For something different, I popped over the hill to the quaint seaside village of Bronte. Bronte is famous for its’ Bogey Hole, a natural ocean pool snug up against the beach’s southern end. At sunrise, the light at Bronte is good. It consistently hits the pool at a decent angle, illuminating many natives during their […]

The day kicked off clean, golden, sunny & warm…with my favourite kind of light. It then evolved into quite dark, gloomy and onshore! Oh what a mess! The southerly was early and kicking up some chop. It’s a shame, as it was pretty fun surfing at sunrise. This weeks’ surfing forecast looks a little bleak […]

We’ve gone from a chocka block Bondi hot Sunday to a cooler, empty Monday. Fortunately, yesterday’s late change has brought waves; it’s been a while. Easily head-high sets welcome the week; some banks looked a little funky, and there was lots of weed floating around. NE winds today, overcast and only 21 degrees. The rest […]

It was a mysterious morning, and it still is. A weird, eerie sea fog shrouds Sydney. Cool water with very hot humid air above making it interesting. I bet there are a few delays at departures. The waves are tiny and unsurfable. The water remains murky green due to the upwelling, bringing nutrient-rich water to […]

It’s rare, but I didn’t feel like shooting this morning. Maybe it was the one-footers, the dark skies, maybe… I’m still celebrating our 25th anniversary of Aquabumps and have tonnes—okay, more like terabytes—of photos lying dormant on a server rack (and backed up to a cloud). So, I’ve decided to rip some crackers from the […]

It was a little boring down the beach this morning. The waves were pretty terrible, I’m talking onshore, 1-2 foot and a empty line up. The skies were cloudy, but dry. The beach had lots of activity on the sand…everybody working on the summer rigs. Quite a few tourists in Bondi, amazing how many languages […]

I’ve just joined TikTok (and I’m over 16!) and have two followers. Actually, one just left, so I think it’s just one. Thanks Mum. I promise, you will never, that’s ever, see a video of me dancing on this platform! I will post some random videos, of random stuff around Bondi and beyond. Chuck us […]

Such a crazy start to summer, lots of rain, then baking hot, then thunderstorms yesterday amid hail…some flooding…now back to baking hot, but hang on, water is freezing (and brown from run off). What next? Small rideable waves at Bondi, 1-2 foot. The odd slightly larger set. It’s going to be a hot beach day, […]

It’s mental Friday when retail businesses put on their best deals, your inbox is drowning in it! For some businesses they’ve been on sale since winter! Well, we’re shipping unframed prints (not framed) anywhere on the globe for free from now until Monday midnight. It’s a huge saving if you’re overseas reading my daily rambles. […]

A muggy grey morning in Bondi. Like yesterday, small waves limping into the bay (waist to chest). West to Nor-west-then Nor east winds. Due to offshore upwelling, the water remains frosty. You can feel the coolness as you walk close to it. Quite refreshing after a very warm nights sleep. Bondi is such a mix […]

You can always tell it’s going to be a very busy morning at Bondi when the carpark queue extends up around the roundabout into Campbell Parade BEFORE 5:45 a.m! I saw tourists thinking, “What on earth is happening here so early!”. Bondi is unique in that it gets some warm weather, and it cranks. It […]

It’s starting to warm up around here. Today, we will be in the high twenties; tomorrow will be even hotter, at 29, and Thursday at 26. How do you like those apples? The ENE is up early, 15 knots, and keeps the water murky green with a chill. The waves are pretty small, smaller than […]

When those northerly winds blow for days, the ocean chills down. It feels like you can paddle out in your boardies until that first plunge under – brrrr. It is a sensational day—twenty-six without a cloud in the sky. It’s been like this all weekend, and Bondi is finding its summer vibe. There are traffic […]

Sydney is littered with bays and beaches. In the east, the beaches are small and close together; you can swim between them. Most beaches have an ocean pool, built long ago and carved from stone. This morning, I visited three of my favourite pools around here: Mahon, Coogee, and Icebergs. All were packed with the […]

It was a comfortable, warm Bondi morning with neat little waves. The waves were bigger in the pool last night though! Only 1-2 foot around here at dawn. It’s a maximum of 25 degrees today, and it’s perfectly sunny as I write. A swim after work is definitely on the cards. It’s a strange feeling […]

Finally, it’s switched back to our good times—a morning of light, warmth, and vibes. After days of grey and drizzle, we’ve been rewarded with a very comfortable Wednesday. A very large mob was down there from sunrise—lots of activity! Surfing is on the back burner as one footers limp into the bay. It’s 25 degrees […]

In the spirit of celebrating our 25th Aquabumps birthday, we explore some of the colourful events that have occurred on our little strip of sand over the years. It’s never dull around here – so much happens on this beach. I’ve shot several Australia Day Thong Challenges for Havainas, a raft of crazy ladies drifting […]

It was a very quiet Monday down the beach. The 5am rain dampened everyone’s motivation to slip down the beach before work. It was dark, still and Bondi was one foot due to the swell direction neglecting our bay. Eastern-facing beaches had more action, but it’s on the decline. We have an overcast week full […]

Two-time WSL surfing champ Tyler Wright visited Bondi this morning after hearing that we’ve got some good sand banks. Sadly, it was a rather dark, ugly 1-2 foot onshore day—not making the best impression. The beach conditions will improve as the wind swings from the nemesis East around to the northeast. This will be perfect […]

It’s hard to believe, but Aquabumps is 25 years old now. What sprouted from a little hobby and rev-up between mates has become a sophisticated Bondi gallery and global website, and our artwork hangs in most cities worldwide. I didn’t really start out in ’99 with any goals or aims; I just wanted to have […]

We all had big expectations for the morning surf conditions. At 5:30 am the beach was littered with frothers, eagerly hunting a solo peak. Unfortunately, the 6:39 am high tide swallowed the swell increase, producing fat burger waves that provided little enjoyment. Land of the cutback! I know there was some colour at 5:30 am, […]

Another day of onshore grinding; it is not very picturesque out there. A steady flow of south-southeast wind made a mess of the bay and cooling it down. Significantly few people around, everyone opting to do something else. I get it. Our grom squad were out, training for the Olympics 2028-2032. Finally, there should be […]

The week kicked off on a very grovelly Monday. The southerly was in early, making a mess. The clouds were thick, making it dark, but the frothing groms paddled out and made it look like child’s play. Very few people down the beach. Browsing the week’s forecast, it looks pretty ordinary, to be honest. Onshore […]

The combination of a Friday and a cracker-27-degree day was just too seductive – Bondi was packed! Packed! The conditions are calm, and the surf is tiny—beautiful for a morning swim. Swim groups were in full swing. Everyone was so happy with the sun shining and the water warm. Tomorrow won’t be as nice. A […]

It is rare to see Bondi windless and waveless. Today, we sit in the doldrums, stagnant. It feels like a still Indonesian morning, with pure glass across the bay. Beautiful, isn’t it? Perfect for your bay swims, morning walk, beach coffee – not so good for surfing! :: uge

It evolved into a beautiful beach day, but its beginnings were dark, overcast and overrated. A much warmer morning and the Wednesday crowds flocked to the beach. Waves are tiny, just a tad above flat…the 100-litre longboards littered the beach. The Nor-easter is blowing 18 knots, so North Bondi is completely protected and suitable for […]

These onshore breezes and dark skies aren’t much fun, especially with a large batch of blue bottles lining our shores, stinging everyone upon entering. The surf is minuscule, half to one foot. The only humans that can flick a turn out are the mega groms, sub 30 kaygees. Sadly, the forecast shows no improvement in […]

Yesterday (Sunday) was much better than today. Yesterday was a warm beach day with a little wave in the morning. Today’s been wiped out by an early cooling onshore and only fumes of swell, crumbling in at one foot. I reckon it wasn’t surfable at sunrise or shootable. So here are a few pics from […]

Too much blow. It’s onshore and messy. The small waves are suffering under these conditions. Lovely sunrise though around 6am. The sun ducked in and out all morning, even threatening to rain occasionally, and it remains cool (22 degrees maximum). Don’t forget Ben Lucas’ memorial paddle out is at South Maroubra on Sunday at 6 […]

Another sensational morning, sun, surf and sculptures. The waves continue with a slightly junkified 2-3 foot. South wind with South-East swell combo is in town, and multiple peaks are in operation along our 900 metres of Bondi. Rain is coming, and there is a chance of a thunderstorm this evening. Go outside now before the […]

Looking the goods out there today. It started dark and cloudy but has now blossomed into a corker. The waves turned on for the morning session too. Three-footers galore, lovely bowls on the inside, and a massive rip kept the lineup beginner-free. We’re heating up to a very comfortable 25 degrees, go outside, it’s magnificent. […]

It’s been a weird combo this morning: sunny one minute, rainy the next. It’s like it can’t make up its mind about what kind of day it is. I understand it will be clearing into the arvo (and 23) and should produce a nice arvo (apart from the onshore east winds, which will lift a […]

Some sublime conditions to start the week – warm, offshore, sunny. It’s a shame that I can feel the SE onshore starting to feather into the bay, bringing some clouds and unfavourable conditions. Ramp Dos has sand, but it only works when it’s tiny. Any sets overhead close out completely. I surfed it yesterday with […]

All the forecasted lousy weather is stuck up near Newcastle overnight, giving way to an exquisite sunny morning in Bondi today. The junkie swells now look more lined up, and a hint of the new south swell seems to be feeding the bay. It’s gonna get big tomorrow. There were really small crowds for a […]

The smothering southerly is here, and it’s making a mess. The rain will come later tonight (9-15mm), but until then, we have a much cooler day (23). I saw waves around waist to chest high, the gruesome onshore junkie variety. The water was pretty empty, but plenty of people were on the beach. Good day […]

What a cracker day outside, as we creep up to 27 bangin’ degrees. There are still waves, sometimes head high and throwing hollow on some new sand at the south—lots of seaweed and bluebottles. With weird current movements, your cruisy paddle out in the corner has turned into a churning washing machine of rip currents—hence […]

It’s that time of year again when we get all arty along 2 km of our coast; the Sculpture by the Sea has landed, typically kicking off the warmer beach season. Loads of people were up early, enjoying the forecasted good weather and walking among the artworks. As the swell subsides, there are also a […]

The kids woke me up early because they saw a horizon of potential—a low cloud ceiling surrounding Ben Buckler with some subtle pink tints already seeping through. I raced down, 100-megapixel medium format in tow, ready to capture in 16-bit glory. Wow, wasn’t that an impressive morning? It was mind-blowing how intense the pinks and […]

Heaps of swell and sun. What a cracker day. It’s just perfect. Waves are breaking in the 3-4 foot range, better with the higher tides—the low was a bit straight. Low Tide 3pm, High Tide 8:30am. It was rare, but it was quite uncrowded, probably due to the bigger sets. Local goss: There was a […]

After a colourful sunrise at Tamarama, I took a short drive south to The Bra and found some clean little waves (2-3ft). The higher tide made it a little fat, but surfable. Lots of cutbacks. The sun was out, and it’s been a dry day. The groms were dominating, whilst the beach was pretty empty […]