […]

Yesterday, we saw a fantastic steep swell increase from the south; it grew from 1-2 feet to 4-5 feet rapidly around 9am. Today, it’s declining but still hosting well-overhead high waves. Plenty of them! If you don’t mind a bit of chop and wobble, there’s a very uncrowded (Monday) lineup. From the charts, it seems […]

Finally, it’s not raining, and there are playful 2-3 footers. The swell and winds are from the North. It’s fading fast, and it will probably be one foot by lunchtime. A new south swell is arriving Sunday, and hopefully, it will be something for Bondi Boardriders to contest. Not many photographic opportunities this week – […]

After last week’s terrific ripper run of sunshine, we’ve now returned to cloudy days. Under morning gloomy skies there’s a little 1-2 foot at Bondi, but the 2:30pm high tide would have flattened that… It looks like some new NE swell energy is arriving late today and will provide a few waves for the next […]

After a crazy Sunday of City-to-Surf madness, Bondi has defaulted to the quiet little village winter vibe. Yesterday was hectic, but the vibes were high. It was great to see all the Bondi businesses flourishing. I saw small 1-2 footers peeling on our bank this morning. They looked very weak and full and were best […]

Ninety thousand people will be pounding the concrete for the City to Surf this Sunday. It’s one of Bondi’s most significant days and usually signifies the change in season. This morning, less busier than a C2S, but wow, it was pretty hectic down there for a chilly winter morning. The line-up was choccas, boards pointing […]

I expected very small surf this morning, but this extremely south swell (190 degrees) continues to chug into our bay—it’s three feet! It’s not just 3 feet, but it’s consistently 3 feet, with waves breaking every few seconds, supplying an extensive, frothing, hungry sunrise crowd. With so many waves, I was surprised by so many […]

This morning, there were exquisite beach conditions down at Bondi. It was dead calm, and there was no wind, making for very glassy two-footers. With multiple banks in operation, that recent giant swell was fruitful – the sand is in all the right places. The swell is fading, tomorrow will be tiny. Make the most […]

Oh, Jack. The Olympic surfing finals just ended at Teahuppo, and what a final it was—Australia vs. France/Tahiti—Jack Robinson on Kauli Vaast. I’ll let you watch the replays to find out who wins. Mother nature can be so cruel! It was a glorious morning in Bondi. Sunshine galore and 2-3 foot chuggers kept a big […]

After eating at 100 buffets and 25 flights, I’ve come home to find the remnants of a giant winter swell. The red rocks of South Bondi are towering out of the sand, telling me the waves have been crazy big, hitting the back walls. The new sand bank setup is fantastic, with multiple peaks and […]

You may have noticed I’m celebrating another hot lap around the sun with multiple indulgent tropical trips this year. (Why not aye) I’m on another island paradise in Indonesia, where the water is warm, the waterfalls are spectacular, the hospitality is sublime, and the waves are consistent. We’re still in peak surfing season in Indo, […]

Sorry about the late post; I’d like to say I’ve been soaking up the day’s sunshine and small, clean waves! Nah, that’s next week. What a beautiful winter’s day—sunshine galore and neat little two-footers to keep you entertained. We’ve got some north winds, which bring the warmer temps. Tomorrow will be an incredible 22 before […]

It’s a tad cooler than the water in the Maldives; it was very invigorating this morning! I’m awake now. Another glorious winter’s morning. Small two-footers were peeling left of a groomed central bank. Really fun for the higher volume surf vehicles. Loving the clear skies…hope it continues. :: uge

Hello! I know you were probably opening today’s post thinking what country now? Home it is – Bondi in peak winter. This cold winter morning feels extra cryogenic after five weeks of tropical 30-plus weather! Crispy offshores, 2-3 footers and glorious clear skies have welcomed us home. The middle of the bay bank looked the […]

“Aman” means “peace” in Sanskrit, and “Pulo” means “island” in Filipino /Tagalog – a perfect description of this heavenly island in the Palawan Province of the Philippines. Amanpulo, a world away from the hustle and bustle of Manila, south of the capital, is one of the planet’s most exquisite beach paradise islands. The sea’s colour is […]

Chapter 3: We’ve switched islands to the tiny Como Cocoa, a stone’s throw from one of Maldives’ surfing jewels, Kandooma. Cocoa is an island so small that you can kick a football across the middle of it…or a lilo circumnavigational will take you around half an hour. At low tide, a 500-metre sand spit emerges […]

In the Maldives, the working week is Sunday to Thursday, and Friday & Saturday is the weekend! The waves are still ripable here on Kandooma, and there is not much over head high (perfect for the tykes). Their surf season is May to September, which is good as it is the opposite of the general […]

Welcome back to the Maldives, chapter 2 of my overseas winter odyssey, where I am hunting warm water, waves, and idyllic beaches. After surfing left in the Mentawais for two weeks, it’s time to go right on one of the Maldivian jewels—Kandooma. I’ve been to the Maldives six times and have never scored decent waves […]

It’s rare for the ocean to go quiet here, especially in June (peak season), but it happens. Even when the waves go to sleep, you can still find these freak spots that draw everything from the ocean and still break over head high. The problem is that every camp, dug out, and charter joins the […]

Strangely, ‘The Boogeyman’ that monster who supposedly lives in children’s bedrooms, could have begun life as a pirate…a pirate from Indonesia! The Bugis are Indonesian people from Sulawesi who were bandits of the sea, feared by many along the spice routes in the 17th-19th centuries. So when you hear “Beware of The Boogeyman”, they could […]